Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-18
2001-12-25
Harrell, Robert B. (Department: 2152)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer-to-computer session/connection establishing
C709S217000, C709S227000, C709S238000, C340S010300, C340S870030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334152
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to interactive computer information display systems for displaying text or other visual information. Such systems are coming into widespread use, through information access systems such as the “Internet” World Wide Web (WWW). Large amounts of information are available to users having access to such systems. However, in order to gain access to such systems relatively expensive hardware is required, in particular a computer and a modem, limiting the availability of the information to users who have access to such a terminal. Furthermore, the hardware is typically bulky, and is not easily portable. Mobile systems, comprising a “laptop” computer and a cellular telephone, do exist, but because of the limited bandwidth available on mobile communications, these tend to be very slow.
2. Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,199 (Thompson) and U.S. Pat. No. 4789895 (Mustafa) describe systems in which narrowband telephone links are used to control images presented via a broadband system (e.g. a cable television downlink), but in both cases the telephone lines are fixed, and dedicated to a specific display unit. These systems therefore require the user to have the use of such a device. Because the links are necessarily fixed it is not possible to use such an arrangement for a mobile user.
Multimedia “kiosks” have been proposed for locations to which the public have access. However, the equipment is valuable, and its accessibility to the public makes it vulnerable to theft, vandalism, and tampering. The equipment is also not suitable for exposed locations, as it is not in general weatherproof. In order to identify the user, and allow payment to be made for the service, facilities such as a credit card “swipe” unit and/or personal identity number (PIN) facility are also necessary. The use of PINs is vulnerable to people reading a genuine user's keystrokes as he enters his PIN, in order to subsequently use the PIN himself.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided an interactive information delivery system comprising an information display unit, server means for transmitting text or other visual information from an information store over a delivery communications link to the information display unit, and a user interface for receiving control commands over a mobile communications link, for identifying from the control commands the information display unit to be controlled by said commands, and for transmitting the control commands to the server means to select the information to be transmitted to the display unit.
According to a second aspect, there is provided a user interface for an interactive information delivery system comprising means for receiving control commands over a mobile telecommunications link, and means for transmitting commands to an information server means, for controlling the server means to access text or other visual data from an information store and transmit said visual data over a delivery communications link, the delivery communications link being selected according to said control commands received over the mobile telecommunications link.
According to a third aspect, there is provided a method of operating an interactive information delivery system comprising the steps of:
transmitting control information to a server over a mobile telecommunications link;
controlling the server in response to said control information to select a delivery communications link;
controlling the server to select text or other visual information for transmission over the delivery communications link in response to said control information;
transmitting said information from the server over the selected delivery communications link for display on a display unit.
The inputting and use of control information to select the delivery communications link allows the service to be provided to any user with a mobile telephone who is within sight of the display unit, even though there is no direct physical connection or organisational association between them. The control command may be displayed on the display device when in idle mode, for inputting via the mobile telephone by the user when required. The human user completes the loop between the display of the appropriate prompt on the display device and the inputting of the command on the mobile telephone, by way of his eyes, brain and fingers.
This arrangement has a number of advantages. In particular, this approach requires only standard computer hardware to display the information. As users require no physical contact with the display unit, it can be positioned anywhere visible to potential users, without being exposed to the elements or the attentions of vandals, thieves, etc, for example a shop window.
In such a position it may be difficult to deliver an audio channel, as is required by many multimedia services. To overcome this, the server means can be arranged to transmit audio information to the user by means of the mobile communications link.
Because only command information, and possibly an audio return channel, are transmitted over the mobile communications link, a narrow-bandwidth system can be used for this link, without impairing the response speed of the system, which is limited only by the bandwidth of the delivery telecommunications link. The mobile communications link is preferably a dial-up connection made by the user, from the user's own cellular mobile telephone. This allows user identification and payment to be provided readily through the billing system, if required. Furthermore, the need to use a cellular telephone would discourage frivolous customers. There is no need for access controls to prevent unauthorised use, other than those already provided by the mobile phone operator. In particular, if an access code (PIN) is required to identify the user, it is of no use to a “shoulder surfer” observing the user's keystrokes unless he has access to the user's telephone itself.
In order to control the display and to “browse” the information, the user would use the telephone connection. After dialling a number indicated on the display unit when in idle mode (the number being specific to the display unit to be used), the user would move from page to page by either pressing the keypad as instructed, either by information on the screen, or by simple voice commands. At key places in the display program, a command could allow the user to be connected to a further telecomunications link. This may be a telephone help desk, where for example, a customer's order may be taken. The help desk may have provision for itself transmitting commands to the server to display information on the display device, allowing the help desk operator to control the session and display information likely to be of interest to the other user.
The display unit may be associated with a video input means, the system further comprising means for transmitting video signals from the video input means to the further telecommunications line, for example to allow a videoconference to take place.
To reduce the user's call charges, the system could also be used to call back the user when a session is initiated, thereby transferring the cost of provision to the information provider.
The display unit could be a PC and browser, controlled remotely by the user through the first and second communications links, either by voice commands or keystrokes. Costs could be further reduced by replacing the display unit by a Network Computer.
The invention can be used with either analogue or digital telephone systems (which term embraces Internet Protocol systems as well as conventional switched systems) as the mobile communications link, and with public switched telephone network (PSTN), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Private Circuit or Local Area Network (LAN) connections as the delivery communications link (which will generally be fixed). Likewise, the relative physical locations of the display unit, user interface unit an
Gibson David Lynton
Mannings Robin Thomas
British Telecommunications PLC
Harrell Robert B.
Nixon & Vanderhye P.C.
Willet Stephan
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