Hypertext markup language based telephone apparatus

• US 5,923,736 A
• Filed: 04/02/1996
• Issued: 07/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: National Semiconductor Corporation (Texas Instruments, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shachar, Yuval
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US08/626,418
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.17, 379/93.19, 379/93.23, 379/93.24, 379/93.25, 379/110.01, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.06, 379/93.08, 379/88.01 , 379/88.03, 707/513, 707/500, 707/501
• US Class Current: 379/93.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML

Abstract

An integrated telephone/terminal device for performing telephone and data communications functions is described. The telephone/terminal device includes a display screen, input device, telephone interface, data communications interface (e.g., modem), a processor and memory. A hypertext markup language interpreter resident within the telephone/terminal device provides the basis of a hypertext based GUI. Resident hypertext documents stored within the memory of the device control user interface to essential functions such as setup and configuration, dialing, data access, etc. One aspect of the invention is directed to using HTML and TCP/IP (Internet "World Wide Web" compatible interpreter and protocols) to provide seamless access to Internet-hosted hypertext documents in a device which requires no computer training or expertise of the user thereof.

Claims

1. A telephone/terminal device comprising:

a graphics display screen;

a memory system at least a portion of which comprises non-volatile memory, a hypertext markup language interpreter being stored within the memory system, and one or more resident hypertext documents being stored within the memory system;

a data communications interface;

a voice communications interface;

an input device for interacting with hyperlinks displayed on the display screen; and

a processor for operating and controlling the display screen, the input device, the memory system, the data communications interface, the voice communications interface, and for executing the hypertext markup-language interpreter such that when operated upon by the hypertext markup language interpreter the resident hypertext documents provide a multimedia user interface functionality for the telephone/terminal device.

2. A telephone/terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

the hypertext markup language is HTML.

3. A telephone/terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

said voice communications interface includes a telephone handset.

4. A telephone/terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

said voice communications interface includes a speakerphone.

5. A telephone/terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a protocol hierarchy for interacting with a data communications network.

6. A telephone/terminal device according to claim 5, wherein:

the protocol hierarchy is TCP/IP.

7. A telephone/terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

said input device includes voice recognition.

8. A telephone/terminal device according to claim 1, wherein:

said input device includes handwriting recognition.

9. A telephone/terminal device coupled to a communications network having nodes at each of which a host computer provides access to data stored therein, comprising:

a hypertext-based operating system for executing resident hypertext documents; and

a processor responsive to said hypertext-based operating system and said resident hypertext documents for executing said documents to navigate the network.

10. A telephone/terminal device comprising:

a graphics display screen;

a memory system at least a portion of which comprises non-volatile memory, a hypertext markup language interpreter being stored within the memory system, and one or more resident hypertext documents being stored within the memory system;

a data communications interface;

a voice communications interface;

an input device for interacting with hyperlinks displayed on the display screen; and

a processor for operating and controlling the display screen, the input device, the memory system, the data communications interface, the voice communications interface, and for executing the hypertext markup-language interpreter such that when operated upon by the hypertext markup language interpreter the resident hypertext documents provide an operating system for the telephone/terminal device.

11. A telephone/terminal device according to claim 10, further comprising a graphical user interface native to said operating system.