User interface for controlling audio functions in a web browser

• US 6,005,563 A
• Filed: 11/22/1996
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: White, Christopher M., Krueger, Mark H., Anderson, David R., Yaksick, Jeffrey D., Britt, Jr., Joe F.
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US08/755,237
• Time in Patent Office: 1,124 Days
• Field of Search: 345/327, 345/326, 345/328-352, 345/353, 345/356, 345/357, 345/354.355
• US Class Current: 715/718
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/957 Browsing optimisation, e.g. caching or content distillation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0236 using selection techniques to select from displayed items
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42212 Specific keyboard arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 : involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 : for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 : for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 : involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4356 : by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. to reformat additional data on a handheld device, attached to the STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 : Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 : by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 : involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 : by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 : Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 : involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 : for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4858 : for modifying screen layout parameters, e.g. fonts, size of the windows
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 : comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 : using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/602 : for digital sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 : Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

Web browser software is implemented in a processing system housed in a set-top box connected to a television and communicating over a wide-area network with one or more servers. The browser allows a user to use a remote control device to navigate between hypertext anchors in World-Wide Web pages displayed on the television. User inputs are entered from the remote control device using an infrared IR link in order to move a selection between hypertext anchors or various control buttons displayed on the television display. The browser is capable of downloading audio files from Web sites and generating sound through a speaker of the television set based on the audio files. Background music is generated during Web browsing based on audio files downloaded from one of the servers or audio files stored in memory in the set-top box. A background music audio file from a server can be downloaded while another background music audio file is played. An audio panel can be displayed when an audio file from a Web site is downloaded and played to form a user interface by which the user to play, stop, pause, rewind, or fast-forward the audio file.

Claims

1. In a computer network that includes (i) a plurality of servers for accessing a plurality of network sites containing various types of content, as for example text, graphics and audio files, which can be viewed and listened to as appropriate, and downloaded when desired and that includes (ii) a plurality of client systems, at least some of which are comprised of a television monitor electronically connected to and controlled by a processor and an input device which together permit the television monitor to function as a computer display and audio output while the processor of the client system is connected to a server for purposes of browsing the network sites, a method of controlling audio output while browsing such sites, comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between a processor of a client system and one of said servers and thereafter utilizing the television monitor as a computer display and audio output device while browsing one or more said network sites;

automatically and independently of the content at any particular network site, said server to which the processor of the client system is connected downloading to the connected processor of the client system background music for output while the user is browsing any of the network sites;

said processor of the client system that is connected to said server causing the television monitor to play the background music as any of the network sites are browsed; and

said processor or the connected client system thereafter suspending the background music'"'"'s output in the event a network site is accessed that provides separate audio background or in the event an audio file is activated at a network site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of downloading to said connected processor of the client system said background music occurs asynchronously with and independent of the user'"'"'s actions at the client system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of causing the television to play the downloaded background music can be selectively programmed to immediately play upon downloading, or stored for playing later.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of downloading to said connected processor of the client system said background music comprises the step of sequentially downloading different music files only after a previous file has finished playing.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of downloading to said connected processor of the client system said background music comprises the step of downloading a next file of background music to be played as a current file is being played.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of superimposing upon the background music one or more other special sound effects to provide the user of the client system with audio feedback when operating an input device of the client system.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of suspending the background music comprising the step of superimposing upon a network site that is being browsed an audio control panel for performing a plurality of audio functions which can be interactively selected by the input device at the client system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of superimposing said audio control panel comprises the step of determining whether audio data at the network site is live audio, and if so, disabling a display of at least one of the functions of the audio control panel.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said second program code means for causing said downloading to said connected processor of the client system said background music includes program code means that causes the downloading to occur asynchronously with and independent of the user'"'"'s actions at the client system.

11. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said third program code means for causing the television to play the downloaded background music includes program code means for permitting the client system to be selectively programmed to immediately play the background music upon downloading, or stored for playing later.

12. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said second program code means for causing said downloading to said connected processor of the client system said background music comprises program code means for sequentially downloading different music files only after a previous file has finished playing.

13. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said second program code means for causing said downloading to said connected processor of the client system said background music comprises program code means for downloading a next file of background music to be played as a current file is being played.

14. The computer program product of claim 7 further comprising program code means for superimposing upon the background music one or more other special sound effects to provide the user of the client system with audio feedback when operating an input device of the client system.

15. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein said fourth program code means for suspending the background music comprises program code means for superimposing upon a network site that is being browsed an audio control panel for performing a plurality of audio functions which can be interactively selected by the input device at the client system.

16. The computer program product claim 15 wherein said program code means for superimposing said audio control panel comprises program code means for determining whether audio data at the network site is live audio, and if so, disabling a display of at least one of the functions of the audio control panel.

9. In a computer network that includes (i) a plurality of servers for accessing a plurality of network sites containing various types of content, as for example text, graphics and audio files, which can be viewed and listened to as appropriate, and downloaded when desired, and that includes (ii) a plurality of client systems, at least some of which are comprised of a television monitor electronically connected to and controlled by a processor and an input device which together permit the television monitor to function as a computer display and audio output while the processor of the client system is connected to a server for purposes of browsing the network sites, as an article of manufacture, a computer program product for implementing at a client system'"'"'s processor a method of controlling audio output while browsing such sites, comprising:

a computer readable medium for carrying computer program code means; and

computer program code means contained on said medium, comprising;

first program code means for establishing a connection between a processor of a client system and one of said servers and thereafter utilizing the television monitor as a computer display and audio output device while browsing one or more said network sites;

second program code means for automatically and independently of the content at any particular network site, causing said server to which the processor of the client system is connected to download to the connected processor of the client system background music for output while the user is browsing any of the network site;

third program code means for causing the television monitor to play the background music as any of the network sites are browsed; and

fourth program code means for thereafter suspending the background music'"'"'s output in the event a network site is accessed that provides separate audio background or in the event an audio file is activated at a network site.