Telephone web browser arrangement and method

• US 6,133,940 A
• Filed: 02/26/1998
• Issued: 10/17/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 8X8, Inc.
• Inventors: Noonen, Michael, Barraclough, Keith, Deierling, Kevin, Parkinson, Joseph L., Martin, Bryan R., Sing, Yuenwah
• Primary Examiner(s): Loomis, Paul
• Assistant Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Application Number:
  US09/031,081
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.08-93.09, 379/93.17-93.18, 379/93.25-93.27, 379/93.12-93.13, 379/93.37, 379/90.01 , 379/100.11, 379/93.14, 379/101.01, 379/88.24, 379/88.17, 348/10, 348/14-18, 704/270, 704/271, 704/200-201, 370/352, 370/356, 370/401, 709/219
• US Class Current: 348/14.03
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2478 Telephone terminals specially adapted for non-voice services, e.g. email, internet access centralized arrangements where telephones services are combined H04M7/0024; for recording text messages H04M3/5322; for accessing Internet H04M3/4938
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/066 Telephone sets adapted for data transmision
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and interface for browsing the internet using a telephone circuit having keys for generating DTMF codes. The interface includes a memory and a processor and is coupled to the telephone circuit and display. The interface receives a first DTMF code requesting access to the internet and, in response to the first DTMF code, loads a Web browser in its memory. The interface then receives a second DTMF code from the telephone circuit and converts the second DTMF code into a Web browser command using an interpretation protocol. The Web browser command is then executed using the interface, thereby enabling a user to access the internet via manual operation of the keys of the telephone circuit.

Claims

1. A videoprocessor arrangement for video-conferencing applications, comprising:

a camera configured and arranged to output video signals representative of images of scenes captured by the camera;

a telephone interface port configured to receive audio-band signals, including DTMF signals, from a telephone set;

a display driver circuit;

a videoprocessor circuit coupled to a communications channel and configured to display user-recognizable control signals through the display circuit, to recognize DTMF signals sent from the conventional telephone via the telephone interface port and determine whether a recognized DTMF signal matches one of the user-recognizable control signals, and, in response, to initiate communication with an internet server.

2. A videoprocessor arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein the videoprocessor circuit is further configured to permit the telephone set to communicate the received audio-band signals over the communications channel, and to respond to a certain DTMF signal by initiating a videoconferencing mode.

3. A videoprocessor arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein the video processor arrangement is further configured to respond to a matching DTMF signal by executing a software routine causing the videoconferencing mode to be altered.

4. A videoprocessor arrangement, according to claim 3, wherein the mode is altered pursuant to a displayed user selectable option.

5. A videoprocessor arrangement, according to claim 4, wherein the selectable option is one of the following:

size, quality and privacy.

6. A videoprocessor arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein the videoprocessor circuit is further configured to respond to another certain DTMF signal by initiating a web phone call mode.

7. A videoprocessor arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein the telephone set is located remote from the video processor circuit.

8. A videoprocessor arrangement, according to claim 1, wherein the telephone set is located in proximity to the video processor circuit.

9. A videoprocessor arrangement, according to claim 8, wherein the telephone set and the video processor are part of a single unit.

10. A videoprocessor arrangement for video-conferencing applications, comprising:

means, including a camera, for outputting video signals representative of images of scenes captured by the camera;

a telephone interface port configured to receive audio-band signals, including DTMF signals, from a telephone set;

a display driver circuit;

means, including a videoprocessor circuit, coupled to a communications channel and for displaying user-recognizable control signals through the display driver circuit, for recognizing DTMF signals sent from the conventional telephone via the telephone interface port and for determining whether a recognized DTMF signal matches one of the user-recognizable control signals, and, in response to initiate communication with an internet server.