Internet transaction acceleration

• US 6,144,402 A
• Filed: 07/08/1997
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microtune, Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Thompson, Jay A., Norsworthy, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/889,223
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 709/217, 345/327, 380/212, 380/233, 380/239, 380/242
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The invention is a multiple mode transmission system that interconnects the computer of a user with the Internet. The system has a first link that is a relatively low bandwidth telephone system. The system also has a second link that is a relatively high bandwidth television system. The television link can be either terrestrial or cable. The user would send an information request to the Internet across the telephone system. The actual information would be sent to the user via the television system. Scheduling data that informs the user of the time, channel, and exact location of the information in the television signal is sent to the user across the telephone system. The scheduling data is used by the inventive system to program the TV tuner that is used by the computer to receive the TV signal. The information can be encrypted, and the key would be included with the scheduling data. The channels can be dedicated data channels. A plurality of users would share the television system, and each user is only temporarily assigned a portion of the channel.

Claims

1. A multi-transmission mode system interconnecting a computer of a user and a network, the system comprising:

first means, having a relatively low bandwidth, for sending requests for information from the user to the network, and for sending data that details aspects of delivery of the information to the user, wherein said data comprises a channel designation, a time designation, a frame designation, a field designation, and a line designation; and

second means, having a relatively high bandwidth, for delivering the information to the computer of the user, wherein the identity of the user is not present in the information delivered by said second means.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first means is a telephone system, the second means is a television system, and the network is an open global network, the system further comprises:

a television tuner located at a site of the user that connects the computer to the television system; and

a modem located at the site of the user that connects the computer to the telephone system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein:

a plurality of users share the television system; and

each user is temporarily assigned a portion of the television system to receive their respective information.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the information is separated into a plurality of portions; and

a plurality of channels of the television system are used to send the information portions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the computer has a single tuner;

each portion is sent over a different channel of the plurality of channels in a sequential manner; and

the tuner is sequentially set to each corresponding channel and receives the portion sent on the corresponding channel.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the computer has a plurality of tuners;

each portion is sent over a different channel of the plurality of channels in a simultaneous manner; and

each tuner is correspondingly set to each channel of the plurality of channels, and receives a corresponding portion of the information.

10. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a third means for controlling the modem and the tuner.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the third means receives the data from the modem and programs the tuner to receive the information.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the third means receives the information from the tuner and controls decoding of the information into useable form.

13. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the television system is a cable system; and

the tuner has a cable hook up.

14. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the television system is a broadcast system; and

the tuner has an antenna.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the tuner receives the information from the television system.

16. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a service provider, for providing the user with access to the network, that is connected to the computer of the user via the telephone system, and is connected to the network and to the television system via relatively high bandwidth links.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the service provider comprises:

means for determining a size of the information; and

means for deciding which link to send the information based upon the size of information;

wherein a relatively small sized information is sent to the user over the telephone system link; and

a relatively large sized information is sent to the user over the television system link.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the service provider comprises:

means for encrypting the information before sending the information to the user over the television system link;

wherein a key for the encrypted information is sent to the user over the telephone system link.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the data includes the key.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the key is changed for each different information requested by the user.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the key is changed for each portion of the information that is sent to the user.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the key is assigned to the user for a predetermined time period.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the network is an open global network.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the network is the Internet.

25. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first means is a bi-directional link.

26. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first means is a substantially private link.

27. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the first means is a telephone system.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second means is a uni-directional link.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second means is a substantially public link.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second means is a television system.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein:

the television system is a cable television system.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein:

the television system is a broadcast television system.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein:

the television system has a dedicated data channel to deliver the information.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein:

the second means is a portion of a channel in the television system to deliver the information, wherein the remaining portion of the channel carries a signal unrelated to the information.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein:

the signal is a television show.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein:

the signal is information for a different user.

37. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the information is sent to multiple users.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein:

the multiple users receive the information simultaneously.

39. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the information is sent relatively contemporaneous with the request.

40. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the information is sent to the user on a period basis.

41. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the information is sent substantially non-contemporaneous with the request.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein:

a time for delivery is selectable by the user.

4. The system of claim 4, wherein the data further comprises a date designation.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the data comprises a plurality of channel designations, a plurality of time designations, a plurality of frame designations, a plurality of field designations, and a plurality of line designations.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the data comprises a plurality of channel designations, a single time designation, a plurality of frame designations, a plurality of field designations, and a plurality of line designations.

43. A multi-transmission mode system interconnecting a computer of a user and a network, the system comprising:

a first link having a relatively low bandwidth;

a second link having a relatively high bandwidth;

wherein a request for information is sent from the user to the network via the first link, the information is delivered to the computer of the user via the second link, data detailing aspects of delivery of the information is sent to the user via the first link, and wherein the identity of the user is not present in the information delivered via said second link and wherein said data comprises a channel designation, a time designation, a frame designation, a field designation, and a line designation.

44. The system of claim 43, wherein the first link is a telephone system, the second link is a television system, and the network is the Internet network, the system further comprises:

a television tuner located at a site of the user that connects the computer to the television system; and

a modem located at the site of the user that connects the computer to the telephone system

wherein the tuner receives the information from the television system.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein:

a plurality of users share the television system; and

each user is temporarily assigned a portion of the television system to receive their respective information.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein:

the television system is a cable system; and

the tuner has a cable hook up.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein:

the television system is a broadcast system; and

the tuner has an antenna.

48. The system of claim 44, further comprising:

means for controlling the modem and the tuner.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein:

the means for controlling receives the data from the modem and programs the tuner to receive the information.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein:

the means for controlling receives the information from the tuner and controls decoding of the information into useable form.

51. A multi-transmission mode system interconnecting a computer of a user and the Internet network, the system comprising:

a telephone system for sending requests for information from the user to the network, and for sending data that details aspects of delivery of the information to the user, wherein said data comprises a channel designation, a time designation, a frame designation, a field designation, and a line designation;

a television system for delivering the information to the computer of the user, wherein the identity of the user is not present in the information broadcast by said television system;

a service provider, for providing the user with access to the network, that is connected to the computer of the user via the telephone system, and is connected to the network and to the television system;

a television tuner located at a site of the user that connects the computer to the television system, and receives the information from the television system;

a modem located at the site of the user that connects the computer to the telephone system for sending the requests and receiving the data; and

means for controlling the modem and the tuner;

wherein the means for controlling receives the data from the modem and programs the tuner to receive the information.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein:

the television system has a dedicated data channel to deliver the information.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein:

a plurality of users shares the data channel; and

each user is temporarily assigned a portion of the data channel to receive their respective information.

54. The system of claim 51, wherein:

the means for controlling receives the information from the tuner and controls decoding of the information into useable form.

55. The system of claim 51, wherein:

the television system is a cable system; and

the tuner has a cable hook up.

56. The system of claim 51, wherein:

the television system is a broadcast system; and

the tuner has an antenna.

57. A method for retrieving information from the Internet network onto a computer of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

sending requests for information from the user to the network via a telephone system;

sending data that details aspects of delivery of the information to the user via the telephone system, wherein said data comprises a channel designation, a time designation, a frame designation, a field designation, and a line designation; and

delivering the information to the computer of the user via a television system, wherein the identity of the user is not present in the information delivered via said television system.

58. The method of claim 57, further comprising the step of:

decoding of the information into a form useable by the computer.

59. The method of claim 57, further comprising the steps of:

using a channel of the television system to deliver the information; and

setting a tuner to the channel to receive the information, based upon the data.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the television system is a cable system, and the method further comprises the step of:

connecting the tuner to the television system through a cable hookup.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the television system is a broadcast system, and the method further comprises the step of:

connecting the tuner to the television system through an antenna.

62. The method of claim 59, wherein a plurality of users share the channel, and the method further comprises the step of:

assigning, temporarily, a portion of the television channel to each of the plurality of user, for each user to receive their respective information.