Network system spontaneously transmitting data from server machine to user terminal having first and second parts for requests and message, respectively

• US 6,185,610 B1
• Filed: 05/04/1998
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Konishi, Masanori, Kubota, Shinji, Nagatomo, Yasuhito, Baba, Hiroyuki, Kinebuchi, Tadashi
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/051,045
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/205, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/225, 709/231, 709/232, 709/329, 709/328, 707/104, 707/501, 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

In a system constituted by using the Internet techniques, there is provided a network system which can spontaneously transmit data from a server machine to a desired user terminal.

The network system is a server-client type network system including a server machine 10 for storing the data of a plurality of pages which are described in a language along the specification of the HTML to be hyperlinked, and a plurality of user terminals 30 for displaying a page of the server machine on a display by using a Web browser.

The server machine 10 includes a data transmission unit 80 for spontaneously transmitting the data described in the language along the specification of the HTML to an arbitrary user terminal.

Each of the user terminals 30 monitors reception of the spontaneously transmitted data by using the Web browser and displays the received spontaneously transmitted data on the display.

Claims

1. A network system responsive to an order by a user, comprising:

a server machine having a spontaneous transmitting device;

a plurality of user terminals, each having a display device and an input device;

a first port through which a request is transmitted from the user terminal to the server machine and first data is transmitted from the server machine to the user terminal in response to the request, the request transmitted through the first port being in response to operation of the input device; and

a second port through which second data is spontaneously transmitted from the server machine to the user terminal, the second port being only for use of spontaneously transmitting the second data,

wherein the display device of the user terminal displays contents of service capable of being ordered from the user terminal based on the first data transmitted through the first port, the input device of the user terminal inputs the order corresponding to the contents of service displayed on the display device as the request to be transmitted to the server machine through the first port,

the spontaneous transmitting device of the server machine spontaneously transmits the second data to the user terminal through the second port at least when the order requested from the user terminal is completed, the second data is described in a language along the specification of an HTML and the display device of the user terminal also displays a message indicating a completion of the order based on the second data by using a Web browser in response to reception of the second data.

2. The network system according to claim 1, wherein said user terminal displays a display screen of the display device such that the display screen is divided into a first display area that displays the contents of service based on the first data and a second display area that displays the massage based on the second data spontaneously transmitted.

3. The network system according to claim 1, wherein said server machine stores the contents of service to be presented to said user terminal as the first data of a plurality of pages which are described in the language along the specification of the HTML to be hyperlinked.

4. The network system according to claim 1, wherein each of said user terminals interrupt-displays the massage based on the spontaneously transmitted second data on the display device when the second data is received from said second port.

8. The network system according to claim 1, wherein the input device comprises a multi-function key and a function allocated to the multi-function key changes depending on the contents of service displayed on the display device.

9. The network system according to claim 8, wherein the display device also displays the function allocated to the multi-function key.

5. A user terminal responsive to an order by a user and capable of being connected to a network system having a server machine that transmits first data to the user terminal in response to a request from the user terminal and spontaneously transmits second data to the user terminal, comprising:

a first port that transmits the request to the server machine and receives the first data transmitted from the server machine in response to the request;

a second port that receives the second data spontaneously transmitted from the server machine, the second port being only for use of receiving the second data spontaneously transmitted from the server machine;

a display device that displays contents of service capable of being ordered from the user terminal based on the first data received through the first port; and

an input device for inputting the order corresponding to the contents of service displayed on the display device as the request,

where in the second data is transmitted through the second port from the server machine at least when the order requested from the input device is completed, the second data is described in a language along a specification of an HTML and the display device also displays a message indicating a completion of the order based on the second data by using a Web browser in response to reception of the second data.

6. The user terminal according to claim 5, wherein said user terminal displays a display screen of the display device such that the display screen is divided into a first display area that displays the contents of service based on the first data and a second display area that displays the massage based on the second data spontaneously transmitted.

7. The user terminal according to claim 5, wherein said user terminal interrupt-displays the massage based on the second data spontaneously transmitted on the display device when the second data is received from said second port.

10. The user terminal according to claim 5, wherein the input device comprises a multi-function key and a function allocated to the multi-function key changes depending on the contents of service displayed on the display device.

11. The user terminal according to claim 10, wherein the display device also displays the function allocated to the multi-function key.

12. A network system, comprising:

a server machine having a spontaneous transmitting device;

a plurality of user terminals, each having a display device;

a first port through which a request is transmitted from the user terminal to the server machine and first data is transmitted from the server machine to the user terminal in response to the request; and

a second port through which second data is spontaneously transmitted from the server machine to the user terminal, the second port being only for use of spontaneously transmitting the second data,

wherein the second data is described in a language along a specification of an HTML and the user terminal displays the second data on the display device by using a Web browser in response to reception of the second data.

13. The network system according to claim 12, wherein the display device also displays contents of the first data transmitted through the first port from the server machine.

14. The network system according to claim 12, wherein the display device displays contents of service capable of being ordered from the user terminal based on the first data and also displays a message indicating a completion of order requested from the user terminal based on the second data.

15. A user terminal capable of being connected to a network system having a server machine, that transmits first data to the user terminal in response to a request from the user terminal and spontaneously transmits second data to the user terminal, comprising:

a first port that transmits the request to the server machine and receives the first data transmitted from the server machine in response to the request;

a second port that receives the second data spontaneously transmitted from the server machine, the second port being only for use in receiving the second data spontaneously transmitted from the server machine, the second data described in a language along a specification of an HTML; and

a display device that displays the second data by using a Web browser in response to reception of the second data.

16. The user terminal according to claim 15, wherein the display device also displays contents of the first data received through the first port.

17. The user terminal according to claim 15, wherein the display device displays contents of service capable of being ordered from the user terminal based on the first data and also displays a message indicating a completion of order requested from the user terminal based on the second data.

18. A server machine capable of being connected to a network system having at least one user terminal, the user terminal transmitting a request to the server machine, receiving first data and second data transmitted from the server machine and displaying the second data on a display device,

the server machine comprising:

a first port that receives the request transmitted from the user terminal and transmits the first data to the user terminal in response to the request; and

a second port that spontaneously transmits the second data to the user terminal, the second port being only for use of spontaneously transmitting the second data to the user terminal,

wherein the second data is described in a language along a specification of an HTML and capable of being displayed by using a Web browser on the display device of the user terminal in response to the reception of the second data.

19. The server machine according to claim 18, wherein the first data is capable of being displayed on the display device of the user terminal and includes contents of service capable of being ordered from the user terminal, and the second data indicates a completion of order requested from the user terminal.