Selective reestablishment of internet connectivity based on duration of user inactivity

• US 6,219,042 B1
• Filed: 09/15/1998
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, David R., White, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh, Ba
• Application Number:
  US09/153,574
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• Field of Search: 345/327, 345/328, 348/10, 348/12, 348/552, 348/553, 348/564, 348/565, 725/39, 725/42, 725/51, 725/52, 725/56, 725/60, 725/61, 725/87, 725/106, 725/109, 725/110, 725/112, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 715/716
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen

Abstract

An Internet access terminal automatically manages telephone communication with an Internet service provider to reduce inactive telephone line usage when the user toggles from the Internet mode to the television mode. A user who has been browsing the Internet can toggle the terminal to the television mode from the Internet mode, which has a particular state relating to the Internet page that is being viewed. The terminal saves state information representing the Internet state and monitors the time that elapses after the terminal is toggled. If a first period of time elapses, the telephone connection is dropped. If a longer, second period of time also elapses, the state information is discarded. Upon toggling back to the Internet mode, communication is resumed using the telephone connection and the Internet state is restored if the first period has not elapsed. If the first period has elapsed and the second period has not elapsed, the terminal automatically reestablishes communication by telephone and restores the Internet state. If the first and second periods have elapsed, the terminal automatically reestablishes communication and selects a default Internet state.

Claims

1. In an Internet access terminal that enables television viewing and Internet browsing on a display device, a method of toggling a user interface of the Internet access terminal between an Internet mode and a television mode such that user understanding of the browsing and viewing experience is enhanced and such that inactive telephone line usage is reduced, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a first user input requesting a toggle of the user interface from television mode to Internet mode, the first user input being received while the user interface is in the television mode and is further in an auxiliary configuration in the television mode as opposed to being in a viewing configuration in the television mode, wherein the auxiliary configuration does not display an active television program on the display device;

in response to the first user input, toggling the user interface from the television mode to the Internet mode in which the Internet access terminal communicates using a telephone connection;

receiving a second user input requesting a toggle of the user interface to the television mode;

determining that the user interface had been in the auxiliary configuration in the television mode when the first user input was received;

in response to the second user input and based on the act for determining, toggling the user interface from the Internet mode to the viewing configuration in the television mode in which an active television program is displayed on the display device, as opposed to toggling the user input to the auxiliary configuration in the television mode;

saving state information specifying a previous state in which the Internet access terminal operated when the second user input was received;

while the user interface is in the television mode, monitoring the time that has elapsed since the user interface was toggled from the Internet mode to the television mode to determine whether a first predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving a third user input requesting a toggle of the user interface to the Internet mode and also to determine whether a longer, second predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving said third user input;

if the first predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving said third user input, dropping the telephone connection, otherwise, maintaining the telephone connection;

if the second predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving said third user input, discarding the stored state information, otherwise, continuing to store the state information;

receiving the third input;

in response to receiving the third user input, again toggling the user interface from the television mode to the Internet mode and;

if the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time have not elapsed, resuming communication using the telephone connection;

if the first predetermined period of time has elapsed and the second predetermined period of time has not elapsed, automatically reestablishing the telephone connection, and restoring the previous state of the Internet access terminal based on the state information; and

if both the first and second predetermined periods of time have elapsed, automatically reestablishing the telephone connection and causing the Internet access terminal to operate in a default state as opposed to restoring the previous state.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the default state is a state in which a default page is accessed by the Internet access terminal and displayed on a display device associated with the Internet access terminal.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the previous state is a state in which a page selected by the user is displayed on a display device associated with the Internet access terminal.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein the previous state is further a state in which a history of the Internet access terminal is maintained, such that restoring the previous state causes the history of the Internet access terminal to be maintained.

5. In an Internet access terminal that enables television viewing and Internet browsing on a display device, a method of toggling a user interface of the Internet access terminal between an Internet mode and a television mode so as to reduce inactive telephone line usage while assisting a user of the Internet access terminal to access the Internet after a period of inactivity, the method comprising the acts of:

receiving a first user input requesting a toggle of the user interface from Internet mode to television mode, wherein the Internet access terminal communicates using a telephone connection when the user interface is in the Internet mode;

in response to the first user input, toggling the user interface from the Internet mode to the television mode and saving state information specifying a previous state in which the Internet access terminal operated when the first user input was received;

while the user interface is in the television mode, monitoring the time that has elapsed since the user interface was toggled from the Internet mode to the television mode to determine whether a first predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving a second user input requesting a toggle of the user interface to the Internet mode and also to determine whether a longer, second predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving said second user input;

if the first predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving said second user input, dropping the telephone connection, otherwise, maintaining the telephone connection;

if the second predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving said second user input, discarding the stored state information, otherwise, continuing to store the state information;

receiving said second user input;

in response to receiving said second user input, toggling the user interface from the television mode to Internet mode and;

if the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time have not elapsed, resuming communication using the telephone connection;

if the first predetermined period of time has elapsed and the second predetermined period of time has not elapsed, automatically reestablishing the telephone connection, and restoring the previous state of the Internet access terminal based on the state information; and

if both the first and second predetermined periods of time have elapsed, automatically reestablishing the telephone connection and causing the Internet access terminal to operate in a default state as opposed to restoring the previous state.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the default state is a state in which a default page is accessed by the Internet access terminal and displayed on a display device associated with the Internet access terminal.

7. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein the previous state is a state in which a page selected by the user is displayed on a display device associated with the Internet access terminal.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the previous state is further a state in which a history of the Internet access terminal is maintained, such that restoring the previous state causes the history of the Internet access terminal to be maintained.

9. A computer program product for implementing, in an Internet access terminal that enables television viewing and Internet browsing on a display device, a method of toggling a user interface of the Internet access terminal between an Internet mode and a television mode so as to reduce inactive telephone line usage while assisting a user of the Internet access terminal to access the Internet after a period of inactivity, the computer program product comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the Internet access terminal, cause the Internet access terminal to implement the method, including the acts of;

receiving a first user input requesting a toggle of the user interface from Internet mode to television mode, wherein the Internet access terminal communicates using a telephone connection when the user interface is in the Internet mode;

in response to the first user input, toggling the user interface from the Internet mode to the television mode and saving state information specifying a previous state in which the Internet access terminal operated when the first user input was received;

while the user interface is in the television mode, monitoring the time that has elapsed since the user interface was toggled from the Internet mode to the television mode to determine whether a first predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving a second user input requesting a toggle of the user interface to the Internet mode and also to determine whether a longer, second predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving said second user input;

if the first predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving said second user input, dropping the telephone connection, otherwise, maintaining the telephone connection;

if the second predetermined period of time elapses prior to receiving said second user input, discarding the stored state information, otherwise, continuing to store the state information;

receiving said second user input;

in response to receiving said second user input, toggling the user interface from the television mode to the Internet mode and;

if the first predetermined period of time and the second predetermined period of time have not elapsed, resuming communication using the telephone connection;

if the first predetermined period of time has elapsed and the second predetermined period of time has not elapsed, automatically reestablishing the telephone connection, and restoring the previous state of the Internet access terminal based on the state information; and

if both the first and second predetermined periods of time have elapsed, automatically reestablishing the telephone connection and causing the Internet access terminal to operate in a default state as opposed to restoring the previous state.