System and method for accessing data files in a computer network

• US 6,219,709 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1997
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Byford, Derrick John
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): VU, THONG H
• Application Number:
  US08/848,713
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 455/6.2, 455/3.1, 179/4, 364/514, 382/115, 707/104, 395/615, 380/20, 380/23, 379/207, 379/96, 379/226, 348/7, 348/10, 348/564, 348/734, 348/13, 348/15, 348/563, 358/84, 704/550, 709/207, 709/249, 709/227, 370/389, 705/36
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0882 for the transmission of character code signals, e.g. for teletext circuits for the digital non-picture data signal H04N7/035

Abstract

A system receives a call from a user via a telephone in which the user requests data files from a computer network. A Teletext page is allocated to the user by the system and identified by a number. The system generates a menu in the allocated Teletext page and includes it in a broadcast television signal from which the user makes a selection by pushing a number on the telephone keypad. The number identifies a data file on the computer network. The system writes the information from the requested file to the Teletext page included in the television broadcast signal.

Claims

1. A system for accessing network World Wide Web page data files in a computer network, the system comprising:

means for receiving a call from a telephone;

means for allocating a teletext page in a broadcast television signal in response to the call;

means for writing data from one or more of the data files to the allocated teletext page, wherein the data files comprise World Wide Web pages; and

means for sending a voice message identifying the allocated teletext page to the telephone.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for generating a menu of data files available via the computer network, each data file having a different identifier specified in the menu;

means for writing the menu to the allocated teletext page;

means for receiving the identifier corresponding to a selected data file from the telephone;

means for retrieving the selected data file from the computer network; and

, means for writing data from the selected data file to the allocated teletext page.

3. A system as claimed in claim 2, comprising means for generating successive menus of data files in response to successive selections received via the telephone.

4. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for releasing the allocated teletext page for re-allocation in response to termination of the telephone call.

5. A system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the call receiving means and the identifier receiving means are responsive to a tone dial signal.

6. A system as claimed in claim 2 wherein the call receiving means and the identifier receiving means each comprise a voice recognition sub-system.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for detecting if a teletext page is available for allocation to an incoming call and, in the event that no teletext pages are available for allocation, for returning the incoming call when a teletext page is released for reallocation.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for sending a facsimile message containing data from the selected data file.

9. A method for accessing World Wide Web page data files in a computer network, the method comprising:

receiving a call from a telephone;

allocating a teletext page in a broadcast television signal in response to the call;

writing data from one or more of the data files to the allocated teletext page, wherein the data files comprise World Wide Web pages; and

sending a voice message identifying the allocated teletext page to the telephone.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, comprising:

generating a menu of data files available via the computer network, each data file having a different identifier specified in the menu;

writing the menu to the allocated teletext page;

receiving the identifier corresponding to a selected data file from the telephone;

retrieving the selected data file from the computer network; and

, writing data from the selected data file to the allocated teletext page.

11. A server computer system for accessing World Wide Web page data files in a computer network, the system comprising:

a call handler for receiving a call from a telephone and for allocating a teletext page in

a broadcast television signal in response to the call;

a browser for accessing one or more data files from the network; and

a World Wide Web page convertor for writing data from said one or more data files to the allocated teletext page, wherein the call handler sends a voice message to the telephone that identifies the allocated teletext page in the television broadcast signal, wherein the data files comprise World Wide Web pages.

12. A server as claimed in claim 11, wherein the browser is adapted to generate a menu of data files available via the computer network, each data file having a different identifier specified in the menu;

the page convertor is adapted to write the menu to the allocated teletext page;

the call handler is adapted to receive the identifier corresponding to a selected data file from the telephone;

the browser is adapted to retrieve the selected data file from the network; and

the page convertor is adapted to write data from the selected data file to the allocated teletext page.