Information system

• US 6,334,152 B1
• Filed: 03/18/1998
• Issued: 12/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Gibson, David Lynton, Mannings, Robin Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLETT, STEPHAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/043,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20010049736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/227, 709/225, 709/229, 709/232, 709/238, 340/825.03, 340/10.1, 340/10.3
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/085 using a television receiver, e.g. viewdata system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• 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 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 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud

Abstract

An interactive information delivery system server delivering text or other visual data to a display unit is accessed by a user by means of his own telephone, through an interface unit. The interface unit interprets key pad presses and/or voice commands, and in response to these it controls the server. This allows the expensive and vulnerable hardware (which may be a conventional PC and modem) to be positioned in a secure location, but still be usable by members of the public. As the location of the display unit (which may be a conventional PC and modem) may make audio output impractical, the interface unit may pass an audio channel from the server to the user'"'"'s telephone. In response to appropriate commands from the telephone, it can also divert the call to a predefined call centre. The server application scripts and control programs largely follow normal WWW Internet practice, except that the output from the server is to be transmitted to a destination (display unit) other than that from which the instructions arrive (the interface). The display unit, when in idle mode, displays a page or pages in the idle state, including a telephone number to dial in order to access information. This number will be specific to the display unit, allowing the interface unit to identify which display unit the user wishes to use.

Claims

1. An interactive information delivery system comprising:

a first terminal comprising an information display unit,

server means for transmitting text or other visual information from an information store over a first communications link to the first terminal,

the text or other visual information including control command prompts, and

a user interface having;

means for receiving at least one of dialing and dialed telephone number information, and control commands from a second terminal separate from the first terminal over a second communications link separate from the first communications link,

means for identifying from the at least one of dialing and dialed telephone number information the information display unit to be controlled by said control commands, and

means for transmitting the control commands to the server means to select the information to be transmitted to the display unit,

whereby the separated first and second terminals are arranged to cooperate through the server to enable control commands to be transmitted to the server from the first terminal over the first communications link in response to control command prompts displayed by the second terminal, the separated first and second terminals cooperating as display and data entry elements of the same user interface.

2. An interactive information delivery system as in claim 1, wherein:

the server means is arranged to transmit audio information to a user by means of the mobile communications link.

3. An interactive information delivery system as in claim 2, wherein:

the user interface includes means for setting up a telephone connection between the user interface and a further communications link.

4. An interactive information delivery system as in claim 3, wherein:

the further communications link is arranged to transmit commands to the information server.

5. An interactive information delivery system as in claim 3, wherein:

the display unit is associated with a video input means,

the system further comprising means for transmitting video signals from the video input means to the further communications link.

6. A user interface for an interactive information delivery system comprising:

means for receiving at least one of dialing and dialed telephone number information and control commands from a first terminal over a first communications link, and

means for transmitting commands to an information server means, for controlling the server means to access text or other visual data from an information store,

the text or other visual data including;

control command prompts, and

means for transmitting said visual data over a second communications link separate from the first communications link to a second terminal separated from said first terminal, the second communications link being selected according to said at least one of dialing and dialed telephone number information received over the first communications link and connected to a search terminal whereby the separated first and second terminals are arranged to cooperate through the server to enable control commands to be transmitted to the server from the first terminal in response to control command prompts displayed by the second terminal, the first and second terminals cooperating as display and data entry elements of the same user interface.

7. A user interface as in claim 6, having:

means for receiving audio data from a server means, and

means for transmitting said audio data over the mobile telecommunications link.

8. A user interface as in claim 6, further comprising:

means for setting up a connection between the user interface and a further communications link.

9. A user interface as in claim 8, having:

means for receiving visual data from the information server means over the delivery communications link and transmitting said visual data over the further communications link.

10. A user interface as in claim 8, wherein:

the further communications link is connected to means for transmitting commands to the information server.

11. A method of operating an interactive information delivery system, said method comprising:

transmitting at least one of dialing and dialed telephone number information and control commands to a server over a first communications link from a first terminal;

controlling the server in response to said at least one of dialing and dialed telephone number information to select a second communications link separate from the first communications link;

controlling the server to select text or other visual information for transmission over the delivery communications link to a second terminal separate from said first terminal in response to said control commands, the text or other visual information including control command prompts; and

transmitting said information from the server over the selected second communications link for display on a display unit at said second terminal whereby the separated first and second terminals are arranged to cooperate through the server to enable control commands to be transmitted to the server from the first terminal in response to control command prompts displayed by the second terminal, the first and second terminals cooperating as display and data entry elements of the same user interface.

12. A method as in claim 11, wherein:

audio information is transmitted from the server to a user by means of the mobile communications link.

13. A method as in claim 11, further comprising the step of:

controlling the user interface to set up a connection between the user and a further communications link.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein:

visual data is transmitted from the information server means over the delivery communications link to the further telecommunications line.

15. A method as in claim 13, wherein:

the further communications link is connected to means for transmitting commands to the information server.