Network system

• US 6,732,112 B1
• Filed: 03/31/1998
• Issued: 05/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): Jung, David
• Application Number:
  US09/051,046
• Time in Patent Office: 2,226 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-206, 709/100-332, 345/326-327, 705/26, 379/93.17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0238 Programmable keyboards key guide holders G06F3/0224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

There is provided a network system in which, when the data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure is prepared for a server machine, a user can easily access an arbitrary service of an arbitrary page by using keys arranged on a user terminal.

The network system includes a server machine and a plurality of user terminals 30.

The server machine includes a memory for storing data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along the specification of the HTML, and setup data described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform allocation of functions of keys of the user terminal for each page and explanation of the functions allocated to the respective keys.

Each of the user terminals 30 includes a plurality of keys 42 and processing means for displaying a page supplied from the server machine on a display 32. The processing means reads, when another page is selected by a key operation of a user, setup data of the corresponding other page from the server machine, sets up the functions of the keys 42, and performs a setup operation for displaying explanation of the functions of the keys 42 on the display 32.

Claims

1. A network system including a server machine and a plurality of user terminals, said server machine comprising:

a first storage device that stores data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along a specification of an HTML, and that stores setup data described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform allocation of functions of keys of said user terminal for each page and explanation of functions allocated to the respective keys;

each of said user terminal comprising;

a plurality of keys, and

a processing device that displays a page supplied from said server machine on a display device, said processing device comprising a key allocation device that reads setup data of the corresponding other page from said server machine when another page is selected by a key operation of a user, said key allocation device further updating the functions of the keys and performing a setup operation for updating the display of the explanation of the functions of the keys on the display device.

2. A network system according to claim 1, wherein the setup data is formed to perform allocation of navigation functions of the keys for each page and explanation of the navigation functions allocated to the respective keys, and said processing device of each user terminal sets up the navigation functions of the respective keys and displays the navigation functions of the keys on the display device.

3. A network system according to claim 1, wherein the setup data is formed such that the functions allocated to the keys are displayed as explanation images.

4. A network system according to claim 3, wherein the setup data is formed such that the functions allocated to the respective keys are displayed as different explanation images in an operation state and a non-operation state of the keys.

5. A network system according to claim 1, wherein said processing device displays a screen displayed on the display device such that the screen is divided into a page display area for displaying a page supplied from said server machine and a function display area for displaying function explanation of the keys.

6. A network system according to claim 1, wherein said server machine comprises a second storage device that stores a Web browser for user terminals and data subordinate to the Web browser to search pages having a hyperlinked structure, and each of said user terminals comprises a storage device that stores a boot program for downloading the Web browser and the data subordinate to the Web browser from said second storage device in said user terminal, and said processing device displaying a home page of said server machine and performing a setup operation of the keys corresponding to the start page.

7. A network system according to claim 1, wherein the data of the plurality of pages includes data of a card data input page having a card data setting item of a user and described in a language along a specification of an HTML such that card data input from a card reader is automatically set as the data of the card data setting item, each of said user terminals comprises a card reader for inputting data of a card, and said processing device automatically sets the card data input from said card reader as the data of the card data setting item while the card data input page is displayed.

8. A network system according to claim 1, wherein the setup data is included in the data of the corresponding page.

9. A server machine comprising:

a device that stores data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along a specification of an HTML, and

a device that stores setup data described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform allocation of functions of keys of a user terminal for each page and explanation of the functions allocated to the respective keys, wherein data of a desired page and setup data corresponding to the data are formed such that both the data can be read by said user terminal.

10. A server machine according to claim 9, wherein the setup data is formed to perform allocation of the navigation functions of the respective keys for each page and explanation of the navigation functions allocated to the keys.

11. A server according to claim 9, wherein the setup data is formed such that the functions allocated to the keys are displayed as explanation images.

12. A server machine according to claim 11, wherein the setup data is formed such that the functions allocated to the respective keys are displayed as different explanation images in an operation state and a non-operation state of the keys.

13. A server machine according to claim 9, wherein said server machine comprises a storage device that stores a Web browser for user terminals and data subordinate to the Web browser to search pages having a hyperlinked structure, the server machine downloading the Web browser and the data subordinate to the Web browser to said corresponding user terminal.

14. A server machine according to claim 9, wherein the data of the plurality of pages includes data of a card data input page having a card data setting item of a user and described in a language along the specification of the HTML such that card data input from a card reader is automatically set as the data of the card data setting item.

15. A server machine according to claim 9, wherein the setup data is included in the data of the corresponding page.

16. A user terminal connected to a server machine which stores data of a plurality of pages having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along a specification of an HTML and that stores setup data described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform allocation of functions of keys of said user terminal for each page and explanation of the functions allocated to the respective keys, the user terminal comprising:

a plurality of keys, and

a processing device that displays a page supplied from said server machine on a display device, said processing device including a key allocation device that reads setup data of the corresponding other page from said server machine when another page is selected by a key operation of a user, said key allocation device further updating the functions of the keys and performing a setup operation for updating the display of the explanation of the functions of the keys on the display device.

17. A user terminal according to claim 16, wherein the setup data is formed to perform allocation of the navigation functions of the respective keys for each page and explanation of the navigation functions allocated to the keys, and said processing device sets up the navigation functions of the respective keys and displays the navigation functions of the keys on the display device.

18. A user terminal according to claim 16, wherein the setup data is formed such that the functions allocated to the keys are displayed as explanation images.

19. A user terminal according to claim 18, wherein the setup data is formed such that the functions allocated to the respective keys are displayed as different explanation images in an operation state and a non-operation state of the keys.

20. A user terminal according to claim 16, wherein said processing device displays a screen displayed on the display device such that the display screen is divided into a page display area for displaying a page supplied from said server machine and a function display area for displaying function explanation of the keys.

21. A user terminal according to claim 16, further comprising a storage device that stores a boot program for downloading, from said server machine which stores a Web browser for user terminals and data subordinate to the Web browser, the Web browser and the data subordinate to the Web browser on said corresponding user terminal to search pages having a hyperlinked structure, said processing device displaying a home page of said server machine and performing a setup operation of the keys corresponding to the home page, wherein the boot program is operated at the start of the corresponding user terminal.

22. A user terminal according to claim 16, further comprising a card reader for inputting data of a card, wherein the data of the plurality of pages includes data of a card data input page having a card data setting item of a user and described in a language along the specification of the HTML such that card data input from said card reader is automatically set as the data of the card data setting item, and said processing device automatically sets the card data input from said card reader as the data of the card data setting item while the card data input page is displayed.

23. A user terminal according to claim 16, wherein the setup data is included in the data of the corresponding page.

24. A network system including a server machine and a user terminal, said server machine comprising:

a first storage device that stores data of at least a first page and a second page, each having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along a specification of an HTML, and that stores at least first setup data and second setup data, each described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform allocation of functions of keys of said user terminal for each page and explanation of functions allocated to the respective keys,

the first setup data being associated with the first page,

the second setup data being associated with the second page;

said user terminal comprising;

a plurality of keys, and

a processing device that displays one of the first page and the second page supplied from said server machine on a display device,

said processing device comprising a key allocation device that reads the first setup data from said server machine when the first page is displayed, and that reads the second setup data from said server machine when the second page is displayed,

said key allocation device further updating the functions of the keys based on one of the first setup data and the second setup data, and performing an operation for updating the display of the explanation of the functions of the keys on the display device.

27. A network system according to claim 24, wherein the display device includes a message display area that displays a message transmitted spontaneously from the server machine.

25. A server machine, comprising:

a device that stores data of at least a first page and a second page, each having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along a specification of an HTML, and

a device that stores at least first setup data and second setup data, each described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform updating of the allocation of functions of keys of a user terminal for each page and explanation of the functions allocated to the respective keys, the first setup data being associated with the first page, and the second setup data being associated with the second page.

26. A user terminal connected to a server machine which stores data of at least a first page and a second page, each having a hyperlinked structure described in a language along a specification of an HTML, and that stores at least first setup data and second setup data, each described in the language along the specification of the HTML to perform allocation of functions of keys of said user terminal for each page and explanation of the functions allocated to the respective keys, the first setup data being associated with the first page, the second setup data being associated with the second page, the user terminal comprising:

a plurality of keys, and

a processing device that displays one of the first page and the second page supplied from said server machine on a display device,

said processing device including a key allocation device that reads the first setup data from said server machine when the first page is displayed, and that reads the second setup data from said server machine when the second page is displayed,

said key allocation device further updating the functions of the keys based on one of the first setup data and the second setup data, and performing an operation for updating the display of the explanation of the functions of the keys on the display device.