Clock with link to the internet

• US 7,468,934 B1
• Filed: 07/11/2000
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Musicqubed Innovations LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: EZ4Media Incorporated
• Inventors: Janik, Craig M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perveen; Rehana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Eric
• Application Number:
  US09/613,322
• Time in Patent Office: 3,087 Days
• Field of Search: 713/502, 340/286, 709/203, 368/10, 368/13
• US Class Current: 368/13
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 11/00 Producing optical signals at preselected times
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 13/021 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The disclosure describes an alarm clock and a system for presenting pre-selected information from a website via the internet. The alarm clock includes a snooze button, a visual display, a speaker, a port for connecting to the internet, and a timer device for activating downloading of pre-selected information from a website through the port, and for activating the presentation of the pre-selected information on the visual display and the speaker.

Claims

1. A method of presenting content retrieved via the Internet, comprising:

providing a content preference selection to a server for use in connection with a search engine which functions to retrieve from the Internet content that is relevant to the content preference selection;

receiving from the server at an alarm clock via the Internet the content that is relevant to the content preference selection as retrieved by the search engine; and

causing the alarm clock to present the content that is relevant to the content preference selection as retrieved by the search engine at a time that is programmed into the alarm clock.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content preference selection is provided by interacting with a server Web page.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content that is relevant to the content preference selection as retrieved by the search engine is streamed to the alarm clock.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the content that is relevant to the content preference selection as retrieved by the search engine is converted from text to synthesized speech.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the content that is relevant to the content preference selection as retrieved by the search engine is stored within a memory of the alarm clock prior to the time that is programmed into the alarm clock.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the content that is relevant to the content preference selection as retrieved by the search engine is received at the alarm clock at a user selected time.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, comprising causing the alarm clock to access the server at the user selected time to thereby receive the content that is relevant to the content preference selection as retrieved by the search engine.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the alarm clock accesses the server by automatically dialing a designated phone number.

9. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the content that is relevant to the content preference selection as retrieved by the search engine is converted from text to synthesized speech.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the search engine functions to retrieve from the Internet the content that is relevant to the content preference selection on a daily basis.

11. A method of presenting content retrieved via the Internet, comprising:

providing plural content preference selections to a server for use in connection with a search engine which functions to retrieve from the Internet plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections;

receiving from the server at an alarm clock via the Internet the plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections as retrieved by the search engine; and

causing the alarm clock to present the plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections as retrieved by the search engine at a time that is programmed into the alarm clock, whereby the plural content is presented in a pre-programmed order.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the plural content preference selections are provided by interacting with a server Web page.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections as retrieved by the search engine is streamed to the alarm clock.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections as retrieved by the search engine are converted from text to synthesized speech.

15. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections as retrieved by the search engine are stored within a memory of the alarm clock prior to the time that is programmed into the alarm clock.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections as retrieved by the search engine are received at the alarm clock at a user selected time.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, comprising causing the alarm clock to access the server at the user selected time to thereby receive the plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections as retrieved by the search engine.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the alarm clock accesses the server by automatically dialing a designated phone number.

19. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections as retrieved by the search engine are converted from text to synthesized speech.

20. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the search engine functions to retrieve from the Internet the plural content that is relevant to the plural content preference selections on a daily basis.