Controlling a PC using a tone from a cellular telephone

• US 7,493,384 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2000
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jack A. Turpin, RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: RPX-LV Acquisition LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Inventors: Philyaw, Jeffry Jovan
• Primary Examiner(s): Jacobs, LaShonda T
• Application Number:
  US09/602,034
• Time in Patent Office: 3,161 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709217-220, 709223-224, 709/228, 709/231, 709/238, 709/245, 709/319, 455/404, 455/455, 455/456
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2155 Acoustic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72466 with selection means, e.g. keys, having functions defined by the mode or the status of the device
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A method and apparatus for accessing information over a network (306) from a remote location (312) on the network (306) for delivery to a user PC (302). A cellular telephone (2500) is provided having a functional mode for web access over the network (306). A button (2502) on the phone is associated with the functional mode. The button on the phone (2500) is activated by a user to induce the functional mode when in proximity to the user PC (302). In response to activation of the functional mode, the user PC (302) is controlled to access information from the remote location (312) on the network (306) for delivery to the user PC (302) and display thereof to the user on a display (1612) associated with the user PC (302).

Claims

1. A method for accessing information over a network from a remote location on the network for delivery to a user PC, comprising the steps of:

providing a functional mode on a cellular telephone for web access over the network, the cellular telephone separate from the user PC and the functional mode having associated therewith a unique code;

associating at least a button on the cellular telephone with the functional mode;

activating the button on the cellular telephone to activate the functional mode when the user is in physical proximity to the user PC and, in response thereto, transferring to the user PC unique code, which unique code has no routing code contained therein that would by itself uniquely identify the location of the remote location on the network, but which unique code has a predetermined association with the remote location; and

in response to activation of the functional mode, the user PC then utilizes the unique code received from the cellular telephone and the predetermined association thereof with the remote location to access information from the remote location on the network for delivery to the user PC and display thereof on a display associated with the user PC;

such that the user PC is controlled in accordance with the unique code to access the predetermined remote location;

wherein the step of providing the functional mode comprises storing the unique code in the cellular telephone, which unique code is associated in the step of associating with the button, such that the unique code is output as a function of activation of the button in the step of activating for delivery to the user PC in the step of controlling.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of activating comprises transmitting the unique code to the user PC and the user PC further including the step of receiving the unique code from the cellular telephone and, in response thereto, accesses the information from the remote location on the network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting via a wireless mode.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting an audio signal wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving and detecting the audio signal and extracting the information in the unique code therefrom.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of transmitting via the wireless mode includes transmitting via an optical link.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the user PC further comprises the steps of:

receiving the unique code;

transmitting the unique code to an intermediate node on the network;

providing a relational database at the intermediate node on the network having contained therein a relational table between one or more unique codes and corresponding location information of the network;

comparing the unique code transmitted to the intermediate node with location information that resides in the informational database and, if there is a match, transmitting the matched location information back to the user PC; and

connecting the user PC to the remote location in accordance with the matched location information returned thereto from the intermediate node.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a global communication network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the cellular telephone has a communication mode to allow voice communication where the cellular telephone communicates via a cellular telephone network and the step of transferring to the user PC the unique code occurs over a separate communication link between the user PC and the cellular telephone.

9. An apparatus for accessing information over a network from a remote location on the network for delivery to a user PC;

a cellular telephone for providing a functional mode for web access over the network, the cellular telephone separate from the user PC, the functional mode having associated therewith a unique code;

at least a button on said cellular telephone associated with said functional mode;

wherein said button on said cellular telephone is activated to initiate said functional mode when the user is in physical proximity to the user PC and transfer to the user PC the unique code, which unique code has no routing information contained therein that would by itself uniquely identify the location of the remote location on the network, but which unique information has a predetermined association with the remote location; and

wherein, in response to activation of the functional mode, the user PC utilizes said unique code received from this cellular telephone and the predetermined association thereof with the remote location to access information from the remote location on the network for delivery to the user PC and display thereof of said information on a display associated with the user PC;

such that the user PC is controlled in accordance with said unique code to access said predetermined remote location; and

wherein the unique code is stored in said cellular telephone, which said unique code is associated with said button, such that said unique code is output to the user PC as a function of activation of said button.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the unique code is transmitted to the user PC, and the user PC said unique code is received from said cellular telephone and, in response thereto, said information from said remote location on the network is accessed.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said unique code is transmitted via a wireless mode.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein an audio signal is transmitted to the user PC, which user PC receives and detects said audio signal, and extracts said unique code therefrom.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said unique code is transmitted via an optical link.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user PC is controlled to receive said unique code, and to transmit said unique code to an information system on the network, said information system on the network comprising:

an intermediate node which receives the unique code; and

a relational database at said intermediate node having contained therein a relational table between one or more said unique codes and corresponding location information of the network;

wherein said unique code which is transmitted to said intermediate node is compared with said location information that resides in said relational database and, if there is a match, transmitting said matched location information back to the user PC;

wherein the user PC is connected to said remote location in accordance with said matched location information returned thereto from said intermediate node.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the network is a global communication network.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the cellular telephone has a communication mode to allow voice communication where the cellular telephone communicates via a cellular telephone network and the cellular telephone is operable to transfer to the user PC the unique code over a separate communication link between the user PC and the cellular telephone.