Internet jack

• US 8,135,842 B1
• Filed: 08/16/2000
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Minami, John S., Koyama, Ryo, Johnson, Michael W., Gentry, Landon
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baturay, Alicia
• Application Number:
  US10/049,972
• Time in Patent Office: 4,227 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709204-207, 709227-229, 370351-356
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2856 Access arrangements, e.g. Internet access asynchronous transfer mode networks H04L12/5601; broadband local area networks H04L12/2801; optical access or distribution networks H04Q11/0067; access to open networks H04L12/5691; digital subscriber line end-user equipment and bit-level processing of data on a PSTN-based network H04M11/00; home network gateways H04L12/2834; wireless access networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 69/161 Implementation details of TCP/IP or UDP/IP stack architecture; Specification of modified or new header fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• 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: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors

Abstract

The claimed invention herein provides a simple, economical, and safe way to connect a new class of Internet-ready devices and appliances to the Internet without the use of a personal computer (PC). The claimed invention herein provides an Internet dial-tone, so to speak, to applications ranging from toys and entertainment consoles to electronic books and health equipment just as a traditional telephone jack provides a plain old telephone system (POTS) dial-tone for phones, modems, and fax machines. The invention herein features a modem, network stack, and application protocols alleviating the need for sophisticated logic within attached devices. With one-touch, appliances can quickly and easily connect to the Internet.

Claims

1. An apparatus for a user to connect an Internet-ready device to the Internet by an Internet connection independent means, comprising:

at least two connection ports, wherein the first port connects to an Internet conduit, and the second port connects to said Internet-ready device capable of communicating utilizing Internet-related protocols;

a user interface, allowing a user to initiate passing information between said Internet-ready device and said Internet, and having associated indicators to indicate to said user that said passing of information that was initiated by said user is complete;

a protocol handler block for receiving and handling messages from said user interface and from said Internet-ready device, and for sending on said handled messages to a network stack block;

said network stack block for handling an associated subset of said handled messages, and sending on to a physical connection block; and

said physical connection block for connecting to said Internet.

2. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein said indicators range from simple LED'"'"'s to small LCD screens, cursor controls, and keyboards and/or keypads.

3. The apparatus in claim 1, further comprising a standard telephone jack connection.

4. The apparatus in claim 1, wherein said physical connection block comprises a data modem.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said data modem ranges from 2400 bps to 56 kbps, or wherein said data modem is an xDSL or cable modem.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a pass through port whereby an existing POTS appliance may be connected.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network stack block handles all network, transport layer, and data link layer protocols needed for Internet connectivity.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said protocol handler provides any of the following application protocols:

POP3, SMTP, HTTP, FTP, and DNS.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, whereby said apparatus is built as a standalone device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, whereby said apparatus is built to be embedded into other devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data modem is a cable modem.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is capable of being added to at least one of:

set-top-boxes;

Ethernet hubs; and

hubs that are attached to new home networking standards.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said connection between said Internet-ready device and said Internet is closed in that said user never intervenes to provide additional information.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said closure of said Internet permits an Internet connection only to a website specified by said Internet-ready device.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a rating system, wherein said Internet-ready device passes a rating level to the Internet, whereupon only data not violating said rating level is passed back to said Internet-ready device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said rating system is RSAC.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising security schemes to prevent accessing information of unauthorized sites.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a key code for passing from said Internet-ready device to said Internet, whereupon a pre-agreed upon algorithm is used to generate a response, whereupon said response is sent back to said Internet-ready device, thereby authenticating said Internet connection to said Internet-ready device.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, used in reverse to prevent unauthorized Internet-ready devices from accessing a particular site.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said initiating passing information between said Internet-ready device and said Internet is by said user pressing a button, thereby providing a one-touch operation.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising raw socket support.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said raw socket support further comprises at least one of:

support for multiple sockets;

ability to set target and source port numbers; and

TCP or UDP transport layers.

23. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said protocol handler comprises a micro controller.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said micro controller provides Base64 and/or quoted printable data decoding.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said micro controller communicates directly with said Internet-ready device and with a raw socket.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising multiple Internet-ready device connectors.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising auto BAUD rate detection for RS-232 type connections.

28. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said Internet-ready device is embedded into an Internet-capable telephone.

29. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said Internet-ready device includes a toy which emits sounds that are updated utilizing said Internet.

30. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said Internet-ready device includes an electronic book.

31. A method for a user to connect an Internet-ready device to the Internet by an Internet connection independent means, comprising:

providing at least two connection ports, wherein the first port connects to an Internet conduit, and the second port connects to said Internet-ready device capable of communicating utilizing Internet-related protocols;

providing a user interface, allowing a user to initiate passing information between said Internet-ready device and said Internet, and having associated indicators to indicate to said user that said passing of information that was initiated by said user is complete;

providing a protocol handler block for receiving and handling messages from said user interface and from said Internet-ready device, and for sending on said handled messages to a network stack block;

providing said network stack block for handling an associated subset of said handled messages, and sending on to a physical connection block; and

providing said physical connection block for connecting to said Internet.

32. The method in claim 31, wherein said indicators range from, simple LED'"'"'s to small LCD screens, cursor controls, keypads and/or keyboards.

33. The method in claim 31, further comprising providing a standard telephone jack connection.

34. The method in claim 31, wherein said physical connection block comprises a data modem.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said data modem ranges from 2400 bps to 56 kbps, or wherein said data modem is an xDSL and cable modem.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further comprising a pass through port whereby an existing POTs appliance may be connected.

37. The method of claim 31, wherein said network stack block handles all network, transport layer, and data link layer protocols needed for Internet connectivity.

38. The method of claim 31, wherein said protocol handler provides any of the following application protocols:

POP3, SMTP, HTTP, FTP, and DNS.

39. The method of claim 31, whereby standalone capability is provided.

40. The method of claim 31, whereby embeddable capability into other devices is provided.

41. The method of claim 31, wherein said data modem is a cable modem.

42. The method of claim 31, further providing connectivity to at least one of:

set-top-boxes;

Ethernet hubs; and

hubs that are attached to new home networking standards.

43. The method of claim 31, wherein said connection between said Internet-ready device and said Internet is closed in that said user never intervenes to provide additional information.

44. The method of claim 31, further providing a rating system, wherein said Internet-ready device passes a rating level to the Internet, whereupon only data not violating said rating level is passed back to said Internet-ready device.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said rating system is RSAC.

46. The method of claim 31, further providing security schemes to prevent accessing information of unauthorized sites.

47. The method of claim 46, further providing a key code for passing from said Internet-ready device to said Internet, whereupon a pre-agreed upon algorithm is used to generate a response, whereupon said response is sent back to said Internet-ready device, thereby authenticating said Internet connection to said Internet-ready device.

48. The method of claim 47, used in reverse to prevent unauthorized Internet-ready devices from accessing a particular site.

49. The method of claim 31, wherein said initiating passing information between said Internet-ready device and said Internet is by said user pressing a button, thereby providing a one-touch operation.

50. The method of claim 31, further providing raw socket support.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said raw socket support further comprises at least one of:

support for multiple sockets;

ability to set target and source port numbers; and

TCP or UDP transport layers.

52. The method of claim 31, wherein said protocol handler comprises a micro controller.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein said micro controller provides Base64 and/or quoted printable data decoding.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein said micro controller communicates directly with said Internet-ready device and with a raw socket.

55. The method of claim 31, further providing multiple Internet-ready device connectors.

56. The method of claim 31, further providing auto BAUD rate detection for RS-232 type connections.