Abstract: An exemplary method processes an electronic communication received by a first end-user communication device, where the electronic communication comprises a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment. A determination is made whether the received user data segment contains a first label that identifies a corresponding enhanced services application program stored in memory of the first end-user communication device. On identifying a first label, a determination is made whether the received user data segment contains a first command that identifies a corresponding action to be taken by the first enhanced services application program. On determining the existence of a first command, the first enhanced services application program causes a first action corresponding to the first command to be executed on the first end-user communication device.

Abstract: An exemplary method implemented by a first end-user communication device receives an electronic communication of a digital packet having a header segment and a user data segment, the user data segment containing a user message and a priority value A first message priority is determined by a first module of a enhanced services application program. The first message priority is based on the received priority value that defines first visual indicia representing a first priority for the user message, a plurality of different message priorities with associated different visual indicia being defined by corresponding priority values. Under the control of the first module, the user message concurrent with the first visual indicia are displayed on a screen segment of the first end-user's communication device so that the first priority assigned to the received user message is visually conveyed to the first end-user.

Abstract: An exemplary method processes an electronic communication received by a first end-user communication device. A communication, received by the first end-user communication device, is a digital message sent from a second end-user device. A message processing program includes an auto-reply generation method that is active to automatically transmit a predetermined reply message to another device upon receipt of a message from it. A list of origination addresses to which the predetermined reply message has previously been transmitted is stored in memory. On receipt of the digital message from the second end-user device, a determination is made if the origination address of the second end-user device is in the list of origination addresses. If it is in the list of origination addresses, the auto-reply generation method is inhibited from transmitting the predetermined reply message.

Abstract: According to this invention, the system prepares user data into blocks of manageable size prior to software distribution. A block is similar in principle to memory pages in a file management system and has a predefined size, sequential ordering, and layout from which the original information can be reconstructed. The broadcast protocol is enhanced to include a block identifier to identify where the receiver performs error detection and error correction on each block. Station receiving the data maintains a list of the identity of those blocks of data that it believes have not been received properly. With each retransmission, each work station attempts to receive and recover those blocks marked on its list. Advantageously, each transmitted block is encoded using forward error correction in order to further enhance the probability of proper reception of the data.

Abstract: Data communications apparatus and methods employing a bidirectional low bandwidth channel and a unidirectional high bandwidth channel. A PC is coupled to an information source by a communications system which provides both a bidirectional low bandwidth channel between the PC and the information source and a high bandwidth channel in which the information source is the source and the PC is the sink. A component of the communications system termed the director responds to a message received in the low bandwidth channel by switching the information being sent from the information source to the PC to the high or low bandwidth channel as specified in the message. The message may come either from the PC or the information source. A graphical user interface at the PC provides the user with "buttons" to specify the bandwidth. The apparatus and methods may be advantageously employed to provide telecommuting services.

Abstract: An automated method and apparatus in a telecommunications network for granting, on demand, changes in the custom feature services available for use at the port. The caller is connected to a feature processor which interactively determines, through prompts and responses, the custom feature services desired by the caller differing from those available in the base services then provided to the port. The feature processor modifies the feature keys seen by the telecommunications network from those normal to the port to include those for the features selected by the caller. Activation of termination triggers cause feature services to revert to those base services normal to the port.

Abstract: A split channel bridging unit includes a router that operates under the control of a control processor to route packets of information destined for a user to a modulator which is connected to the cable distribution head-end of the cable television system which serves the requesting user. The modulator encodes the digital information transmitted from the router and encodes it in an RF channel to be carded by the television cable. The cable distribution head-end combines this channel with other conventional cable television sources to broadcast these channels to its users. The customer premises equipment of the user includes an RF demodulator and packet receiver which demodulates the RF encoded signals and utilizes the packet receiver to transmit the digital information addressed to the particular user to the user's personal computer.

Abstract: A user's personal computer is coupled to a home controller which is, in turn connected to the input cable from a cable television system and to a set top box which determines the channel to be delivered to an associated television. The service provider transmits over a conventional modem communication link the alert message to the user's personal computer. If an acknowledgment by the user is not transmitted to the service provider, a command message is transmitted by the dial-up communication link to the personal computer instructing the personal computer to activate a modulator contained in the home controller to provide an RF encoded signal representing the alert message to be displayed on the television associated with the set top box.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a home controller receives signals from the cable television system and utilizes a cable demodulator tuned to the RF frequency of the channel which carries the data information. The cable demodulator demodulates the RF encoded signals into conventional baseband digital form which are transmitted to a packet receiver which decodes packets addressed to individual users. If a packet is addressed to the user, the packet receiver transmits the corresponding data such as by an ETHERNET transceiver to the user's personal computer. A communication controller may be utilized to provide an interface between the personal computer and the cable demodulator thereby, enabling the personal computer to select the channel to which the cable demodulator is tuned, in order to permit multiple data channels to be utilized.