Abstract: Establishing on-line communication between multiple client computers in a computer network by assigning each client computer a different modulation band for outgoing signal transmission. Each client computer has a modem and client software for operating the modem and otherwise managing communication between the client computer and other client computers. When an on-line session is to be established between the any group of client computers, three or more modulation bands are made available to the client computers. One of the modulation bands is selected for each of the client computers as a modulation band for data transmission, with each client computer having a unique modulation band for data transmission. Each of the client computers utilizes the remaining modulation bands as potential receiving bands. During the on-line communication session, each client computer transmits data using the unique modulation band assigned thereto and receives incoming data using any of the remaining modulation bands.

Abstract: A method is provided of installing device drivers in a host processing system coupled to a number of peripheral devices. At system initialization, the host processing system requests the peripheral devices to which it is coupled to each provide a device code for identifying the type of the peripheral device. The host processing system receives the device codes from the peripheral devices and transmits the device codes to a remote server over a network, such as the Internet. The remote server selects an appropriate device driver for each peripheral device from a plurality of stored device drivers based on the device codes received from the host processing system and then transmits the device drivers to the host processing system over the network. This driver download process is carried out with no intervention from the user.

Abstract: A World Wide Web browser software is implemented in a processing system housed in a set-top box connected to a television and communicating over a wide-area network with one or more servers. The browser software allows a user to navigate using a remote control through World-Wide Web pages in which a number of hypertext anchors are displayed on the television. User inputs are entered from a remote input device using an infrared (IR) link. The processing system includes a read-only memory (ROM) and a flash memory. The mask ROM and the flash memory are assigned adjacent memory spaces in the memory map of the processing system. Browser software and configuration data are stored in the flash memory. Other software and configuration data are stored in a mask ROM. The browser is upgraded or reconfigured by downloading to the box replacement software or data transmitted from a server over the network and then writing the replacement software or data into the flash memory.

Abstract: Web browser software implemented in a set-top box as part of a client system communicating over the Internet with one or more servers allows a user to adjust the picture quality of a monitor through World-Wide Web pages displayed on the monitor. The web browser software provides picture adjustment screens which contain instructions on how to adjust the monitor controls to optimize the picture quality. The picture adjustment screens also contain test patterns which provide reference and visual feedback of the monitor adjustment. The user adjusts the picture quality of the monitor using the monitor display controls and the test patterns provided on the picture adjustment screens. Picture adjustment screens are provided for display characteristics such as picture brightness, contrast, sharpness, color, and hue.

Abstract: Web browser software is implemented in a processing system housed in a set-top box connected to a television and communicating over a wide-area network with one or more servers. The browser allows a user to use a remote control device to navigate between hypertext anchors in World-Wide Web pages displayed on the television. User inputs are entered from the remote control device using an infrared IR link in order to move a selection between hypertext anchors or various control buttons displayed on the television display. The browser is capable of downloading audio files from Web sites and generating sound through a speaker of the television set based on the audio files. Background music is generated during Web browsing based on audio files downloaded from one of the servers or audio files stored in memory in the set-top box. A background music audio file from a server can be downloaded while another background music audio file is played.

Abstract: A Japanese character processing system containing an on-screen keyboard which includes an array of base Japanese kana characters of a first kana character set. The first selection of a character key causes the display of the character in base kana form. A second consecutive selection of the same key causes the display of the character in a first variant form. Subsequent consecutive selections of the character cause the display of the character in further variant forms. Variant forms may include voiced, aspirated, or subscripted versions of the base character. A further variant form may include the display of the character in an alternate kana character set.

Abstract: A local server has a connection to a client and to a remote server over the Internet. The local server receives a request for an audio file from the client and, in response, transmits a requests for the audio file to the remote server. Upon receiving the audio file, the local server transcodes the audio file received from the remote server and then transmits the transcoded audio file to the client. Transcoding may include changing the audio file type, compressing the audio file, reducing the number of audio channels, or reducing the sampling rate of the data. The local server determines the extent and type of transcoding to be performed on the audio file as the audio file is downloaded from the remote server. The extent and type of transcoding are based on the file formats which the client is capable of handling, the size of the requested audio file, the memory capacity of the client, the bandwidth of the connection between the local server and the client, and the desired level of audio quality.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing physical security for a user account and supplying access to the environment and preferences associated with a particular user are provided. An internet terminal is coupled to a server system. The internet terminal detects the presence of a smart card. The smart card includes a memory such as a programmable ROM (PROM), any form of erasable PROM (EPROM) or Flash memory having stored therein identification information. The internet terminal reads the identification information from the smart card and transmits the identification information to a server. According to another aspect of the present invention an internet terminal can be configured by a server. The server receives identification information from an internet terminal. The identification information uniquely identifies a smart card. The server locates configuration information associated with a particular user of the server based upon the identification information.

Abstract: The present invention describes a method for transmitting high bandwidth network content on a low bandwidth communications channel during off peak hours. According to one embodiment of the present invention, criteria is determined for downloading data from the communications channel and the data is downloaded from the communications channel during off-peak hours based on the determined criteria. According to another embodiment, a method for coordinated multicasts on a network is described. Download requests are received on a server from a plurality of clients on the network and stored on the server for the coordinated multicast. The coordinated multicast is generated at a predetermined time and then broadcast from the server to the plurality of clients at the predetermined time.

Abstract: A method and computer program product for automatically regenerating information at a client system without user intervention in the event of power disruption or disruption in communication between the client system and a server. A first communication session is established between the client system and the server. The status of the power connection of the client system is monitored as well as monitoring the status of the communication link between the client system and the server. If there is no disruption in the power connection or communication link at the client system, the server automatically downloads data blocks from the server for storage at the client system.

Abstract: A technique for defragmenting data stored in memory in a computer system includes the step of creating a table in memory including the locations of all pointers associated with stored data. The pointers are stored in a separate block of memory from the table. Data is defragmented only at idle time. In response to the defragmentation, only the values of the pointers are updated, while the locations of the pointers and the corresponding table entries remain fixed. Pointers can be updated using pointer update methods that are specific to particular classes of objects or using a generic method for all classes in conjunction with a list of pointer offsets. Pointer fields may be locating using a bit mask having values which indicate whether a particular byte or group of bytes in memory associated with an object include a pointer field.

Abstract: Web browser software implemented in a set-top box as part of a client system communicating over the Internet with one or more servers allows a user to adjust the position of a screen image displayed on a monitor through World-Wide Web pages displayed on the monitor. The web browser software provides a center adjustment screen which contains control buttons allowing the centering of the screen image on the display, and instructions on how to center the screen image using the control buttons. The user centers the active area of the screen image displayed on the display monitor using the control buttons on the center adjustment screen. The offset values corresponding to the user input of the position controls are stored in memory so that the center position of the screen image is set for the particular display device.

Abstract: A World Wide Web browser software is implemented in a processing system housed in a set-top box connected to a television and communicating over a wide-area network with one or more servers. The browser software allows a user to navigate using a remote control through World-Wide Web pages in which a number of hypertext anchors are displayed on the television. User inputs are entered from a remote input device using an infrared (IR) link. The processing system includes a read-only memory (ROM) and a flash memory. The mask ROM and the flash memory are assigned adjacent memory spaces in the memory map of the processing system. Browser software and configuration data are stored in the flash memory. Other software and configuration data are stored in a mask ROM. The browser is upgraded or reconfigured by downloading to the box replacement software or data transmitted from a server over the network and then writing the replacement software or data into the flash memory.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing mirrored site administrators with the number of hits from a proxy's document cache and for dispatching document requests in a proxy to more efficiently allocate the document cache space within the proxy are provided. A proxy includes a document cache storing recently requested documents. The proxy is coupled to a client and to a remote server. The proxy maintains information regarding requests from the client that are serviced from the proxy's document cache such as the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the requested document and the number of cached responses. This information is provided by the proxy to a remote site administrator. In this manner, remote site administrators can more accurately track total hits.

Abstract: An expansion port for a processing system peripheral device provides for a system power down prior to connection of another device to the port. A number of devices in a processing system are connected in a daisy chain. One of the devices includes a power supply for supplying power to each of the devices. Each of the devices includes a segment of an enable circuit for enabling or disabling the power supply. Each of the devices further includes an expansion port for connecting the enable circuit and other signals to another device in the daisy chain. An access panel is provided to cover the expansion port when the port is not in use. When the access panel is closed a switch located at the expansion port and coupled to the enable circuit of the device is actuated in order to enable the power supply. When the access panel is not in place and no other device is connected to the expansion port, the switch is in a different position which causes the power supply to be disabled.

Abstract: A method of providing a document to a client coupled to a server is provided. The server provides a number of Internet services to the client, including functioning as a caching proxy on behalf of the client for purposes of accessing the World Wide Web. The proxying server includes a persistent document database, which stores various attributes of all documents previously retrieved in response to a request from a client. When a Web document is retrieved from a remote server in response to a request from the client, the database is consulted and the stored information relating to the requested document is used by the server in transcoding the document. The document is transcoded for various purposes, including to circumvent bugs or quirks found in the document, to size the document for display on a television set, to improve transmission efficiency of the document, and to reduce latency. The transcoder makes use of the document database to perform these functions.

Abstract: A client is coupled to a modem pool and a server by a communication link in a wide area network. The client allows a user to browse the World Wide Web in response to user inputs entered entirely from a remote control device using a television set as a display device. The communication link to the client is shared by a telephone circuit at the client end of the link. A disruption in communication with the server may occur due to a Call Waiting signal caused by an incoming telephone call. The incoming call includes Caller ID information. In response to such a disruption, communication with the server is terminated. After pausing for a predetermined period of time, the client automatically re-establishes communication with the server if the line is clear. Upon reconnecting to the server, the client accesses a "White Pages" telephone directory Web site on a remote server.

Abstract: A keyboard saddle which sits on a user's legs while the user is using a keyboard, and which comfortably and reliably holds the keyboard in place while it is being used. The keyboard saddle includes a pillow-like container formed of a material that is essentially non-slippery when placed on the user's legs or clothing and which is filled with a stuffing material which has sufficient weight to cause the pillow-like container to assume a weighted, malleable character so that it will conform to the user's legs when placed thereon. Hook and loop fasteners are secured directly to the top of the pillow-like container so that the keyboard can be selectively and easily attached or detached therefrom.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for using network address information to improve the performance and increase the functionality of network transactions. is disclosed. In a client network interface device having a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having stored therein sequences of instructions which when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform the steps of: 1) accessing a first server over a secure data communication line to obtain a client encryption key, 2) accessing a second server over an unsecure data communication line to establish a connection with the second server, 3) encrypting information sent to the second server over the connection using the client encryption key obtained from the first server, and 4) decrypting information received from the second server over the connection using the client encryption key obtained from the first server.

Abstract: A database central routing device is provided for routing access requests for internet access among a variety of on-line service providers. The device generally includes a central server having a list of algorithms pertaining to access phone numbers of internet access providers to be chosen from. The central routing device further includes an automatic phone number identifier to identify incoming calls in order to identify the user as a customer. An algorithm generator is also included in order to download algorithms pertaining to particular phone numbers in order to give the user access to a variety of internet access providers. The central routing device allows the user to select from a number of internet access providers depending on the availability of the providers.