Videotex frame processing

Apparatus for obtaining access via a switched communications network to a central supplier of frames of digital information for obtaining said frames to be visually displayed locally, comprising

• means for delivering to the central supplier via the network stored coded information required by the central supplier as a condition to allowing access to the central supplier,
• a display device connected to display the frames of digital information,
• a data entry device connected to enable the entry of data into the apparatus, including commands, and
• a processor comprising
• menu means connected to send to the display device a menu frame identifying the central supplier as being accessible, and
• log-on means connected to be responsive to the data entry device for accepting and executing an entered command to obtain access to the supplier, by triggering the delivering means to send the coded information.

Apparatus for obtaining access via a switched communications network to a plurality of central suppliers of frames of digital information, each requiring its own coded information, for obtaining said frames to be visually displayed locally, comprising

• means for delivering to one of said central suppliers via the network stored coded information required by said one central supplier as a condition to allowing access to said one central supplier,
• a display device for displaying the frames of digital information,
• a data entry device for enabling the entry of data into the apparatus, including commands, and
• a processor comprising
• menu means connected to send to the display device a menu frame identifying said one central supplier as being accessible, and
• log-on means connected to be responsive to the data entry device for accepting and executing an entered command to obtain access to said one supplier, by triggering the delivering means to send the coded information.

Apparatus for retrieving selected frames of information from a central videotex supplier of the information frames, each information frame having an associated unique identifier assigned by the supplier for retrieving the frame, the apparatus comprising

• a display device connected to display the information frames,
• storage means connected to store the identifier and a unique keyword selected by an operator and associated with the identifier,
• menu means connected to display on the display device a menu frame containing the keyword,
• data entry means connected to enter into the apparatus a request for retrieval of a selected information frame by moving a cursor to the keyword associated with the selected information frame, and
• a processor connected to be responsive to the data entry means for retrieving the information frame in response to the entry of the request by transmitting the associated identifier to the supplier.

Apparatus for locally storing frames of digital information received from a central videotex supplier, comprising

• a port connectable to the central supplier for receiving at least one of the information frames from the central supplier,
• a display device connected to locally display at least one of the information frames received from the central supplier,
• a storage device connected to locally store, after it has been displayed, as a stored frame for later redisplay, at least one of the information frames received from the central supplier,
• a data entry device connected to enable the enable of data into the apparatus, and
• a processor comprising
• means connected to accept from the data entry device a name specified by a subscriber to be associated with a particular displayed information frame,
• means connected to store the particular information frame in the storage device together with the associated name, and
• means connected to retrieve the particular information frame from the storage device in response to entry through the data entry device of a command corresponding to the name specified for that frame.

Apparatus for locally storing frames of digital information received from one of a plurality of central videotex suppliers, comprising

• a port connectable to said one central supplier for receiving at least one of the information frames from said one central supplier,
• a display device connected to locally display at least one of the information frames received from said one central supplier,
• a storage device connected to locally store, after it has been displayed, as a stored frame for later redisplay, at least one of the information frames received from said one central supplier,
• a data entry device connected to enable the entry of data into the apparatus, and
• a processor comprising
• means connected to accept from the data entry device a name specified by a subscriber to be associated with a particular displayed information frame,
• means connected to retrieve the particular information frame in the storage device together with the associated name, and
• means connected to retrieve the particular information frame from the storage device in response to entry through the data entry device of a command corresponding to the name specified for that frame,
• means connected to for group information frames into directories,
• means connected to accept from the data entry device commands designating in which directory a particular displayed frame is to be stored, and
• means connected to accept from the data entry device commands for storing in a single directory frames received from different suppliers.

Apparatus for printing frames of digital information received from a central videotex supplier, comprising

• a port connectable to the central supplier for receiving at least one of the information frames from the central supplier,
• a printing device connected to locally print at least one of the information frames received from the central supplier and,
• a processor comprising
• means connected to deliver to the printer digital information corresponding to an information frame to be printed, and
• means connected to configure the digital information to cause the printed information frame to be one of a plurality of selectable overall sizes.

Apparatus for locally processing frames of information received from central videotex suppliers, different frames being encoded in accordance with different protocols, comprising

• means connected to locally store the information frames,
• means connected to locally display the frames,
• means connected to decode the locally stored frames as they are displayed, and
• means connected to tag each stored frame with a header indicating one of said different protocols as having been used for encoding the frame,
• the means connected to decode being arranged to decode each frame in accordance with the protocol indicated by the header of the frame.