Distributed-intelligence computer system including remotely reconfigurable, telephone-type user terminal

A user terminal in the form of a telephone, for use in connections with a system for providing access from one or more user terminals to a plurality of service computer systems each supporting at least one consumer service, said user terminal comprising a telephone including:

• a receiver capable of receiving and transmitting audio and digital information;
• display means for displaying information and prompts to a user;
• input-acceptance means for accepting user input from the user entered in response to information and prompts displayed by said display means, said acceptance means including a conventional telephone keypad;
• processor means for generating and transmitting messages to a remote network host computer in response to user input entered into said input-acceptance means;
• programmable gate array means for performing one or more of a plurality of separate hardware-implementing functions, said programmable gate array means being remotely reconfigurable in response to a reconfiguration code received from a remote location, to make said user terminal compatible with a service computer system selected for access by a user;
• first memory means for storing said reconfiguration code;
• and
• second memory means for storing applications programs used by said processor means and received from a remote location.

A user terminal for use in connection with a distributed-intelligence computer system including a network host computer and a plurality of service computers each supporting at least one consumer service, said terminal being configured to resemble a conventional telephone and comprising:

• a receiver capable of receiving and transmitting audio and digital information;
• a programmable gate array including a plurality of logic elements remotely reconfigurable in response to a sequence of reconfiguration signals, to make said terminal compatible with a service computer selected by a user;
• first memory means for storing reconfiguration signals received from the network host computer;
• second memory means for storing an application program downloaded from the network host computer;
• third memory means for storing signals for controlling operation of said first and second memory means;
• processor means for controlling configuration of said programmable gate array in response to reconfiguration signals received from the network host computer;
• display means for displaying information and requests for input data to user;
• and
• input means for receiving input data form the user, said input means including a conventional telephone keypad.

In a distributed-intelligence computer system comprising a network host computer, a plurality of service computers each supporting at least one consumer service, and a plurality of user terminals, a method of controlling a user terminal, the user terminal comprising a telephone including a conventional telephone keypad, a receiver capable of receiving and transmitting audio and digital information, display means for displaying information and prompts to a user, acceptance means for accepting user input from the user in response to the information and prompts, processor means for generating and transmitting messages to a remote network host responsive to the user input, first memory means for storing application programs used by the processor means, programmable gate array means reconfigurable by reconfiguration code for performing one or more of a plurality of separate hardware-implemented functions, and second memory means for storing the reconfiguration code, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) in response to selection of one of the plurality of service computers for access by a user, download application software to the user terminal for supporting communication between the user terminal, the network host computer, and the service computer;
• b) following said step a), downloading terminal operating software to the user terminal to modify software-implemented operating procedure of the terminal;
• c) following said step b), downloading reconfiguration code to the user terminal and remotely updating the hardware-implemented functions of the programmable gate array means by reconfiguring the programmable gate array means in response to the reconfiguration code, to make the user terminal compatible with the service computer selected by the user;
• and
• d) following said step c), operating the user terminal using the downloaded software, the terminal operating software, and the reconfiguration code.

A Distributed-intelligence computer system comprising:

• a network host computer including first memory means for storing a plurality of application programs and second memory means for storing reconfiguration signals;
• a plurality of service computers each supporting at least one consumer service;
• a plurality of user terminals, each said user terminal comprising a telephone including a conventional telephone keypad, a receiver capable of receiving and transmitting audio and digital information, and a programmable gate array remotely reconfigurable in response to reconfiguration signals downloaded from said second memory means of said network host computer, to make said terminal compatible with a service computer selected from access by a user;
• means for carrying out a first protocol for maintaining communication between said plurality of user terminals and said network host computer;
• means for carrying out a second protocol for maintaining communication between said plurality of service computers and said network host computer;
• means for downloading an application program from said first memory means of said network host computer to a particular one of said plurality of user terminals in response to a request from said particular one terminal for access to one of said plurality of service computers;
• and
• means for downloading reconfiguration signals from said second memory means of said network host computer to said plurality of user terminals as needed to reconfigure said plurality of user terminals.