Loading patent…
AssigneeWebTV Networks, Inc.
InventorsChristopher M. White, Mark H. Krueger, David R. Anderson, Jeffrey D. Yaksick, Joe F. Britt, Jr.
Estimating the term…
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. An audio panel can be displayed when an audio file from a Web site is downloaded and played to form a user interface by which the user to play, stop, pause, rewind, or fast-forward the audio file.
In a computer network that includes (i) a plurality of servers for accessing a plurality of network sites containing various types of content, as for example text, graphics and audio files, which can be viewed and listened to as appropriate, and downloaded when desired and that includes (ii) a plurality of client systems, at least some of which are comprised of a television monitor electronically connected to and controlled by a processor and an input device which together permit the television monitor to function as a computer display and audio output while the processor of the client system is connected to a server for purposes of browsing the network sites, a method of controlling audio output while browsing such sites, comprising the steps of:
In a computer network that includes (i) a plurality of servers for accessing a plurality of network sites containing various types of content, as for example text, graphics and audio files, which can be viewed and listened to as appropriate, and downloaded when desired, and that includes (ii) a plurality of client systems, at least some of which are comprised of a television monitor electronically connected to and controlled by a processor and an input device which together permit the television monitor to function as a computer display and audio output while the processor of the client system is connected to a server for purposes of browsing the network sites, as an article of manufacture, a computer program product for implementing at a client system's processor a method of controlling audio output while browsing such sites, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.