US 6,308,221 B1Granted

Selecting communication link between client and server

AssigneeWebTV Networks, Inc.

InventorsStephen G. Perlman, Phillip Y. Goldman

Life of this patent

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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. Using the number provided in the Caller ID information, the client looks up the name of the caller from the directory and stores the number and the corresponding name. Each time an incoming call is subsequently received from that number, the client displays the name of the calling party to the user as the call is received.

Claims30

Dependent claims

In a computer network including a plurality of servers logically connected to one another and to a plurality of client systems, wherein at least some of the client systems are comprised of a conventional television monitor and an electronic unit for interacting with the computer network, and wherein a client system can communicate with a server system via any one of a plurality of communication links, a method of selecting a communication link for communicating with the server system, comprising steps for:

identifying a first communication link available to the client system for communicating with the server system;
identifying a first cost and a first data transfer rate associated with use of the first communication link;
identifying a second communication link available to the client system for communicating with the server system;
identifying a second cost and a second data transfer rate associated with use of the second communication link;
determining whether a prime usage time period applies to either of the first or second communication links;
if a prime usage time period applies and a communication request is not within the prime usage time period, or if no prime usage time period applies, preferring the more expensive of the first and second communication links for transmitting data between the client system and the server system if the more expensive communication link has a higher data transfer rate than the less expensive communication link, and otherwise, preferring the less expensive of the first and second communication links for transmitting data between the client system and the server system;
and
communicating with the server system via the preferred communication link.

5 more elements

In a computer network including a plurality of servers logically connected to one another and to a plurality of client systems, wherein at least some of the client systems are comprised of a conventional television monitor and an electronic unit for interacting with the computer network, and wherein multiple communication links are available to be selected for communicating between a client system and a server system, a computer program product for implementing a method of selecting a communication link comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying executable instructions for implementing the method at the client system;
and
wherein said method comprises machine-executable instructions that perform steps for:
identifying a first communication link available to the client system for communicating with the server system;
identifying a first cost and a first data transfer rate associated with use of the first communication link;
identifying a second communication link available to the client system for communicating with the server system;
identifying a second cost and second data transfer rate associated with use of the second communication link;
determining whether a prime usage time period applies to either of the first or second communication links;
and
if a prime usage time period applies and a communication request is not within the prime usage time period, or if no prime usage time period applies, preferring the more expensive of the first and second communication links for transmitting data between the client system and the server system if the more expensive communication link has a higher data transfer rate than the less expensive communication link, and otherwise, preferring the less expensive of the first and second communication links for transmitting data between the client system and the server system.

7 more elements

In a computer network including a plurality of servers logically connected to one another and to a plurality of client systems, wherein at least some of the client systems are comprised of a conventional television monitor and an electronic unit for interacting with the computer network, and wherein a client system can communicate with a server system via one or more of a plurality of communication links, a method of selecting a communication link for communicating with the server system, comprising acts of:

associating first information, including a first cost for use and a first data transfer rate, with a first communication link that is available to the client system;
associating second information, including a second cost for use and a second data transfer rate, with a second communication link that is available to the client system;
examining the information associated with each communication link to determine whether a prime usage time period applies to either of the first or second communication links;
if a prime usage time period applies and a communication request is not within the prime usage time period, or if no prime usage time period applies, selecting the more expensive of the first and second communication links for transmitting data between the client system and the server system if the more expensive communication link has a higher data transfer rate than the less expensive communication link, and otherwise, selecting the less expensive of the first and second communication links for transmitting data between the client system and the server system;
and
receiving data from the server system via the selected communication link.

3 more elements

In a computer network including a plurality of servers logically connected to one another and to a plurality of client systems, wherein at least some of the client systems are comprised of a conventional television monitor and an electronic unit for interacting with the computer network, and wherein a client system can communicate with a server system via one or more of a plurality of communication links, a computer program product for implementing a method of selecting a communication link for communicating with the server system, comprising:

a computer-readable medium carrying executable instructions for implementing the method at the client system;
and
wherein said method comprises machine-executable instructions that perform acts of:
associating first information, including a first cost for use and a first data transfer rate, with a first communication link that is available to the client system;
associating second information, including a second cost for use and a second data transfer rate, with a second communication link that is available to the client system;
examining the information associated with each communication link to determine whether a prime usage time period applies to either of the first or second communication links;
if a prime usage time period applies and a communication request is not within the prime usage time period, or if no prime usage time period applies, selecting the more expensive of the first and second communication links for transmitting data between the client system and the server system if the more expensive communication link has a higher data transfer rate than the less expensive communication link, and otherwise, selecting the less expensive of the first and second communication links for transmitting data between the client system and the server system;
and
receiving data from the server system via the selected communication link.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/107,063Filed 30 Jun 1998 · division
Priority: 3 Jun 1996
Granted: 23 Oct 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification38 codes

H04N 7/17318
Transmission or handling of upstream communications: direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
H04L 12/2856
Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks: access arrangements, e.g. Internet access
H04L 12/2898
Operational details of access network equipments: subscriber equipments
H04L 65/401
Support for services or applications: wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time…