摘要:
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. On the other hand, if the power connection or communication link is disrupted, a sustaining device is enabled to ensure that writing of any current block of data from the server is completed, and thereafter, upon resuming power or the communication link at the client system, the server then resumes downloading of only those remaining data blocks from the server that had not been downloaded at the time of disruption.
摘要:
A method is described of providing a document to a client coupled to a server. The server functions as a proxy on behalf of the client for purposes of accessing a remote server. In the method, a document is retrieved from the remote server in response to a request from the client. The document includes data to be used by the client in generating a display. The proxying server alters (i.e., transcodes) the data in the document to form a transcoded document. The transcoded document is then transmitted to the client. The proxying server transcodes the data in the document in order to perform at least one of the following functions: (1) matching decompression requirements at the client; (2) converting the document into a format compatible for the client; (3) reducing latency experienced by the client; and (4) altering the document to fit into smaller memory space.
摘要:
A server system provides a client system with a number of on-line services including a log-in service. Once the server receives a request from the user for initiating access to the server, the log-in service accesses a user database for information including access privileges of the authorized user in relation to the other services available on the server. The server then generates an information packet containing this information, and transmits the information packet to the client. The client than transmits a second request to the server, requesting use of another service offered by the server. The information packet provided by the server in response to the log-in request is transmitted along with the second request to the server. The server then regulates access by the client to this other service by using the information packet transmitted back to the server from the client. Thus, access to the user database is minimized.
摘要:
An improved method of providing a document to a client coupled to a server. 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 retrieves from a remote server in response to a request from the client a Web document used to generate a Web page on a television screen coupled to the client. Prior to downloading the requested Web page to the client, the server lays out the entire Web page and separates the Web page into partitions such that each one of the partitions corresponds to the viewable display area of the television screen coupled to the client. The server downloads the HTML data that drives the layout within the viewable display area of the television screen. The server then downloads all of the image data that is displayed within the viewable display area of the television screen such that the portion of the Web page within the viewable area of the television can be fully generated and displayed by the client in a reduced amount of time. The server subsequently downloads the remaining partitions of the Web page in similar fashion until the entire web page has been downloaded to the client.
摘要:
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 navigate using a remote control through World-Wide Web pages in which a plurality of hypertext anchors are displayed on a television. A user input entered from a remote input device is received by the client system over an infrared (IR) link. The user input specifies a direction in which the user wishes to move a selection relative to a currently selected hypertext anchor. Based on the user input, a determination is made of which one of the hypertext anchors is a best selectable hypertext anchor, and that hypertext anchor is then selected and indicated as such to the user. The user interface allows for the selection of hypertext anchors which are part of either clientside or server-side image maps.
摘要:
Systems and methods for obtaining and maintaining operable and updated versions of software on a client, which may be a set-top box or a personal computer. A server automatically downloads software updates over a satellite link to a client after such upgrades become available at the server without requiring interaction with a user. Similarly, corrupted software is automatically replaced by the client first automatically detecting if a corrupted state exists in local software or data using a checksum technique. If such corruption is found, the client automatically connects over the Internet to a server that contains a replacement for the corrupted program or data. The client then automatically receives a download of the program or data from the server.
摘要:
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. A mechanism is provided to temporarily maintain power to the processing system in the event power to the box is lost during downloading. The mechanism allows the writing of a current block to be completed. An indication of the current block is maintained while power is absent so that downloading can be resumed once power is restored from the last block that was written.
摘要:
A system for accessing the World Wide Web or other information sources using the Internet incorporates scaled-down versions of images associated with recently-viewed documents or documents designated as favorites into a recent menu or a favorites menu, respectively. As a user accesses a Web page, a scaled-down version of the Web page is inserted into a recent menu. The user can view the recent menu and visually determine the identity of the recently-viewed Web pages, which allows the user to conveniently select Web pages to access. This recent menu also enables the user to access recently-viewed documents in any order, which does not need to be in the chronological order in which the pages were originally viewed or in a reverse chronological order. Scaled-down versions of Web pages designated as favorites are stored in the favorites menu, thereby assisting the user in recalling the content of the favorite documents.
摘要:
Methods and systems for scaling down a Web page image enables the image to be displayed on a standard television without horizontal scrolling of the image. A Web page image that initially has a horizontal dimension larger than the horizontal dimension of a television display is received from a web server and subsequently scaled down by a scaling factor that is based only upon the amount of scaling that is necessary to fit the image within the horizontal dimension of the television display. This scaling factor is used to scale the image horizontally and vertically, thus preserving the aspect ratio of the image. When a hyperlink from the scaled down Web page image is selected, coordinates to the hyperlink are scaled up based on the same scaling factor so that they will correspond with the server-side image map of the Web page image.
摘要:
A server system provides a client system with access to a number of services. For each service, if a given service provider is overloaded or if the client is unable to contact that provider, the client can contact another service provider capable of providing the requested service. The server system provides information to the client system identifying a list of services that the server system provides. For each service in the list of services, the information may include a service name identifying the service, and a unique port identifying each service provider for that service, so that one service name can be used in accessing multiple service providers of a desired service. A request from the client may include a service name identifying the desired service, and a port selected from ports provided by the server system that corresponds to a service provider for the desired service.