JPH10124299A - Device for interfacing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a sufficiently inexpensive Web interface device as a means for many Web users such as ordinary consumers by making a CPU hold directories indicating where different Web pages are stored. SOLUTION: When a Web (Worldwide Web) page is recorded on a tape, a program storage part 40 instructs the CPU to allocate a space on the tape, put an entry in a directory 46, and forward the tape fast beyond a previously recorded page and start recording the page. The CPU 38 sends a command to an infrared-ray transmission device 48 to indicate the operation of a video cassette recorder 6. The tape is reproduced by sending a series of commands to the video cassette recorder 6 through the infrared-ray transmission device 48 by the CPU 38, and rewiring or fast forwarding is performed when necessary to reproduce the recorded Web page.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to the field of communication interface devices. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for facilitating user access to the World Wide Web (hereinafter, simply referred to as WWW or Web).

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Prior to describing the invention, the terms used in this specification will be explained. Although some of the terms used herein include the meanings shown in general dictionaries, the following concepts are used here.

[0003] The Internet : A system that connects a plurality of computers worldwide with one network.

[0004] TCP / IP : Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol. A packet switching system used by the Internet to cut, send, and reconstruct video information data from e-mail handled by the Internet.

[0005] WWW (World Wide Web) :
It is simply called Web. One of the typical applications on the Internet, where a user searches for information on the Internet from server to server and database to database by clicking on highlighted words or lexicals that indicate interest. Make it possible.

[0006] Homepage : A multimedia table that provides information stored on the Internet to Web users.

Server : A machine (computer) that executes one task by a command of another machine (client). In connection with the present invention, the main function of the server is W
The purpose is to facilitate the delivery of stored information via eb.

[0008] Client : sends a command to the server,
Machine served by the server. Typically, the client machine is operated by an end user and functions in response to a user command.

Web browser : A program that runs on a client computer operated by a user. When a user searches the Web using a browser, the browser acts as an Internet tour guide, allowing the client machine to display image desktops, directories, search tools, etc. supported by the server.

URL : Universal Resource Locator. A web document version of an email address in the form of a string that uniquely identifies a document, application, or tool that is valid through the web.

Hyperlink : A tool for network addresses embedded in a user-understandable displayed or highlighted item, such as a word, phrase, icon or image. The URL is accessible by a corresponding hyperlink. When a user selects a highlighted hyperlink via the user interface on the client machine, the potential items in the Web browser supported by the client are retrieved.

HTTP : Hypertext transmission protocol. The string "http:" at the beginning of the URL is the URL
Indicates that the document or file indicated by. Contains a hyperlink defined by HTTP.

HTML : Hypertext Manufacturing Language. H
TML is a language used by Web servers to create and connect documents viewed by Web clients. HTML uses hypertext documents. Other uses of hypertext documents are described in the following U.S. Patents:

Inventor: Bernstein et al., Patent No. 5,204,94
7. Issued April 20, 1993. Inventor: Bernstein et al., Patent No. 5,297,249, Issue Date 19
March 22, 1994. Inventor: Lewis, Patent No. 5,355,472, Publication date 19
October 11, 1994. All of these patents are assigned to IBM and are expressly incorporated by reference.

In recent years, multimedia storage and interactive access technologies, along with network communication technologies, have provided a great future for users who desire access to multimedia information stored at remote locations.

For example, in certain areas such as video data compression, storage, and interactive access, video-on-demand systems are disclosed in US Pat.
125, `` Television System for the I ''
nteractive Distribution of Selectable Video Presen
tations (a television system for providing selectable video through interactive distribution). This Poco
In the ck system, a user uses a terminal associated with a television. This terminal establishes a telephone line network link with a central location for the exchange of instructions and the voice portion of the offer. The video portion is provided separately through a high bandwidth medium. Interactive command functions are limited to the initial selection of programming displayed.

Another video-on-demand system is disclosed in US Pat. No. 5,481,542, to Interactiv by Logston et al.
e Information Services Control System ”. This Logs
In ton's system, a user uses a set-top terminal attached to a conventional television set to access video data objects, such as movies, from a service provider over a wideband transmission network. Set-top device controls allow the user to rewind during real-time movie downloads and playback,
It is possible to execute functions such as fast forward, pause, and the like. Commands are separate from the broadband transmission network
Flowed through a reverse transmission path such as Ethernet. The use of these two communication media in combination to achieve the overall purpose of a video-on-demand system requires a wideband network such as cable television and user-specific switching of the reverse transmission path. The ability will take advantage of both.

A design constraint common to both Pocock and Logston systems is that a high frequency band is required for real-time transmission of video information. Therefore, the architecture had to provide that frequency band. As a result, the architecture of these systems could be very cumbersome and expensive for the user. Other types of multimedia information are more flexible than these frequency band requirements and do not appear to need to maintain these architectural constraints.

At the same time, other technical fields and communication media have captured the imagination and creativity of the world, especially in recent years. Among them, the most prominent was the prominence of the Internet and its product, the World Wide Web. The Internet and the Web have captured public imagination and creativity as the so-called "super highway of information." Accessing information via the Web has been known by the figurative term "surfing the Web".

The Internet is not a single network and does not have a single owner or controller. Rather, the Internet is an unconstrained network of networks, a coalition of many different networks, public and private, both large and small, where human operators connect to another network. Had been approved.

A composite network composed of a plurality of networks is not based on a single communication medium. Two-way communication can be performed via a satellite relay, an optical fiber relay line, a telephone communication network, a cable TV network, a local wireless communication network, or the like. However, no communication medium is as ubiquitous and accessible as the telephone network. The number of Web users has exploded due to the convenience of accessing the Internet by connecting a personal computer at home to a telephone network via a modem. Consequently, many aspects of the Internet and the Web, such as network communication architectures and protocols, have evolved on the premise that the communication medium will be one of a limited bandwidth, such as a telephone network.

For this reason, the Web provided by the Internet has been remarkably used in the industry as a means for communication, advertisement, order introduction and the like. The Web is an object where the user wants more information, simply by selecting words, images, or icons (display of program objects) that are brightly displayed on the screen, the user can go from one Web page to another, or It is intended to allow a user to fly from one server to another, thereby making it easier for a user to access an information source. The programming structure that allows this operation is known as a "hyperlink".

Today, to search the WWW, users load a special guidance program, called a "Web browser", on their computers. A browser is a program specially created to facilitate a user requesting a web page by implementing hyperlinks within an image environment.

There are several browsers currently in use, the most common being NetScape, Mosaic and IBM's Web.
Explorer (Web Explorer). These browsers allow client users to access servers around the world where information is stored. The information is then provided by the server to the client by sending a file or data packet from the server's storage source to the requesting client.

Part of the function of the browser is to provide image or video data. The Web still image or video information can be provided to the client machine user through a suitably created Web page or interface. Still images can also be used as hypertext-type links that can be selected by the user to invoke other functions. For example,
The user can run a video clip by selecting one still image.

W looking for an area of special interest
By performing a hyperlink from each continuous page to the next page, the user of the web browser frequently moves from one homepage to another homepage and further to another homepage. Users tend to create images in their mind of the user's path through the Web based on recollections of previously viewed pages. To reach the point where one or more hyperlinks of interest are located,
Frequently, the user wants to quickly return to the page, through pages already viewed, and allows the user to continuously explore where these links lead.

As a result, the user will see some other page in between before seeing the previously viewed page.
Thus, an important design consideration in the Internet / Web user interface device is the use of huge storage capacity, so that previously viewed pages can be read from the on-board storage rather than reloaded over the Internet.

For ordinary individual consumers, home computers such as IBM personal computers equipped with a modem for a telephone line interface and a Web browser have been effectively performing Web access.
Generally, the latest models of home computers have enough storage capacity to store dozens of Web pages. However, conventional home computers are relatively expensive and have many other features that are not needed for a web interface.

Therefore, the personal computer industry has been aiming to manufacture inexpensive Web terminals or dedicated "Web computers". Although they reduce the cost by eliminating many unnecessary functions of a general-purpose home computer, they provide Internet access for general users at lower cost than before.

[0030] Recent product advertising has proved this product industry orientation. For example, both the Wall Street Journal and the San Francisco Chronicle article dated January 11, 1996, stated that an "Internet PC" Web terminal product for around $ 500 was about to be sold by Oracle. New products in these price ranges can greatly dig new consumers of electronic equipment, and make Web access accessible to those who have never used it before.

Of course, personal services for all services
At the expense of many of the components and functions provided by computers, these low-cost devices can reduce costs. The challenge for computer system designers is to decide which components can be sacrificed while retaining basic functionality. Thus, the art and the market are eager to realize new and creative ideas for devices and technologies that further reduce the cost of Internet access.

[0032]

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a web interface device which is inexpensive enough to serve as a means for a large number of web users, such as ordinary consumers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a Web device which can reduce costs particularly in connection with a storage request of the Web device.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a Web device for use in connection with other devices, such as those already owned by the ordinary consumer.

[0035]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a WW is recorded using a conventional and commercially available recording device such as a video cassette recorder.
A device that allows a user to access W is provided. This device controls a display such as a television receiver, a user side input module such as a keyboard or a mouse, a telephone line for accessing the Internet, a recording input / output unit of a recording device, and operation of the recording device. Including a controller having an interface with a control input for the computer.

The apparatus of the present invention is used with a storage medium such as a video tape. When the recording device is a video cassette recorder, the recording medium is a video cassette of a type usually used in the recording device, for example, a VHS format video tape cassette used in a VHS video cassette recorder. In this case, the tape is inserted into the recorder in the usual way, and the tape directly interfaces with the recording / playback head of the recorder, as well as the tape transport system to the recorder.

Another embodiment of the present invention involves packaging a portion of the device in a container the same size as the videotape. In this embodiment, an interface mechanism is included for interfacing the storage medium with the recording device.

As will be understood from the detailed description below, the We
The use of pre-built recording devices such as videocassette recorders for the storage needs of the
Provide a storage device for storing downloaded Web page images by a method that significantly reduces costs from an web terminal, and achieves both an operation for an existing device that a user is already familiar with and a design viewpoint. Will be. Therefore, the cost of the Web device according to the present invention is significantly lower than that of a Web terminal using a conventional computer architecture.

[0039]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the whole system, showing the execution state of the present invention, and showing the basic state of the present invention which performs an interface related to a conventional apparatus. Shows the components.

First, a conventional apparatus will be described. Telephone line 2
Is shown in blocks, which typically indicates that the user has access to the telephone network via conventional wall sockets, standard modular plugs, 4-pin cables, and the like.

The display device 4 is preferably a television receiver or a computer CRT monitor.

The recording device 6 is preferably a VHS or other format video cassette recorder, or other suitable recording devices are possible. One other device is a magnetic video disk system, such as one made with data disks.

As mentioned above, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that a number of different types of equipment can be used, but the present invention requires minimal equipment other than the equipment already owned by the user. It is intended that Internet access will be possible at the end. Therefore, the display device 4 is regarded as a normal television, and the recording device 6 is regarded as a normal video cassette recorder. These devices do not require any other than normal functions, and the products planned to be marketed according to the present invention do not include television receivers and video cassette recorders, and are interfaces for sharing functions with these conventional devices. Are considered. A detailed description of this interface will follow.

The device itself according to the invention is shown schematically as a controller 8. The controller is a black box in FIG. 1, but will be described first with respect to its multiple interfaces. The inner workings are as follows.

The controller 8 is connected to the telephone line network 2
And a telephone line interface 10 for interfacing with the telephone line. Although the modem 12 is shown as part of this interface 10, the modem 12 can be separate or integrated with the controller 10 to eliminate the inconvenience of requiring the user to separately obtain a modem.

The video output interface 14 is connected to the television 4
And for displaying a Web page on a television.

An interface 16 is provided for interfacing the controller with the recording device 6. Recording device 6 may be a conventional recording device such as a magnetic tape recorder. Preferably, the recording device 6 is a conventional commercially available video cassette recorder. The user of the present invention already has such a recording device, and it is considered that the present invention is used in combination with the recording device in the same manner as the television 4 described above.

The interface 16 has a recording line 18 for supplying a signal to be recorded on the recording device 6. Typically, the signal is a video signal representing a raster image of a Web page received by the controller 8 from a Web server over the telephone network 2. The signal is supplied to the recording input 20 of the recording device 6 via a suitable cable.

The interface 16 further has a reproduction interface 22 for returning the stored Web page image from the reproduction output section 24 of the recording device 6 to the controller 8 for displaying on the television 4. Appropriate cables are used again.

The interface 16 includes a control interface 26 for supplying an operation command of the control input unit 28 to the recording device 6. The control commands so supplied include commands to start recording and playback, and to fast forward and rewind the tape to the position where the previously viewed page is stored. In most embodiments of the present invention that work with a conventional videocassette recorder, the control input 28 includes an infrared (IR) sensor that receives commands from a remote control operated by the user.
Although details will be described later, it is desirable that the interface 16 use this infrared control interface.

The controller 8 has an interface 30 with a user 32. The user interface 30 allows the user 32 to connect to or disconnect from the telephone line network 2, enter a URL, click on a hypertext link, initiate a request or download of a desired web page, To send a command to the device to scroll through pages that are too many to display all on the screen of the television 4.

The user interface 30 is preferably the same as a conventional remote control switch used in a video cassette recorder. Accordingly, user interface 30 is shown as including infrared sensor 33. For this purpose, the remote control device provides a command that gives all the user needs, such as a scroll operation of a Web page, a positioning operation of a cursor, a clicking operation on a hypertext link, a URL inputting operation, or an appropriate command. It can be specially made to have buttons labeled with various command functions. Thus, a convenient package for selling a product according to an embodiment of the present invention to a customer would include a controller module (described in detail below) and this specially made remote control.

Alternatively, a standard remote control can be used. In this case, a suitable template is provided to indicate which standard keys correspond to the special purpose functions used in the present invention. Also, in this case, the controller further comprises means, such as programming, for translating the signal from the operation of a standard key having a specially assigned function.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal operation of the controller 8 shown in FIG. Many of the external components and interfaces of the equipment from FIG. 1 are shown again to further describe the interfaces. Added and shown internally how the information provided by the interface is used,
It also indicates which of the desired forms of these interfaces will be taken. It will be appreciated that several design methods are possible to implement a controller within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and that the embodiment of FIG. 2 is only an example.

In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 8
Architecture is made for two buses,
The two buses are shown as digital bus 34 and video (or analog) bus 36.

The digital bus 34 is connected to the modem 12. In the example shown, the modem 12 is connected to the controller 8.
Internal components. Analog (telephone) and digital (e.g., RS-232) modem connection and interfaces are known and will not be described in detail here.

W received from telephone line network 2
The eb pages are in digital form and are properly processed by a computer bus architecture that includes a CPU 38. The CPU 38 executes a program stored in the program storage unit 40. The CPU 38 is a video modulator 4
The Web page is sent to the video bus 36 through the interface 2, and the Web page is supplied to the television 4 through the interface 14 from the video bus. This modulated Web page is also transmitted to the video cassette /
It is supplied to the recording input section of the recorder 6.

The program storage unit 40 includes image user interface software for supporting a Web browser. The software is currently active Web
It has basically the same features as browsers. These features desirably include the ability to move the cursor on the screen,
Includes the ability to enter a URL as a string and means such as a click button or software button for clicking on a hypertext link. The browser has a feature for storing the URL of the target Web page,
It is also possible to have a means for easily returning or sending a sequence of Web pages that have been viewed. This means of returning and sending is performed in IBM's Web Explorer browser as, for example, left and right arrows.

The CPU 38 maintains a directory 46 indicating where different Web pages are stored on the video tape. Therefore, when recording a Web page on a tape, the program storage unit 40 allocates space on the tape to the CPU 38, puts an entry in the directory 46, fast-forwards the tape (if necessary) past the previously recorded page, and To start.

The CPU 38 instructs the operation of the video cassette recorder 6 by sending a command to the infrared transmission device 48. Infrared transmitter 48 sends commands in the form of an infrared beam that acts as command interface 26.

The reproduction of the tape is performed by the CPU 38 sending a series of commands to the video cassette recorder 6 through the infrared transmitting device 48, rewinding or fast-forwarding as necessary, and recording the recorded W.
Play the eb page. Controller is video bus 3
6 to the television 4 via the interface 14.

Operation Flowchart FIG. 3 is a flowchart summarizing the operation of the above-described system for requesting, downloading, displaying, and storing a desired Web page.

In step 50, the user 32 enters a command to request a Web page using remote control.

In step 52, a request for a Web page is sent through the telephone line network 2. The remote server storing the page sends the requested page to controller 8 (step 54).

In step 56, the CPU 38 guides the Web page received via the digital bus 34 to the recording interface 18 via the video bus 36 via the modulator 42. Also, the CPU searches for an unrecorded tape area as necessary, and sends a command to the video cassette recorder to start recording when a Web page appears on the interface 18.

In step 58, the CPU 38
An entry is made in the directory 46 indicating where the eb page is stored on the video tape.

Next, FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the reproduction operation of the controller 8.

In step 60, the user 32 inputs a command for viewing the previously viewed Web page. This command is entered via the user interface in an appropriate manner. For example, in a web browser such as IBM's web explorer, the user clicks the left arrow indicating that he / she wants to view the previously viewed page again.

The controller 8 responds to this command as follows. First, the CPU 38 accesses the directory 46 to find a position on the tape where a desired Web page is stored. The current position of the tape is known and stored in memory, preferably in an accessible manner. Then, in order to move the tape from the current tape position to a desired Web page position, a determination is made as to where the tape should be fast-forwarded or rewound. This is done by measuring the length or winding time of the tape, or by following a counter which increases or decreases in synchronization with the movement of the tape.

The tape is appropriately rewound or fast-forwarded so that the head of the section where the desired Web page is recorded appears (step 64). Then, the controller 8 instructs the recorder 6 to reproduce, and receives the stored Web page via the reproduction interface 22. Finally, in step 68, the controller sends the web page to the display interface 14.

[0071]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Packaging is considered an important feature of the present invention because it is intended that the product according to the present invention be accepted by many consumers. Desirable criteria for a package should be simple and convenient to use, attract users with some technical knowledge, maximize the use of other equipment already owned by the user, and minimize costs. It is to be.

To this end, the first embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 5, packages the controller 8 in the form of a compact module 70, the user's telephone plug 2, the television 4, the video cassette It is physically brought close to the recorder 6 and the like, and connected appropriately to those components using an interface cable. This module 70 does not include a recording medium. Rather, it has been considered to use a normal video tape 71 as a recording medium.
The video tape 71 has a suitable format such as VHS, and is inserted into a tape insertion slot 69 which is exclusive to the video cassette recorder 6 as shown in FIG.

In particular, the control interfaces 26 (between the controller 8 and the videocassette recorder 6) and 30 (between the user 32 or the user's remote control and the controller 8) are preferably wireless infrared interface links and the illustrated video It takes advantage of the infrared wireless control interface normally used in video cassette recorders, such as cassette recorder 6.

The module 70 is located in front of the video cassette recorder 6, in particular, in front of the infrared sensor 28. The infrared transmitter 48 is an infrared sensor 28 of the module 70
On the side facing. (This side is shown as the back side in the schematic diagram of FIG. 5, in front of which is the videocassette recorder 6.) Thus, the infrared transmitter 48 and the infrared sensor 28 are facing each other and form the link 26. ing.

Further, the infrared sensor 33 is provided on the opposite side, that is, on the front side of the module 70. The user communicates via an infrared link between the remote control switch 72 and the sensor 33. As described above, the remote control switch 72 has a control switch that can be operated by a user to operate the present system.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show a second preferred embodiment of the present invention. In this second embodiment, the invention is packaged as a video tape shaped module 74 which is inserted into a video cassette recorder during operation instead of a normal tape.

The module 74 incorporates almost all components of the controller 8. Further, the recording medium 76
Are included in the module 74. Recording medium 76 is preferably a small format magnetic tape cassette, such as those used in commercially available miniature video cameras. The module 74 also has a suitable configuration for magnetically connecting the magnetic head of the video cassette recorder to the magnetic medium 76.
To this end, the module 74 comprises a head indicated at 78 for interfacing with the head of the videocassette recorder 6 and a connecting link 8 for communicating with a head 82 which interfaces directly with the magnetic medium 76.
It is desirable to have 0.

The interface with other components of the system is provided via a set of cables, indicated at 84. The cable is routed from the module 74 (when provided inside the videocassette recorder 6) to the videocassette recorder for connection to the remaining components of the system.
It is small in size and flexible so that it can be placed out of the recorder 6.

The user interface and the command interface of the videocassette recorder are provided via a small infrared module including a user command sensor module 86 and a command transmission module 88 of the videocassette recorder. These sensor modules and transmission modules are connected to cables that make up the user interface 30 and the video cassette recorder control interface 26, respectively. These are shown in FIG.
Are positioned and operated in much the same way as described in.

If a videocassette recorder having a wired control input is used, module 88 is omitted and cable 26 is instead connected between module 74 and the wired control input to the videocassette recorder. Connect directly.

Extension of the Invention From the above description, it can be seen that in many embodiments of the present invention, the recording medium itself, ie, the video tape, is not part of the embodiment of the present invention, but rather is used in conjunction with the apparatus of the present invention throughout the system. It is another component part. As expected in the manufacture of videocassette recorders, the invention may be implemented using standard tape (eg, VHS) as in FIG. 5, or the invention may be implemented as in FIGS. Whether it will be implemented. That is, in the latter, the module is in the form of a video tape, plugged into a videocassette recorder, and, as described above, the small tape is indirectly interfaced with the head of the videocassette recorder by a connecting link.

On the other hand, a prerecorded tape can be incorporated in the device according to the invention. In this case, the tape records the selected Web page. Then, the controller has a directory of the previously recorded program, that is, a part of the directory 46 or its addition in order to search for the Web page recorded before the tape. It is also possible to record a code such as a URL of a previously recorded Web page on a tape in the same manner as a block at a predetermined position such as a header of each page or a start position of the tape. In this embodiment, the program storage unit 40 further performs programming for issuing an instruction to the controller 8, scans a tape recorded before newly installed, and creates an initial directory.

The video cassette recorder 6 has VHS,
A standard videocassette recorder in beta or other format is desirable. Alternatively, the videocassette recorder 6 can use other recording techniques such as pulse width modulation. Another available recording technique is
For example, an analog video data disc technology manufactured by DataDisc.

The remote control device can be specially made for the purpose of the present invention, or can be packaged or sold together with the module containing the controller 8. This type of remote control has special key functions such as control of cursor movement (e.g., a set of directional arrows), mouse click buttons, and the like. On the other hand, it is also possible to appropriately map between a function unique to the present invention and a standard key of the general-purpose remote control device so that a commercially available general-purpose remote control device can be used.

The user interface may be expanded by using a laptop computer or using an alphabet and a numeric keyboard so that the user can key in an Internet address such as a URL in the form of text information. Is possible. This extension allows a user to send communications, such as e-mail, over the Internet via the device of the present invention. If you add an audio interface, you can also talk on a regular phone.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and adaptations of these embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. is there.

In summary, the following matters are disclosed regarding the configuration of the present invention.

(1) A device for interfacing with a recording device, a display device, and a telephone line network for facilitating access to a World Wide Web (WWW), wherein (a) We
a user interface for receiving a user command to access and view the b page, (b) an Internet interface, and (c) operable in response to the user command, wherein the Web page can be operated through the Internet interface. Means for requesting and receiving Web pages from said Internet interface; and (d) recording and playback of Web pages received by said recording device connected to said recording device, as well as user commands and communication through the Web. And a recording, playback and control interface for controlling the display on the display. (2) The above (1), further comprising a remote control device operable by a user connected to communicate with the controller via the user interface.
An apparatus according to claim 1. (3) The device according to (2), wherein the user-operable remote control device has an infrared link with the controller. (4) The device according to (2), wherein the user-operable remote control device has a key having a function specially made for use with the device. (5) The user operable remote control device comprises a standard remote control unit and a template for mapping the standard functions created on the remote control device to special functions for use with the device. The device according to the above (2), which is characterized in that: (6) The recording device includes a conventional recording device for recording on a recording medium, and operates in an environment where the recording device is connected to the recording medium, and performs recording, reproduction,
The device according to (1), wherein the control interface is of a type suitable for interfacing with the recording device. (7) There is further provided a means for holding a directory of the Web page stored in the recording medium, and the directory includes information on the position of the Web page stored in the recording medium. An apparatus according to claim 1. (8) The apparatus according to (6), wherein the recording device includes a video cassette recorder. (9) The apparatus according to (6), wherein the recording apparatus includes a pulse width modulation (PWM) recording apparatus. (10) The apparatus according to (6), wherein the recording device includes a video data disk device. (11) The apparatus according to (6), further including a recording medium for use with the recording apparatus, wherein the recording medium has a previously recorded Web page. (12) The apparatus according to (6), wherein the controller is packaged in a module having substantially the same shape as the shape of the recording medium. (13) The sound interface and the Internet
Means for facilitating the use of the acoustic interface for making a call through the interface. (14) A conventional video cassette recorder (VCR) and a device for providing a user access to the World Wide Web (WWW) for use in a television receiver and for accessing a WWW home page. A controller having means for communicating over the Internet by request and receiving the requested home page for display on the television receiver, a telephone interface connector for connecting the controller to a telephone line network, and the television receiver A video output interface for providing a video signal for display on the
An input / output interface for connecting said controller to a signal input and a signal output of a videocassette recorder for controlling recording and reproduction and for receiving signals for supplying and reproducing signals; A video cassette-shaped module for inserting the cassette into the cassette insertion slot, and a video tape interface for reading and writing the recording on the tape recording medium, wherein the module inserts the module into the cassette insertion slot And a magnetic interface provided in contact with a magnetic head of the video cassette recorder, wherein the video tape interface records information provided to a recording head of the video cassette recorder and reproduces the video cassette recorder. I will play the information on the head And wherein the connecting the said module. (15) The device according to (14), wherein the controller is housed in the module.

[0089]

According to the above description, the cost of the Web terminal can be reduced by using a pre-installed recording device such as a videocassette recorder for the need of storing the Web terminal. Further, a sophisticated storage device for storing the downloaded image of the Web page is provided by a method that balances the operation of the existing device already used by the user with the design viewpoint. Therefore, the cost of the Web device according to the present invention is significantly lower than that of a Web terminal using a conventional full-scale computer architecture.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a general block diagram of the device according to the invention in an operating state.

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram showing the internal structure of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is another flowchart illustrating the operation of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows the embodiment of FIG. 6 in an operating state.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 telephone line network 4 display device 6 recording device 8 controller 10 telephone line interface 12 modem 14 video output interface 16 interface 18 recording line 20 recording input section 22 playback interface 24 playback output section 26 control interface 28 control input section 30 user interface 32 User 34 Digital bus 36 Video bus 38 CPU 40 Program storage unit 42 Video modulator 46 Directory 48 Infrared transmitter

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Edwin Joseph Selker 738 Matadero Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user has a World Wide Web (W).
WW), a recording device,
A display device, and a device for interfacing with a telephone line network, comprising: (a) a user for accessing and viewing a web page;
A user interface for receiving a command, (b) an Internet interface, and (c) operable in response to a user command, requesting a Web page through the Internet interface, and requesting a Web page from the Internet interface.
Means for receiving a page; (d) connecting to the recording device, recording and reproducing the Web page received by the recording device, and controlling display on the display in response to user commands and communication via the Web; An apparatus comprising: a controller having a recording, playback and control interface for: 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user operable remote control connected to communicate with said controller via said user interface. 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said user-operable remote control has an infrared link with said controller. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said user-operable remote control has a key having functions specially adapted for use with said apparatus. 5. The user operable remote control comprises a standard remote control unit and a template for mapping standard functions created on the remote control to special functions for use with the device. 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein: 6. The recording device includes a conventional recording device for recording on a recording medium, and operates in an environment where the recording device is connected to the recording medium. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is of a type suitable for interfacing with a recording device. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for holding a directory of a Web page stored on said recording medium, said directory including information on a position of said Web page stored on said recording medium. 7. The apparatus according to 6. 8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said recording device includes a video cassette recorder. 9. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said recording device comprises a pulse width modulation (PWM) recording device. 10. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said recording device includes a video data disk device. 11. The apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a recording medium for use with said recording device, said recording medium having a previously recorded Web page. 12. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said controller is packaged in a module having substantially the same shape as said recording medium. 13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an audio interface; and means for facilitating use of the audio interface for making a call through the Internet interface. 14. A conventional video cassette recorder (VC)
R) for use in a television receiver, a device for providing a user access to the World Wide Web (WWW), communicating through the Internet by requesting access to a WWW home page; A controller having means for receiving a requested homepage for display on the television receiver; a telephone interface connector for connecting the controller to a telephone network; and a video signal for providing a video signal for display on the television receiver. A video output interface, an input / output for connecting the controller to a signal input and a signal output of a videocassette recorder for controlling recording and playback, and for receiving signals for supplying and reproducing signals to be recorded; Interface and video cassette A video cassette-shaped module for inserting into a cassette insertion slot of a recorder; and a video tape interface for reading and writing a record on a tape recording medium, wherein the module is inserted into the cassette insertion slot. Having a magnetic interface provided in contact with the magnetic head of the videocassette recorder, wherein the videotape interface records information provided to the recording head of the videocassette recorder;
Apparatus characterized in that the module is connected to the videocassette recorder for reproducing information on a reproducing head of the videocassette recorder. 15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said controller is housed in said module.