Information device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10986164-B2
Application number	US-35857109-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2009
Priority date	Jan 13, 2004
Publication date	Apr 20, 2021
Grant date	Apr 20, 2021

Abstract

A device for obtaining, storing and displaying information from a remote server, the device has a modem for establishing communication sessions with the remote server. A memory coupled to the modem stores the obtained information, and a display is coupled to the memory for displaying the stored information. The device automatically and periodically communicates with the remote server for obtaining the information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for obtaining, storing and displaying information from a remote information server via a telephone wire pair that is at least in part in a building and that is part of, or connected to, a Wide Area Network (WAN), the telephone wire pair being connected for carrying digital data in a digital data frequency band that is distinct from, and higher than, an analog telephone frequency band, said device comprising:
a telephone connector for connecting to the telephone wire pair;
a telephone line modem coupled to said telephone connector for transmitting the digital data to, and receiving the digital data from, the telephone wire pair;
a first memory coupled to said telephone line modem for storing digital data received from the telephone wire pair;
a display coupled to said first memory for displaying visual information stored in said first memory; and
a single enclosure housing said telephone connector, said telephone line modem, and said first memory,
wherein said device is operative for communicating with a first remote information server through the telephone wire pair for receiving information therefrom, and for storing and displaying the received information, and
wherein said device is operative to initiate a communication with the first remote information server after a set period following a prior communication session.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said device is operative for automatically and periodically initiating communicating with the first remote information server at all times when said device is in operation.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the telephone wire pair is connecting outside a building to a telephone service provider and communication over the telephone wire pair is based on xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) technology.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein said telephone line modem is one of: an ADSL (Asymmetric DSL) modem; a VDSL (Very high speed DSL) modem; an HDSL (High speed DSL) modem; and an RADSL (Rate adaptive DSL) modem.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the telephone wire pair is part of a Wide Area Network (WAN) and the telephone wire pair is continuously connected for carrying the digital data.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the telephone wire pair is part of a Local Area Network (LAN), and wherein said device is addressable in the Local Area Network (LAN).

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein the LAN is in a building.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the communication over the telephone wire pair is based on HomePNA standard and said telephone line modem is a HomePNA modem.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said display comprises a flat screen that is based on Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology, and said single enclosure being dimensioned and having an appearance of a conventional flat, wall-mountable framed picture.

10. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said display is an analog display.

11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said display is a digital display.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said first memory is non-volatile.

13. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said first memory is based on one of: a Flash memory; a DRAM memory; and a RAM memory.

14. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising: an AC power plug for connecting to an AC power outlet; and a power supply connected to said AC power plug to be powered by power supplied from the AC power outlet and for DC powering at least part of said device, said power supply comprising an AC to DC converter.

15. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising software and a processor for executing said software, said processor being coupled to control at least said telephone line modem and said display.

16. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said processor is one of a microprocessor and a microcomputer, and said device further comprises at least one user operated button or switch coupled to said processor, for user control of operation of said device.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein the user control of operation of said device comprises at least one of:
turning said device on and off;
resetting said device to default values;
changing the contrast of said display;
changing the brightness of said display;
changing the zoom of images presented on said display;
selecting a language; and
selecting information to be presented on said display.

18. The device according to claim 15 , wherein said software include at least part of a web client for communication with, and accessing information stored in, the remote information server.

19. The device according to claim 18 , wherein said at least part of a web client includes at least part of a graphical web browser.

20. The device according to claim 19 , wherein said at least part of a graphical web browser is based on Windows Internet Explorer.

21. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the information from the first remote server is organized as a web-site including web pages as part of the World Wide Web (WWW), and is further identified by said device using the web site Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

22. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said device is operative for communicating with a second remote information server for receiving information from the second remote information server, and for storing and displaying the information received from the second remote information server.

23. The device according to claim 22 , wherein said device is adapted to communicate with the first and second remote information servers for obtaining selected and distinct information from each remote information server.

24. The device according to claim 22 , wherein said device communicates with the first and second remote servers one at a time.

25. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said device connects to the telephone wire pair in the building and the device is further operative for communicating only with a single remote information server located external to the building.

26. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the communication with the first remote information server is based on Internet protocol suite.

27. The device according to claim 26 , wherein the communication with the first remote information server is based on TCP/IP.

28. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the set period is at least one of: set by the user; set previously in said device; and set by the first remote information server in a previous communication session.

29. The device according to claim 1 , wherein said device is operative to initiate a communication with the first remote information server on a daily basis at a pre-set time of day (TOD).

30. The device according to claim 29 , wherein the pre-set time of day is at least one of: set by the user; set previously in said device; and set by the remote information server in a previous communication session.

31. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first remote information server is a dedicated remote information server, and said device is further operative to initiate communication with the dedicated remote information server based on a user request.

32. The device according to claim 1 , wherein t

Assignees

• Binder Yehuda
• May Patents Ltd

Inventors

• Binder Yehuda

Classifications

• H04L12/66 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways · CPC title

• H04L67/568

  Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching · CPC title

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• H04L65/60

  Network streaming of media packets · CPC title

• H04L67/06

  specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP] · CPC title