Apparatus and method for combining high bandwidth and low bandwidth data transfer

Patent 5608446 Issued on March 4, 1997. Estimated Expiration Date:

May 9, 2015. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Communication system
Patent #: 5142532
Issued on: 08/25/1992
Inventor: Adams

Remote query communication system
Patent #: 5253341
Issued on: 10/12/1993
Inventor: Rozmanith, et al.

Remote link adapter for use in TV broadcast data transmission system
Patent #: 5347304
Issued on: 09/13/1994
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Video-on-demand services using public switched telephone network Patent #: 5410343
Issued on: 04/25/1995
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Inventors

Application

No. 437349 filed on 05/09/1995

US Classes:

725/114, Server or headend725/109, Having link to external network (e.g., interconnected computer network)725/122, Return path via telephone network725/131Receiver (e.g., set-top box)

Examiners

Primary: Kostak, Victor R.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Nelson; Gordon E.

International Class

H04N 007/14

Abstract

Data communications apparatus and methods employing a bidirectional low bandwidth channel and a unidirectional high bandwidth channel. A PC is coupled to an information source by a communications system which provides both a bidirectional low bandwidth channel between the PC and the information source and a high bandwidth channel in which the information source is the source and the PC is the sink. A component of the communications system termed the director responds to a message received in the low bandwidth channel by switching the information being sent from the information source to the PC to the high or low bandwidth channel as specified in the message. The message may come either from the PC or the information source. A graphical user interface at the PC provides the user with "buttons" to specify the bandwidth. The apparatus and methods may be advantageously employed to provide telecommuting services.