Patent · US Expired

User interface for controlling audio functions in a web browser

US6005563A · kind A · utility

186Cited by
11References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 22, 1996
Grant dateDec 21, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 22, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N21/47
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

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 allows a user to use a remote control device to navigate between hypertext anchors in World-Wide Web pages displayed on the television. User inputs are entered from the remote control device using an infrared IR link in order to move a selection between hypertext anchors or various control buttons displayed on the television display. The browser is capable of downloading audio files from Web sites and generating sound through a speaker of the television set based on the audio files. Background music is generated during Web browsing based on audio files downloaded from one of the servers or audio files stored in memory in the set-top box. A background music audio file from a server can be downloaded while another background music audio file is played. An audio panel can be displayed when an audio file from a Web site is downloaded and played to form a user interface by which the user to play, stop, pause, rewind, or fast-forward the audio file.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.