A transmission system and a receiver system enable an internet experience with enhanced content regulation and simplicity. The transmission system comprises a buffer memory storing data-to-be-transmitted which contains channel information. The transmission system further comprises a transmitter for transmitting the stored data based on the channel information, and a repeater coupled to the buffer memory and to the transmitter for repeatedly sending the stored data from the buffer memory to the transmitter. The receiver system comprises a receiver for receiving data packets being transmitted on the multiple channels, a device coupled to the receiver for extracting a data packet from the received data packets based on a comparison of the received data packets and desired packet identification information. The receiver system further comprises a browser coupled to the device for enabling presentation of an extracted data packet, and for enabling selection of an option. The receiver still further comprises a control engine coupled to the browser for managing the desired packet identification information based on the extracted data packet and based on option selection. The transmission system may offer multiple versions of the service, such as a basic version, an extended version and a deluxe version. The receiver system may be configured to receive a version based on a subscription package.

An automatic call distribution system (10) with a plurality of different types of display terminals (18, 20) which require display data to be presented to them in different formats employs a formatter (26) which selectively uses formatting information (24) to construct formatted data from unformatted display data in a memory (22) into a formatted display data buffer (28) in accordance with the appropriate formatting information for the particular type of display terminal at which the data is to be displayed and then conveys the buffered data to the display terminal (18, 20) in the appropriate format.

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing technology that allows two or more computer program applications on a client computer to learn about the availability and use of remote features through a shared component that uses information obtained from a remote server but maintained locally.

An encoded multimedia terminal having a low cost decompression circuit together with a low cost interconnect circuit coupled to a powerful server. The terminal can accept user input via a mouse, keyboard, remote control, or handset. In one embodiment, the server has ports which provide real-time audio and video encoding of source material based on user edits and the original source. An encoded bitstream is then sent to the encoded multimedia terminal for decoding. Broadly speaking, the present invention contemplates an encoded multimedia terminal comprising a microcontroller, a network interface, a multimedia bitstream decoder, and a display controller. The microcontroller receives input from a user-input device and responsively determines a user input signal. The network interface is coupled to the microcontroller to receive the user input signal and is configured to communicate the user input signal to a multitasking server which is executing a software application. The software application accepts the user input signal and responsively updates a video display, and the multitasking server converts the video display to a multimedia bitstream and communicates the multimedia bitstream to the network interface. The multimedia bitstream decoder is coupled to the network interface to receive the multimedia bitstream and is configured to convert the multimedia bitstream into a digital video signal. The display controller is coupled to the multimedia bitstream decoder to receive the digital video signal and is configured to responsively provide a display signal to a display screen. The multimedia bitstream may be DVD-compliant.

A collaborative computing method and system are described. Output data from and input data for an application program are shared among all of the computers connected in a network using the X protocol. The output from the application program is intercepted and then replicated on each of the computers' displays. Input data for the application program can be read from any of the computers participating in the session. The identifying data associated with the output and input is modified so that each computer can operate as if it were the only computer controlling the application. The session is controlled by displaying on each computer's display a control window which allows the users to invoke a shared application and to use tools such a pointer, marker, to manage a collaboration session. Each user has equal collaborative capabilities in a session. This collaborative method provides a symmetric sharing among all users. A scratch pad window may be created on each computer's display. User data entered in a scratch pad window is normally replicated automatically on each of the other computers' displays, but a private mode is an alternative. Data entered by each computer in the scratch pad may be displayed with visual characteristics such as color which are unique to the computer on which the data was first entered.