Home services delivery system with intelligent terminal emulator

What is claimed is:

1. A system for enabling a plurality of customers to interact with at least one service provider through a heterogenous plurality of terminals and at least one applications program related to the service provided by the at least one service provider, the system comprising:

a) a heterogenous plurality of terminals;

b) at least one of said terminals consisting of a home terminal having a housing essentially configured as a telephone, said home terminal including:

1) a user input device having means for receiving input from the user and for converting the input into input signals, the input possibly having formatting errors;

2) a packet assembler and disassembler (PAD) element, located within the terminal and in communication with the customer input device, the PAD element including:

i) means for receiving the input signals, for analyzing the input signals in accordance with input formatting rules resident in said PAD which are related to the service provided by the service provider, and for providing local feedback signals in accordance with the analysis; and

ii) means, responsive to the input signals, for forming first packets of information in accordance with first formatting rules and a first communications protocol, and for transmitting the first packets of information which have no formatting errors or fewer formatting errors than the input signals;

3) a display including means for receiving the local feedback signals and for displaying them to the customer and for displaying prompts for controlling the operation of the home terminal;

4) means for generating a signal specifying the terminal being used by the user and

5) telephone electronics;

6) computing means;

7) memory;

8) means to electronically connect and control the user input means, display, PAD, signal generating means, telephone electronics, computing means, and memory, to function as both a standard telephone and a microcomputer and;

9) a modem to connect the home terminal to the host computer via a first telephone network;

c) a terminal controller, located remotely from the terminal, and implemented on at least one computing device having means to identify the terminal being used by the user by the signal generated by the terminal and means to execute the applications program, the terminal controller including:

1) a terminal interface controller including means for managing flow of packets of information into and out of the terminal controller in accordance with the first communications protocol compatible with the terminal being used;

2) means for translating the information in the first packets to a second format and a second communications protocol which are compatible with the service provider, so that the applications program forms commands for output to the service provider in accordance with the customer's input;

3) means for receiving information in the second format and the second communications protocol from the service provider;

4) means for translating the information from the second format and the second communications protocol in accordance with the applications program; and

5) means for causing the terminal interface controller to form second packets in accordance with the first formatting rules and the first communications protocol compatible with the terminal being used;

d) the PAD element further includes means for receiving the second packets and for forming signals in response to content of the second packets; and

e) the display further constitutes means for displaying the signals to the customer in response to the PAD element, the signals reflecting some of the information received from the service provider.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the means of the PAD for analyzing the input signals and providing local feedback signals includes:

means for detecting an input which is incompatible with the input formatting rules entered in response to a prompt which has been displayed on the display and

means for providing an error signal to the display in response to the detection, as the local feedback signal.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the means of the PAD for analyzing the input signals and providing local feedback signals includes:

means for determining when an input which is compatible with the input formatting rules has been entered in response to a prompt which has been displayed on the display; and

means for providing an echo signal consisting of the compatible input to the display in response to the detection, as the local feedback signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the means of the PAD for analyzing the input signals and providing local feedback signals includes:

means for determining pursuant to the input formatting rules when a confidential input has been entered in response to a confidential code prompt which has been displayed on the display; and

means for providing a set of dummy signals which are not descriptive of the confidential input to the display in response to the detection, as the local feedback signal.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the means for forming the first packets of information include:

means for forming and sequentially transmitting a plurality of first packets in accordance with a sliding window protocol constituting part of the first communications protocol; and

means for retransmitting certain packets in response to a "not acknowledge" signal received back from the terminal interface controller.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the PAD and the terminal interface controller each include means for communicating the first packets of information over a telephone network using the first communications protocol.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the applications program is essentially a computer program allowing the customer to interact with any of a plurality of financial service providers to perform financial transactions, inquiries and other related financial services offered by the service provider.

8. The system of claim 2 wherein:

the input formatting rules define formats required to allow the customer to uniquely designate financial quantities and account identification information which respectively correspond to financial quantities and accounts which are governed by the financial service provider.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the PAD element's packet forming and transmitting means constitutes means for emulating an intelligent terminal.

10. A system for enabling a plurality of customers to interact with at least one service provider through a heterogenous plurality of terminals and at least one applications program related to the service provided by the at least one service provider, the system comprising:

a) a heterogenous plurality of terminals;

b) at least one of said terminals consisting of a home terminal having a housing essentially configured as a telephone, said home terminal including:

1) a user input device having means for receiving input from the user and for converting the input into input signals, the input possibly having formatting errors;

2) a display including means for receiving the local feedback signals and for displaying them to the customer and for displaying prompts for controlling the operation of the home terminal;

3) means for generating a signal specifying the terminal being used by the user;

4) telephone electronics;

5) computing means;

6) memory;

7) means to electronically connect and control the user input means, display, PAD, signal generating means, telephone electronics, computing means, and memory, to function as both a standard telephone and a microcomputer and;

8) a modem to connect the home terminal to the host computer via a first telephone network;

c) a terminal controller, located remotely from the terminal, and implemented on at least one computing device having means to identify the terminal being used by the user by the signal generated by the terminal and means to execute the applications program, the terminal controller including:

1) a packet assembler and disassembler (PAD) element, located within the terminal controller and in communication with the customer input device, the PAD element including:

i) means for receiving the input signals, for analyzing the input signals in accordance with input formatting rules resident in said PAD which are related to the service provided by the service provider, and for providing remote feedback signals in accordance with the analysis; and

ii) means, responsive to the input signals, for forming first packets of information in accordance with first formatting rules and a first communications protocol, and for transmitting the first packets of information which have no formatting errors or fewer formatting errors than the input signals;

2) a terminal interface controller including means for managing flow of packets of information into and out of the terminal controller in accordance with the first communications protocol compatible with the terminal being used;

3) means for translating the information in the first packets to a second format and a second communications protocol which are compatible with the service provider, so that the applications program forms commands for output to the service provider in accordance with the customer's input;

4) means for receiving information in the second format and the second communications protocol from the service provider;

5) means for translating the information from the second format and the second communications protocol in accordance with the applications program; and

6) means for causing the terminal interface controller to form second packets in accordance with the first formatting rules and the first communications protocol compatible with the terminal being used;

d) the PAD element further includes means for receiving the second packets and for forming signals in response to content of the second packets; and

e) the display further constitutes means for displaying the signals to the customer in response to the PAD element, the signals reflecting some of the information received from the service provider.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the means of the PAD for analyzing the input signals and providing local feedback signals includes:

means for detecting an input which is incompatible with the input formatting rules entered in response to a prompt which has been displayed on the display and

means for providing an error signal to the display in response to the detection, as the local feedback signal.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the means of the PAD for analyzing the input signals and providing local feedback signals includes:

means for determining when an input which is compatible with the input formatting rules has been entered in response to a prompt which has been displayed on the display; and

means for providing an echo signal consisting of the compatible input to the display in response to the detection, as the local feedback signal.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the means of the PAD for analyzing the input signals and providing local feedback signals includes:

means for determining pursuant to the input formatting rules when a confidential input has been entered in response to a confidential code prompt which has been displayed on the display; and

means for providing a set of dummy signals which are not descriptive of the confidential input to the display in response to the detection, as the local feedback signal.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the means for forming the first packets of information include:

means for forming and sequentially transmitting a plurality of first packets in accordance with a sliding window protocol constituting part of the first communications protocol; and

means for retransmitting certain packets in response to a "not acknowledge" signal received back from the terminal interface controller.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the applications program is essentially a computer program allowing the customer to interact with any of a plurality of financial service providers to perform financial transactions, inquiries and other related financial services offered by the service provider.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein:

the input formatting rules define formats required to allow the customer to uniquely designate financial quantities and account identification information which respectively correspond to financial quantities and accounts which are governed by the financial service provider.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the PAD element's packet forming and transmitting means constitutes means for emulating an intelligent terminal.

18. A system for enabling a plurality of customers to interact with at least one service provider through a heterogenous plurality of terminals and at least one applications program related to the service provided by the at least one service provider, the system comprising:

a) a heterogenous plurality of terminals;

b) at least one of said terminals consisting of a home terminal having a housing essentially configured as a telephone, said home terminal including:

1) a user input device having means for receiving input from the user and for converting the input into input signals, the input possibly having formatting errors;

3) a display including means for receiving the local feedback signals and for displaying them to the customer and for displaying prompts for controlling the operation of the home terminal;

4) means for generating messages specifying the terminal being used by the user and the service provider with which the user wishes to interact and the version of the applications program corresponding to that service provider resident in the terminal and

5) telephone electronics;

6) computing means;

7) memory;

8) means to electronically connect and control the user input means, display, signal generating means, telephone electronics, computing means, and memory, to function as both a standard telephone and a microcomputer and;

9) a modem to connect the home terminal to the host computer via a first telephone network;

c) a terminal controller, located remotely from the terminal, and implemented on at least one computing device having means to identify the terminal being used by the user by the signal generated by the terminal and means to execute the applications program, the terminal controller including:

1) a terminal interface controller including means for managing flow of information into and out of the terminal controller in accordance with the first communications protocol compatible with the terminal being used;

2) means for translating the information to a second format and a second communications protocol which are compatible with the service provider, so that the applications program forms commands for output to the service provider in accordance with the customer's input;

3) means for receiving information in the second format and the second communications protocol from the service provider;

4) means for translating the information from the second format and the second communications protocol in accordance with the applications program; and

5) means for causing the terminal interface controller to format the information in accordance with the first formatting rules and the first communications protocol compatible with the terminal being used;

d) the terminal further includes means for receiving the information and for forming signals in response to content of the second packets; and

e) the display further constitutes means for displaying the signals to the customer in response to the information, the signals reflecting some of the information received from the service provider;

f) the terminal controller further having:

1) in storage current versions of the applications programs corresponding to the various service providers and the heterogenous plurality of terminals on the system;

2) means for identifying the version of the applications program resident in the terminal corresponding to the service provider selected by the user by the signal sent by the terminal;

3) means to determine whether the applications program in the terminal is the current version;

4) means to download to the terminal the necessary portions of the current version of the applications program so that said version of the applications program corresponding to the selected service provider and the user terminal is the current version; and

g) the terminal further including means to receive the necessary portions of the current version of the applications program and revise the version of the applications program resident in the terminal so that the applications program in the user terminal is the most current for the at least one service provider selected by the user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for analyzing the input signals and providing local feedback signals includes:

means for detecting an input which is incompatible with the input formatting rules entered in response to a prompt which has been displayed on the display; and

means for providing an error signal to the display in response to the detection, as the local feedback signal.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for analyzing the input signals and providing local feedback signals includes:

means for determining when an input which is compatible with the input formatting rules has been entered in response to a prompt which has been displayed on the display; and

means for providing an echo signal consisting of the compatible input to the display in response to the detection, as the local feedback signal.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for analyzing the input signals and providing local feedback signals includes:

means for determining pursuant to the input formatting rules when a confidential input has been entered in response to a confidential code prompt which has been displayed on the display; and

means for providing a set of dummy signals which are not descriptive of the confidential input to the display in response to the detection, as the local feedback signal.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the applications program is essentially a computer program allowing the customer to interact with any of a plurality of financial service providers to perform financial transactions, inquiries and other related financial services offered by the service provider.

Description Submit all comments and votes

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to apparatus and methods for communication between a home network terminal microcomputer-based system and one or more computer networks providing information and financial and other services. The invention relates more particularly to apparatus and methods for conducting communications between a home computer system and a generally conventional computer network in an extremely simple manner, such that no knowledge of computer operations is necessary for the user of a home computer system to obtain information or perform financial and other transactions through the computer network.

2. Related Art

Developments in communications technology in the past decade have made it possible for consumers to access information stored on large computer systems through home microcomputers. It is well known that a home computer system can be used to communicate through standard telephone lines with large computer data bases storing such information as stock market statistics, airline flight schedules, and other useful consumer information.

However, there are several limitations to providing not only information services but also interactive financial services through a computer network to the home environment of the typical consumer. First, although technological advancements have created an unsurpassed standard of living for consumers in many aspects of everyday life, including communications, a corresponding limit on the level of consumer acceptance of technological innovations has arisen. Many consumers are reluctant to rely on technologically advanced devices which they cannot assimilate into the practices they have used previously and which they understand.

This consumer acceptance threshold has been encountered by home computer manufacturers who have experienced difficulty in convincing a substantial portion of the public of the advantages of having a home computer. In order to provide information services, and in particular relatively complex interactive financial services, in the home environment, the consumer must be convinced to incorporate some form of network terminal in his home. Typically, however, the steps necessary to establish communications between a home microcomputer and a remote computer data base require the consumer to have a familiar understanding of the home microcomputer. Although software packages are available that present a relatively "user-friendly" environment for the consumer to carry on network communications, a basic understanding of microcomputer operation is nevertheless required of the consumer. A majority of consumers do not have this fundamental knowledge, adding to consumer reluctance to use the technologically advanced products.

The microprocessor/telephone communication device disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 07/190,440 (Parekh et al.) and 260,832 (Weiss et al.), filed May 5, 1988, and Oct. 21, 1988 respectively, and in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 312,457 (from application Ser. No. 380,557) (Inatomi) filed Jul. 17, 1989, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present application and are hereby incorporated by reference herein, provides a means for bringing technologically based services into the typical consumer's home despite consumer resistance to complex products. This breakthrough is accomplished by providing what is in reality a computer terminal resembling the familiar desktop telephone. The communication device of the invention provides easily understood information and instructions through a visual display "menu" to guide the user in using advanced telephone features and network services. The shift in emphasis from user-originated control to device-originated control in transactional operations assimilates the user into a technologically based marketplace of services which he would otherwise avoid.

Although a home terminal, such as the microprocessor/telephone of the Weiss et al. invention, provides the hardware necessary for network communications to the consumer in familiar form, the network communication methods available currently still present a technologically complicated procedure to the user of the home terminal. Those methods in the prior art which provide informational services to the consumer at home do so in a manner which requires some level of computer literacy on the part of the consumer user. Recognizing that this computer literacy requirement is a substantial impediment to bringing the technologically based informational and financial services to the general consumer, it is an object of the invention to provide a method for communicating between the home terminal and a computer network which controls communications so that the user need only read and respond to simple questions, that is, "prompts", presented on a display screen.

In the prior art, interactive communication methods have essentially provided only informational services to the home consumer. The necessary level of security, ease of use and reliable, quick information transmission required for a comparable home-based financial services system have not been achieved. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide financial services in addition to informational services to the consumer and in particular to provide a method of computer communication between the home terminal and a computer network so that the consumer can effect financial transactions through the system terminal in an easily understood fashion. For example, it is an object of the invention to provide a system whereby a user can determine his account balance, pay bills, transfer funds from one account to another, and the like, while in his home and in particular without requiring any computer literacy, and wherein the same system can be used to access other systems, such as databases, airline reservation systems, and the like.

Using current communication methods, communication between a home computer system and a computer network requires that the home computer system have a sufficient memory size to store application programs to control the communications. Each network, database, or the like to be accessed typically requires its own software, access codes, and related data which must be stored in the microcomputer memory. Accordingly, as more information and financial services are to be provided, the necessary application program memory requirement increases. At some point, the memory size requirement makes it impractical to place the home network terminal in the relatively small housing of a telephone. In particular, it is an object of the invention to avoid the requirement of a floppy disk or other bulky storage medium in the user terminal; if a physically larger computer system were used to accommodate the memory requirements, the advantage of consumer acceptance achieved by placing the microcomputer in a small housing with a limited number of keys made possible according to the Weiss et al. invention would be lost.

More particularly, it is desirable that the microcomputer necessary to carry out communication with the network computer be small enough to be integrated into a housing physically resembling that of a standard desktop telephone. The data storage capacity of such a miniature device is correspondingly small. Additionally, it is preferred to provide the consumer with as many various services as possible. Therefore, it is a further object of the invention to provide a method for providing required application programs from a network host computer to the user terminal as needed and in a rapid and efficient manner so that the consumer terminal can employ a plurality of application programs which could not be stored in a memory physically disposed within the telephone housing.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a method by which updated versions of the application programs can be downloaded to the microcomputer automatically each time the consumer connects to the network, thereby ensuring that out-of-date application programs are not used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of the known systems and represents a significant advance in the art by providing user-friendly systems and methods for communicating with a plurality of informational and financial and other service computer systems through a microcomputer-based terminal, such as "home" terminal, so that a typical consumer having little expertise in computer operations can easily use the facilities of the service computer systems.

The communication method of the invention makes it possible for network communications to be performed through a home terminal which does not appear to the user to be technologically complex. The hardware used in performing the method of the present invention comprises a home terminal such as a telephone/microcomputer disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,199 (D. Weiss et al.), and assigned to the assignee of the present application, which is incorporated by reference herein. The home terminal is thus a dedicated microcomputer which provides a simple input keyboard resembling the keypad of a conventional telephone and a visual display for communicating with the consumer.

In the home terminal of Weiss et al, a microcomputer resides within a standard desktop telephone and communicates with the consumer through a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a standard telephone keypad, both disposed on the top surface of the telephone. The home terminal comprises memory for storing data and programs and is interfaced to the telephone electronics so that it may also control the telephone in the conventional manner. In some embodiments, this device also comprises a keyboard including all of the alphabetic characters, which may slide out of the housing, without destroying its resemblance to a telephone. A modem is connected to the microcomputer within the home terminal for connecting the microcomputer through standard telephone lines to one or more remote computer systems, by way of a session controller which is comprised by a network host computer provided according to the invention.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for enabling a customer to interact with at least one service provider through at least one applications program related to the service provided by the at least one service provider. The system has a terminal including an input device, a display, and a packet assembler and disassembler (PAD) element. The system also has a terminal controller including means to execute the applications program and means for translating information between respective formats and respective communications protocols used by the PAD element and the service provider, to enable the customer to communicate with the service provider through the terminal.

The invention also provides a system for enabling a customer to interact with at least one service provider through at least one applications program related to the service provided by the at least one service provider. The system has a terminal including: 1) a customer input device having means for receiving input from the user and for convening the input into input signals, the input possibly having formatting errors; and 2) a packet assembler and disassembler (PAD) element, located substantially within the terminal and in communication with the customer input device. The PAD element includes means for receiving the input signals, for analyzing the input signals in accordance with input formatting rules which are related to the service provided by the service provider, and for providing local feedback signals in accordance with the analysis; and means, responsive to the input signals, for forming first packets of information in accordance with first formatting rules and a first communications protocol, and for transmitting the first packets of information which have no formatting errors or fewer formatting errors than the input signals. The terminal includes a display including means for receiving the local feedback signals and for displaying them to the customer. The system also has a terminal controller, located remotely from the terminal, and implemented on at least one computing device having means to execute the applications program. The terminal controller has a terminal interface controller including means for managing flow of packets of information into and out of the terminal controller in accordance with the first communications protocol, and means for translating the information in the first packets to a second format and a second communications protocol which are compatible with the service provider, so that the applications program forms commands for output to the service provider in accordance with the customer's input.

The invention further provides a system for enabling a user to interact with service computers which provide informational, financial and other services. The system has a network host computer having applications software in memory. The system also has a home terminal having a compact housing essentially configured as a telephone, the home terminal including a display for displaying prompts for controlling the operation of the home terminal, data input means, telephone electronics, computing means, memory; means to electronically connect and control the display, data input means, telephone electronics, computing means, and memory, to function as both a standard telephone and a general purpose computer; a modem to connect the home terminal computing to the host computer via a first telephone network; and means, including a packet assembler and disassembler (PAD) element, for managing message communication between the home terminal and the network host and for ensuring that data input through the data input means has been formatted for the network host applications software. The system also has means for accessing at least one of the service computers over a second telephone network in response to at least one message communicated from the home terminal over the first telephone network and through the network host computer, the at least one message indicating selection of a service in response to the prompts. In this system, the network host computer further includes means for controlling a communications session between the home terminal and at least one service computer over the first and second telephone networks, the communications session controlling means being controlled by instructions for translating messages between the home terminal and at least one service computer.

The invention further provides a method of providing a home terminal with the ability to use services provided by at least one service computer connected to the home terminal in a communications session managed by a host computer, wherein the home terminal has a display, a data input device, telephone electronics, computing electronics, a modem and software to operate the terminal as both a telephone and a general purpose computer. The method comprising the steps of initiating the communications session with the host computer using a packet assembler and disassembler (PAD) element in the terminal; sending messages to the terminal to prompt a customer to provide input to the terminal; imputing data through the data input device; locally analyzing the input data for conformance with format and content requirements, and displaying appropriate prompts and imputing additional data if the input data is not in conformance with the requirements; assembling the data input into message packets; establishing the communications session between the service computer and the home terminal; and controlling the communication session by translating messages between respective formats usable by the home terminal and the service computer, and by timing message flow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood if reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGS. 1-10 are those present in Ser. No. 08/084,319, filed Jun. 30, 1993 (a file wrapper continuation of Ser. No. 433,825, filed Nov. 9, 1989), and in which FIGS. 11-19 are added in the application being filed Aug. 25, 1993.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic overview of the system according to the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the message format employed according to the invention.

FIG. 3 shows a detail of a status field of the message according to the invention.

FIG. 4 shows a connect message according to the invention.

FIG. 5 shows a connect response message according to the invention.

FIG. 6 shows a transaction message text format according to the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a page downloading message text format employed according to the invention.

FIG. 8 shows a page update request message according to the invention. and

FIG. 9 shows a response to the page update request message of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of a distributive data processing system shown in FIG. 19 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,130.

FIG. 11 illustrates an alternative home services delivery system.

FIG. 12 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the home services delivery system of FIG. 11, in which the packet assembler and disassembler (PAD) is resident in the terminal 104 rather than in the terminal interface controller (TIC) 122.

FIG. 13 illustrates a typical physical arrangement of several terminal controllers.

FIG. 14 is a high-level block diagram of an application generation system (AGS) which may be used to develop and test applications programs for the home services delivery system.

FIG. 15 illustrates a typical local area network configuration for use with the application generation system according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 schematically illustrates components of the application data base, according to the FIG. 21 embodiment.

FIG. 17 illustrates the manner in which the application generation system provides different versions of applications programs, especially suitable for use in a variety of foreign languages.

FIG. 18 shows an example of a screen which shows a German version of an application program.

FIG. 19 illustrates a typical screen display generated by the application generation system to allow a developer to simulate hardware errors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In describing preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

As a background, FIGS. 1-10 are those present in Ser. No. 08/084,319, filed Jun. 30, 1993 (a file wrapper continuation of Ser. No. 433,825, filed Nov. 9, 1989). FIGS. 11-19 are added in the application being filed Aug. 25, 1993, with emphasis being placed on the embodiment in FIG. 12.

Referring to FIG. 1, the method of the present invention is performed through a home terminal 2 connected via a conventional telephone circuit 3 to a session controller 6, which may comprise both hardware and software, as understood by those of skill in the art, and which is resident in a network host computer system 8.

According to the invention, the home terminal 2 physically resembles a telephone with a display screen 2a, as described in the Weiss applications discussed above. However, certain aspects of the invention-may be applicable to more conventional microcomputer systems, as shown at 10: Indeed, according to one aspect of the invention described in Ser. No. 07/439,739 and FWC 08/104,931 (Ahlin et al.), the telephone-resembling user terminal 2 functionally mimics an IBM PC/XT microcomputer, such as computer 10, in certain aspects.

The session controller 6 provided according to the present invention serves as a link between the microcomputer 2 and/or 10 and a plurality of informational and financial service computer systems 20(a-d). As indicated, service computers 20(a-d) typically are themselves host computer systems such as bank computers, airline reservation computers, host computers running database access systems, etc., which conventionally respond to inquiries from remote systems. It would also be possible to physically provide the network host computer 8 as a part of one of the service computers 20(a-d). For example, the network host computer 8 might be physically configured as portion or a computer also serving as a bank service computer. The claims of this application are intended to include this possibility.

According to an important aspect of the invention, the function of the session controller 6 is to allow the user to conveniently employ the microcomputer resembling a telephone 2 as described in the Weiss et al application to access the remote service computers 20(a-d); notably, this is accomplished according to the invention without modifying the software of the service computers 20(a-d). Thus, an important function of the network host 8 and of the user terminal 2 and the HAL software which it runs is to cooperatively transform the highly simplified, "user-friendly" request/response sequence seen and responded to by the user into the relatively complex communication sequence normally used to access the service computers 20(a-d), and, conversely, to modify the specialized display sequence typically presented by the service computers 20(a-d) into an easily understood presentation.

More particularly, as is understood by those of skill in the art, each of the service computers 20(a-d) provides a different service, e.g., stock ticker information, airline reservations, bank transaction services, and a myriad of others. To access each of these services conventionally requires that the user have available one or more access codes, and that he has memorized the appropriate sequence of responses to "prompts". Each of theme sequences is different, and each conventionally requires some education.

For example, in a typical automatic teller machine transaction, the user is first required to insert a card which includes a user identification. He then is prompted to input an access code. The system correlates this with the identification provided by the card, to ensure that the user is duly authorized. He is then prompted to select a transaction, and an account. Depending on the transaction selected, various other options must be selected. All of the response sequences must be learned before the user can employ the system. By comparison, if using a legal research database, for example, an entirely different sequence of steps must be negotiated. Accordingly, the consumer must be separately educated with respect to each service he desires to use. Clearly, this represents a significant barrier to the wide acceptance and use of these systems.

By comparison, according to the invention, the network host 8 is interposed between the user terminals 2 and each service computer system 20(a-d). The network host 8 thus works in concert with the user terminals 2, in particular by supplying to the user terminal 2 one or more pages of HAL application software which "personalizes" the user terminal 2 to the service computer 20(a-d). The user terminal 2 is enabled by the application software to prompt the user to supply any information needed to access the service computer. The network host 8 then translates the user dam, received from the user terminal 2 in a first user terminal format, into whatever service computer communication format is required by the service computer 20(a-d) selected. Thus, the user sees an essentially similar selection of simple queries (e.g., "Input User Code", "Press 4 for Checking Account, 6 For Saving Account", "Press for Previous Screen", "Press to Authorize Auto Payment") regardless of the service he has selected. The "user-friendliness" thus provided by the network host and the user terminal of the invention in response to the user's selection of a particular service is very significant in achieving the objects of the invention.

For example, at any given time, the display 2a of the user terminal may include the user's last response (e.g. , in a banking transaction, "National Bank of Washington") the information being sought (e.g., "Select Account Desired"), and a list of prompts, indicating the choices available to the user by pressing a single button in the keypunch (e.g., "Press 1 for Savings, 2 for Checking, 3 for Money Market") as well as a series of help prompts also selectable by pressing a single button (e.g., "Hit * to Back Up, 0 to Start Over, # for More Choices").

According to an important aspect of the invention, these menu choices are varied in accordance with the service selected by the user. That is, the user-friendly interface, comprising a "tree" of new menus displayed sequentially and in response to each input provided by the user, until all information required to access the service has been specified, thus varies with the service. Provision of application programs page by page in response to the specification of a service according to the invention permits this flexibility, as it would be impractical to store all possible application programs in the user terminal.

The session controller 6 functionally comprises a terminal interface controller (TIC) 4, a terminal protocol interface (TPI) 10, a session manager (SM) 12, and a common integrator (CI) 14. The TIC 4 monitors the message flow between the home terminal 2 and the TPI 10 and controls timers to cause timeouts when message traffic ceases. This is important in ensuring that the terminal 2 properly provides the normal telephone functions. See the Weiss et al applications referred to above. The TPI 10 communicates with the home terminal 2 and translates the protocol used by the home terminal when first establishing a connection with the host network computer 8. Additionally, the TPI 10 generates random encryption key numbers when requested by the home terminal 2. These encryption key numbers are used by the terminal program to transmit confidential information. The TPI 10 also handles application page downloading requests.

The SM 12 maintains the essential data needed for each communication session by storing information relating to the user of the terminal 2 and the service computer system 20(a-d) which the user is accessing. All transactions performed between the home terminal 2 and the session controller 6 during a particular session occur within the context of the specific consumer and the service selected, e.g., his bank or other financial institution. For example, after the consumer has been successfully established as a valid and authorized user, all message traffic to the particular terminal is thereafter considered related only to that consumer. This context determination, based on the consumer identification information, then allows the network host computer 8 to access the correct service computer 20(a-d) for such items as account balances, and so on. The SM 12 stores the contextual information required to validate the transaction and inserts it in messages passed to the CI 14 when necessary. The SM 12 also serves as the interface between the TPI 10 and the CI 14, which in turn sexes as the communication link between the other elements of the session controller 6 and the service' computer systems 20(a-d).

According to the method of the present invention, the user accesses one particular service computer 20(a-d) by selecting the corresponding option, i.e. the desired service, from a menu displaying the possible choices on the LCD of his home terminal. Communication between the home terminal 2, the session controller 6 and the selected service computer 20(a-d) is then begun with a session establishment and protocol selection phase.

During the session establishment and protocol selection phase, the home terminal 2 connects to the network host computer 8 through a standard telephone line 3. After the connection has been established, the home terminal 2 sends a series of signals by which the session controller 6 sets such parameters as the communication baud rate. For example, after the network host computer 8 sets the communication baud rate, it responds with a terminal type inquiry. The home terminal 2 interprets this signal as a request to identify the type of terminal in use and responds with an ASCII code identifying the type of home terminal being used, i.e. a microcomputer/telephone 2 according to the Weiss invention, a standard microcomputer 10 employed conventionally to access the service computers, or some other remote terminal type.

During this session establishment phase the terminal 2 may also request the user to provide a personal serial number, to ensure that the user is in fact authorized to use the terminal. A terminal ID number may also be rehired to be included in some of the messages. The network host is capable of deleting either serial number from lists of validated serial numbers, so as to prevent users who become unauthorized (e.g. by failure to keep accounts current, etc.) from using the system.

According to the invention, the network host 8 provides the important function of allowing the home terminal 2 to mimic a conventional microcomputer 10 running essentially conventional communication software. Therefore, the service computer 20(a-d) receives communication in precisely the same "service computer communication protocol" which it conventionally receives. Accordingly, the service computers need not be modified in any way for communication according to the invention, which is essential to achieving the objects thereof. As indicated, such conventional microcomputer systems 10 may be also interfaced to the service computers 20(a-d) by way of the network host 8 according to the invention. In such case, the network host 8 will again respond to a request for access to a service computer 20(a-d) by downloading one or more "pages" of application software, user prompts, etc., allowing the conventional microcomputer 10 to conveniently access the service computer 20(a-d).

The manner in which the user terminal 2 is enabled to mimic a conventional microcomputer 10 for the purpose of communicating with the service computers 20(a-d) via the network host 8 is disclosed in detail in Ser. No. 07/439,739