Client and server system

Abstract

An internet on-demand system for television presents internet content and traditional television programming as part of a single coherent interface. The system includes a server and a client capable of providing a dynamic graphical user interface. The system can display an internet gateway interface which actively scrolls through and highlights links to selected web pages which are organized according to templates corresponding to their content. The web pages are presented on the graphical user interface as channels as part of the same milieu as channels of traditional television programming. The user can select a channel from a rotary menu wheel or via channel-up, channel-down buttons on the remote control device. An intelligent agent passively filters selected web pages for a user to explore based on the user's past pattern of usage of the client. The server queries the client regarding its available data stream connections, including telephone modems, cable modems, wireless telecommunications and digital satellite broadcasting, regarding its ability to detect embedded data in TV signals, in order to determine the most efficient delivery of different types of data through all of the available bandwidth connections for both directions of data flow. The efficient delivery of data allows the client to present text, graphics, video, audio and other multimedia information from a web page over the internet as a coordinated presentation.

1 - 139 . (canceled) 
   
   
       140 . A system for selectively displaying Internet content and television programming on a display, the system comprising:
 a client, wherein the client comprises a display, and wherein the client receives television content and Internet content via a plurality of channels;   a selecting element for selecting a channel from the plurality of channels, wherein when a channel is selected, the client presents the content associated with the selected channel on the display;   a server comprising a connecting element for establishing a data connection with the client; and   a menu that provides a uniform user interface for navigating among the plurality of channels.   
   
   
       141 . The system of  claim 140 , wherein data is streamed from the server to the client through the established data connection. 
   
   
       142 . The system of  claim 140 , wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display. 
   
   
       143 . The system of  claim 140 , wherein the client comprises a television. 
   
   
       144 . The system of  claim 143 , wherein the television comprises a set-top box. 
   
   
       145 . A system comprising:
 a client, including a display, configured to receive a plurality of channels, the plurality of channels for representing network page content and television content;   a selecting element for selecting a channel from the plurality of channels, wherein when a channel is selected the client presents the television content or the network page content associated with the selected channel on the display; and   a menu that provides a uniform user interface for navigating among the plurality of channels.   
   
   
       146 . The system of  claim 145 , further comprising a server, including a connecting element, for establishing a data connection with the client. 
   
   
       147 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the server is configured for streaming data to the client by using the data connection. 
   
   
       148 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display. 
   
   
       149 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the client comprises a television. 
   
   
       150 . The system of  claim 149 , wherein the television comprises a set-top box. 
   
   
       151 . A method comprising:
 displaying television content on a client with a display, the television content received via a first particular one of a plurality of channels;   displaying network page content received via a second particular one of the plurality of channels, wherein the displayed network page content comprises a guide page, wherein the guide page comprises a plurality of links, and wherein the plurality of links are organized in templates that classify the links into categories; and   displaying an object associated with each link, wherein the displayed object visually indicates the subject matter of a network page that is accessed via the associated link.   
   
   
       152 . The method of  claim 151 , further comprising presenting on the display an Internet gateway interface, the Internet gateway interface for scrolling through the set of links. 
   
   
       153 . The method of  claim 151 , wherein the associated objects are displayed as a slideshow presentation to a user, the slideshow presentation comprising, for a plurality of topics, dynamic sideways moving links and objects associated with each link. 
   
   
       154 . The method of  claim 151 , further comprising downloading the plurality of channels from a server. 
   
   
       155 . The method of  claim 151 , wherein the network page content is displayed in a graphical user interface. 
   
   
       156 . The method of  claim 151 , wherein the server is configured for streaming data to the client by using the data connection. 
   
   
       157 . The method of  claim 151 , wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display. 
   
   
       158 . The method of  claim 151 , wherein the client comprises a television. 
   
   
       159 . The method of  claim 158 , wherein the television comprises a set-top box. 
   
   
       160 . A system for selectively displaying Internet content and television programming on a display, the system comprising:
 a client, including a display, and channels separately representing individual television content and individual Internet content;   means for selecting between the channels, wherein when an individual television content channel or an individual Internet content channel is selected the client presents the content associated with the selected channel on the display;   means for presenting on the display an Internet gateway interface which selectively scrolls through links to selected web pages organized according to templates corresponding to web page content displayed on Internet content channels; and   a server, including means for establishing a data connection with the client and downloading data along the data connection to the client.   
   
   
       161 . The system of  claim 160 , wherein the server is configured for streaming data to the client by using the data connection. 
   
   
       162 . The system of  claim 160 , wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display. 
   
   
       163 . The system of  claim 160 , wherein the client comprises a television. 
   
   
       164 . The system of  claim 163 , wherein the television comprises a set-top box. 
   
   
       165 . A system for selectively displaying Internet content and television programming on a display, the system comprising:
 a client, wherein the client comprises a display, and wherein the client receives television content and Internet content via a plurality of channels;   a selecting element for selecting a channel from the plurality of channels, wherein when a channel is selected, the client presents the content associated with the selected channel on the display;   a server, wherein the server comprises a connecting element for establishing a data connection with the client;   a menu that provides a uniform user interface for navigating among the plurality of channels; and   a mobile agent for identifying subject areas of interest.   
   
   
       166 . The system of  claim 165 , wherein the server is configured for streaming data to the client by using the data connection. 
   
   
       167 . The system of  claim 165 , wherein the display comprises a liquid crystal display. 
   
   
       168 . The system of  claim 165 , wherein the client comprises a television. 
   
   
       169 . The system of  claim 168 , wherein the television comprises a set-top box.