Patent ID: 6330719
Filing Date: 2001-12-11
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
In a computer network, which includes a plurality of servers and a plurality of interactive television receiver units, the servers and interactive television receiver units being interconnected, and wherein the interactive television receiver units can be controlled by a user in order to be coupled to any of the servers for purposes of processing return requests, a method of controlling and scheduling initial transmission of such return requests in order to reduce bottlenecking and overloading of a server with such return requests, comprising:a. receiving essentially simultaneously at a plurality of the interactive television receiver units a first communication in the form of a script that is either part of a broadcast trigger, a web page or an attachment to a web page, the script including (i) scheduling information for initiating a return request, the scheduling information being under the control of an author of the first communication and the scheduling information differing as between at least some of the interactive television receiver units at which the first communication is received, and (ii) an indication of a destination with respect to one of the servers which is intended to receive the return request;b. at least some of the plurality of interactive television receiver units where the first communication is received, executing the script with the result of preparing a second communication that represents the desired return request to be processed and that is to be sent to the indicated destination and storing the second communication at each of the interactive television receiver units executing the script;c. at each of the plurality of interactive television receiver units where the script has been executed, waiting a period of time determined by the scheduling information before attempting to initiate the return request; andd. after the period of time, each interactive television receiver unit that executed the script, automatically sending the second communication over the network to the indicated destination.