Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is related to and claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application No. 60/115,197 filed Jan. 6, 1999, and the following identified U.S. patent applications, which are incorporated herein by reference: 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/465,671, entitled “Keyboard II,” filed Dec. 17, 1999, which claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/466,103, entitled “Keyboard I,” filed Dec. 17, 1999, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/115,006, filed on Jan. 6, 1999, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/116,785, entitled “Integrated Units With Diagnostic Capabilities,” filed on Jul. 16, 1998; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/116,785, entitled “Integrated Units With Diagnostic Capabilities,” filed on Jul. 16, 1998, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/052,703, filed on Jul. 16, 1997, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/116,825, entitled “Integrated Units With Home Security and Monitoring Capabilities,” filed on Jul. 16, 1998; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/116,825, entitled “Integrated Units With Home Security and Monitoring Capabilities,” filed on Jul. 16, 1998, which claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/046,947, entitled “Appliances With Internet Access,” filed Mar. 23, 1998; and 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/046,947, entitled “Appliances With Internet Access,” filed Mar. 23, 1998, which claims the benefit of the following identified U.S. patent applications, which are also incorporated herein by reference: 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/707,623, entitled “Educational and Training Devices and Methods,” filed on Sep. 5, 1996 and issued on Oct. 5, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,333; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/641,911, entitled “Information Retrieval and Presentation Systems With Direct Access To Retrievable Items Of Information,” filed on May 2, 1996 and issued on Mar. 12, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,369; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/624,983, entitled “Operation of Information/Entertainment Centers,” filed on Mar. 29, 1996 and issued on Jun. 9, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,304, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/569,310 filed Dec. 8, 1995; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/624,984, entitled “Data Storage Devices,” filed on Mar. 29, 1996 and issued on Sep. 1, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,784, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/569,310 filed Dec. 8, 1995; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/625,719, entitled “Methods of Producing Data Storage Devices for Appliances,” filed on Mar. 29, 1996 and issued on Apr. 27, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,462, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/569,310 filed Dec. 8, 1995; 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/621,638, entitled “Systems In Which Information Can Be Retrieved From An Encoded Laser Readable Disc,” filed on Mar. 26, 1996 and issued on Mar. 8, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,102, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/569,310, filed Dec. 8, 1995; and 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/569,310, entitled “Systems With A Remote Control In Which Information Can Be Retrieved From An Encoded Laser Readable Disc,” filed Dec. 8, 1995 and issued on May 5, 1998 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,254, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/505,969, filed Jul. 24, 1995, now abandoned. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to novel appliances with multiple modes of operation. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The above-identified related applications teach new and novel appliances capable of carrying out different ones of multiple functions. A function is called up by choosing the appropriate, user-selectable mode. Examples of the operating modes which different ones of the subject appliances have and the function of the appliance in each of these modes appear below. 
     
       
         
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Mode 
                 Function 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 TELEVISION 
                 Allows the user to watch television 
               
               
                 CD 
                 Allows the user to play a conventional audio (on 
               
               
                   
                 audio/visual) disk; in this mode the user can also play a 
               
               
                   
                 disk of the character described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 
               
               
                   
                 5,724,102 and 5,801,784 to retrieve lessons on a 
               
               
                   
                 particular subject or information on performing a task 
               
               
                   
                 from the disk. 
               
               
                 APPLIANCE 
                 Gives the integrated module control over one or more 
               
               
                   
                 appliances - as examples only, a kitchen range, 
               
               
                   
                 refrigerator, central heating system, air conditioner, 
               
               
                   
                 or central vacuuming system. Also, diagnostic 
               
               
                   
                 information on the controlled appliance(s) may be 
               
               
                   
                 gathered and made available on the display screen 
               
               
                   
                 of the appliance and at a service or repair facility. 
               
               
                 SECURITY 
                 Allows one to visually identify and converse with a 
               
               
                   
                 person at an entry way, and to unlock a door at the entry 
               
               
                   
                 way, all from the location of the appliance; the appliance 
               
               
                   
                 can also be used in this mode to monitor an area remote 
               
               
                   
                 from the appliance - a baby&#39;s bedroom for example 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Appliances of the character described above with Internet capabilities are disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/046,947. In the INTERNET mode of operations a user can log onto and browse the Internet and send and receive e-mail messages. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Disclosed herein are certain new and novel appliances which have all five of the operating modes identified above. One or modes may be disabled to best fulfill the requirements of a particular market or other purposes. 
     In the INTERNET mode of operation, commands can be inputted to a integrated unit component of the module from a keyboard as well as from a remote control or onboard controls of the appliances disclosed herein. This has a number of advantages. For example, an e-mail message can be composed by typing characters on the keyboard instead of selecting the characters with an arrow and then clicking on the character, the approach employed in using a remote control as disclosed in the &#39;947 application. 
     Another feature of the novel appliances disclosed herein is that links appearing on a web site page such as those disclosed in the &#39;947 application can be selected by activating a remote control button or a number key on a keyboard. This simplifies Internet browsing which, in the appliances disclosed in the &#39;947 application, require the user to move a cursor to the related link and click on the link. 
     Yet another significant advantage of the appliances disclosed herein is that transitions from one operating mode to another can be made almost instantaneously. This eliminates the distraction and frustration which a slower transition would cause. 
     Still another advantage of the appliance disclosed herein is that a user is returned to the point where operation in a mode is when the user exits from and then returns to a mode. This is particularly advantageous when the user would otherwise have to perform a number of steps to return to the first mode. 
     The objects, advantages, and important features of the present invention will be apparent to the reader from the foregoing and the appended claims and as the ensuing detailed description and discussion proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a pictorial view showing the components of an appliance (or system) which has the capacity of operating in a user-selected one of plural operating modes and which is constructed in accord with, and embodies, the principles of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 shows, diagrammatically, the inputs to which a video monitor and speakers of the FIG. 1 appliance are switched when different ones of the available operating modes are selected; 
     FIG. 3 shows the relationship between FIGS. 3A and 3B which, taken together and with FIG. 2, schematically depict the operating components of an integrated unit which is an element of the FIG. 1 appliance; this figure also shows other elements of the appliance as well as certain inputs to and elements controlled by the operating components of the integrated unit; 
     FIG. 4 is a plan view of the remote control; shown in FIG. 1; this remote control is a component of the exemplary FIG. 1 appliance; 
     FIG. 4A is a plan view of a keyboard; this keyboard is a component of the FIG. 1 appliance; 
     FIG. 5 shows, diagrammatically, what happens when the appliance of FIG. 1 is switched from one of its operating modes to a different one of those modes; 
     FIG. 6 shows, diagrammatically, a representative navigational chart which includes an introductory video and a hierarchy of menus that can be quickly and easily navigated by a user of the FIG. 1 system to reach information of interest stored on a laser readable disk component of that system; 
     FIGS. 7-10 depict a representative set of menus and displays of information which would be displayed to a user following the FIG. 8 navigation chart to reach information of interest; in this example dry and bottled goods with which a pantry might be stocked are displayed; 
     FIG. 11 shows how a user of the FIG. 1 system can browse the pages of a web site using only the remote control (or keyboard on onboard controls) of that system; and 
     FIGS. 12-14 show pictorially a representative set of screens that might appear if one were using the FIG. 1 appliance to browse the Internet using the protocol shown in FIG.  11 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     One currently representative and important application of the present invention is the provision of appliances which are designed for use in a kitchen. A system or appliance suitable for this (and other) applications of the invention is illustrated in FIG.  1  and identified by reference character  20 . 
     TELEVISION 
     CD 
     INTERNET 
     APPLIANCE 
     SECURITY 
     How appliance  20  functions in each of these modes is described above in that section of this specification entitled SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION. 
     The major components of system  20  are: an integrated unit (or module)  22 , a remote control  24 , and a laser readable disk  26 . As mentioned above, disk  26  may be a conventional CD or other optically readable disk from which an appliance user can retrieve information on an available task or subject. Examples only are Video 1.1, Video 2.0, DVD, and CDI disks. 
     The illustrated system  20  also has an optional keyboard  28 . This keyboard is employed by a system user with system  20  in its INTERNET mode of operation in sending e-mail messages, to reach web sites which cannot be accessed by clicking on a link on a home page  30  (see FIG. 12) of controlled context, and to carry out other functions as described in copending application Ser. No. 09/465,671 filed Dec. 17, 1999. 
     Integrated unit  22  includes a television unit  32  which has a CRT (cathode ray tube) with a screen  33  (or a LED or other display) and a video compact disc player  34  (or other player for laser readable disk) both housed in the same cabinet  36 . Conventional onboard controls  38  for television  32  are located on the front panel  40  and the right-hand side panel  42  of cabinet  36 , and onboard controls  44  for the disc player  34  are also located on front cabinet panel  40 . A conventional tray-type loader  46  (See FIG. 3A) is used to load disc  26  into player  34 . 
     The operating components of integrated unit  22  and ancillary items activated in different operating modes of system  20  are depicted schematically in FIGS. 2,  3 A, and  3 B and collectively identified by reference character  56 . These components include a mode selection register  58  and a video/audio switch  59 , both activate when a particular one of the system  20  operating modes is selected to channel the input available in the selected mode to the screen  33  of system  20  and to speakers  60  of that system. As a single example, when the TELEVISION mode is selected, a connection to a source for a television signal such as an antenna, a cable, and/or a VCR is made through switch  59 . 
     Other Components controlled by operating system  56 , in this case, in the SECURITY mode of operation, are incorporated in an entry module identified by reference character  62  in FIG.  3 A. These components include a microphone  64 , a speaker  66 , and an electrically operated door latch  68 . Optionally located at the same entryway (not shown) as module  62  is a camera  70  which is designed to display an image of a person at the entryway on CRT screen  33 . The operation of a system of the same character as the one disclosed herein is copending application Ser. No. 09/116,285 filed Jul. 16, 1998. 
     Other major components of the complement  56  of operating components, located interface board  72 , are listed below along with the function of each component. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Reference 
                   
                   
               
               
                 Character 
                 Component 
                 Function 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 73 
                 Controller 
                 Includes a CPU (not shown) and other 
               
               
                   
                 Board 
                 components which control the operation of 
               
               
                   
                   
                 appliance 20 
               
               
                 74 
                 Audio 
                 Boosts the signal transmitted from controller 
               
               
                   
                 Amplifier 
                 board 61 to a level high enough to drive 
               
               
                   
                   
                 speakers 60 
               
               
                 76 
                 TV Tuner 
                 Like a conventional TV tuner 
               
               
                 78 
                 Power 
                 Converts AC power to (typically) 12 V DC 
               
               
                   
                 Supply 
                 for powering components of operating 
               
               
                   
                   
                 system 56 such as the components on 
               
               
                   
                   
                 controller board 61 
               
               
                 80 
                 Serial Mux 
                 Can route signals transmitted from controller 
               
               
                   
                 Microprocessor 
                 board 62 to either appliance network BCU 
               
               
                   
                   
                 86 or GSM module 84, eliminating the need 
               
               
                   
                   
                 for more than one serial port 
               
               
                 59 
                 Video Switch 
                 Connects the involved components of inter- 
               
               
                   
                   
                 face board 72 to the input appropriate for 
               
               
                   
                   
                 each of the operating modes of appliance 20 
               
               
                 82 
                 Pushbutton 
                 Operatively connects onboard controls 38 
               
               
                   
                 Interface 
                 and 44 to controller board 73 
               
               
                 84 
                 Infrared 
                 Receiver for IR signals transmitted from an 
               
               
                   
                 Detector 
                 input device such as remote control 24 on 
               
               
                   
                   
                 keyboard 28 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Also included in, on operatively associated with interface board  72 , are the following additional components: 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Reference 
                   
                   
               
               
                 Character 
                 Component 
                 Function 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 86 
                 Appliance 
                 A filter and multiplexer which allows data to 
               
               
                   
                 Network 
                 be transmitted and received over lines 
               
               
                   
                 BCU 
                 carrying AC power by multiplexing high 
               
               
                   
                   
                 frequency data signals with the AC signal 
               
               
                   
                   
                 to transmit data and by filtering out the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 AC component of multiplexed signals to the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 data 
               
               
                 88 
                 GSM Module 
                 Connects to a local call to send and receive 
               
               
                   
                   
                 telephone messages - for example, to the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 APPLIANCE mode of appliance 20 to 
               
               
                   
                   
                 transmit messages to a service/repair facility 
               
               
                   
                   
                 as described in copending application 
               
               
                   
                   
                 No. 09/116,785 filed 16 July 1998 
               
               
                 90 
                 AC Power 
                 Furnishes power to operating system 56 
               
               
                   
                 Supply 
               
               
                 92 
                 DC Power 
                 Allows appliance 20 to be operated on DC 
               
               
                   
                 Supply 
                 power 
               
               
                 94 
                 Power Backup 
                 Typically an onboard battery which allows 
               
               
                   
                   
                 appliance 20 to continue to operate if the 
               
               
                   
                   
                 external power source(s) fail 
               
               
                 96 
                 TV Antenna 
                 Functions conventionally 
               
               
                   
                 (may instead 
               
               
                   
                 be a cable or 
               
               
                   
                 other TV 
               
               
                   
                 signed input - 
               
               
                   
                 VCR, DVD, 
               
               
                   
                 etc.) 
               
               
                 98 
                 GSM Antenna 
                 Transmits and receives cell phone (GSM) 
               
               
                   
                   
                 signals 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     It was pointed out above that appliance  20  can transmit and receive data via a telephone line and cell phone linkups. The telephone line is shown in FIG.  3 A and identified by reference character  99 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3A, system  20  also has a USB port  100  as well as links (or connections) ( 102 ,  104 , and  106 ) for transmitting appropriately formatted data to a printer and to video and audio devices which are not components of the appliance. 
     Appliance  20  preferably also has an Ethernet port  108 . This: (1) allows appliance  20  to be networked to compatible appliances and (2) allows the appliance to be connected to the Internet via DSL or other broad bandwidth link. 
     The TELEVISION, CD, APPLIANCE, SECURITY/MONITOR, and INTERNET modes of operation may be selected by the user of system  20  with push button controls  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 , and  118  of remote control  24  (see FIG.  4 ). 
     Referring now especially FIG. 2, electronic video/audio switch  59  is shown in the interest of clarity. This switch has five positions labeled  1 - 5 . 
     The pressing of one of the five mode switches  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 , or  118  causes a corresponding number—shown in the following table—to be placed in selection register  58 . 
     
       
         
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Mode 
                 Number 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 CD 
                 1 
               
               
                   
                 TELEVISION 
                 2 
               
               
                   
                 SECURITY/MONITOR 
                 3 
               
               
                   
                 INTERNET 
                 4 
               
               
                   
                 APPLIANCE 
                 5 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Video switch  59  is almost instantaneously set to the number in selection register  58 , causing appliance  20  to operate in the selected mode. 
     This use of a mode selection register and a video/audio switch to make visual and audio information available to screen  32  and speakers  98  from the appropriate source in each of the five modes of operation of appliance  20  as shown in FIG. 2 is an important feature. This arrangement allows for almost instantaneous switching from one mode of operation to another, which is important to the appliance user who would typically be frustrated if an appreciable amount of time were required to switch from one operating mode to another. 
     Remote control  24  also has a numerical keypad  120  with push buttons {circle around ( 1 )} through {circle around ( 6 )} and two groups of push buttons respectively identified by reference characters  122  and  124 . The push buttons of group  122  are employed in the TELEVISION mode of operation. They function in the same manner as the similar designated controls of a conventional television set. The PAUSE, REV, and FWD buttons  126 ,  128 , and  130  of group  124  are employed in the CD mode of operation in the same manner as their conventional CD player counterparts. 
     Considering then buttons in group  124 , HOME button  132  returns the system user to the beginning of a disk and thus to the beginning of its content in the CD mode of operation for system  20 . In the INTERNET mode of operation, this button returns the user to a home page such as the one identified by reference character  30  in FIG.  12 . 
     STOP button  134  is employed in the same manner as its conventional counterpart in the CD mode of operation. In the INTERNET mode of operation, this button is used to stop an operation in progress—for example, the downloading of a file from the Internet. 
     PREVIOUS and NEXT buttons  136  and  138  are used in the CD mode of operation for the purposes described in the &#39;947 application; and the remaining buttons in group  124  are employed in the INTERNET mode of operation, again for the purposes described in the &#39;947 application. 
     UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT buttons  139   a . . . d  are used with appliance  20  in its INTERNET mode of operation to move a cursor  139   e  (see FIG. 1) around screen  33 . GO button  139   f  is pressed to “click on” and select an option reached by cursor  139   e.  Also available with appliance  20  in its INTERNET mode of operation are SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN buttons  139   g  and  139   h  and OPTIONS button  139   i.  The SCROLL UP and SCROLL DOWN buttons are employed if a page of information is too large to fit on screen  33 . These buttons allow the appliance user to move the page up (or down) to bring the wanted part of the page into view on screen  33 . 
     Keyboard  28  (see FIGS. 1 and 4A) has both character and function keys. The character keys—collectively identified by reference character  140 —may be those constituting a conventional QWERTY key set. The function keys include conventional Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Control, Alt, Escape, Delete, Space, Enter, and Backspace keys  141  . . .  158  as well as an On/Off key  160 . Additional function keys of the illustrated, exemplary keyboard  28  include mode switches (or buttons) APPLIANCE, TELEVISION (TV), INTERNET (NET), and buttons  162  . . .  168  and a key block  170  which includes security monitor, talk, and unlock buttons  172 ,  174 , and  176 . Mode keys  162  . . .  168  are employed to operate appliance  20  in a selected one of its APPLIANCE, TV, INTERNET, and CD modes. The talk and unlock buttons  172  . . .  176  in set  170  are employed with appliance  20  in its SECURITY/MONITOR mode of operation to talk to a person at the entryway and to unlock a door at the entryway. Specifically, pressing button {circle around ( 1 )} on remote control keypad  120  or the like numbered button on keyboard  28  (on a like numbered onboard control) allows the appliance user to talk to a person (or persons) at the entryway. Pressing button {circle around ( 2 )} disengages lock  68  (FIG.  2 ), allows the person or persons at the entryway to enter. 
     This just described mode of operation of appliance  20  is entered when the door bell rings. 
     Pressing SECURITY/MONITOR mode switch  172  turns on a camera in a monitored area—for example, an entryway or a baby&#39;s nursery. Operation of an appliance of the character disclosed herein in a SECURITY/MONITOR mode is described in detail in copending application Ser. No. 09/115,825. 
     Keyboard  28  also has a number of other function keys collectively identified by reference character  178 . These keys are labeled and they have the same functions as the like number buttons on remote control  24 . 
     When a character or function key on keyboard  28  is pressed, a coded electrical signal unique to the selected character or function is generated and converted to a correspondingly coded IR signal which is transmitted to appliance module  22 . The IR signals are generated by LED&#39;s mounted at the two end walls  184  and  186  and the back wall  188  of the keyboard. These LED&#39;s are represented in FIG. 1 by arrows  190 ,  192 , and  194 . Consequently, and because the signals are in the IR range, a usable signal will be transmitted to appliance  20  essentially without regard to the angle through which keyboard  28  might be rotated relative to the infrared radiation receiver  84  of the appliance  20 . 
     Keyboards of the character described above are disclosed in copending provisional patent application No. 60/115,006 filed Jan. 6, 1999 and in copending patent application Ser. No. 09/465,671 filed Dec. 17, 1999. 
     It was pointed out above that appliance  20  may be used in its CD mode to retrieve information from a laser readable disk. Specifically, remote control  24  (or keyboard  28 ) is employed to navigate through a hierarchical array of menus written to the disk to retrieve information on a selected subject or task from compact disc  26  and to display that information on the screen  33  of integrated unit  22 . 
     Appliance  20  can be configured to display either an introductory video  203  or a top level menu  204  when the CD mode of operation of appliance  20  is selected. Information is reached by making choices. 
     Specifically, Appliance  20  may be programmed to bring up either an introductory video  203  or a top level menu  204  when the CD mode of appliance  20  is selected. In either case, the appliance user selects a numbered choice from the top level menu, bringing up a second level menu,  206 , also with numbered choices. This process is continued until the information of interest—typically in the form of a video clip—is reached and displayed on screen  33 . 
     In the representative scenario depicted in FIG. 6, the appliance user can navigate from top level menu  204  downwardly through second level menu  206  and a third level menu  208  to reach information of interest (screens  210  in FIG. 9 and 212 in FIG.  10 ). 
     A specific example involves the retrieval of information on stocking a pantry from laser readable disk  26 . The top level menu  204  is shown in FIG.  7 . The user selects {circle around ( 1 )}from this menu, bringing up second level menu  206  (FIG.  8 ). From this menu, the user selects {circle around ( 1 )}. This brings up the wanted information—screen  210 , FIG. 9, and screen  212 , FIG.  10 . In this particular example only a second level menu is accessed to retrieve the wanted information. In other instances, the wanted information may be reached directly from the top level menu  204  or from a third or lower level menu. 
     Remote control  24 , keyboard  28 , or onboard controls  38  may be used to navigate chart  202 . Scroll buttons  139   h  (remote  24 , FIG. 4) or  209  (keyboard  28 , FIG. 4A) or a button of that character (not specifically shown) in the complement  38  of onboard controls can be used to move from the first screen of information  210  to the second screen  212 . 
     RESTART, BACK, and NEXT (or FWD) buttons as described above can be used to navigate up and down the navigation chart and to return (in this typical case) to top level menu  204 . 
     Additional information on the just-described method of retrieving information from a laser readable disk of the character disclosed herein may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,102 issued Mar. 8, 1998. 
     This unique feature is another one which makes system  20  easy and convenient to use and therefore acceptable to a person without technical training or inclination and with only the instruction provided by an introductory video  212  (see FIG.  6 ). 
     The remote control  28  also has the following buttons  130  and  128  employed in the CD mode of operation in retrieving selected items of information from an appropriately coded disk as follows: 
     FWD—advances to the next lower level of menus 
     PREVIOUS—returns to the preceding higher level of menus 
     In the APPLIANCE mode of operation, GSM module  88  establishes telephonic communication between appliance  20  and a remote repair/service facility. Messages regarding problems in an appliance monitored by appliance  20  are conveyed in this manner to the remote facility. 
     In the INTERNET mode of operation of system  20 , the user can navigate through linked web site pages to information of interest. A representative set of link pages is shown in FIGS. 12,  13  and  14  and identifiably by reference character  214 . Details of the illustrated hierarchy—which among other things, allows one to order groceries online—and the steps employed to reach this goal by navigation through the levels of the hierarchy with remote control  24  are described in the &#39;947 application except that the choices on the web site pages are numbered so that they can be selected with correspondingly numbered buttons in the numerical keypad  120  of remote control  24 . 
     As suggested above, remote control  24  can be used to jump from the home page of an appropriate web site to the other web site pages. FIG. 11 shows how this is accomplished in one representative application of the present invention. 
     Remote control  24 , keyboard  28 , on onboard controls  38  can be employed to log onto and navigate (or browse) the Internet. First, the system user logs onto the Internet by pressing the INTERNET button  118  on remote control  24  (or NET button  166  on keyboard  28 ). This opens or brings up the home page  30  of the web site (see FIGS.  11  and  12 ). Next, the user presses numbered button {circle around ( 1 )} in the numerical keypad  120  of the remote control  24 . This builds a new URL, bringing up a new web page  216  (see FIG.  13 ). 
     If a number is not pressed, the operation will simply time out and return the user to home page  30  in FIG.  1 . 
     From web page  216  in FIG. 13, the system user can jump to yet another page—e.g., the page identified in FIG. 14 by reference character  218 —by pushing a different one of the ten numbered buttons in the numerical keypad  120 , here push button {circle around ( 6 )}. 
     In this instance, if a second numbered button is not pressed, the operation will again time out with the system user being returned to web page  216 . 
     In one implementation, this sequence of steps can be repeated (if they are available) to bring up a maximum of ten sequentially linked pages. This limit is imposed by the number of buttons on the remote control keypad  120  and the desirability of avoiding the need to press more than one numbered button to initiate a particular action. 
     In another implementation, this sequence of steps can be repeated indefinitely as shown in FIGS. 11-14, as system  20  builds a URL based on the home page  30  in FIG. 12, any previously selected web pages, and the last numbered button pressed by the user that corresponds to one of the web page options displayed in association with a respective number on the currently selected web page (i.e., options  1 - 4  on home page  30  in FIG. 12, options  1 - 7  on web page  216  in FIG. 13, or options  1 - 6  on web page  218  in FIG.  14 ). 
     Continuing, it may be that a link selected by the system user leads to a page or web site not which is not linked to one of the web site pages  30 ,  216 , or  218 . If this happens, the operation times out; and the connection to the Internet is closed. If the link is available, the system user is instead returned to the last web site page, and the user can press a numbered button to bring up another web page. 
     Alternatively, if the user of appliance  20  wishes to visit a web site not linked directly or indirectly to home page  30 , the user simply uses keyboard  28  to type the URL of the wanted web site and presses GO button  220  (FIG. 4A) to jump to the web site. Other linked sites can be reached by using UP, DOWN, LEFT, and RIGHT buttons  222  . . .  228  place cursor  139   e  (FIG. 1) on a selected link and then pressing the GO button  230  to bring up the selected link. 
     Another important feature of the present invention is that appliances embodying the principles of the present invention allow the system user return to where he was in a particular operating mode if he switches from that mode to another mode (or series of modes) and then back to the first mode. This additional novel, and important, operating feature invention is depicted in graphic form in FIG.  5  and elaborated upon in the following table: 
     
       
         
               
             
               
               
             
           
               
                   
               
               
                 Mode Switch 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
               
             
          
           
               
                 TELEVISION to CD, SECURITY, 
                 The current television channel is held 
               
               
                 APPLIANCE, or INTERNET 
                 and will be reverted to when the 
               
               
                   
                 TELEVISION mode is re-entered 
               
               
                 CD to TELEVISION, INTERNET, 
                 The disk player 34 enters a pause 
               
               
                 APPLIANCE, or SECURITY 
                 state, which is akin to the like named 
               
               
                   
                 state of a conventional disk player. 
               
               
                   
                 Rotation of the disk being played is 
               
               
                   
                 suspended until the CD mode is re- 
               
               
                   
                 entered. At that point, the spinning 
               
               
                   
                 of the disk resumes, and the retrieval 
               
               
                   
                 of data from the disk picks up from 
               
               
                   
                 where it left off when the CD mode 
               
               
                   
                 was exited. 
               
               
                 INTERNET to TELEVISION, CD, 
                 The connection to the Internet is 
               
               
                 APPLIANCE or SECURITY 
                 maintained, and the display present 
               
               
                   
                 on screen 32 when the INTERNET 
               
               
                   
                 mode was exited will reappear when 
               
               
                   
                 that mode is reentered. 
               
               
                 APPLIANCE to TELEVISION, 
                 Any active communication links to 
               
               
                 CD, INTERNET, or SECURITY 
                 appliance 20 or to a remote facility 
               
               
                   
                 such as a service or repair facility. 
               
               
                 SECURITY to TELEVISION, CD, 
                 The SECURITY/MONITOR mode is 
               
               
                 INTERNET, or APPLIANCE 
                 initialized, awaiting the ringing of a 
               
               
                   
                 doorbell. 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     The foregoing is not to be interpreted to mean that novel and important advantage of appliance  20  (and other appliances involving the principles of the present invention) can be obtained only if operation is switched from a first to a second mode and then back to the first mode. The appliance will operate as described no matter how many mode changes are made before the exited mode is reentered. 
     It is also to be understood that, to meet the needs of a particular market, one or more of the five operating modes of system  20  can be disabled. Disabled modes can be enabled as disclosed in copending provisional application No. 60/115,008 filed Jan. 6, 1999, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     The following patent documents referred to above are hereby incorporated in this disclosure by reference thereto: 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,724,102 issued Mar. 3, 1998. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,801,784 issued Sep. 1, 1998. 
     As will be apparent to the reader, the invention may be embodied in specific forms in addition to those discussed above without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description; and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

Technology Category: h