The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 18, 1994
Filed:
Mar. 30, 1992
Mihoji Tsumura, Osaka, JP;
Shinnosuke Taniguchi, Osaka, JP;
Ricos Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
An idle time communication device in which communication windows are created during the transmission of broadcast data from a center unit to a user's home device, the windows being designated to augment the data transmission function by enabling one-to-one bidirectional communication between the center and the user's home. The invention assumes the prior existence of a communication device for the transmission of broadcast data from the independent center through the telephone network to the user's home and achieves its object of one-to-one bidirectional communication between the center and the user's home through the use of packet communication which is carried out during the idle time on the telephone network, which connects the switching system of the local telephone exchange with the telephone in the user's home. The invention enables both the transmission of download data from a control unit to a specified terminal and the transmission of upload data from a specified terminal to a control unit without confusion between terminals in either case. This enables, for example, (a) a control device to transmit download data to a specified terminal and for the due arrival of the download data to be confirmed at the center by the return of upload data from the terminal, (b) the center to receive music requests and instructions in the form of upload data from a terminal, and (c) the creation of a protocol that will enable error-free communication to be carried out between the control device and terminal.