Internet event timer recording for video and/or audio

Claim 3

A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of disconnecting the network connection from the source server subsequent to the time specified by the second time parameter.

Claim 4

A method according to claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet and the step of establishing a network connection includes the step of accessing an Internet Service Provider network server coupled to the client computer, and.

Claim 5

A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a destination text entry field for the entry of a destination descriptor, wherein the data stream is stored in the device specified by the destination descriptor.

Claim 6

A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of providing a command field for entry of a command sequence specifying commands or user information required to access the data stream from the source server.

Claim 7

A method according to claim 3 wherein the date, the first time parameter, and the source address are specified in a program guide code, the program guide code providing a mechanism for automatically accessing the source of a program to be recorded at the time and date on which the program is available.

Claim 8

A method according to claim 4 wherein the destination descriptor specifies a file in a memory coupled to the client system.

Claim 9

A method according to claim 4 wherein the destination descriptor specifies an electronic recording device coupled to the client system.

Claim 10

A method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more text entry fields are contained within a text entry area displayed on a display device coupled to the client system, and the text entry area is a graphic image stored in a memory coupled to the client computer.

Claim 11

A method according to claim 3 wherein the one or more text entry fields are contained within a text entry area displayed on a display device coupled to the client system, and the text entry area is provided through an interactive display environment including World-Wide Web content, and the control screen and text entry areas are hypertext markup language (HTML) objects, and the method further comprises the step of executing a web browser program on the client computer.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising means for providing a command field for entry of one or more commands or user information parameters required to access the data stream provided by the source specified in the source field.

Claim 15

An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the date field, the source field, the first time field, the second time field, and the destination field are provided in a text entry field displayed on a display device coupled to the client system.

Claim 16

An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the text entry field is contained within a control screen displayed on the display device, and the control screen and text entry field are graphic images stored in a memory coupled to the client computer.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the text entry field is contained within a control screen displayed through an interactive display environment including World-Wide Web content, and wherein the control screen and text entry field are hypertext markup language objects.

Claim 18

A computer comprising: a processor; an input/output circuit coupled to the processor; a display device coupled to the processor; a network interface device coupled to the processor, the network interface device capable of being coupled to a server computer through a network medium; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having contained therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to performn the steps of: displaying a text entry field on the display device; receiving a source address entered in the text entry field; receiving a date parameter entered in the text entry field, said date parameter corresponding to when data is available at the source address, said data available during a specified time of a limited duration; receiving a first time and a second time entered in the text entry field said first time corresponding to when data is available at the source address; receiving a destination descriptor entered in the text entry field; automatically accessing a source server specified by the source address by establishing a network connection over the network medium between the computer and the server computers and downloading a data stream from the source server at the first time; storing the data in a device specified by the destination descriptor; stopping the downloading of the data from the source server at the second time; and disconnecting from the source server subsequent to the second time.

Claim 19

A computer comprising: a processor; an input/output circuit coupled to the processor; a display device coupled to the processor; a network interface device coupled to the processor, the network interface device capable of being coupled to a server computer through a network medium; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having contained therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to performn the steps of: displaying a text entry field on the display device; receiving a source address entered in the text entry field; receiving a date parameter entered in the text entry field, said date parameter corresponding to when data is available at the source address, said data available during a specified time of a limited duration; receiving a first time and a second time entered in the text entry field said first time corresponding to when data is available at the source address; receiving a destination descriptor entered in the text entry field; automatically accessing a source server specified by the source address by establishing a network connection over the network medium between the computer and the server computers and downloading a data stream from the source server at the first time; storing the data in a device specified by the destination descriptor; stopping the downloading of the data from the source server at the second time; and disconnecting from the source server subsequent to the second time.

Claim 20

A computer according to claim 16 wherein the memory further contains instructions which cause the processor to perform the step of receiving a command sequence entered in the text entry field.

Claim 21

A computer according to claim 16 wherein the network medium is part of the Internet and the memory further contains instructions which cause the processor to perform the steps of: accessing an Internet Service Provider network server coupled to the computer prior to the step of accessing the source server, and disconnecting from the Internet Service Provider network server after disconnecting from the source server.

Claim 22

A computer according to claim 16 wherein the device specified by the destination descriptor is a storage device coupled to the processor.

Claim 23

A computer according to claim 16 wherein the device specified by the destination descriptor is an electronic recording device coupled to the processor through the input/output circuit.

Claim 24

A computer according to claim 16 wherein the text entry field is provided on a control screen through a display environment, and the control screen and text entry fields are graphics objects stored in a memory coupled to the processor.

Claim 25

A computer according to claim 18 wherein the text entry field is provided on a control screen through an interactive display environment including World-Wide Web content, and the control screen and text entry fields are hypertext markup language objects.