System for broadcasting software applications and portable data communications device for use in such a system

• US 20050090246A1
• Filed: 11/19/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Philips Electronics North America Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Leermakers, Rene
• Granted Patent: US 9,158,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/428
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A communications system consisting of a server system that stores software applications, a broadcast system that broadcasts the software applications, and a multiplicity of portable clients that each include a receiver having a tuner that is selectively tunable to receive a selected one of the software applications broadcasted by the broadcast system. The portable clients can be any type of portable data communications device, such as a hand-held, palm-top, or notebook computing device, a PDA, an intelligent cellular phone, or any other personal multimedia appliance or Network Computer (NC). The broadcast system can be any suitable satellite or terrestrial air or cable broadcast system. For example, a CATV broadcast network, a DBS broadcast network, an HDTV broadcast network, or other appropriate broadcast network could be utilized. The software applications can consist of a broad spectrum of different software applications, such as word processing, video games, spreadsheets, address books, calendars, and the like. Each of the portable data communications devices includes a receiver that has a tuner that is selectively tunable to receive a selected one of a plurality of software applications broadcasted by a broadcast system, a user-interface that enables a user to select one of the broadcasted software applications for downloading, a processor for executing the downloaded software applications, and a modem for establishing a two-way communications link with a network control system. The two-way communications link includes a forward channel over which the portable data communications device can transmit client data to the network control system, and a return channel over which the network control system can transmit system data to the portable data communications device. The client data can include requests for unrecoverable software application data and client software download request data. The system data can include instructions for supervising the downloading of software applications, unrecoverable software application data, and download control data issued in response to the client software download request data. In one embodiment, the broadcast system broadcasts the software applications over different channels each occupying a different respective frequency band, and the tuner is selectively tunable to any selected one of the plurality of different frequency bands in order to receive the selected one of the broadcasted software applications.

Claims

1. A communications system, comprising:

a server system that stores software applications, the server system includes a processor for enabling users to access a menu of software applications for selection;

a broadcast system that broadcasts the software applications; and

a multiplicity of portable clients that each include a receiver having a tuner that is selectively tunable to receive a selected one of the software applications broadcasted by the broadcast system; and

a two-way communications link separate from said broadcast system broadcasting applications, said two-way communications link being arranged between the server system and each of the multiplicity of multiple clients, wherein the two-way communications link includes a forward channel over which the respective portable client can transmit client data to the server system, and a return channel over which the server system can transmit system data to the respective portable client;

wherein said two-way communications link is adapted to retransmit predetermined portions of lost/corrupted software application data that has been broadcast by said broadcast system, with a request for retransmission of missing/corrupted data is transmitted over the forward channel and retransmission of the missing/corrupted data is transmitted over the return channel.

2. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the broadcast system is a wireless broadcast system.

3. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the portable clients further includes a modem for establishing the two-way communication link.

4. The communications system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the modem of each of the portable clients is a wireless modem.

5. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the broadcast system is a satellite direct broadcast system.

6. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the broadcast system broadcasts the software applications over different channels each occupying a different respective frequency band.

7. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the broadcast system is a satellite broadcast system.

8. The communications system as set forth in claim 6, wherein the tuner of the receiver of each of the multiplicity of portable clients is selectively tunable to any selected one of the plurality of different frequency bands in order to receive one or more of the software applications broadcasted by the broadcast system.

9. The communications system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the two-way communications link between the server system and each of the multiplicity of portable clients is a portable data communications link.

10. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the portable clients is a portable data communications drive.

11. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the portable clients further includes a user-interface that enables a user to select one of the broadcasted software applications for downloading, and a processor for executing the downloaded software application.

12. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

the broadcast system broadcasts the software applications over different channels each occupying a different respective frequency band; and

,

the tuner of the receiver of each of the multiplicity of portable clients is selectively tunable to any selected one of the plurality of different frequency bands in order to receive one or more selected one of the software applications broadcasted by the broadcast system.

13. The communications system as set forth in claim 12, wherein the broadcast system is a satellite broadcast system.

14. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of the portable clients further includes a modem for establishing the two-way communication link.

15. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the system data includes instructions for supervising the downloading of software applications.

16. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the client data includes requests for unrecoverable software application data and the system data includes the unrecoverable software application data.

17. The communications system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the client data includes client software download request data, and the system data includes download control data issued in response to the client software download request data.