SYSTEM AND METHOD OF TRANSMITTING DATA OVER A COMPUTER NETWORK INCLUDING FOR PRESENTATIONS OVER MULTIPLE CHANNELS IN PARALLEL
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting a plurality of data units, in succession, via a computer network, to at least one end-user, the method comprising:
- a. providing at least one server comprising a first computer system includingi. a first central processing unit, a first memory capacity, a first operating system software application, a first data storage medium, and a first input/output means, andii. a server software application operable to communicate based on at least one network communication protocol,b. permitting the at least one end-user to use at least one end-user device in a network with the server, each end-user device comprising a second computer system includingi. a second central processing unit, a second memory capacity, a second operating system software application, a second data storage medium, and a second input/output means, andii. a software application operable to communicate based on said at least one network communication protocol,c. providing a means for said server'"'"'s signals to reach said end-user device,d. providing to said server said plurality of data units and a transport facility operable to transmit each data unit,e. providing for said end-user device to operate a receipt facility operable to receive transmission of said data units,f. providing a means for a controller to direct said server to transmit at least one of said data units,g. providing for said controller to designate at least one of said data units and cause said server to transmit it,h. permitting said end-user to cause said end-user device to receive said data unit, and providing for the end-user device thereafter to display, play, or otherwise process said data unit, andi. repeating the steps g and h until all data units to be transmitted and received have been transmitted and received.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of transmitting data via a computer network to a plurality of end-users. Transmission of successive data units may be prompted by human-operated and/or automated means of central control. Successive arrays of data units may be transmitted over a plurality of channels, in parallel. Each end-user chooses which channel or channels to receive and may change channels at will. Transmission of successive arrays may coincide with successive occurrences during the course of a live event. Data units also may be transmitted over one or more channels asynchronously with transmissions over other channels. Controller-prompted transmissions, received passively by end-users, also may be integrated with a facility for end-users to browse data sources in a self-directed sequence and pace.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting a plurality of data units, in succession, via a computer network, to at least one end-user, the method comprising:
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a. providing at least one server comprising a first computer system including i. a first central processing unit, a first memory capacity, a first operating system software application, a first data storage medium, and a first input/output means, and ii. a server software application operable to communicate based on at least one network communication protocol, b. permitting the at least one end-user to use at least one end-user device in a network with the server, each end-user device comprising a second computer system including i. a second central processing unit, a second memory capacity, a second operating system software application, a second data storage medium, and a second input/output means, and ii. a software application operable to communicate based on said at least one network communication protocol, c. providing a means for said server'"'"'s signals to reach said end-user device, d. providing to said server said plurality of data units and a transport facility operable to transmit each data unit, e. providing for said end-user device to operate a receipt facility operable to receive transmission of said data units, f. providing a means for a controller to direct said server to transmit at least one of said data units, g. providing for said controller to designate at least one of said data units and cause said server to transmit it, h. permitting said end-user to cause said end-user device to receive said data unit, and providing for the end-user device thereafter to display, play, or otherwise process said data unit, and i. repeating the steps g and h until all data units to be transmitted and received have been transmitted and received. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of transmitting a plurality of data units, in succession, via a computer network, to at least one end-user, the method comprising:
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a. providing at least one server comprising a first computer system including i. a first central processing unit, a first memory capacity, a first operating system software application, a first data storage medium, and a first input/output means, and ii. a server software application operable to communicate based on at least one network communication protocol, b. permitting the at least one end-user to use at least one end-user device in a network with the server, each end-user device comprising a second computer system including i. a second central processing unit, a second memory capacity, a second operating system software application, a second data storage medium, and a second input/output means, and ii. a software application operable to communicate based on said at least one network communication protocol, c. providing a means for said server'"'"'s signals to reach said end-user device, and for said end-user device'"'"'s signals to reach the server, enabling two-way communication between the server and the end-user device via said network communication protocol, d. storing at least one controlled-channel file on the server, with each controlled-channel file comprising a structured document file written in a markup language, and including (i) the first of said data units to be transmitted via the controlled-channel file and (ii) at least one of an embedded polling script and a link to said polling script, e. permitting said end-user to cause said end-user device to download said controlled-channel file and its associated polling script and thereafter providing for the end-user device (i) to display, play, or otherwise process said first data unit and (ii) to execute said polling script, f. providing for each end-user device, as prompted by execution of said polling script, to poll the server repeatedly, to ascertain if the controlled-channel file has been altered on the server, g. providing a means for said controller to alter the controlled-channel file on the server so that the controlled-channel file reflects altered or additional data to be transmitted to the end-user, h. providing for said controller to alter each controlled-channel file on the server so that each altered controlled-channel file comprises a next data unit to be transmitted via the controlled-channel file, i. permitting the end-user device, as prompted by its execution of the polling script, and upon its next polling of the server, (i) to download from the server the next data unit from the altered controlled-channel file corresponding to the controlled-channel file previously downloaded by the end-user device, and then (ii) to display, play, or otherwise process the next data unit, and j. repeating the steps h through i until all data units to be transmitted and received have been transmitted and received.
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Specification