Client-server system for delivery of online information

• US 5,768,528 A
• Filed: 05/24/1996
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gigex, Inc.
• Original Assignee: V-Cast Incorporated
• Inventors: Stumm, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Daniel H.
• Application Number:
  US08/653,611
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 395/183.03, 395/331, 395/680, 395/610, 395/250, 395/200.15, 395/200.16, 395/200.09, 395/200.01, 395/200.61, 395/200.47, 395/102.16 , 395/182.16, 358/402, 380/4, 380/23, 380/25, 364/514 A, 364/DIG. 1, 364/DIG. 2, 455/435, 379/93.24, 379/29, 379/93.25, 340/825.79
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/10 Adding special bits or symbols to the coded information, e.g. parity check, casting out 9's or 11's
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A method for operating a server system adapted to provide information files to a plurality of subscribers over communications network, such as Internet. A plurality of publishers store their publishing material such as newspapers, magazines or software files in a database server. The database server maintains a schedule of events file adapted to contain information relating to predetermined downloading schedules to the subscribers of the database server. The schedule of events file or the relevant portions of it are then transmitted to individual subscribers so that requests for information can be launched from the subscribers terminals at a predetermined time in accordance with the schedule of event file. The server then transmits to each requesting subscriber a set of predetermined data files as authorized by a corresponding one of the publishers, including each file'"'"'s name, size and identification code in response to said information request from each one of the subscribers. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the database server keeps a track of information file transmittals and makes sure that a file has been successfully downloaded. If not, the database server keeps a track of the portion of the files that have been successfully transmitted and attempts to retransmit the portion that has not been received successfully, several times until the entire file is successfully received.

Claims

1. A method for operating a server system adapted to provide on-line publications via a computer communications network to a plurality of subscribers, comprising the steps of:

storing in a database server publication data files received from a plurality of publishers;

maintaining a schedule of events file adapted to contain information relating to predetermined downloading schedules to said subscribers via said communications network desiring a corresponding publication;

transmitting to said plurality of subscribers schedule information corresponding to said schedule of events file so as to provide the times which said subscribers are scheduled to access said server system;

receiving from each subscriber at said scheduled times an information request in accordance with said schedule of events file and a list of existing files in said subscriber'"'"'s database including said file names, file sizes and corresponding file identification code;

transmitting to said subscriber a set of predetermined data files as authorized by a corresponding one of said publishers, including each file'"'"'s name, size and identification code in response to said information request from each one of said subscribers.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the step of calculating a CRC code for each file received from each publisher.

3. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of compressing files received from each publisher.

4. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of signing up a subscriber when said subscriber transmits said information request for the first time.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said step of signing up further comprises the step of sending the subscriber a unique subscriber identification number.

6. The method in accordance with claim 4 wherein said step of signing up further comprises the step of prompting said subscriber for demographic information.

7. The method in accordance with claim 4 further comprising the step of sending instructions to each subscriber for deleting predetermined files contained in said subscriber'"'"'s directory.

8. The method in accordance with claim 2 further comprising the step of receiving from each subscriber the name of files that were not properly received by said subscriber along with the size of the portion of the file received by said subscriber and the CRC code of said portion received by said subscriber.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8 further comprising the step of calculating the CRC code of said portion of the file received by said subscriber.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 further comprising the step of comparing said CRC code transmitted by said subscriber with said calculated CRC code of said portion of the file received by said subscriber;

and transmitting the remaining portion of said file to said subscriber when said CRC codes are equal.

11. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of receiving from said subscribers their corresponding local time zones and responsive thereto, transmitting a corresponding offset time necessary to synchronize the subscriber'"'"'s local time with a publisher'"'"'s reference time, such that all scheduled events take place at the corresponding publisher'"'"'s reference time.

12. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a data batch having a predetermined variable size from a modem coupled to each subscriber'"'"'s computer terminal; and

transmitting an acknowledgment signal to said subscriber, such that said subscriber'"'"'s computer terminal controls the flow of information through said modem by varying the size of said data batch based on the number of acknowledgment signals transmitted by said server.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the size of said data batch is decreased when the rate of said acknowledgment signals are below a given value.

14. A method for downloading data files from a server system to a subscriber'"'"'s computer system, said data files originated by a plurality of publishers, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a schedule of events file containing a time schedule for downloading said data files;

maintaining a log file for tracking the success and failure of said events;

transmitting an information request to said server system when said event is launched at a scheduled time;

receiving a group of files corresponding to a publisher from said server system, and their corresponding file sizes and CRC codes in response to said information request;

tracking said log file to determine whether the last event scheduled was completed successfully; and

launching said last event when said log file indicates that said last event scheduled was not completed successfully.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14, wherein said step of launching an event further comprises the steps of transmitting to said server system an information request in accordance with said schedule of events file and a list of existing files in said subscriber'"'"'s database including said file names, file sizes and corresponding file identification code;

and

receiving from said server system a set of predetermined data files as authorized by a corresponding one of said publishers, including each file'"'"'s name, size and identification code in response to said information request from each one of said subscribers.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15, wherein said data files are in compressed format.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16 further comprising the step of decompressing each file received from said server system.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17 further comprising the step of calculating a CRC code for each file received from said server system.

19. The method in accordance with claim 15 further comprising the step of receiving from said server system instructions for deleting predetermined files contained in said subscriber'"'"'s directory.

20. The method in accordance with claim 19 further comprising the step of transmitting to said server system the name of files that were not properly received by said subscriber along with the size of the portion of the file received by said subscriber and the CRC code of said portion received by said subscriber.

21. The method in accordance with claim 20 further comprising the step of calculating in said server system, the CRC code of the portion of the file that was received by said server system.

22. The method in accordance with claim 21 further comprising the step of receiving the remaining portion of said file to said subscriber when said CRC codes are equal.

23. The method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising the steps of transmitting to said server system a corresponding local time zone and responsive thereto, receiving a corresponding offset time necessary to synchronize the subscriber'"'"'s local time with a publisher'"'"'s reference time, such that all scheduled events take place at the corresponding publisher'"'"'s reference time.

24. The method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting to said server system a data batch having a predetermined variable size from a modem coupled to each subscriber'"'"'s computer terminal;

receiving an acknowledgment signal from said server system, such that said subscriber'"'"'s computer terminal controls the flow of information through said modem by varying the size of said data batch based on the number of acknowledgment signals transmitted by said server system.

25. The method in accordance with claim 24, wherein the size of said data batch is decreased when the rate of said acknowledgment signals are below a given value.

26. The method in accordance with claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

displaying a channel selection menu on said subscriber'"'"'s monitor, each channel corresponding to a publisher to which said subscriber is subscribed;

displaying a scrolling ticker display configured to display the contents of a file corresponding to a selected channel on said monitor; and

displaying a channel identification symbol corresponding to said selected channel.

27. The method in accordance with claim 26 further comprising the steps of displaying said scrolling ticker display as a horizontal bar.

28. The method in accordance with claim 27, further comprising the steps of displaying said channel selection menu as a vertical bar comprising an up and a down arrow.

29. The method in accordance with claim 28, wherein said channel identification symbol comprise a publisher'"'"'s name.

30. The method in accordance with claim 28, wherein said channel identification symbol comprise a publisher'"'"'s logo.

31. The method in accordance with claim 28 further comprising the step of displaying said identification symbol in a region defined by a box, wherein said horizontal ticker display and said channel selection bar are disposed at each side of said box.

32. A method for receiving by a subscriber, data files from a server system, said data files generated by a plurality of publishers, said method comprising the steps of:

said subscriber communicating with said server system via a computer so as to request datafiles corresponding to each publisher;

receiving said datafiles from said server system in response to said request;

displaying a channel selection menu on said subscriber'"'"'s monitor, each channel corresponding to a publisher to which said subscriber is subscribed;

displaying a scrolling ticker display configured to display the contents of a ticker file corresponding to a selected channel on said monitor; and

displaying a channel identification symbol corresponding to said selected channel.

33. The method in accordance with claim 32 further comprising the steps of displaying said scrolling ticker display as a horizontal bar.

34. The method in accordance with claim 33, further comprising the steps of displaying said channel selection menu as a vertical bar comprising an up and a down arrow.

35. The method in accordance with claim 34, wherein said channel identification symbol comprise a publisher'"'"'s name.

36. The method in accordance with claim 34, wherein said channel identification symbol comprise a publisher'"'"'s logo.

37. The method in accordance with claim 34 further comprising the step of displaying said identification symbol in a region defined by a box, wherein said horizontal ticker display and said channel selection bar are disposed at each side of said box.

38. A method for transmitting by a server system to a subscriber via a computer communications network data files generated by at least one publisher, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) said server system communicating with said subscriber via a computer so as to transmit at least one data file corresponding to said publisher in response to a subscriber request;

(b) said server system transmitting a copy of said requested data file;

(c) said server system receiving from said subscriber the name of the data file that was not properly received by said subscriber along with the size of the portion of the data file received successfully by said subscriber and the CRC code of said portion received successfully by said subscriber; and

(d) said server system transmitting the remaining portion of said data file to said subscriber when said CRC code received by said server system is equal to a CRC code calculated by said server system, said CRC code calculated by said server system corresponding to the portion of data file that was successfully received by said subscriber.

39. The method in accordance with claim 38 further comprising the steps of transmitting a plurality of data files to said subscriber.

40. The method in accordance with claim 39 further comprising the steps of repeating said steps (c) and (d) until all files transmitted by said server system are successfully received by said subscriber.