System for downloading computer software programs
First Claim
1. A method for downloading software programs from a server computer to a client computer using a communications network having circuits configured for transporting video signals of video programs, comprising:
- encoding a software program into a video transport stream;
transmitting the video transport stream from the server computer to the client computer as a continuous video transport stream over a circuit of the network; and
decoding the continuous video transport stream to reconstruct the software program in a memory of the client computer.
4 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a video-on-demand system, a disk-less set-top box is configured to download software programs from a video server via a network. The set-top box includes a read-only memory storing a boot program, a control protocol stack, and a video protocol stack. The control protocol stack is connected to a bidirectional control channel of a circuit of the network, and the video protocol stack is connected to a unidirectional video channel of the circuit. Using a handheld remote controller, a consumer makes a request for a software program from the video server. The request is made via the control protocol stack and the control channel. The video server transmits the software program as an encoded video transport stream, which is received via the video channel and the video protocol stack. The transport stream is decoded to reconstruct the requested program in a dynamic random access memory of the set-up box from where the program can be executed in a processor of the set-top box.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for downloading software programs from a server computer to a client computer using a communications network having circuits configured for transporting video signals of video programs, comprising:
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encoding a software program into a video transport stream; transmitting the video transport stream from the server computer to the client computer as a continuous video transport stream over a circuit of the network; and decoding the continuous video transport stream to reconstruct the software program in a memory of the client computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a video-on-demand system, a disk-less set-top box for downloading software programs from a video server of the video-on-demand network, the set-top box comprising:
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a read-only memory storing a boot program, a control protocol stack, and a video protocol stack, the control protocol stack being connected to a bidirectional channel of a circuit of the network, and the video protocol stack being connected to a unidirectional video channel of the circuit; means for requesting a software program from the video server, the means for requesting connected to the control stack; means for continuously receiving the software program as an encoded video transport stream, the means for receiving connected to the video protocol stack; and means for decoding the video stream to reconstruct the requested program in a volatile dynamic random access memory of the set-up box.
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14. A set-top box for downloading software programs from a video server of a video-on-demand network, a set-top box comprising:
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a read-only memory for storing a boot program, a control protocol stack, and a video protocol stack, the control protocol stack being connected to a bidirectional control channel of a circuit of the network, and the video protocol stack being connected to a unidirectional video channel of the circuit; a selector, connected to the control stack, for requesting a software program from the video server over the control channel; a receiver, connected to the video protocol stack, for continuously receiving the software program as an encoded video transport stream; and a decoder for decoding the video transport stream to reconstruct the requested program in a volatile dynamic random access memory of the set-up box. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An video-on-demand system, comprising:
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a communications link including a unidirectional video channel and a bidirectional control channel; a server station for storing at least one of software programs and video; a set-top box for downloading software programs from the server via the unidirectional video channel, including; a read-only memory for storing a boot program, a control protocol stack, and a video protocol stack, the control protocol stack being connected to the bidirectional control channel, and the video protocol stack being connected to the unidirectional video channel; a director connected to the control stack for requesting via the control channel a software program from the video server; a receiver connected to the video protocol stack for continuously receiving the software program as an encoded video transport stream over the video channel; and a decoder for decoding the video stream to reconstruct the requested program in a volatile dynamic random access memory of the set-up box.
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Specification