On-line database updating network system and method
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method for updating modules of information via a network comprising a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:
- (a) identifying a first module containing information to be updated, wherein the first module is stored in memory of a first terminal, and wherein the first module comprises a plurality of first module blocks;
(b) identifying a second module containing more recent information than the first module, wherein the second module is stored in memory of a second terminal, and wherein the second module comprises a plurality of second module blocks;
(c) identifying which second module blocks contain more recent information than the first module blocks;
(d) downloading via the network the identified second module blocks from memory of the second terminal to the first terminal; and
(e) updating the first module stored in memory of the first terminal with the more recent information contained in the identified second module blocks downloaded from memory of the second terminal.
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Abstract
An on-line database updating network system and method using object-oriented programming to build a program of discrete blocks, with each block being separately accessible, modifiable, and replaceable. The system includes a user terminal, a host terminal, and a communications channel. Origin dates of user module blocks of information stored in the user terminal are compared, over the communications channel, with origin dates of corresponding host module blocks of information stored in the host terminal. Host module blocks having origin dates more recent than corresponding user module blocks are downloaded as updated blocks over the communications channel to the user terminal. The downloaded updated blocks are then used to update the relevant user module blocks of information. Alternate host terminals may also be accessed by the user terminal, and updated alternate host module blocks of information may be downloaded to the user terminal.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for updating modules of information via a network comprising a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:
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(a) identifying a first module containing information to be updated, wherein the first module is stored in memory of a first terminal, and wherein the first module comprises a plurality of first module blocks; (b) identifying a second module containing more recent information than the first module, wherein the second module is stored in memory of a second terminal, and wherein the second module comprises a plurality of second module blocks; (c) identifying which second module blocks contain more recent information than the first module blocks; (d) downloading via the network the identified second module blocks from memory of the second terminal to the first terminal; and (e) updating the first module stored in memory of the first terminal with the more recent information contained in the identified second module blocks downloaded from memory of the second terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of updating a plurality of user modules via a network interconnecting a user terminal and a host terminal, the user terminal having a user terminal memory for storing user modules, each user module including a plurality of user module blocks, the host terminal having a host terminal memory for storing host modules, each host module including a plurality of host module blocks, the method comprising:
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(a) identifying a user module stored in user terminal memory; (b) identifying a host module stored in the host terminal memory that corresponds to the user module; (c) comparing, responsive to the host module being more recent than the user module, a first host module block, a second host module block and an nth host module block to a corresponding first user module block, a second user module block and an nth user module block, respectively; (d) downloading via the network, responsive to the first host module block being more recent than the first user module block, the first host module block into user terminal memory; (e) downloading via the network, responsive to the second host module block being more recent than the second user module block, the second host module block into user terminal memory; (f) downloading via the network, responsive to the nth host module block being more recent than the nth user module block, the nth host module block into user terminal memory; and (g) updating the first user module block, the second user module block and the nth user module block within the user module with the information contained in the first host module block, the second host module block and the nth host module block, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A computer readable medium encoded with a set of executable instructions to perform a method for updating modules of information via a common communication channels interconnecting a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:
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(a) identifying a first module containing information to be updated, wherein the first module is stored in memory of a first terminal, and wherein the first module comprises a plurality of first module blocks; (b) identifying a second module containing more recent information than the first module, wherein the second module is stored in memory of a second terminal, and wherein the second module comprises a plurality of second module blocks; (c) identifying which second module blocks contain more recent information than the first module blocks; (d) downloading via the common communication channels the identified second module blocks from memory of the second terminal to the first terminal; and (e) updating the first module stored in memory of the first terminal with the more recent information contained in the identified second module blocks downloaded from memory of the second terminal. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. Apparatus, included in each of a plurality of terminals communicating with one another via common communication channels, for updating a module of information stored in a storage medium of at least one of the plurality of terminals, wherein the module comprises a plurality of module blocks, comprising:
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(a) a storage medium for storing program instructions for updating the module of information; (b) an input/output device for communicating via the common communication channels; and (c) a processing unit electronically coupled to the storage medium and the input/output device for executing the program instructions that cause the module to be updated by; (i) identifying a more recent module stored in the storage medium of another terminal, wherein the more recent module comprises a plurality of module blocks, at least some of which are more recent than the module blocks of the module being updated; (ii) comparing the module blocks of the more recent module to the module blocks of the module being updated to identify which module blocks of the more recent module are more recent than the module blocks of the module being updated; (iii) downloading the identified module blocks of the more recent module to the storage medium of the at least one terminal storing the module being updated; and (iv) updating the module blocks of the module being updated with the identified module blocks of the more recent module. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for updating a module of information via a network comprising a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:
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(a) identifying a first module containing information to be updated, wherein the first module is stored in memory of a first terminal, and wherein the first module comprises a plurality of first module blocks; (b) identifying a second module containing new information, wherein the second module is stored in memory of a second terminal, and wherein the second module comprises a plurality of second module blocks; (c) identifying which second module blocks contain new information; (d) downloading via the network the identified second module blocks from memory of the second terminal to the first terminal; and (e) updating the first module stored in memory of the first terminal with the new information contained in the identified second module blocks downloaded from memory of the second terminal. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification