Digital entertainment terminal providing dynamic execution in video dial tone networks
First Claim
1. In a digital entertainment terminal adapted to receive broadband information from at least one information provider via a broadband data network, the digital entertainment terminal comprising a first memory for storing a first executable data enabling communication between the digital entertainment terminal and the broadband data network, a second memory for storing second executable data from the at least one information provider, and a user interface for receiving inputs from a user, a method for receiving the broadband data in response to user inputs, comprising the steps of:
- executing a first portion of said second executable data from said at least one information provider and stored in said second memory in response to a first user input;
receiving first broadband information from said at least one information provider in response to said first portion executing step; and
suspending said first portion executing step and executing said first executable data in response to a second user input.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method for selectively executing a resident terminal application and an information provider-specific application stored in a digital entertainment terminal adapted to decode broadband data signals from a video dial tone network. The digital entertainment terminal stores the resident terminal application related to native operations including network communications in a nonvolatile memory, and stores the information provider-specific applications used for accessing the information provider'"'"'s services in a dynamic memory. The digital entertainment terminal is adapted to suspend execution of one of the resident application and the information provider-specific application and begin execution of the other application in response to a toggle input from a user'"'"'s remote control, and resume execution of the suspended application in response to a second toggle input from the user'"'"'s remote control. Decoding of received broadband signals from the video dial tone network is based upon stored connection block descriptors, and is thus independent of the suspension of one of the applications. Thus, a user may pause an interactive session to scan broadcast channels, or to initiate a second interactive session.
109 Citations
30 Claims
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1. In a digital entertainment terminal adapted to receive broadband information from at least one information provider via a broadband data network, the digital entertainment terminal comprising a first memory for storing a first executable data enabling communication between the digital entertainment terminal and the broadband data network, a second memory for storing second executable data from the at least one information provider, and a user interface for receiving inputs from a user, a method for receiving the broadband data in response to user inputs, comprising the steps of:
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executing a first portion of said second executable data from said at least one information provider and stored in said second memory in response to a first user input; receiving first broadband information from said at least one information provider in response to said first portion executing step; and suspending said first portion executing step and executing said first executable data in response to a second user input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A digital entertainment terminal comprising:
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a user interface adapted to receive a terminal-specific input and an application-specific input; a communication interface for receiving encoded streams of data from an interface to a digital broadband data network; a first memory for storing a first application enabling communication between the digital entertainment terminal and the digital broadband data network; a second memory for storing a second application enabling reception of provider services via said digital broadband data network; and a processing unit for selectively executing said first application and said second application, in response to said application-specific input received by said user interface, to control reception and decoding of received encoded streams of data. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. In a digital entertainment terminal connected to receive and process selected broadband information from a broadband digital network, the digital entertainment terminal comprising a memory storing a first application enabling communication between the digital entertainment terminal and the broadband digital network, a method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a second application via the broadband digital network; storing the second application in memory in the digital entertainment terminal; executing the second application from memory to control reception and processing of broadband information from the broadband digital network; receiving a predetermined user input; in response to the predetermined user input, suspending the execution of the second application; and executing the first application to control reception and processing of broadband information from the broadband digital network. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. In a digital entertainment terminal adapted to receive broadband information from at least one information provider via a broadband data network, the digital entertainment terminal including a nonvolatile memory for storing a first executable data comprising a loader routine, an operating system, and a resident application for enabling communication between the digital entertainment terminal and the broadband data network, a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) for storing second executable data from the at least one information provider, and a user interface for receiving inputs from a user, a method for receiving the broadband data in response to user inputs, comprising the steps of:
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executing a first portion of said second executable data from said at least one information provider and stored in said DRAM in response to a first user input; receiving first broadband information from said at least one information provider in response to said first portion executing step; and suspending said first portion executing step and executing said first executable data in response to a second user input. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A digital entertainment terminal comprising:
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a user interface adapted to receive a terminal-specific input and an application-specific input; a communication interface for receiving encoded streams of data from an interface to a digital broadband data network; a non-volatile memory for storing at least a resident application enabling communication between the digital entertainment terminal and the digital broadband data network; a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) for storing a second application enabling reception of provider services via said digital broadband data network; and a processing unit for selectively executing said resident application and said second application, in response to said application-specific input received by said user interface, to control reception and decoding of received encoded streams of data.
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26. In a digital entertainment terminal connected to receive and process selected broadband information from a broadband digital network, the digital entertainment terminal comprising a memory storing at least a resident application enabling communication between the digital entertainment terminal and the broadband digital network, a method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a second application via the broadband digital network; storing the second application in memory in the digital entertainment terminal; executing the second application from memory to control reception and processing of broadband information from the broadband digital network; receiving a predetermined user input; in response to the predetermined user input, suspending the execution of the second application; and executing the resident application to control reception and processing of broadband information from the broadband digital network. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A digital entertainment terminal comprising:
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a user interface adapted to receive a terminal-specific input and an application-specific input; a communication interface for receiving encoded streams of data from an interface to a digital broadband data network; a non-volatile memory for storing at least a resident application enabling communication between the digital entertainment terminal and the digital broadband data network; a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) for storing a second application enabling reception of provider services via said digital broadband data network; a processing unit for toggling back and forth between said resident application and said second application in response to application-specific inputs received by said user interface, to control reception and decoding of received encoded streams of data; and an MPEG decoder for decoding said received encoded streams of data. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification