Managing interruption while downloading data over a network

• US 6,230,319 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WebTV Networks Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Goldman, Phillip Y., Leak, Bruce A., McFadden, Andrew T., Britt, Joe F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Haftz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US09/107,066
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 717/11, 345/333, 345/327, 380/50, 379/93.35, 709/224, 714/53, 348/42
• US Class Current: 717/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1433 during software upgrading
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04892 Arrangements for controlling cursor position based on codes indicative of cursor displacements from one discrete location to another, e.g. using cursor control keys associated to different directions or using the tab key arrangements for controlling cursor position based on coordinate signals G06F3/038
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/65 Updates security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/027 Arrangements and methods specific for the display of internet documents
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 9/0235 specially adapted for remote control, e.g. of audio or video apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/40 using video transcoding, i.e. partial or full decoding of a coded input stream followed by re-encoding of the decoded output stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234336 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures or audio is converted into text
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2356 by altering the spatial resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 : Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 : involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 : being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 : Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 : Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 : Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4355 : involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages on a television screen optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/066; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34

Abstract

A World Wide Web browser software is implemented in a processing system housed in a set-top box connected to a television and communicating over a wide-area network with one or more servers. The browser software allows a user to navigate using a remote control through World-Wide Web pages in which a number of hypertext anchors are displayed on the television. User inputs are entered from a remote input device using an infrared (IR) link. The processing system includes a read-only memory (ROM) and a flash memory. The mask ROM and the flash memory are assigned adjacent memory spaces in the memory map of the processing system. Browser software and configuration data are stored in the flash memory. Other software and configuration data are stored in a mask ROM. The browser is upgraded or reconfigured by downloading to the box replacement software or data transmitted from a server over the network and then writing the replacement software or data into the flash memory. A mechanism is provided to temporarily maintain power to the processing system in the event power to the box is lost during downloading. The mechanism allows the writing of a current block to be completed. An indication of the current block is maintained while power is absent so that downloading can be resumed once power is restored from the last block that was written.

Claims

1. In a networked system including a plurality of client systems logically connected to a plurality of server systems, and wherein at least some of the client systems are comprised of a conventional television set coupled to a control box that includes a CPU programmed to enable the television set to be used to browse and display content downloaded from one or more of the server systems, a method for protecting transmission of data in the event of a power interruption which occurs while the data is being downloaded to a client system, comprising the steps of:

connecting a client system to one of the server systems and initiating the process of downloading data blocks to a non-volatile memory of the control box of the client system;

automatically and without user intervention at the client system, as each data block begins to be downloaded, checking for any power interruption at the client system and updating a record of all data blocks downloaded so far;

if a power interruption is detected, automatically and without user intervention at the client system, said CPU activating a sustaining device to enable completion of downloading and storage in the non-volatile memory of the control box of the data block that was begun at the time the power interruption was detected, and updating the record of all data blocks downloaded to that point; and

once the power interruption is over, resuming connection of the client system to the server system and resuming downloading of the data blocks, beginning only with those data blocks not yet downloaded.

2. A method as defined in claims 1, wherein the step of updating the record of all downloaded data blocks comprises repeatedly identifying the cumulative number of downloaded data blocks that have been written to the non-volatile memory device.

3. A method as defined in claims 1, wherein the step of activating a sustaining device comprises using a capacitor to provide the power.

4. A method as defined in claims 1, wherein the step of activating a sustaining device comprises using a battery to provide the power.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the step of updating the record of all data blocks downloaded further comprises identifying a cumulative number of downloaded data blocks that have been written to the non-volatile memory device.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising, after the step of resuming connection to the client system, the step of using the cumulative number to identify the data blocks that were downloaded prior to the power interruption.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, further comprising, prior to using the cumulative number, verifying the accuracy of the cumulative number by applying a checksum operation to the downloaded data blocks that have been written to the non-volatile memory device.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, immediately following the step of activating the sustaining device, the step of setting a flag indicating that the power has been lost.

9. A client system for connection to a network that includes a plurality of logically connected server systems, comprising:

a conventional television set coupled to a control box that includes a CPU programmed to enable the television set to be used to browse and display content downloaded from one or more of the saver systems;

a data buffer for receiving data from one of the server systems, the data being divided into a plurality of data blocks consecutively received by the data buffer,

a non-volatile memory device capable of having the plurality of data blocks written thereto from the data buffer,

a power supply unit having an AC power input line and a DC power output line, wherein DC power from the DC power output line operates components of the client system;

a power sustaining device for sustaining electrical power to the components of the client system when the AC power input line loses power during a process of writing one of the plurality of data blocks to the non-volatile memory device; and

a CPU which includes machine-readable instructions for causing the client to system to execute a method comprised of the steps for;

connecting the client system to one of the server systems and initiating the process of downloading data blocks to the non-volatile memory device;

automatically and without user intervention at the client system, as each data block begins to be downloaded, checking for any power interruption at the client system and updating a record of all data blocks downloaded so far;

if a power interruption is detected automatically and without user intervention at the client system, said CPU activating the power sustaining device to enable completion of downloading and storage in the nonvolatile memory of the data block that was begun at the time the power interruption was detected, and updating the record of all data blocks downloaded to that point; and

once the power interruption is over, resuming connection of the client system to the server system and resuming downloading of the data blocks, beginning only with those data blocks not yet downloaded.

10. A client system as defined in claim 9, wherein the non-volatile memory device comprises a flash memory.

11. A client system as defined in claim 9, wherein the data buffer is a random access memory of the first processing system.

12. A client system as defined in claim 9, wherein the power sustaining device comprises a capacitor.

13. A client system as defined in claim 9, wherein the power sustaining device comprises a battery.

14. In a networked system including a plurality of client systems logically connected to a plurality of server systems, and wherein at least some of the client systems are comprised of a conventional television set coupled to a control box that includes a CPU programmed to enable the television set to be used to browse and display content downloaded from one or more of the server systems, a computer program product for implementing at a client system a method for protecting transmission of data in the event of a power interruption which occurs while the data is being downloaded to a client system, comprising;

a computer-readable medium for storing machine-executable instructions for implementing said method; and

wherein the method is comprised of the steps for;

connecting a client system to one of the server systems and initiating the process of downloading data blocks to a non-volatile memory of the control box of the client system;

automatically and without user intervention at the client system, as each data block begins to be downloaded, checking for any power interruption at the client system and updating a record of all data blocks downloaded so far;

if a power interruption is detected, automatically and without user intervention at the client system, said CPU activating a sustaining device to enable completion of downloading and storage in the non-volatile memory of the data block that was begun at the time the power interruption was detected, and updating the record of all data blocks downloaded to that point; and

once the power interruption is over, resuming connection of the client system to the server system and resuming downloading of the data blocks, beginning only with those data blocks not yet downloaded.