Computer software delivery system

• US 6,402,618 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2000
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Entertainment Company LP (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Entertainment Company LP (Charter Communications Incorporated), TCI Technology Management, LLC
• Inventors: Reed, Michael J., Lavery, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrison, Jessica
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOTALING, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/621,678
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 413/40, 700/91-93, 348/6, 725/141
• US Class Current: 463/40
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device

Abstract

Apparatus and method for sending and receiving subscriber video game computer data over a broadcast medium for use with video game players and which includes microprocessor controlled transmitter and receiver systems. The receiver system retrieves, demodulates, screens and selects computer data according to subscriber input. A receiver microprocessor signals a video game player to choose from a selection of games placed into a memory. The receiver microprocessor regains control of the memory and regulates flow of selected computer data to the memory. After checking for authorized use, the receiver microprocessor allows control of memory containing video game code to transfer to the video game player. The transmitter system stores, codes, and transmits the computer data over a public broadcast system.

Claims

1. A home subscriber data retrieval apparatus comprising:

a data receiver for retrieving computer data from a public broadcasting medium;

a storage medium having a plurality of memory locations; and

a microprocessor for processing said computer data;

said microprocessor controlling said data receiver to select specific computer data and to reject other computer data, such that said microprocessor controls the transmission of said specific computer data to said storage medium via apparatus data, address, and control busses, said microprocessor having access to said computer data over said busses;

wherein a serial interface is created between said receiver and said plurality of memory locations via a serial communication device which is controlled by said microprocessor, such that data received at said receiver flows directly to at least one of said plurality of memory locations; and

said microprocessor comprising logic circuitry, which generates and transmits control signals to said serial communication device and said storage medium.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said logic circuitry is a programmable array logic component.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is connected to a video game player and a connection passes said computer data to said video game player.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said computer data is a video game.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said video game player has data, address and control busses and an bus interface between said apparatus and said video game player, said interface connecting said apparatus to said data, address and control busses of said video game player.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said video game player accesses said storage medium through said bus interface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said at least one of said memory locations acts as a communication link between said apparatus and said video game player, and said video player has a player microprocessor, such that said player microprocessor notifies said apparatus microprocessor via said at least one of said plurality of memory locations when said computer data is received by said at least one of said plurality of memory locations.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein a plurality of electronic gates provide a direct connection between said video game player data and address busses and said apparatus data and address busses to said storage medium, said apparatus microprocessor controls said plurality of electronic gates, such that said plurality of electronic gates enables and disables direct access to said storage medium by said player microprocessor over said video game player computer data, address, and control busses.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor selects said computer data in accordance with a predetermined computer data identification scheme.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said scheme comprises inserting a first number code to identify a beginning of each block of said computer data and a second number code to identify a type for said preceding block of said computer data.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said storage medium comprises at least one temporary memory location for holding said computer data prior to transfer to said at least one of said plurality of memory locations and said serial communication device directs said computer data received at said receiver said temporary memory location.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said temporary memory location is a ready access memory.

13. A home subscriber data retrieval apparatus comprising:

a data receiver for retrieving computer data from a public broadcasting medium;

a storage medium having a plurality of memory locations; and

a microprocessor for processing said computer data;

said microprocessor controlling said data receiver, said microprocessor electing specific computer data to be received and rejecting other computer data received, said microprocessor controlling the flow of said specific computer data to said storage medium via data, address, and control busses, said microprocessor having access to said computer data over said busses;

wherein a serial interface is created between said receiver and said plurality of memory locations via a special interface cable which receives control signals directly from said microprocessor, such that data received at said receiver flows directly to at least one of said plurality of memory locations; and

said microprocessor comprising logic circuitry, which generates and transmits control signals to said storage medium via said special interface cable.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said control signals selected from the group consisting of a receive date only (RXDO) signal, a transmit date only (TXDO) signal, and a clear-to-send (CTSO) signal.

15. A home subscriber data retrieval apparatus comprising:

a first microprocessor and a game cartridge connector;

a data receiver for retrieving at least one operational element of computer data from a public broadcasting medium;

a storage medium having a plurality of memory locations; and

a second microprocessor for processing said computer data;

said microprocessor controlling said data receiver to select specific computer data and to reject other computer data, such that said microprocessor controls the transmission of said specific computer data from said receiver to said storage medium via apparatus data, address, and control busses, said second microprocessor having access to said computer data over said busses;

wherein a serial interface is created between said receiver and said plurality of memory locations via a serial communication device that is controlled by said second microprocessor, such that data received at said receiver flows directly to at least one of said plurality of memory locations; and

said second microprocessor comprising logic circuitry, which generates and transmits control signals to said serial communication device and said storage medium;

wherein said connector controls the flow of data from said public broadcasting medium to said receiver and wherein said logic circuitry comprises protection circuitry and said protection circuitry is connected to said first microprocessor via said connector and said protection circuitry is adapted to receive bus control signals from said first microprocessor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said logic circuitry is a programmable array logic component.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said connector provides a transmission path for address, data, and control signals generated by said first microprocessor to said logic circuitry.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said second microprocessor includes means for displaying run options and for selecting said at least one operational clement of computer data and means for maintaining a data connection between said receiver and said public data broadcasting medium and between said connector and said second microprocessor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said means for displaying and selecting and said means for maintaining comprises computer software operably stored on said second microprocessor.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said means for displaying and selecting displays menus of video games, from which at least one video game may be selected, and provides options for running said selected video game.

21. The apparatus of claim 71, wherein said means for displaying and selecting is distinct from said means for maintaining.

22. A data transmitter apparatus comprising:

a data transmitter for transmitting computer data to a public broadcasting medium;

a segmented, ready storage device to hold selected computer data prior to transmission;

a microprocessor enabling said computer data in parallel form within a predetermined format to be transmitted to a serial communication device; and

said serial communication device converts received computer data from parallel form to serial form within said predetermined format;

wherein said ready storage device is segmented into a random-access memory (RAM) portion and a read-only memory (ROM) portion.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said microprocessor controls the transmission of said computer data to said serial communication device from said ready storage medium via apparatus data, address, and control busses, said microprocessor having access to said computer data over said busses and said microprocessor comprising logic circuitry, which generates and transmits control signals to said serial communication device and said ready storage medium.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said microprocessor controls the transmission of said computer data to said ready storage medium from a static storage medium via apparatus data, address, and control busses.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said ready storage device comprises about one M byte of memory divided between said random-access memory (RAM) portion and said read-only memory (ROM) portion.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein said ready storage device comprises eight equal memory banks.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein each of said equal memory banks comprises 125 Kbytes of memory.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein at least one of said memory banks is said read-only Memory (ROM) portion.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein seven of said memory banks comprise said random-access memory portion.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said random-access memory (RAM) portion comprises means for processing said computer data prior to transmission, for interfacing with a plurality of serial channels, disc drives and data compression routines;

and said read-only memory (ROM) portion comprises control tables, control information, and control pointers to data packets for transmission.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said serial communication device retrieves said computer data directly from said ready storage device.