Method and apparatus for operating system and application selection
First Claim
1. On a client device capable of operating using a plurality of operating systems on which a plurality of applications run, a method of downloading an operating system and an application which runs on the operating system, comprising:
- a boot code of the client device providing a menu of selections representing a plurality of available applications including said application, wherein the boot code is incapable of running said application;
receiving a signal representing a user'"'"'s selection of said application;
responsive to receiving the signal, the boot code activating a download manager of the client device;
the download manager managing a download of the operating system associated with the application and the application in a manner transparent to the user with no input from the user, further comprising;
connecting to a service provider;
downloading the operating system associated with the application from the service provider, wherein the operating system associated with the application is not already installed on the client device at a time of the downloading;
downloading the application; and
installing and executing the operating system and the application.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A Set Top Box or other client/server device including an Internet appliance which runs an application and operates under any of several operating systems. The Set Top Box boots from boot code stored, for example, in a ROM which permits a user to select an operating system and application. The Set Top Box contacts a Master Server and obtains a URL for download of the operating system and application. The URL is contacted and the application and operating system are downloaded. The Set Top Box operates under the operating system to run the application until another application is selected.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. On a client device capable of operating using a plurality of operating systems on which a plurality of applications run, a method of downloading an operating system and an application which runs on the operating system, comprising:
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a boot code of the client device providing a menu of selections representing a plurality of available applications including said application, wherein the boot code is incapable of running said application; receiving a signal representing a user'"'"'s selection of said application; responsive to receiving the signal, the boot code activating a download manager of the client device; the download manager managing a download of the operating system associated with the application and the application in a manner transparent to the user with no input from the user, further comprising; connecting to a service provider; downloading the operating system associated with the application from the service provider, wherein the operating system associated with the application is not already installed on the client device at a time of the downloading; downloading the application; and installing and executing the operating system and the application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A Set Top Box, comprising in combination:
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a processor capable of running a plurality of application programs under a plurality of operating systems; and program means comprising; a boot code displaying an icon representing an application; responsive to the selection of the icon representing a selected one of the plurality of application programs, a download manager initiating a download of an operating system associated with the selected application program, wherein the selected application program is incapable of running on the boot code, and wherein the operating system associated with the selected application program is not already installed on the set top box at a time of initiating the download; the download manager initiating a download of the application software associated with the icon; and installing and executing the application on the processor using the operating system. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A client device capable of running applications under a plurality of operating systems, comprising:
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a central processor; a first memory storing boot code for booting the central processor into an operational state which presents a user with a choice of application programs, each of which operates under one of a corresponding plurality of associated operating systems; a modem, which downloads under control of a download manager of the client device from a remote server an operating system associated with a selection by the user of one of said application programs, wherein the operating system being downloaded is transparent to the user, since the user selected an application rather than an operating system; wherein, the boot code is incapable of running the one of the said application programs, and wherein the operating system associated with the selection by the user of the one of said application programs is not already installed on the client device at a time of the download; and wherein the first memory, upon completion of the download, configures the client device to run the selected application under the operating system. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A computer-readable medium tangibly embodying instructions which, when executed by a computer, implement a process comprising:
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a boot code presenting a user with a selection application programs that operate on a plurality of associated operating systems, with each application program being associated with an associated operating system; receiving a user input selecting an application program, wherein the boot code is incapable of running the selected application program; responsive to receiving the user input, the boot code activating a download manager; the download manager managing a download operation in a manner transparent to a user with no input from the user further comprising; downloading an operating system corresponding to the selected application program, wherein the operating system corresponding to the selected application program is not already installed on the client device at a time of the download; and loading and running the operating system. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification