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Software downloading using a television broadcast channel

  • US 7,370,114 B1
  • Filed: 10/13/1999
  • Issued: 05/06/2008
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A method for distributing software, comprising the steps of:

  • providing a television broadcast distribution system having one or more broadcast channels for broadcasting analog and digital television information to a receiver of a user;

    designating select ones of the one or more broadcast channels for the transmission of one or more discrete software data streams;

    transmitting the one or more discrete software data streams over the select ones of the one or more broadcast channels at a scheduled time, each of the one or more discrete software data streams having a unique ID associated therewith, which unique ID for each of the one or more discrete software streams is associated therewith by an associated software vendor and each of the unique IDs is unique to a user;

    the user associating with a monitoring interface of the user that is connected to the receiver, the unique ID associated with that user and a desired one of the one or more discrete software streams;

    selecting, in the monitoring interface associated with the user, selected ones of the one or more discrete software data streams according to the respective unique IDs for download via the receiver;

    downloading the selected one or more discrete software data streams to a user storage device during the scheduled time for use by the user, the user storage device connected to the receiver through said monitoring interface; and

    deleting the unique ID from the monitoring interface for each of the one or more discrete software data streams downloaded after downloading thereof.

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