Apparatus for transmitting and receiving executable applications as for a multimedia system, and method and system to order an item using a distributed computing system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A distributed computer system comprising:
- a source of a data stream providing a series of time division multiplexed packets, ones of which contain auxiliary data that represent a video program, and others of which represent a distributed computing application associated with said video program, and wherein said distributed computing application is repetitively transmitted independent of receiving client computer apparatus during times that said video program is transmitted;
a client computer, which includes a packet selector connected to said source for selecting and directing packets containing said auxiliary data representing said video program to a video signal processor and selecting and directing packets containing said associated distributed computing application to a further processor, andsaid further processor including means to assemble said distributed computing application and execute said distributed computing application to form an interactive video program in which execution of said distributed computing application alters said video program.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A distributed computer system, as for transmitting and receiving executable multimedia applications, includes a source of a continuous data stream repetitively transfering data representing a distributed computing application and a client computer, receiving the data stream, for extracting the distributed computing application representative data from the data stream, and executing the extracted distributed computing application.
154 Citations
55 Claims
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1. A distributed computer system comprising:
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a source of a data stream providing a series of time division multiplexed packets, ones of which contain auxiliary data that represent a video program, and others of which represent a distributed computing application associated with said video program, and wherein said distributed computing application is repetitively transmitted independent of receiving client computer apparatus during times that said video program is transmitted; a client computer, which includes a packet selector connected to said source for selecting and directing packets containing said auxiliary data representing said video program to a video signal processor and selecting and directing packets containing said associated distributed computing application to a further processor, and said further processor including means to assemble said distributed computing application and execute said distributed computing application to form an interactive video program in which execution of said distributed computing application alters said video program. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A distributed computer system comprising:
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a source of a time division multiplexed packet signal including a plurality of distributed computing applications, each distributed computing application being repetitively transmitted independent of receiving client computer apparatus, and each of said distributed computing applications being in a form of a series of packets; a first one of packets of a respective series containing data representing an executable code module and including identification information indicating that the first one of packets of said series contains data representing said executable code module; a second one of packets of the series contains data representing a data module and includes identification information indicating that said second one of packets contains data representing the data module; and a third one of packets of the series contains auxiliary data and includes identification information indicating that the third one of packets contains auxiliary data; a client computer including a data receiver for selecting packets of one of the plurality of distributed computing applications, and extracting the corresponding distributed computing application representative data included in the selected packets and applying it to computer program controlled apparatus for executing the extracted distributed computing application, said data receiver extracting auxiliary data from auxiliary packets in the data stream and supplying it to an auxiliary data processor.
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7. A distributed computer system comprising:
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a data stream source producing a data stream including a series of packets representing a plurality of time division multiplexed signals, one of said signals including data representing a distributed computing application, which distributed computing application is repetitively transmitted independent of receiving client computer apparatus, and at least one of the packets of the signal representing the distributed computing application includes a directory module containing information inter-relating packets associated with said distributed computing application; a client computer, receiving the data stream, extracting the distributed computing application representative data from the data stream, and executing the extracted distributed computing application; and
whereinthe client computer extracts said directory module from the data stream and using data contained in the directory module extracts packets associated with said distributed computing application and builds said distributed computing application and executes said distributed computing application. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. In a distributed computer system, a client computer, comprising:
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an input terminal for receiving a packet data stream including packets of video signal time multiplexed with packets of data representing a distributed computing application which distributed computing application is repetitively transmitted independently of said client computer and at least one of the packets representing the distributed computing application includes a directory containing information inter-relating ones of the packets containing said distributed computing application; a data stream receiver, coupled to said input terminal, for receiving the data stream, providing separate data streams of said video signal and said distributed computing application, extracting said directory packet and responsive to the directory, extracting packets containing said distributed computing application representative data; and a processing unit, coupled to the data stream receiver, for assembling said distributed computing application and executing the distributed computing application comprising; a system bus; read/write memory, coupled to the system bus; a data stream input/output adapter, coupled between the data stream receiver and the system bus, for receiving the extracted distributed computing application representative data from the data stream receiver, and storing it in the read/write memory, and having a control output terminal coupled to the selection control input terminal of the data stream selector, for producing the selection control signal; and a processor, coupled to the system bus, for controlling the data stream input/output device to generate a selection control signal selecting a specified one of the plurality of data streams, and for assembling and executing the distributed computing application stored in the read/write memory.
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10. A method to facilitate placing an order for an item, the method comprising:
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at a source of a data stream, providing a series of time division multiplexed packets, ones of which contain auxiliary data that represent a video program, and others of which represent a distributed computing application associated with said video program, and wherein said distributed computing application is repetitively transmitted independent of receiving client computer apparatus during times that said video program is transmitted; receiving an order request at a client system, the client system comprising a packet selector connected to said source for selecting and directing packets containing said auxiliary data representing said video program to a video signal processor and selecting and directing packets containing said associated distributed computing application to a further processor, said further processor including means to assemble said distributed computing application and execute said distributed computing application to form an interactive video program with an executable code, in which execution of said distributed computing application alters said video program, the executable code causing, at a client system, display of the interactive information associated with the video program while the video program is being shown at the client system, the interactive information associated with the video program describing an item to said video program viewer, the receiving of the order request at the client system is via the interactive information displayed at the client system; automatically determining an item identity for an item to which the order request pertains; and causing an order to be placed, the order including the item identity. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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13. The method of 11 wherein the order action includes input of the item identity into the client system.
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34. A client system including:
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an input terminal for receiving a packet data stream including packets of video signal time multiplexed with packets of data representing a distributed computing application which distributed computing application is repetitively transmitted independently of said client computer and at least one of the packets representing the distributed computing application includes a directory containing information inter-relating ones of the packets containing said distributed computing application; a receiver, coupled to said input terminal, to receive the data stream including information related to an item, providing separate data streams of said video signal and said distributed computing application, extracting said directory packet and responsive to the directory, extracting packets containing said distributed computing application representative data; and a processing unit, coupled to the data stream receiver, for assembling said distributed computing application and executing the distributed computing application to form an interactive video program with an executable code in which execution of said distributed computing application alters said interactive video program, the executable code causing, at the client system, display of interactive information associated with the video program while the interactive video program is being shown at the client system, the interactive information associated with the video program describing an item, the processing unit comprising; a system bus; read/write memory, coupled to the system bus; a data stream input/output adapter, coupled between the data stream receiver and the system bus, for receiving the extracted distributed computing application representative data from the data stream receiver, and storing it in the read/write memory, and having a control output terminal coupled to the selection control input terminal of the data stream selector, for producing the selection control signal; and a processor, coupled to the system bus, for controlling the data stream input/output device to generate a selection control signal selecting a specified one of the plurality of data streams, and for assembling and executing the distributed computing application stored in the read/write memory, the processing unit to; receive an order request at the client system via the interactive information displayed at the client system; automatically determine an item identity for the item utilizing the information related to the item; and cause an order to be placed, the order including the item identity. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. An interactive television system, the system including:
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an input terminal for receiving a packet data stream including packets of video signal time multiplexed with packets of data representing a distributed computing application which distributed computing application is repetitively transmitted independently of said client computer and at least one of the packets representing the distributed computing application includes a directory containing information inter-relating ones of the packets containing said distributed computing application; a receiver, coupled to said input terminal, to receive the data stream including information related to an item, providing separate data streams of said video signal and said distributed computing application, extracting said directory packet and responsive to the directory, extracting packets containing said distributed computing application representative data; and a processing unit, coupled to the data stream receiver, for assembling said distributed computing application and executing the distributed computing application to form an interactive video program with an executable code in which execution of said distributed computing application alters said video program, the executable code causing, at a client system, display of interactive information associated with the video program while the video program is being shown at the client system, the interactive information associated with the video program describing an item to said video program viewer, the processing unit comprising; a system bus; read/write memory, coupled to the system bus; a data stream input/output adapter, coupled between the data stream receiver and the system bus, for receiving the extracted distributed computing application representative data from the data stream receiver, and storing it in the read/write memory, and having a control output terminal coupled to the selection control input terminal of the data stream selector, for producing the selection control signal; and a processor, coupled to the system bus, for controlling the data stream input/output device to generate a selection control signal selecting a specified one of the plurality of data streams, and for assembling and executing the distributed computing application stored in the read/write memory, the processing unit to; receive an order request at the client system via the interactive information displayed at the client system; automatically determine an item identity for the item utilizing the information related to the item; and cause an order to be placed, the order including the item identity. - View Dependent Claims (55)
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Specification