Method for the distribution of code and data updates
First Claim
1. A method of requesting at least one update to a plurality of files, the method comprising:
- determining a first set of at least one first identifier responsive to at least one of the plurality of files, each of the first identifiers comprising at least one symbol, the symbols of all of the first identifiers in the first set comprising a first number of at least one symbol;
determining a second identifier responsive to at least one of the plurality of files, the second identifier having a second number, less than the first number, of at least one symbol;
transmitting a first update request comprising the second identifier; and
responsive to one selected from no response to the first update request, and a response not containing at least a part of the update to the plurality of files, transmitting a second update request comprising the first identifier.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for distributing software applications and data to many thousands of clients over a network. The applications are called "channels", the server is called the "transmitter", and the client is called the "tuner". The use of channels is based on subscription. The end-user needs to subscribe to channel before it can be executed. When the end-user subscribes to a channel the associated code and data is downloaded to the local hard-disk, and once downloaded the channel can be executed many times without requiring further network access. Channels can be updated automatically at regular intervals by the tuner, and as a result the end-user is no longer required to manually install software updates, instead these software and data updates are automatically downloaded and installed in the background. This method of automatic downloading of updates achieves for the client the same result as the broadcast distribution of software over a connection based network, but wherein the client initiates each update request without requiring any special broadcast networking infra structure.
826 Citations
61 Claims
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1. A method of requesting at least one update to a plurality of files, the method comprising:
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determining a first set of at least one first identifier responsive to at least one of the plurality of files, each of the first identifiers comprising at least one symbol, the symbols of all of the first identifiers in the first set comprising a first number of at least one symbol; determining a second identifier responsive to at least one of the plurality of files, the second identifier having a second number, less than the first number, of at least one symbol; transmitting a first update request comprising the second identifier; and responsive to one selected from no response to the first update request, and a response not containing at least a part of the update to the plurality of files, transmitting a second update request comprising the first identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 58)
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4. A method of providing an update for a set of files, comprising:
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receiving a first request for an update of the set of files, the request comprising an identifier of at least one selected from the set of files and the update, the identifier comprising a first number of at least one symbol; comparing the identifier received with a set of identifiers, each identifier in the set corresponding to at least one request for an update; responsive to the identifier received corresponding to at least one identifier in the set, retrieving a first index; retrieving a second index; comparing the first index retrieved with the second index retrieved to produce a result; providing the update responsive to the result; and responsive to the identifier received not corresponding to at least one identifier in the set, providing a request for a transmission of a second request, different from the first request received, for the update of the set of files. - View Dependent Claims (5, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61)
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Specification