System server for channel-based internet network

• US 6,587,873 B1
• Filed: 01/26/2000
• Issued: 07/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ViaCLIX Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ViaCLIX Incorporated
• Inventors: Nobakht, Lida, Clymer, James R. W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M.
• Application Number:
  US09/491,436
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200, 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/220, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/301 Name conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system server for a channel-based network including one or more Internet sites and one or more user terminals. The system server includes a channel table database storing a master channel table that includes a list of channel numbers, each channel number having an associated Internet address and an associated Internet site name. Each Internet site of the network is addressable by an associated Internet address stored in the master channel table. The system server includes a network database and an update manager database. The system server identifies each user terminal requesting service by comparing transmitted identification information with authorized user information stored in the network database. The system server also compares a channel table version number from the requesting user terminal with a version number stored in the update manager database that is associated with the master channel table, and notifies each requesting user terminal when updated channel table information is available. At each user terminal, a user reads the channel numbers and associated Internet site names from a menu displaying the downloaded channel table, selects an Internet site name from the displayed menu, and enters the channel number associated with the selected Internet site name using an input device that is similar to a television remote control.

Claims

1. A method of operating a channel-based Internet network including a plurality of user terminals and a plurality of Internet sites, the method comprising:

forming a master channel table including a plurality of channel numbers by assigning each channel number to an associated Internet address and an associated Internet site name, each Internet site name corresponding to an associated Internet site of the plurality of Internet sites; and

in response to a service request by a user terminal of the plurality of user terminals, transmitting at least a portion of the master channel table to the user terminal requesting service via the Internet.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

forming an update manager database including an update schedule, wherein the update schedule includes an update code for each user terminal of the channel-based Internet network; and

wherein the step of transmitting the portion comprises checking the update manager database, and transmitting the portion only if the update code for the user terminal requesting service has in a predetermined value.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising forming a network database including user identification information for each user terminal of the channel-based Internet network.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

adding new user terminal information to the network database for a user terminal added to the channel-based Internet network;

modifying the update manager database to include a new user field associated with the new user terminal, wherein the update code of the new user field is set such that the step of transmitting the portion is performed when the new user terminal requests service.

5. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

updating the master channel table to include updated channel table data; and

modifying the update manager database such that the update codes for a selected group of user fields are changed to the predetermined value.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein step of updating the master channel table further comprises:

encrypting the updated channel table data; and

storing the encrypted updated channel table data in the master channel table.

7. The method according to claim 5, further comprising generating an update policy wherein the update codes for a selected group of user fields are changed to the predetermined value during predetermined time periods.

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising generating an update policy wherein the update codes for a selected group of user fields are changed to the predetermined value in accordance with a predetermined number of plurality of user terminals currently downloading portions of the master channel table.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the portion further comprises:

receiving user identification information transmitted from the user terminal requesting service; and

transmitting an authorization code to the user terminal requesting service if the user identification information corresponds to a valid user account.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of transmitting the user authorization code comprises:

transmitting a resident authorization code if the received user identification information matches a stored home terminal number for that user; and

transmitting a guest authorization code if the received user identification information fails to match the home terminal number for that user.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step transmitting the portion further comprises:

receiving a channel table version number from the user terminal requesting service, the received channel version number corresponding with a local channel table stored by the user terminal; and

transmitting an update available code to the user terminal requesting service if the received channel table version number is different from a current channel table version number corresponding to the master channel table.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a download request from the user terminal; and

transmitting the portion of the master channel table to the user terminal in response to the download request.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

forming an update manager database including an update schedule, wherein the update schedule includes an update code for each user terminal; and

modifying the update manager database to change the update code for the user terminal requesting service after the portion of the master channel table is transmitted to the user terminal requesting service.

14. A method of operating a channel-based Internet network including a plurality of user terminals and a plurality of Internet sites,

receiving user identification information transmitted from a user terminal;

and

transmitting at least a portion of a master channel table to the user terminal via the Internet if the received user identification information matches previously stored user identification information, wherein the master channel table includes a plurality of channel numbers, each channel number being assigned to an associated Internet address and an associated Internet site name that corresponds with an associated Internet site of the plurality of Internet sites.

15. The method according to claim 14,

wherein the user terminal includes a non-volatile memory circuit storing a local channel table,

wherein the step of receiving further comprises receiving a channel table version number corresponding to the local channel table stored in the non-volatile memory, and

wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting an update available code when the received channel table version number differs from a current channel table version number associated with the master channel table.

16. A method of operating a channel-based Internet network including a plurality of user terminals and a plurality of Internet sites,

updating a master channel table by assigning a channel number to an associated Internet address and an associated Internet site name that corresponds with an associated Internet site of the plurality of Internet sites;

modifying an update manager database such that a current channel table version number corresponds to the master channel table;

receiving a channel table version number from a user terminal, the channel table version number being associated with a local channel table stored in a non-volatile memory circuit of the user terminal; and

transmitting at least a portion of a master channel table to the user terminal via the Internet if the received channel table version number is different from a current channel table version number.

17. A system server for a channel-based network, the channel-based network including a user terminal and an Internet site, the system server comprising:

a channel table database storing a master channel table including a plurality of channel numbers, each channel number being assigned to an associated Internet address and an associated Internet site name; and

means for transmitting at least the portion of the master channel table from the channel table database to the user terminal via the Internet in response to a request received from the user terminal.

18. The system server according to claim 17, further comprising a network database including user identification information, wherein the means transmitting the portion comprises means for comparing user identification information received from the user terminal with the user identification information stored in the network database, and for transmitting the portion only if the received user identification information matches the stored user identification information.

19. The system server according to claim 17, further comprising an update manager database for storing an update schedule,

wherein the update schedule includes an update code for the user terminal, and

wherein the means transmitting the portion comprises means for checking the update manager database, and for transmitting the portion only if the update code for the user terminal has a predetermined value.