Patent · US Expired

Multicast downloading of software and data modules and their compatibility requirements

US5951639A · kind A · utility

188Cited by
20References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 14, 1996
Grant dateSep 14, 1999
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 14, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA63F2300/409
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system for downloading different versions of software or data modules into a plurality of terminals having different compatibility interfaces includes an authoring component for generating the different module versions, a downloading source including a descriptor table which associates each module version with a list of compatibility requirements needed to download the module, and a plurality of terminals coupled to the downloading source. The downloading source transmits the descriptor table to each terminal and also continuously transmits the modules over the network. Each terminal extracts the descriptor table and, based on a match between an entry in the descriptor table and an internally stored table determines which version of a particular module should be downloaded. The system avoids the need for two-way communication between each terminal and the downloading source.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.