(12) United States Patent
`Leermakers
`
`(10) Patent N0.:
`(45) Date of Patent:
`
`US 6,928,468 B2
`Aug. 9, 2005
`
`US006928468B2
`
`........ .. 714/18
`4/2000 Casagrande et al.
`8/2000 Kobata et al.
`...... ..
`714/18
`§°StreS1C<11eta1~ ~~
`~~
`igmon
`............... ..
`4/2001 Bharali et al.
`............ .. 709/227
`
`
`
`6,049,892 A *
`6,098,180 A *
`31 :
`,
`,
`6,216,163 B1 *
`
`(54) SYSTEM FOR BROADCASTING SOFTWARE
`APPLICATIONS AND PORTABLE DATA
`COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE FOR USE IN
`SUCHA SYSTEM
`
`(75)
`
`Inventor: Rene Leermakers, Einav, D.N.
`Shomron (IL)
`
`(Continued)
`
`Primary Examiner—Wellington Chin
`Assistant Emmmer_Chu0ng H0
`(5 )
`ABSTRACT
`7
`th t
`t
`f
`t.
`.
`A
`t
`. t.
`communica ions sys em consis ing o a server sys em a
`stores software applications, a broadcast system that broad-
`casts the software applications, and a multiplicity of portable
`clients that each include a receiver having a tuner that is
`selectively tunable to receive a selected one of the software
`applications broadcasted by the broadcast system. The por-
`table clients can be any type of portable data communica-
`tions device, such as a hand-held, palm-top, or notebook
`computing device, a PDA, an intelligent cellular phone, or
`any other personal multimedia appliance or Network Com-
`puter (NC). The broadcast system can be any suitable
`Satellite or terrestrial air or Cable broadcast System. The
`Software applications can Consist of a broad spectrum of
`different software applications, such as word processing,
`video games, spreadsheets, address books, calendars, and
`the like. Each of the portable data communications devices
`includes a receiver that has a tuner that is selectively tunable
`to receive a selected one of a plurality of software applica-
`tions broadcasted by a broadcast system, a user-interface
`that enables a user to select one of the broadcasted software
`applications for downloading, a processor for executing the
`downloaded software applications, and a modem for estab-
`lishing a two-way communications link with a network
`control system. The two-way communications link includes
`a forward channel over which the portable data communi-
`cation device can transmit client data to the network control
`
`system, and a return channel over which the network control
`system can transmit system data to the portable data com-
`munication device. The client data can include requests for
`unrecoverable software application data and client software
`download request data‘
`
`12 Claims, 2 Drawing Sheets
`
`(73) Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V.,
`Eindhoven (NL)
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`USO 154(b) by 77 days.
`
`( * ) Notice:
`
`.
`(21) Appl' No" 09/430536
`
`(22)
`
`(65)
`
`Filed:
`
`Oct. 29, 1999
`_
`_
`_
`Pnor Pubhcatlon Data
`Us 2003/0105345 A1 Jun. 5, 2003
`7
`
`............................................ .. G06F 15/177
`Int. Cl.
`(51)
`..................... .. 709/221; 709/224; 709/222;
`(52) U.S. Cl.
`709/245; 709/218; 709/217; 709/203; 709/232;
`709/235; 709/231; 709/227; 714/18; 714/748;
`714/749; 714/16; 714/819; 725/96; 725/98;
`725/91; 725/114; 725/132; 370/229
`(58) Field Of Search ............................... .. 709/221, 231,
`709/235, 232, 203, 217, 218, 245, 249,
`227, 222, 224, 223, 220, 219, 230, 250;
`725/96, 121, 122, 123, 653, 66, 132, 114,
`91, 98; 714/749, 18, 748, 819, 16, 4; 370/328,
`401, 229, 352, 522; 345/716, 327; 379/901,
`109.3
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`5»666a293 A *
`--------------- -- 709/220
`9/1997 Metz et 31-
`2 * 1%; gorfenlfit ‘:1’
`1““““"
`,
`,
`Os res
`e a.
`......... ..
`709/249
`5,768,539 A *
`6/1998 Metz et al.
`....... ..
`. . . .. 717/178
`5,797,010 A *
`8/1998 Brown . . . . . . . . . . . .
`5,978,855 A * 11/1999 Metz et al.
`............... .. 709/249
`
`
`
`40
`
`sum
`
`50
`
`
`
`NETWORK
`MANAGER
`SERVE '
`SYSTEM
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 1
`
`50
`
`cuem _
`
`_
`
`cuem
`
`CONTROL
`CENTER (30)
`SATELLTTE
`UPLINK
`FACILITY
`
`, 8 NETWORK
`
`
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 1
`
`

`
`US 6,928,468 B2
`Page 2
`
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`1/2002 Feigenbaum ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -~ 709/213
`6339785 B1 *
`3/2002 Hall et al.
`................ .. 370/352
`6,356,543 B2 *
`
`4/2002 Feigenbaum .... ..
`.709/203
`6,377,974 B1 *
`4/2002 Casagrande etal.
`........ .. 714/18
`6,381,709 B1 *
`6,460,163 B1 * 10/2002 Bowman etal.
`.......... .. 714/819
`
`6,490,616 B1 * 12/2002 Maryka et al.
`.
`709/222
`2/2003 Belu ......................... .. 341/51
`6,522,268 B2 *
`6,529,946 B2 *
`3/2003 Yokono et al.
`........... .. 709/217
`
`................ .. 725/132
`3/2003 Araietal.
`6,532,591 B1 *
`5/2003 D'11
`...................... .. 709/250
`6,571,296 B1 *
`7/2003 H;u0:ta1.
`................... 455/419
`6587 684 B1 *
`8/2003 Feigenbaum
`709/203
`6’606’646 B2 ,,
`.
`’
`’
`*
`“““““““ “
`gfgggg :1 ,, £333
`al‘ """""""" Zégfiig
`1
`6357335 B2 *
`6/2004 A t
`"1""" "t""1""" " 719/231
`9
`9
`P°S°°P“ °5 ° ""
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 2
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 2
`
`

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`U.S. Patent
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`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 3
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 3
`
`

`
`U.S. Patent
`
`Aug. 9, 2005
`
`Sheet 2 of 2
`
`US 6,928,468 B2
`
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`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 4
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 4
`
`

`
`US 6,928,468 B2
`
`1
`SYSTEM FOR BROADCASTING SOFTWARE
`APPLICATIONS AND PORTABLE DATA
`COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE FOR USE IN
`SUCH A SYSTEM
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention relates generally to the field of data
`communications, and more particularly, to the field of por-
`table data communications devices.
`
`The recent explosive growth of the Internet has given rise
`to the concept of “Network Computing”. The basic idea of
`Network Computing is to store data and software applica-
`tions on remote computers (“servers”) rather than locally on
`user’s computers (“clients”), with the clients only down-
`loading the data and/or software applications from a server
`(s) on which they reside, as they are needed, thus dispensing
`with or greatly minimizing the client’s memory and hard-
`disk drive resources. The clients in this Network Computing
`paradigm are sometimes referred to as “Network Comput-
`ers” (NCs), or “thin clients”. Ideally, all software applica-
`tions and user data would be stored in secure, fault-tolerant,
`scalable servers and associated mass storage devices (e.g.,
`Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Drives—RAIDs), thereby
`completely eliminating the need for individual computer
`users to purchase, install, maintain, upgrade, and replace
`individual software applications and/or operating systems,
`and completely eliminating the need for individual computer
`users to store and back-up their data files.
`Many, including large companies such as Oracle, Sun
`Microsystems, and IBM, have promoted a particular instan-
`tiation of this “network centric” paradigm in which all
`software applications are written in the Java programming
`language, and served in the form of Java “applets”,
`to
`thereby enable real-time execution of any selected software
`application on any type of computer (mainframe, PC, laptop,
`etc.) running on any type of computer platform or operating
`system (e.g., Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh, Unix,
`etc.). In short, each client would be “Java-enabled”, and
`could thus be regarded as a “Java virtual machine”. Since
`Java is an open, hardware-independent, cross-platform
`(“open”) programming language, the result would be that all
`clients would be capable of executing any software appli-
`cation. This “universal” client-server model is now regarded
`by many as the “holy grail” of the computing world.
`Ideally,
`the user should be unaware that he/she is not
`working with a computer having little or no local storage and
`no resident software applications. However,
`this is only
`possible if the client has a continuous, broadband connection
`to the network (e.g., a private Intranet and/or the public
`Internet). While this is feasible in some professional and
`commercial settings,
`it
`is not generally feasible for the
`average home user/personal consumer. The typical PC user
`only has a narrowband connection, via telephone modem, to
`the Internet.
`
`Moreover, recent dramatic technological advancements in
`the fields of computers, software, semiconductors, and com-
`munications have led to a proliferation of products that are
`capable of real-time processing of digitized streams of
`multiple data types, such as audio, video, graphics, and
`communications data streams. Such products are commonly
`referred to as “multimedia products”. These multimedia
`products include PCs, television set-top boxes, videoconfer-
`encing systems, Internet (Web) Browsers, video arcade
`game systems, consumer video game consoles, and many
`others. In general, the downloading of multimedia content
`and software applications demands ever-increasing amounts
`of bandwidth.
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`Moreover, there is a pronounced trend towards a conver-
`gence of these various multimedia data types, leading to an
`increased level of integration of multimedia processing
`capabilities in multimedia products. Further,
`there is an
`increasing consumer demand for “personal multimedia
`products” or “personal multimedia appliances” which are
`portable (mobile/transportable), and which preferably have
`at least a wireless mode of operation. Present-generation
`products of this type include intelligent cellular telephones
`(such as Nokia’s Smart Phone), Personal Digital Assistants
`(PDAs), such as Philips’ Nino and 3Com’s Palm Pilot
`palm-top computing devices,
`laptop and notebook
`computers, digital mobile telephony devices for use in
`Personal Communications Systems (PCS), and the like.
`Typically, such hand-held devices are equipped (or can be
`equipped) with a wireless (and/or wireline) modem that
`enables the user to dial up a narrowband connection to an
`Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), a Public
`Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a cellular telephone
`data network, such as the Cellular Digital Packet Data
`(CDPD) network, or the like, to enable the user to send and
`receive e-mail, and/or to surf the Web. In order to run
`software applications like word processing, video games,
`spreadsheets, address books, calendars, and the like, these
`hand-held devices must be equipped with a processor and
`sufficient memory to store and run these software applica-
`tions.
`
`It is becoming increasingly apparent that as the variety
`and complexity of multimedia data increases, the amount of
`processing power, memory resources, and communications
`bandwidth that will be required to transmit and to process
`this data and to run multimedia software applications will
`also increase. Inevitably, the line of distinction between a
`“computer” on the one hand, and a “personal multimedia
`appliance”, on the other hand, will completely blur.
`It is also becoming increasingly apparent that the amount
`of communications bandwidth available to personal multi-
`media appliances, such as hand-held, palm-top, and note-
`book computing devices, PDAs, and intelligent cellular
`phones, is much too narrow to enable the real-time down-
`loading and execution of such software applications in
`accordance with the Network Computing paradigm.
`However, there is an increasing consumer demand for a
`personal multimedia appliance that has fully integrated
`multimedia processing capabilities,
`that
`is compact and
`inexpensive, and that has the capability to run, in real-time,
`a broad spectrum of different software applications, such as
`word processing, video games, spreadsheets, address books,
`calendars, and the like, while preferably also having other
`capabilities, such as sending and receiving e-mail, surfing
`the Web, receiving and playing digital video (e.g., MPEG-2
`or DVD-quality video) and digital audio (e.g., MP3 or
`CD-quality audio), and/or cellular telephony.
`The present invention fulfills the need in the art for a
`portable data communications device that has the capability
`to download and run,
`in real-time, a broad spectrum of
`different software applications, such as word processing,
`video games, spreadsheets, address books, calendars, and
`the like, while preferably also having other capabilities, such
`as sending and receiving e-mail, surfing the Web, receiving
`and playing digital video (e.g., MPEG-2 or DVD-quality
`video) and digital audio (e.g., MP3 or CD-quality audio),
`and/or cellular telephony.
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`The present invention encompasses, in one of its aspects,
`a communications system consisting of a server system that
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 5
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 5
`
`

`
`US 6,928,468 B2
`
`3
`stores software applications, a broadcast system that broad-
`casts the software applications, and a multiplicity of portable
`clients that each include a receiver having a tuner that is
`selectively tunable to receive a selected one of the software
`applications broadcasted by the broadcast system. The por-
`table clients can be any type of portable data communica-
`tions device, such as a hand-held, palm-top, or notebook
`computing device, a PDA, an intelligent cellular phone, or
`any other personal multimedia appliance or Network Com-
`puter (NC). The broadcast system can be any suitable
`satellite or terrestrial air or cable broadcast system. For
`example, a CATV broadcast network, a DBS broadcast
`network, an HDTV broadcast network, or other appropriate
`broadcast network could be utilized. The software applica-
`tions can consist of a broad spectrum of different software
`applications, such as word processing, video games,
`spreadsheets, address books, calendars, and the like.
`Each of the portable data communications devices
`includes a receiver that has a tuner that is selectively tunable
`to receive a selected one of a plurality of software applica-
`tions broadcasted by a broadcast system, a user-interface
`that enables a user to select one of the broadcasted software
`
`applications for downloading, a processor for executing the
`downloaded software applications, and a modem for estab-
`lishing a two-way communications link with a network
`control system.
`The two-way communications link includes a forward
`channel over which the portable data communications
`device can transmit client data to the network control
`
`system, and a return channel over which the network control
`system can transmit system data to the portable data com-
`munications device. The client data can include requests for
`unrecoverable software application data and client software
`download request data. The system data can include instruc-
`tions for supervising the downloading of software
`applications, unrecoverable software application data, and
`download control data issued in response to the client
`software download request data.
`In one embodiment, the broadcast system broadcasts the
`software applications over different channels each occupy-
`ing a different respective frequency band, and the tuner is
`selectively tunable to any selected one of the plurality of
`different frequency bands in order to receive the selected one
`of the broadcasted software applications.
`In another of its aspects, the present invention encom-
`passes the portable data communications devices which are
`used in the communication system of the present invention.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`These and other objects, features, and advantages of the
`present invention will become readily apparent from the
`following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
`accompanying drawings, in which:
`FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a system for
`broadcasting software applications that embodies one aspect
`of the present invention; and,
`FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a portable data
`communications device that embodies another aspect of the
`present invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`
`With reference now to FIG. 1, an exemplary system 20 for
`broadcasting software applications that embodies one aspect
`of the present invention will now be described. As can be
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`seen, the system 20 includes a Network Control Center 30,
`a satellite 40, and a multiplicity of clients 50. The Network
`Control Center 30 includes a server system 33, a Network
`Manager 35, a satellite uplink facility 37, and a modem bank
`39. It will be readily appreciated that the various compo-
`nents of the Network Control Center 30 can be physically
`co-resident in the same facility, or can be distributed and
`interconnected by any suitable means, e.g., via a Local Area
`Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Metropolitan
`Area Network (WAN), or the like.
`The server system 33 functions to store a plurality of
`different software applications for broadcast to the multi-
`plicity of clients via the satellite 40. The scheduling,
`management, and control of the storage,
`retrieval, and
`transmission of the software applications is handled by the
`Network Manager 35, which can suitably be a computer or
`computer system that
`is appropriately programmed and
`operated. The Network Manager 35 preferably supplies the
`software applications as a continuous data stream over at
`least one channel to the satellite uplink facility 37, which
`then modulates the data stream(s) for transmission via one or
`more uplink data transmission channels to the satellite 40,
`which in turn amplifies and broadcasts the data stream(s) via
`one or more downlink data transmission channels.
`
`It will be readily appreciated by those having ordinary
`skill in the pertinent art and access to the teachings of the
`present disclosure that the number of channels dedicated for
`use for broadcasting software applications is not limiting to
`the present invention. However, it is presently contemplated
`that multiple channels will be utilized in order to provide
`sufficient communications bandwidth to enable the simul-
`
`taneous broadcast of a broad spectrum of different software
`applications to a multiplicity of the clients 50 that are
`simultaneously requesting a diverse suite of software
`applications, such as word processing, video games,
`spreadsheets, address books, calendars, and the like. In this
`regard, as will be described hereinafter, each of the clients 50
`preferably has the capability of tuning to any selected one of
`the plurality of different channels over which the software
`applications are broadcast.
`In the illustrative embodiment depicted in FIG. 1, the
`Network Control Center 30 is equipped with a modem bank
`39 that is also under the active management and control of
`the Network Manager 35 to thereby enable the establishment
`of a two-way communications link with each of the multi-
`plicity of clients 50, as required.
`In the illustrative
`embodiment,
`the two-way communications link is a full
`duplex telephone connection, e.g., via a Public Switched
`Telephone Network (PSTN) 51 and a Cellular Telephone
`Network (CTN) 53, to each of the multiplicity of clients 50.
`The two-way communications link includes a forward chan-
`nel that allows each client 50 to transmit user-specific data
`and/or requests to the Network Control Center 30, and a
`return channel that allows the Network Control Center 30 to
`
`transmit user-specific data and/or instructions/commands to
`each client 50, as required.
`there can be seen a
`With reference now to FIG. 2,
`functional block diagram of a representative one of the
`clients 50. The client 50 includes a processor 60 on which
`resides a control program that manages and controls network
`communications in a manner to be described below.
`
`it can
`the client 50 is Java-enabled, so that
`Preferably,
`function as a Java virtual machine, although this is not
`limiting to the present invention, in its broadest sense. For
`example, the processor 60 can suitably be a multi-function,
`multimedia processor such as a Philips Semiconductor Tri-
`Media programmable DSP/CPU that combines a next-
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 6
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 6
`
`

`
`US 6,928,468 B2
`
`5
`generation, programmable microprocessor core with a full
`set of innovative development tools to simultaneously pro-
`cess full-motion video (e.g., MPEG-2 and DVD digital
`video), 3-D computer graphics, CD-quality audio, and high-
`speed data communications data streams. This type of
`processor is sometimes referred to in the art as a “system-
`on-a-chip”.
`The client 50 of the illustrative embodiment depicted in
`FIG. 2 also includes a receiver module 61 that includes an
`antenna 63, a tuner/de-modulator 65, a tuner controller 67,
`and an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) 69. Preferably,
`the tuner/de-modulator 65 is selectively tunable by the tuner
`controller 67, which is in turn controlled by the processor 60,
`to any selected one of a plurality of different frequency
`bands/channels that correspond to the downlink data trans-
`mission channels of the satellite 40 over which the software
`
`applications originated by the Network Control Center 30
`are broadcast.
`
`The client 50 of the illustrative embodiment depicted in
`FIG. 2 further includes an input device 80, e.g., an illumi-
`nated keypad, and/or integrated trackpad or trackball and/or
`mouse and/or stylus-controlled touch-sensitive screen, or the
`like. The input device 80 is coupled to an input processor 82
`(e.g., a DSP) that is turn coupled to the processor 60. The
`client 50 further includes a display device 84, such as
`flip-up/flip-down LCD or other Flat Panel Display (FPD).
`The display device 84 is controlled by a display processor 86
`(e.g.
`a DSP)
`that
`is coupled to the processor 60.
`Alternatively,
`the input processor 82 and/or the display
`processor 86 can be integrated into the processor 60 (e.g., as
`separate function units thereof).
`The client 50 of the illustrative embodiment depicted in
`FIG. 2 further includes a local memory 88, which can, for
`example, be a Synchronous Dynamic Random Access
`Memory (SDRAM) or the like. The local memory 88 is
`coupled via a bus 90 to the processor 60. The local memory
`88 should be sufficient to store control data needed by the
`control program running on the processor 60, such as menu
`and related information, and to store any broadcast software
`applications that are downloaded.
`The client 50 of the illustrative embodiment depicted in
`FIG. 2 further includes a modem 93 coupled via a serial bus
`95 to the processor 60. The modem 93 is preferably a
`wireless or cellular modem, such as the IP Minstrel sold by
`Novatel, that is adapted to establishing a two-way commu-
`nications link, such as a full duplex cellular telephone
`connection, e.g., via a Cellular Telephone Network (CTN)
`53 and a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 51, to
`the Network Control Center 30. As previously described, the
`two-way communications link preferably includes a forward
`channel that allows the client 50 to transmit user-specific
`data and/or requests to the Network Control Center 30, and
`a return channel that allows the Network Control Center 30
`
`to transmit user-specific data and/or instructions/commands
`to the client 50, as required.
`It will be readily apparent to those having ordinary skill
`in the pertinent art and access to the teachings of the present
`disclosure that a variety of different techniques can suitably
`be utilized to enable a user of the client 50 to request and
`download one or more selected ones of the broadcast
`
`software applications, and to manage and control this pro-
`cess. For example, the control program can provide a menu
`of the software applications that are available for download-
`ing. The menu could also provide associated information
`such as estimated time required to download each software
`application, the different categories of software applications
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`that are available for download (e.g., word processors, video
`games, spreadsheets, address books, calendars, etc.), and the
`like.
`
`The channel over which each software application is
`broadcast can be stored in a look-up table in the local
`memory 88, with this channel information being retrieved
`by the processor 60 in response to the user selecting a
`particular software application for download, e.g., via the
`input device 80. The processor 60 can then issue an appro-
`priate control signal to the tuner controller 67 which, in
`response thereto, can tune the tuner/de-modulator 65 to the
`appropriate channel.
`Alternatively, the processor 60, in response to the user
`selecting a particular application for download, can generate
`a request which can be transmitted by the modem 93 over
`the forward channel of the two-way communication channel
`to the Network Control Center 30. The Network Manager 35
`within the Network Control Center 30 can then generate
`appropriate channel tuning instructions/commands for trans-
`mission by the modem bank 39 and via the return channel of
`the two-way communication channel to the client 50. The
`processor 60, in response to the channel tuning instructions/
`commands received from the Network Control Center 30,
`can then issue an appropriate control signal to the tuner
`controller 67 which,
`in response thereto, can tune the
`tuner/de-modulator 65 to the appropriate channel. Once
`downloaded, the software application can be stored in the
`local memory 88 and executed by the processor 60 in the
`normal manner.
`
`As will appreciated, with broadcast bitrates of 10
`megabits/second or greater, particularly with communica-
`tions taking place over a noisy/lossy transmission medium
`(e.g., air), there is the possibility of data corruption leading
`to unrecoverable data, i.e., uncollectable bit errors. In this
`situation, the client could wait for a re-transmission of the
`selected software application, or, alternatively, the two-way
`communications link with the Network Control Center 30
`
`can be used to recover the missing (corrupted) data, e.g., the
`request for the missing data can be transmitted to the
`Network Control Center 30 over the forward channel and the
`
`missing data itself can be transmitted by the Network
`Control Center 30 over the return channel.
`
`In general, it should be recognized that the client 50 can
`suitably be implemented as any type of portable data com-
`munications device, such as a hand-held, palm-top, or note-
`book computing device, a PDA, and an intelligent cellular
`phone, or any other personal multimedia appliance or Net-
`work Computer (NC). The client 50 may also be provided
`with one or more communications ports (e.g., USB ports) to
`facilitate connection to one or more external multimedia
`
`products, such as a DVD drive, a CD-ROM drive, a CD
`player, or the like. Also, although the illustrative embodi-
`ment of the present invention has been described above in
`connection with a satellite broadcast system, it should be
`readily apparent that any suitable terrestrial air or cable
`broadcast system could be utilized. For example, a CATV
`broadcast network, a DBS broadcast network, an HDTV
`broadcast network, or other appropriate broadcast network
`could be utilized.
`
`Users could be charged on a time-of-usage basis, on a
`subscription basis (e.g., monthly or annual subscription fee),
`on a per application downloaded basis, on a per use/
`transaction basis, or any other suitable basis. In fact, the
`service could be offered as a free service in conjunction with
`other services and/or subsidized by advertisers.
`Although the present invention has been described in
`detail hereinabove,
`it should be appreciated that many
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 7
`
`Samsung-LG-HTC Ex. 1114 p. 7
`
`

`
`US 6,928,468 B2
`
`7
`variations and/or modifications of the basic inventive con-
`cepts taught herein which may appear to those skilled in the
`pertinent art will still fall within the spirit and scope of the
`present invention as defined in the appended claims.
`What is claimed is:
`
`1. A portable data communications device, comprising
`a receiver that includes a tuner that is selectively tunable
`to receive a selected one of a plurality of software
`applications being simultaneously broadcasted by a
`broadcast system over a plurality of channels that are
`selectively in communication with a return channel
`from the broadcast system;
`a user-interface that enables a user to select one of the
`
`broadcasted software applications from a menu for
`downloading;
`a processor for executing the downloaded software appli-
`cation; and
`a modem for establishing a two-way communications link
`with a network control system, said two-way commu-
`nications link being separate from the broadcast
`system, wherein the two-way communications link
`includes a forward channel over which the portable
`data communications device can transmit client data to
`
`the network control system, and the return channel over
`which the network control system can transmit data to
`the portable communications device selected from a
`plurality of channels;
`wherein said two-way communications link is adapted to
`retransmit predetermined portions of lost/corrupted
`software application data that have been broadcast by
`said network control system, with a request for retrans-
`mission of missing/corrupted data is transmitted over
`the forward channel and retransmission of the missing/
`corrupted data is transmitted over the return channel.
`2. The portable data communications device as set forth in
`claim 1, further comprising a control program executed by
`the processor for controlling the tuner.
`3. The portable data communications device as set forth in
`claim 1, wherein the broadcast system is a satellite direct
`broadcast system.
`4. The portable data communications device as set forth in
`claim 1, wherein the modem is a wireless modem.
`5. The portable data communications device as set forth in
`claim 4, wherein the broadcast system is a satellite direct
`broadcast system.
`6. The portable data communications device as set forth in
`claim 1, wherein the system data includes instructions for
`supervising the downloading of software applications.
`7. The portable data communications device as set forth in
`claim 1,
`wherein the client data includes requests for unrecover-
`able software application data and the system data
`includes the unrecoverable software application data.
`8. The portable data communications device as set forth in
`claim 1, wherein the client data includes client software
`
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`request data, and the system data includes download control
`data issued in response to the client software downloads
`request data.
`9. The portable data communications device as set forth in
`claim 1, wherein:
`the broadcast system broadcasts the software applications
`over different channels each occupying a different
`respective frequency band; and,
`the tuner is selectively tunable to any selected one of the
`plurality of different frequency bands in order to
`receive the selected one of the software applications
`broadcasted by the broadcast system.
`10. The portable data communications device according
`to claim 1, wherein said two-way communications link is
`adapted to retransmit predetermined portions of lost/
`corrupted software application data that have been broadcast
`by said network control system, with a request for retrans-
`mission of missing/corrupted data is transmitted over the
`forward channel and retransmission of the missing/
`corrupted data is transmitted over the return channel without
`retransmission of missing/corrupted data by the broadcast
`system.
`11. A method of doing business comprising:
`storing software applications on a server system;
`broadcasting the software applications to a multiplicity of
`independent portable clients that each include a
`receiver having as tuner that is selectively tunable to
`receive a selected one of the plurality of software
`applications being simultaneously broadcasted by the
`broadcast system over a return channel from the broad-
`cast system; and
`charging a user of the portable clients a fee for receiving
`a selected one of the software applications, wherein the
`fee is selected from the group consisting of time-of-
`usage basis, a subscription basis, a per applications
`downloaded basis or a per transaction basis; and
`wherein the server system receives a request for broad-
`casting the software applications by the portable clients
`over communication channels separate from the broad-
`cast system; and
`wherein requests for retransmission of missing/corrupted
`software application data is made by at least of the
`portable clients over the communication channels sepa-
`rate from the broadcast system, and a retransmission of
`the missing/corrupted software application data is
`made over the communication channels separate from
`the broadcast system.
`12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said
`communication channels separate from broadcast system
`from which the server receives a request from at least one of
`the portable clients comprises forward and return channels
`via a PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network and CTN
`(Cellula