[54] SYSTEM FOR SCHEDULING
`TRANSMISSION OF INDEXED AND
`REQUESTED DATABASE TIERS 0N
`g?TMEAsND-AT VARYING REPETITION
`
`[75] Inventor: Frank H. Levinson, Palo Alto, Calif.
`.
`_
`_
`_
`[73] Asslgnee:
`Corporatlon’ Menlo Park’
`
`'
`[21] App1_ NQ_: 786,453
`
`'
`
`Nov‘ 1’ 1991
`[22] Filed:
`[51] Int. Cl.6 ............................................ .. G06F 15/40
`[52] US. Cl. .................................... .. 395/600; 370/92;
`348/3; 364/DIG. 1; 364/2821; 364/2823;
`364/282.4; 364/283. 1; 364/2832; 364/2833;
`364/2841; 364/2843
`[58] Field of Search ............. .. 395/600; 370/92; 348/3
`
`[56]
`
`4,706,121 11/1987 Youn ...... ..
`g
`4,956,772 9/1990 Neches ..... ..
`4,994,926 2/1991 Gordon et al.
`5,164,938 11/ 1992 Jurkevich et a]
`5,193,189 3/1993 Flood et a1
`5,220,420 6/ 1993 Homy et a1- --
`5’22o'501 6/1993 Lawlor ct 31- "
`
`Nadan ................................. -
`
`Primary Examiner-Thomas G. Black
`Assistant Examiner-Wayne Amsbury
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Flehr, Hohbach, Test,
`Albritton & Herbert
`
`An mformation broadcasting system provides a large
`number of subscribers access to a lar e amount of infor
`mation using one or more satellite iransmission chan
`nels. The system can also use cable television transmis
`sion channels. A program supplier station stores an
`information database and ta s all the information in the
`database with indices so as ti form a single hierarchical
`structure which encompasses the entire information
`database. Portions of the information database are trans
`mitted often, at least once per day, in order to provide
`the basic subscriber with information need to access the
`remainder of the database. The information provided by
`the basic subscriber service, which will typically in
`'clude at least 50 gigabytes of data, is available to all
`subscribers without requiring two way communications
`between the subscribers and the program supplier sta
`tion- Using a tiered system for scheduling transmission
`of the 50 gigabytes or so of information included in the
`basic subscriber service, as well as an intelligent sub
`References Cited
`scriber request anticipation scheme for retrieving infor
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`4,429,3ss 1/1924 Cichelli et al. ...................... .. 370/92 mm“ bef°re the subscnber asks f°r 1*" the Present
`invention provides subscribers with reasonably quick
`_
`access to all the contents of the large database wh1le
`using only a modest amount of bandwidth. Further
`more, by reserving a portion of the system’s bandwidth
`for satisfying requests for access to information not
`provided with the basic subscriber service, timely ac
`cess to a virtually unlimited amount of information can
`be provided, using the same modest transmission band_
`width, to those subscribers willing to pay additional fees
`for that Service.
`
`.
`
`Umted States Patent [19]
`Levinson
`
`I
`
`US005404505A
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
`
`5,404,505
`Apr. 4, 1995
`
`[57]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`48 Claims, 6 Drawing Sheets
`
`290
`W
`
`292
`
`1ST LEVEL INFO STRUCT A [1ST LEVEL INFO STRUCT B |
`
`1st LEVEL INFO STRUCT cl [1st LEVEL INFO sTRucT?
`
`l
`2
`.Q
`‘U
`“E' on
`g 3 8
`
`5
`O.
`0
`‘O
`
`2ND LEvEL INFO srnucr A Farm LEVEL INFO srnucr BI | 2ND LEVEL INFO smucr? . . . I 2ND LEVEL INFO srnucr |
`rwmmmm
`_/_ l l\ _' --------- - -
`
`responses
`
`
`depth of <___ non-query ...><._
`
`RESPONSE AVALIABLE
`ONLY THRU QUERY
`
`RESPONSE AVALIABLE
`ONLY THRU QUERY
`
`.
`
`RESPONSE AVALIABLE
`ONLY THRU QUERY
`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 1 of 37
`
`Groupon, Inc.
`Exhibit 1006
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Apr. 4, 1995
`
`Sheet 1 of 6
`
`5,404,505
`
`100
`W SATELLITE
`1%
`
`1104
`
`’
`
`r1 10-2
`
`[110-3
`
`[1 10-4
`
`r 102
`
`TEL
`6.0.
`
`r140
`
`Data
`Forrnatter
`(Encryption
`And Data
`Streaming)
`
`f 132
`f 133
`r130
`Program
`Memo .
`CPU ""L Editing
`‘
`And Tx
`Scheduling
`Software
`
`I
`h
`ggtaedu 9‘
`
`information
`Database
`
`112
`
`r13e
`Subscriber
`Database
`
`1134
`
`User
`Request
`Processor
`
`r136
`
`‘ I
`
`Central Program Supplier Station
`
`FIGURE 1
`
`Satellite
`Signal
`
`150
`
`[110-1
`
`r
`
`. [120 Desktop
`_
`Computer
`Data Filter
`'
`Subsystem
`LNB
`l r153 +
`Receiver
`
`158
`3222???"
`9/
`r 154 H59
`CPU
`Modem
`‘_\
`160
`
`Tel ine
`
`(124
`{122
`RAM
`Diskls)
`Subscriber
`s‘m’a'e
`
`FIGURE 2
`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 2 of 37
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Apr. 4, 1995
`
`Sheet 2 0f 6
`
`5,404,505
`
`[124
`Disk(s)
`
`‘6‘“'—i>a*_a&@a _ _ _ .. ..
`164"\- Smart Cache
`‘Se-\- Request Handling Routines
`waxrsrna-rtCachigq-Routirg -
`165x‘ Data Decompression
`166_'---Cache Management
`167'_'-- User Profile Setup
`3°°"\--User Profile
`
`Subscriber
`Software
`16°
`
`Receiver And
`
`FIGURE 3
`
`Satellite
`Signal
`
`1 50
`
`1 10-2
`f\/
`
`‘——P Subscriber's Computer
`
`-
`
`f1 80
`
`{1 52
`LNB
`174
`f 120 Desktop
`l [153 El» Data Filter
`Computer
`Receiver
`_
`Subsystem
`158\
`l ,176
`,1; 22211
`Data Switch
`8/
`1' {17°
`f 154
`{159
`3223532
`CPU
`Modem
`1
`
`(1.22
`RAM
`
`p24
`Disk“)
`Pal? ?ea. _
`Smart Cache
`Subscriber
`
`178
`f
`
`'
`
`\
`
`Supplier
`stat'on
`
`172
`J
`.
`"'—> Subscriber's Computer
`
`i
`:
`
`FIGURE 4
`
`'
`Tel Line
`To Prog
`Supplier
`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 3 of 37
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Apr. 4, 1995
`
`Sheet 3 of 6
`
`5,404,505
`
`Satellite
`Signal
`
`150
`NETWORK 0F SUBSCRIBERS
`.
`r 120
`[152
`Data ?lter
`|‘_> - Network
`LNB
`Receiver \->--> Subsystem
`Sewer
`
`1 30
`f
`
`[182
`
`r184
`'
`r184
`M Work-
`. . . Work-
`110-3
`Station
`Station
`
`[186
`Network
`Modem
`
`'
`
`FIGURES
`
`l
`
`V
`Tel Line
`To Prog
`Supplier
`
`r DATA PACKET
`
`[200
`2°21 Packet ID
`gxi-Function Code
`
`1-Data
`
`-
`I210
`
`2°8-,__Error
`Detection
`Codes
`
`FIGURE 6
`
`Timestamped Indexes For
`Next N Levels Of
`Hierarchy
`or Related Data
`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 4 of 37
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Apr. 4, 1995
`
`Sheet 4 of 6
`
`5,404,505
`
`20
`f2
`Clock Recovery,
`.
`Packet Framing
`Satelme
`Data -> And Error
`Packets
`Correction
`Circuit
`
`120
`Recovered,
`Framed, W
`Encrypted
`22
`Data Stream
`,2
`4MB Ring Buffer
`
`_>
`
`Packet Rcv'd
`Msg to
`Controller
`
`24
`
`ghlargiel
`ee lOl'l
`Signalse Controller
`To _
`Receiver
`
`{226
`Structured
`PacketlD
`Filter List
`
`Data And
`Control Bus
`l
`
`Video
`Decompression
`Mogwggsck
`An Pl
`-
`circuits
`+
`
`Video
`Output
`
`Selected
`Data
`Packets
`
`Commands’
`Finer Spec‘
`
`{234
`Interface T0
`Subscriber's
`Computer
`
`FIGURE 7
`
`Bus Of
`Subscriber's
`Computer
`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 5 of 37
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Apr. 4, 1995
`
`} Sheet 5 of 6
`
`5,404,505
`
`001000C10,PTR 1'" 001031094,PTR
`
`001031305,PTR "0 97A611232,PTR I99.
`
`226
`‘1260-02
`,260-01
`\/\
`,20420
`2601 001000C10,PTR 001031305,PTR
`FF688F911,PTR
`r270 \ r272 \
`/\ \\/
`
`THIRD LEVEL 0F TREE NODES
`
`2512
`
`/ f268
`/ r266
`001000010, 8, Channel 1, Rep?ate, Skevriooo 001031094, R, Channel 2, 0.11m 000
`
`FIGURE 8
`
`30°“,
`
`.
`
`Amount Of Available Disk Space Reserved For Root
`3021 Information And Frequently Used Information
`Default Hierarchy Storage Depth
`3081 Always Request Subtree1
`i Always Request Subtree 2
`
`' 5
`
`‘FIGURE 10
`
`The San Francisco 49ers announced yesterda
`first draft choice will be
`
`that their
`
`r322
`001000610, 5, Channel 1, Fiep_Flate >o(,Time_Skew yy
`
`FIGURE 11
`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 6 of 37
`
`

`

`US. Patent
`
`Apr. 4, 1995
`
`Sheet 6 of 6
`
`5,404,505
`
`‘—
`
`Bugqaea
`enegpewwg. go uzdep
`
`sesuodsa:
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`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 7 of 37
`
`I I I I I I I I l
`
`I I
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`
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`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 7 of 37
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`

`

`1
`
`SYSTEM FOR SCHEDULING TRANSMISSION OF
`TNDEXED AND REQUESTED DATABASE TIERS
`ON DEMAND AT VARYING REPETITION RATES
`
`The present invention relates generally to the trans
`mission or broadcasting of digital information to a wide
`base of subscribers, and particularly to methods and
`systems for providing access by many subscribers to an
`almost unlimited amount of information and/or pro
`gramming material.
`
`5,404,505
`2
`with multimedia programming, including video and
`audio programming. This is unlike current query based
`information servers, whose low bandwidth makes the
`distribution of video and audio programming impracti
`cal. The ability of the present invention to distribute
`information in multimedia form makes it much more
`attractive to both subscribers and potential information
`publishers, including advertisers.
`It is important to note that while a user has access to
`perhaps a terabtye, or even 100 terabytes or more, of
`data, the total amount of data that systems in accor
`dance with the present invention system can transmit in
`any one day is much more limited, as will be described
`below. This is not unlike visiting the main library of a
`major university, such as Yale or Harvard University,
`having stacks containing several million volumes of
`books. Having “access” to all those books every single
`day does not means that a user can receive them all in
`one day, nor does it mean that all the users can receive
`all the books in a single day. Nevertheless, each particu
`lar book (file or program) is available on relatively short
`notice, and having access to such a large collection of
`books (data) is still very useful.
`The present invention also has tremendous cost ad
`vantages compared with information distribution using
`compact disks (CDs), and is believed to have distribu
`tion costs on the order of one thousand times less than
`any competing distribution media. The present inven
`tion eliminates both the need to generate “master” disks
`and the need to manufacture any physical media. Since
`distribution is accomplished by broadcasting, the actual
`costs for “publishing” a million copies of an average
`length novel (i.e., distributing it to a million subscribers)
`would be on the order of just a few dollars, versus a cost
`on the order a dollar or more per copy for printing
`either CDs or traditional books, plus similar costs for
`the physical distribution, resulting in traditional distri
`bution costs totalling millions of dollars. Furthermore,
`updates to previously distributed information are also
`distributed at equally low cost using the present inven
`tion, in contrast with CD based publishing which re
`quires mailing or otherwise physically producing and
`distributing new CDs to all previous purchasers.
`
`30
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`The goal of computerized information servers is to
`provide a system that encourages use by subscribers,
`provides access to a large range of information, and
`which is ?exible and inexpensive for information pub
`lishers. Computerized information services which exist
`today include Prodigy, Compuserve, and Dialog. Typi
`cally, the user either pays a monthly fee or a connect 20
`time fee for the most basic service and additional or ‘
`special services are provided for additional fees.
`All of the above, mentioned computer services re
`quire two way communications between the user and
`the information server in order to service each new
`25
`request by the user. In other words, the user sends re
`quests, and then selected data is transmitted individually
`to that user in response to his/her request. This two way
`“query based” communication scheme is also prevalent
`in other types of information servers. For instance, the
`“pay per view” services provided by cable television
`companies allow a subscriber to call the company and
`request a movie.
`The company then sends a signal to the subscriber’s
`television signal decoder to enable it to decode the
`35
`program on a particular channel during the period of
`time associated with the requested movie. In this case,
`the “information” (a program or movie) is being trans
`mitted in any case, but subscribers are only provided
`access to the program if they pay a special fee.
`Two major distinctions between the present inven
`tion and the prior art query based information servers
`are (l) the present invention has a bandwidth that is
`thousands of times of greater than the prior art systems,
`thereby enabling high speed, low cost distribution of
`45
`information, and (2) the present invention greatly re
`duces the amount of two-way communication required
`between subscribers and the information server by auto
`matically transmitting information that responds to
`most anticipated “requests” by subscribers. Only those
`subscriber requests not satis?ed by the automatically
`transmitted information need to be conveyed to the
`information server.
`The goal of the present invention is to provide wide
`spread, high speed access to a virtual omniscient data
`base having typically well in excess of a terabyte (1012
`bytes) of data. Using a data channel capable of transmit
`ting, say, 1.5 megabytes of data per second, the present
`invention can provide virtually instantaneous access to
`about a 100 megabytes of information, high speed ac
`60
`cess (e.g., within two hours) to about a gigabyte of
`information, and can provide medium speed access,
`with perhaps 12 or 24 hour turn-around, to perhaps 100
`terabytes of information. Furthermore, such access can
`be provided to a very large set of users without having
`to use a large number of data channels.
`The large bandwidth of the present invention’s infor
`mation server enables the system to provide subscribers
`
`55
`
`65
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`In summary, the present invention is an information
`broadcasting system which provides a large number of
`subscribers access to a large amount of information
`using one or more satellite transmission charmels. The
`broadcasting system can also use cable television trans
`mission channels or any similarly structured data distri
`bution network. The system has a program supplier
`station which stores an information database and tags all
`the information in the database with indices so as to
`form a single hierarchical structure which encompasses
`the entire information database. Portions of the informa
`tion database are transmitted often, at least once per
`day, in order to provide the basic subscriber with infor
`mation needed to access the remainder of the database.
`The information provided by the basic subscriber ser
`vice, which will typically include at least 50 gigabytes
`of data, is available to all subscribers without requiring
`two way communications between the subscribers and
`the program supplier station.
`By using a “tiered” system for scheduling transmis
`sion of the 50 gigabytes or so of information included in
`the basic subscriber service, as well as an “intelligen ”
`subscriber request anticipation scheme for retrieving
`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 8 of 37
`
`

`

`5,404,505
`3
`information before the subscriber asks for it, the present
`invention provides a huge number of subscribers with
`reasonably quick access to all the contents of the large
`database, This is accomplished even though only a mod
`est amount of bandwidth is used. Furthermore, by re
`serving a portion of the system’s bandwidth for satisfy
`ing requests for access to information not provided with
`the basic subscriber service, timely access to a virtually
`unlimited amount of information can be provided, using
`the same modest transmission bandwidth, to thousands
`of those subscribers willing to pay additional fees for
`that service.
`The utility of the present can be further enhanced by
`using data compression techniques so as to increase the
`bandwidth of the information server, and by download
`ing software, data compression code books and the like
`along with the transmitted information. The present
`invention also includes the ability to automatically up
`date the software used by subscribers’ computers by
`transmitting the software updates along with other data
`20
`transmitted by the information server, with different
`versions of the updated subscriber software being trans
`mitted for each of the different platforms (i.e., types of
`CPUs) being used in subscribers’ computers.
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`Additional objects and features of the invention will
`be more readily apparent from the following detailed
`description and appended claims when taken in con
`junction with the drawings, in which:
`FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a “hyperbroadcast” data
`transmission system in accordance with the present
`invention, showing a receiving station suitable for use
`by a group of users.
`FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a typical receiving sta
`tion for use by an individual.
`FIG. 3 depicts some of the data was and software
`routines stored in the memory storage area of a sub
`scriber station.
`FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a system for rebroadcast
`ing onto a cable television network the data stream
`received from a satellite, as well as a local information
`source which can insert data into the data stream in lieu
`of data from the satellite.
`FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a local area network of
`45
`subscribers.
`FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a data packet.
`FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a data ?lter subsystem
`used in subscriber stations for receiving broadcast data
`and video signals.
`FIG. 8 depicts the data structure of the ?lter list used
`to select data packets received by a subscriber station.
`FIG. 9 depicts the hierarchical structure of the broad
`cast data.
`FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a “user pro?le” data
`structure which speci?es data to be stored and updated
`in a subscriber’s computer.
`FIG. 11 depicts the index and timestamp information
`embedded in the broadcast data.
`
`55
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`'
`EMBODIMENT
`Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an information
`broadcasting or transmission system 100 having a single
`program supplier station 102 which transmits a stream
`of data via a satellite 104 to a large set of receiving
`stations 110 owned or leased by subscribers 110. Sub
`scribers are persons, organizations and companies with
`
`65
`
`5
`
`10
`
`15
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`.
`4
`equipment to receive transmissions on one or more
`dedicated channels broadcast by the satellite 104.
`In one implementation of the invention, it is expected
`that subscribers will have access to the basic service
`Without charge. This basic service provides unlimited
`access to a base set of information, which in the pre
`ferred embodiment is about ?fty gigabytes of public
`service information, including information such as
`newspapers, weather reports and the like that are up
`dated frequently. Subscribers also have free access to all
`information on the service which advertisers or other
`suppliers of paid programming, such as governments
`and schools, have provided for distribution to the gen
`eral user community. This access may include the abil
`ity to receive the broadcasted advertising information
`as well as to make special telephone requests for addi
`tional information. Multiple channel versions of the
`system, which will include additional programming on
`separate transmission channels, will provide unlimited
`access to an even larger base set of information. In the
`preferred embodiment, all broadcast channels will in
`clude a mix of text, graphics, multimedia, audio, video
`and software programming, although the mix of pro
`gramming materials will typically differ from channel
`to channel.
`Subscribers who request transmission of data not
`included in the basic service could be charged for ac
`cessing that information. Information of this type is
`such that the provider of the information (e.g., a person
`or company owning copyrights on the information) has
`placed restrictions on how the information may be dis
`tributed. For example, the provider may require a trans
`action fee or royalty be paid before providing the sub
`scriber with access codes to ?nd or decrypt the infor
`mation. Alternately, access to a set of information may
`be limited by a provider’s requirement that he know
`who is receiving it. In either case, the subscriber, or his
`computer system, requests such information by calling
`the user request processor at a particular telephone
`number (toll free or otherwise) and specifying the infor
`mation that the subscriber wishes to receive. The user is
`then given access codes and possibly decryption keys to
`enable the user to access the requested information.
`Alternately, subscribers could be charged a monthly
`fee for the basic subscriber service. Access by nonsub
`scribers, in systems which charge for the basic sub
`scriber service, would be blocked either by encrypting
`the transmitted data, or by giving only subscribers the
`packet ID required to access the root information re
`50
`quired to access the rest of the database, as will be de
`scribed in more detail below.
`The database 112 of information provided by the
`program supplier station 102 is indexed in a hierarchical
`fashion, providing keyed or indexed access to all data
`within the database 112. The database 112 will typically
`have at least a hundred times more data that is available
`for retrieval than the data which is provided with the
`basic service. Subscriber requests for additional infor
`mation are transmitted by conventional modems and
`telephone lines to the program supplier station 102, after
`which transmission of the requested information is
`scheduled for delivery (i.e., transmission) in the portion
`of the satellite’s considerable bandwidth that is not used
`for transmitting the regularly scheduled basic program
`ming. In the one-channel preferred embodiment, the
`system can transmit 32.4 gigabytes of specially re
`quested data per day, which is expected to be sufficient
`to serve a subscriberbase of approximately one million
`
`40
`
`Ex. 1006 - Page 9 of 37
`
`

`

`l0
`
`15
`
`25
`
`35
`
`4-0
`
`45
`
`5,404,505
`5
`6
`ment to pay for the transmission of addition data), the
`home users or several tens of thousands of commercial
`request for additional information is transmitted by
`users. See Table 1 below. Additional transmission chan
`conventional modems and telephone lines to the pro
`nels can be added as the subscriber base increases in
`gram supplier station 102, after which transmission of
`size, and/ or different satellite transmission channels can
`the requested information is scheduled for delivery (i.e..
`be used for different geographical areas.
`transmission) by the program supplier station. If the
`As will next be described, the present invention uses
`packet IDs associated with the requested information
`a “tiered” system for scheduling transmission of the 50
`gigabytes or so of information included in the basic
`are not already included in the root information avail
`able to the subscriber, the program supplier station 102
`subscriber service, as well as an “intelligent” subscriber
`request anticipation scheme for retrieving information
`also provides the subscriber with the packet IDs re
`before the subscriber asks for it. Together, these fea
`quired to access the requested information. For infor
`tures of the present invention provide the system’s sub
`mation having an associated delivery charge, the sub
`scriber’s account is debited by a charge corresponding
`scribers with virtually instantaneous access to an large
`information database while using only a very modest
`to the information requested.
`In the preferred embodiment, each request is assigned
`amount of transmission bandwidth. Furthermore, by
`a priority level (e.g., low priority night-time delivery,
`reserving a portion of the system’s bandwidth for satis
`regular two-hour delivery, and rush half-hour deliv
`fying requests for access to information not provided
`ery), and the program supplier station 102 schedules
`with the basic subscriber service, timely access to a
`delivery of requested information accordingly. Infor
`virtually unlimited amount of information can be pro
`vided to those subscribers, or advertisers, willing to pay
`mation access charges are based both on the volume of
`information requested and on the request’s assigned
`additional fees for that service.
`Overview of Basic Operation
`priority level. If the requested priority level is not avail
`Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the data stream is trans
`able due to an unexpected surge in requests, the sub
`scriber station is informed that the request priority has
`mitted over a single satellite channel at a rate of 1.5
`megabytes per second in ?xed size 10KB (10 kilobyte)
`been downgraded and the subscriber is given the oppor
`data packets having a maximum size of 10,000 bytes.
`tunity to cancel the request.
`Program Supplier Station
`The subscriber receiving stations 110 all include a data
`?lter subsystem 120 (see FIG. 2) which receives the
`As shown in FIG. 1, the program supplier station 102
`incoming data stream and selects those data packets that
`includes the aforementioned database 112, which is ,
`meet selection criteria de?ned by the receiving station
`typically stored on a large number of high density mag
`110, The information in the selected data packets is then
`netic disk devices. The program editing software 132 on
`the central program supplier station 102 tags all the
`downloaded into the memory 122-124 of the subscrib
`er’s workstation or other computer using software pro
`information in the database 112 with indices (each of
`vided by the information network supplier for that pur
`which contains a packet ID plus additional information)
`pose.
`so as to form a single hierarchical structure that encom
`Typically, all subscriber stations are programmed to
`passes the entire information database. More speci?
`cally, software 132 (executed by CPU 130) generates a
`store a set of “root information”, comprising about
`hierarchical set of indices referencing all the data in the
`250KB of information, which provides an index to the
`network’s information database 112, Data packets con
`information database 112 and embeds those indices in
`the information database.
`taining this root information are marked to indicate the
`last time the root information was updated, and the
`In an alternate embodiment, the packet IDs and the
`subscriber stations are programmed to automatically
`associated indices embedded in the database can be
`generated off line. In particular, each information pro
`replace their internal copy of the root information as
`updated information is received.
`vider can be assigned, in advance, a block of packet ID
`values. If the packet ID values are made suf?ciently
`In addition, each subscriber can specify additional
`long, such as 64 or 96 bits long, then assigning blocks of
`information from the database 112 that the subscriber
`packet ID values to information providers will not de
`wants to receive. All information in the system is hierar
`chically arranged, with the root information comprising
`plete the supply of such values. Each information pro
`the top several layers of the hierarchy. As will be de
`vider is required to organize the information it wants to
`scribed below, subscriber “requests” are made by se
`publish into one or more subtrees, embedding the asso
`ciated indices therein, and then providing the informa
`lecting items from the top level menus, or by selecting
`“markers” in previously retrieved data that reference
`tion to be published to the information server. The
`other portions of the network database. Each such
`information server will then “graft” the subtree(s) of
`information provided by each information provider
`marker includes a packet ID that is used by the receiver
`onto the information hierarchy broadcast by the infor
`to select packets to be downloaded to the subscriber’s
`computer, as well as a timestamp value indicating (A)
`mation server.
`whether or not the requested information is included in
`The program supplier station 102 includes at least one
`the basic subscriber service, and, if so, (B) the approxi
`central processing unit (CPU) 130, software 132 exe
`cuted by the CPU 130 for editing program materials and
`mate time that the requested data is scheduled for trans
`for scheduling delivery of both basic service informa
`mission, Timestamps are described in more detail be
`low. If the requested information is already scheduled
`tion and subscriber requested data. In some embodi
`for transmission sometime in the near future (either
`ments, the supplier station 102 will be a distributed
`system utilizing many CPUs interconnected using a
`because it is part of the basic service, or because another
`subscriber recently requested the same item), the sub
`local area or even a wide area network. In that case, the
`scriber is informed of the expected arrival time.
`station 102 shown in FIG. 1 represents the information
`collection node, which collects all the information from
`If the requested data is not included in the basic sub
`various programming material providers, combines,
`scriber service, and if the subscriber is authorized to
`request additional information (i.e., has signed an agree
`serializes and transmits the information.
`
`30
`
`50
`
`55
`
`65
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`Ex. 1006 - Page 10 of 37
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`15
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`25
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`30
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`7
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`Memory 133 stores, among other things, scheduling
`with the protected data need not be sequential, rather
`data which is used to control the timing at which each
`they should be assigned on a pseudo-random basis. Fur
`packet of information in the information database 112 is
`thermore, the packets for the requested data should be
`to be transmitted. As will be described below, the tim
`scheduled for transmission in a pseudo-random se
`ing information in the schedule data is incorporated into
`quence, interleaved with other broadcast data packets.
`“timestamp markers” that are transmitted along with
`This method of “mixing up” the requested data, com
`the transmitted data, enabling subscriber stations to
`bined with the fact that at least a hundred 10KB packets
`know in advance when selected information items will
`are transmitted per second, will make unauthorized
`be received.
`access to protected data extremely dif?cult even when
`User request processor 134 is interfaced to a large
`the protected data is not encrypted prior to transmis
`number of conventional telephone lines 136, using indi
`sion.
`vidual modular interface cards for each telephone line
`The utility of the present invention can be further
`so that the system is expandable. Each interface card is
`enhanced by using data compression techniques so as to
`programmed to receive and con?rm information re
`increase the perceived bandwidth of the information
`quests from subscribers, as well as to handle subscriber
`server, and by downloading software, data compression
`account transactions such as setting up new subscriber
`codebooks and the like along with the transmitted infor~
`accounts, providing data decoding keys to new sub
`mation. Data compression is discussed more below.
`scn'bers, and accepting credit card and debit card pay
`Subscriber Receiving Stations
`ments of subscriber balances. In response to each infor
`FIG. 2 shows an individual subscriber station 110-1
`mation request received, the request processor 134
`20
`having its own satellite dish 150, low noise block re
`queries a subscriber database 138 to ensure that the
`ceiver and signal converter (LNB) 152, receiver 153,
`subscriber is authorized to request additional data, sends
`and data ?lter subsystem 120. Typically, the satellite
`the request to the scheduling software 132 so that the
`dish receives a signal having a carrier frequency on the
`transmission of the requested information will be sched
`order of 12 GHz, the LNB 152 brings this down to
`uled, and enters the corresponding charge into the sub
`about 1 GHz with a signal bandwidth of about 500
`scriber’s records in the subscriber database 138.
`MHz, and the receiver 153 then translates the received
`In embodiments of the invention using multiple trans
`signal into a digital baseband signal. In this embodiment,
`mission channels, so as to be able to handle larger num
`the subscriber station 110-1 is a desktop computer (such
`bers of subscriber requests, special scheduling messages
`as a Macintosh computer made by Apple Computer, or
`are transmitted via the satellite indicating the approxi
`an IBM PC compatible computer made by any one of a
`mate time that the requested information will be trans
`large number of manufacturers) to which the satellite
`mitted and the transmission channel that will be used.
`receiver 150-152-153 and data conversion subsystem
`Subscriber stations waiting for requested information
`120 have been added. Thus, the subscriber station 110
`use this information to change the transmission channel
`has a CPU 154, monitor