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| United States Patent | 6125388 |
| Link to this page | http://www.wikipatents.com/6125388.html |
| Inventor(s) | Reisman; Richard R. (New York, NY) |
| Abstract | A novel electronic information transport component can be incorporated in a
wide range of electronic information products, for example magazine
collections, to automate the mass distribution of updates, such as current
issues, from a remote server to a wide user base having a diversity of
computer stations. Advantages of economy, immediacy and ease of use are
provided. Extensions of the invention permit automated electronic catalog
shopping with order placement and, optionally, order confirmation. A
server-based update distribution service is also provided. |
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Title Information  |
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| Publication Date |
September 26, 2000 |
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| Filing Date |
December 1, 1997 |
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| Parent Case |
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/251,724 filed
May 31, 1994, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,694,546 dated Dec. 2, 1997. |
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Title Information |
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Estimate the gross annual revenues of the relevant market
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Public's "Guesstimation" of Royalty Value
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Market Review |
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Technical Review |
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Claims |
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What is claimed is:
1. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to
multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest, and
wherein the higher level software entity comprises a viewer for at least one content type available on the communications network, the content type being selected from the group consisting of multimedia formats, video formats, sound formats and
hypertext markup language ("HTML").
2. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest,
wherein the higher level software entity comprises a viewer for at least one content type available on the communications network, the content type being selected from the group consisting of multimedia formats, video formats, sound formats and
hypertext markup language ("HTML"), and
wherein the communications network is the Internet.
3. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein:
i) the communications network is a broadcast network comprising multiple user stations each provided with the information transporter;
ii) at least one of the remote sources broadcasts a data stream across the network for receipt by the user stations;
iii) the object manifest at each user station defines data stream content elements for receipt by the user station; and
iv) a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest.
4. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported,
wherein:
i) the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by at least one of the remote sources;
ii) the at least one remote source has, for each user station, an object manifest received across the network from the user station and specifying user station identification information;
iii) each user station repeatedly receives objects transported by the at least one remote source; and
iv) a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest.
5. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported,
wherein:
i) the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by at least one of the remote sources;
ii) the at least one remote source has, for each user station, an object manifest received across the network from the user station and specifying user station identification information;
iii) each user station repeatedly receives objects transported by the at least one remote source;
iv) a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest; and
v) the object manifest received at the remote source specifies user-desired content and the information objects transported by the remote source to the user station are selected according to the user-desired content specification.
6. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported,
wherein:
i) the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by at least one of the remote sources;
ii) the at least one remote source has, for each user station, an object manifest received across the network from the user station and specifying user station identification information;
iii) each user station repeatedly receives objects transported by the at least one remote source;
iv) a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest;
v) the object manifest received at the remote source specifies user-desired content and the information objects transported by the remote source to the user station are selected according to the user-desired content specification; and
vi) the user-desired content specification comprises a generic or an alias name to request a latest installment, version or update.
7. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein:
i) the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by at least one of the remote sources;
ii) the at least one of the remote sources has, for each user station, an object manifest received across the network from the user station and specifying user station identification information;
iii) each object manifest contains user-specified information object selections; and
iv) each user station transporter is scheduled to communicate repeatedly and automatically with the at least one of the remote sources and fetch information objects meeting the user-specified information object selections.
8. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein:
i) the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by at least one of the remote sources;
ii) the at least one of the remote sources has, for each user station, an object manifest received across the network from the user station and comprising user-specified information object selections; and
iii) each user station transporter can fetch or receive a response object from the one of the remote sources providing the user-specified information object selections; and
iv) a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest.
9. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest, and
wherein the information transporter is embedded in a containing information product, the transporter functionality being activatable via the information product.
10. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest,
wherein the information transporter is embedded in a containing information product, the transporter functionality being activatable via the information product, and
wherein the containing information product is selected from the group consisting of self-updated software products, self-updating database products, CD-ROM resident products, online hybrid products, Internet access products, offline Internet
access products, mobile Internet access products, short-session Internet access products, or intelligent appliance products.
11. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest, and
wherein the transport control module specifies object processing actions required to integrate an object into one of an application and an information product on the user station subsequent to transport.
12. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest, and
wherein the manifest list is mobile and transportable in the transport session, moving in a predetermined direction between the source station and the user station to request at least one information object to be sent in the other direction
between the source station and the user station.
13. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein:
the transport control module uses an object manifest comprising at least one of a send object list, and a fetch object list, and
the user station includes a user interface provided by a vendor associated with the source, and
the object manifest is created under control of the user interface from choices supplied by the vendor.
14. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein:
a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest;
the user station is capable of executing multiple communications protocols;
the transport control module is responsive to a protocol selection code; and
the send object list comprises one or more object list elements selected from the group consisting of object action codes specifying source station actions required, object names, object sizes and response object size.
15. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein:
a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest;
the transport control module is responsive to a completed object manifest having codes to convey the status of the transport operation or to provide for transport of additional information objects, or both; and
for a send operation in which an information object is transported from the user station to the source, the completed object manifest comprises one or more manifest elements selected from the group consisting of send object additional
information, object acceptance codes returned by the source, time of object acceptance codes, response object names and a completion status code to terminate the send operation and return control.
16. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein:
a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest;
the transport control module is responsive to a completed object manifest
having codes to convey the status of the transport operation or to provide for transport of additional information objects, or both;
for a send operation in which an information object is transported from the user station to the source, the completed object manifest comprises one or more manifest elements selected from the group consisting of send object additional
information, object acceptance codes returned by the source, time of object acceptance codes, response object names and a completion status code to terminate the send operation and return control; and
the completed object manifest further comprises polling indicator codes enabling polling of the user station by the source for readiness to perform additional transport operations.
17. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein:
a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest
the transport control module is responsive to a completed object manifest having codes to convey the status of the transport operation or to provide for transport of additional information objects, or both;
for a send operation in which an information object is transported from the user station to the source, the completed object manifest comprises one or more manifest elements selected from the group consisting of send object additional
information, object acceptance codes returned by the source, time of object acceptance codes, response object names and a completion status code to terminate the send operation and return control; and
the completed object manifest further comprises scheduled update indicator codes enabling scheduled fetching of updates by the user station from the source.
18. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest, and
wherein:
the transport control module comprises a transport software component embeddable in a vendor-provided information product;
the vendor provides update objects from a selected source; and
the transport software component is separately suppliable to multiple vendors of respective information products.
19. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a communications module which effects the fetching or sending of information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and persistent storage at the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) an object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported;
wherein:
a higher level software entity can be invoked to modify the object manifest;
the transport control module comprises a transport software component embeddable in a vendor-provided information product;
the vendor provides update objects from a selected source;
the transport software component is separately suppliable to multiple vendors of respective information products; and
the transport software component further comprises a vendor-related user interface permitting specification of transport objects in the object manifest.
20. A method of controlling transport of information objects between persistent storage at a user station and a remote information object source on a communications network using an information transporter comprising a communications module for
sending and receiving information objects on the network and wherein the method comprises:
(a) communicating object transport specifications, including a source address for the remote information object source, between the information transporter and a higher level software entity employing an object manifest listing at least one
information object to be transported;
(b) activating the communications module to transport the at least one information object to or from the source address, in accordance with the object manifest; and
(c) scheduling the transporter to communicate repeatedly and automatically with the remote information object source and transport information objects,
wherein:
the communications network is a broadcast network comprising multiple user stations each provided with the information transporter; and
the remote information object source broadcasts a data stream across the network for receipt by the user stations, the method further comprising:
(d) receiving at each user station data stream content elements defined by specifications in the object manifest.
21. A method of controlling transport of information objects between persistent storage at a user station and a remote information object source on a communications network using an information transporter comprising a communications module for
sending and receiving information objects on the network and wherein the method comprises:
(a) communicating object transport specifications, including a source address for the remote information object source, between the information transporter and a higher level software entity employing an object manifest listing at least one
information object to be transported;
(b) activating the communications module to transport the at least one information object to or from the source, address in accordance with the object manifest; and
(c) scheduling the transporter to communicate repeatedly and automatically with the remote information object source and transport information objects,
wherein the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by the remote information object source,
the method further comprising:
(d) sending to the remote information object source from each user station an object manifest specifying user station identification information; and
(e) repeatedly transporting information objects to each user station from the remote information object source.
22. A method of controlling transport of information objects between persistent storage at a user station and a remote information object source on a communications network using an information transporter comprising a communications module for
sending and receiving information objects on the network and wherein the method comprises:
(a) communicating object transport specifications, including a source address for the remote information object source, between the information transporter and a higher level software entity employing an object manifest listing at least one
information object to be transported;
(b) activating the communications module to transport the at least one information object to or from the source address, in accordance with the object manifest; and
(c) scheduling the transporter to communicate repeatedly and automatically with the remote information object source and transport information objects,
wherein the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by the remote information object source,
the method further comprising:
(d) sending to the remote information object source from each user station an object manifest specifying user station identification information; and
(e) repeatedly transporting information objects to each user station from the remote information object source,
wherein the object manifest received at the remote information object source specifies user-desired content with a generic or an alias name and wherein the method further comprises:
(f) the remote information object source sending to the user station the latest installment, version or update information objects selected according to the generic or alias name.
23. A method of controlling transport of information objects between persistent storage at a user station and an information object remote source on a communications network using an information transporter comprising a communications module for
sending and receiving information objects on the network, the method comprising:
(a) communicating object transport specifications, including a source address for the remote source, between the information transporter and a higher level software entity employing an object manifest listing an information object to be
transported;
(b) activating the communications module to transport the information object to or from the source address, in accordance with the object manifest,
wherein the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter, the object manifest at each user station contains source-originated information object specifications and each user station is a
client station of an information object distribution service provided by the remote source and wherein the method further comprises:
(c) scheduling each transporter to communicate repeatedly and automatically with the remote source and transport information objects meeting the source-originated specifications.
24. A method of controlling transport of information objects between persistent storage at a user station and an information object remote source on a communications network using an information transporter comprising a communications module for
sending and receiving information objects on the network, the method comprising:
(a) communicating object transport specifications, including a source address for the remote source, between the information transporter and a higher level software entity employing an object manifest listing at least one information object to be
transported;
(b) activating the communications module to transport the at least one information object to or from the source address, in accordance with the object manifest,
wherein the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by the remote source, the method further
comprising:
(c) sending to the remote source, from each user station, the object manifest comprising user-specified information object selections; and
(d) scheduling each transporter to communicate repeatedly and automatically with the remote source and transport information objects meeting the user specifications.
25. A method of controlling transport of information objects between persistent storage at a user station and an information object remote source on a communications network using an information transporter comprising a communications module for
sending and receiving information objects on the network, the method comprising:
(a) communicating object transport specifications, including a source address for the remote source, between the information transporter and a higher level software entity employing an object manifest listing at least one information object to be
transported;
(b) activating the communications module to transport the at least one information object to or from the source address, in accordance with the object manifest,
wherein the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by at least one of the remote sources, the
method further comprising:
c) fetching a features directory listings features available at the remote source from the remote source to each user station;
d) building, at each user station, an object manifest containing selected feature entries obtained from the fetched features directory; and
e) scheduling each user station transporter to communicate repeatedly and automatically with the remote source and transport information objects specified by the selected features entries in the object manifest.
26. A method of controlling transport of information objects between persistent storage at a user station and a remote information object source on a communications network using an information transporter comprising a communications module for
sending and receiving information objects on the network and wherein the method comprises:
(a) communicating object transport specifications, including a source address for the remote information object source, between the information transporter and a higher level software entity employing an object manifest listing at least one
information object to be transported;
(b) activating the communications module to transport the at least one information object to or from the source address, in accordance with the object manifest; and
(c) scheduling the transporter to communicate repeatedly and automatically with the remote information object source and transport information objects,
wherein the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by the remote source, the method further
comprising:
(d) sending to the remote source, from each user station, an object manifest comprising user specified information object selections; and
(e) using each user station transporter to fetch or receive a response
object from the remote source providing the user-specified information object selection.
27. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a separable communications module which selectively fetches or transports information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls the transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) a user-modifiable object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported,
wherein:
i) the communications network is a broadcast network comprising multiple user stations each provided with the information transporter;
ii) the at least one of the remote sources broadcasts a data stream across the network for receipt by the user stations; and
iii) the object manifest at each user station defines data stream content elements for receipt by the user station.
28. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a separable communications module which selectively fetches or transports information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls the transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) a user-modifiable object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported,
wherein:
i) the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by the at least one of the remote sources;
ii) the at least one remote source has, for each user station, an object manifest received across the network from the user station and specifying user station identification information; and
iii) each user station repeatedly receives objects transported by the at least one remote source.
29. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a separable communications module which selectively fetches or transports information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls the transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) a user-modifiable object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported,
wherein:
i) the communications network comprises a group of user stations each provided with the information transporter and each being a client station of an information object distribution service provided by the at least one of the remote sources:
ii) the at least one of the remote sources has, for each user station, an object manifest received across the network from the user station and comprising user-specified information object selections; and
iii) each user station transporter can fetch or receive a response object from the one of the remote sources providing the user-specified information object selections.
30. An automated electronic information transporter located at a user station for controlling transport of information objects on a communications network providing access to multiple remote sources, the information transporter comprising:
(a) a separable communications module which selectively fetches or transports information objects across the network between at least one of the remote sources and the user station; and
(b) a transport control module which controls the transport of the information objects in accordance with:
i) a source address for the at least one remote source; and
ii) a user-modifiable object manifest specifying at least one information object to be transported,
wherein:
the information transporter is embedded in a containing information product; and
the information transporter functionality can be activated during operation of the information product. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to computer-implemented transport of electronic information objects. More specifically it relates to information transport software which can be used for transporting information objects between a remote server and
any one of multiple, uncoordinated intelligent computer workstations. Still more particularly, it provides a computer-implemented software component that can be used to facilitate the distribution of information objects from a remote source to a large
number of customers or subscribers.
BACKGROUND
Electronic publication is an exploding industry in which thousands of new products including magazines and periodicals, software applications and utilities, video games, business, legal and financial information and databases, encyclopedias and
dictionaries are purchased by millions of customers. Commonly, such information products are replicated in computer-readable form on magnetic or optical storage diskettes and are box-packaged with printed manuals for distribution to retail stores and
direct mail sales. These marketing practices are relatively expensive and involve a significant time lag of at least days or weeks to get a product into a consumer's hands once it is created.
Such costs and delays are generally acceptable for original, high value products such as collections of publications or software application, of which some examples are NEWSWEEK.RTM. Interactive CD-ROM, or disks, which provides a searchable
audio-visual library of issues of NEWSWEEK magazine and CINEMANIA.RTM. CD-ROM which provides reviews and other information on newly released films. For time-sensitive, low-value updates, for example, the latest issue of Newsweek or last week's movie
reviews, distribution in stored form, on physical media, is slow and the cost may exceed the value of the information in the product.
Thus, electronic transfer from a central computer server to a subscriber's computer over common carriers or wide area networks is an attractive proposition. Similar considerations apply to the distribution of software program updates, although
cost and frequency of issue are not such serious constraints. A problem faced in both situations is that of incorporating the received material with the original material so that a fully integrated publication, information database or software program
is obtained by the user.
Another class of electronically distributed information product comprises home shopping catalogues of mail order products distributed on optical or other digital data storage disks which may contain text, sound and images from printed catalogues
or uniquely created material, for example software application demos. To applicant's knowledge and belief, available products lack any computer order placement capability, requiring orders to be placed by voice call.
Communication between remote computers, not directly interconnected by umbilical cable or a wired network, is enabled by a wide range of hardware devices and software drivers, utilities, applications and application
modules. Telephone modems that couple a computer with the telephone network are familiar devices. RF modems that couple computers into wireless networks are less familiar but are beginning to appear in consumer devices known broadly as
personal information communicators (PIC's) of which personal digital assistants (PDA's) such as Apple Corp.'s NEWTON.RTM. product are a first generation. New kinds of digital communications devices can be expected to emerge as digital technology
replaces analog transmission.
General-purpose, online, modem-accessed, electronic information services, such as PRODIGY, COMPUSERVE and AMERICA ONLINE (trademarks), and some Internet services, provide wide access to timely information products from a central server, but are
limited and complex. They provide no means for the integration of downloaded information with information products offered on disk or CD, and provide only rudimentary facilities for local viewing and search of downloaded files.
Such online information services provide their own user interface which is generally unlike that of a disk or CD-based information product, and can be customized very little, if at all, by a publisher using the service for product distribution.
Online services are oriented to extended online sessions which require complex user interaction to navigate and find desired information objects. Initial setup and use is rendered complex by requirements related to extended session use of data
networks and the frequent need to navigate across the network, and through massive data collections, to locate desired data items. General-purpose online information services do not provide a suitable medium for electronic information publishers to
distribute updates, and the like, because of limited interface flexibility, because a publisher cannot expect all their customer base to be service subscribers, and because of cost and payment difficulties. Such services are centered on monolithic
processes intended for national use by millions of subscribers which processes are not readily adaptable.
Online service charging mechanisms are also inflexible and inappropriate for most individual information products, requiring monthly subscription fees of $5-10 or more, plus time charges for extended use, which are billed directly to users, after
a user sign-up and credit acceptance process. Such cost mechanisms are too expensive and too complex for distribution of many products such as magazine and other low cost update products. They do not presently permit a publisher to build an access fee
into a purchase price or a product subscription.
Recent press announcements from corporations such as AT&T, Lotus, Microsoft and MCI describe plans for new online services providing what are called "groupware" services to offer rich electronic mail and group collaboration functions, primarily
for business organizations. Although offering multiple electronic object transport operations such services are believed to have complex setup procedures and software requirements and complex message routing features and protocols, and to lack interface
flexibility. Accordingly, they are not suitable for mass distribution of low cost electronic information update products and cannot achieve the objectives of the invention.
Communications Products
Many software products exist that enable one computer to communicate with another over a remote link such as a telephone cable or the air waves, but none enables a vendor substantially to automate common carrier mass distribution of an electronic
information product to a customer base employing multiple heterogenous systems with indeterminate hardware and software configurations. Two examples of popular such software products are Datastorm Technologies, Inc.'s PROCOMM (trademark) and CENTRAL
POINT COMMUTE (trademark) from Central Point Software, Inc. which are commonly used to provide a variety of functions, including file transfers between, interactive sessions from, host-mode services from, and remote computer management of,
modem-equipped personal computers wired into the telephone network.
Counterpoint Publishing's Federal Register Publications
Counterpoint Publishing, (Cambridge Mass.) in brochures available to applicant in November 1993 offered electronic information products entitled "Daily Federal Register" and "CD Federal Register". "Daily Federal Register" includes communications
software and a high-speed modem. Apparently, the communications software is a standard general purpose communications package with dialing scripts that are customized to the needs of the Federal Register products. Accordingly, the cost of a
communications package license which may be as high as about $100 at retail must be included with in the product cost. Also, Counterpoint Publishing avoids the difficulties of supporting various modems by providing its own own standard modem, with the
product, building in a cost (about $100-200) which renders this approach quite unsuitable for mass-market distribution of low cost electronic information update products. The resulting product is not seamless either in its appearance or its operation
because the communications software is separately invoked and used, and has its own disparate look and feel to the user.
The "CD Federal Register" provides the Federal Register on CD-ROM at weekly intervals for $1,950.00 and CD-ROM disks are shipped to customers as they become available. Back issues are $125 each. Updates are provided by shipping a disk. The
Federal Register is a high-value product intended for specialist, business, academic and governmental users. Distribution of updates on CD-ROM, as utilized by Counterpoint Publishing, is not a suitable method for lower value products such as a weekly
news magazine, because of the associated costs. Shipping delays are a further drawback.
While the two product "CD Federal Register" and "Daily Federal Register" might be used together, at an additive cost, to provide a combination of archives on CD-ROM plus daily updates obtained and stored until replaced by a new CD-ROM, based on
information available to the present inventor it appears that the two products must be used separately. Thus they must apparently be viewed, searched, and managed as two or more separate collections, requiring multiple steps to perform a complete search
across both collections, and requiring manual management and purging of the current collection on hard disk by the user.
Xcellenet's "REMOTEWARE".RTM.
Xcellenet Inc. in product brochures copyrighted 1992 and a price list dated Aug. 16, 1993, for a "REMOTEWARE".RTM. product line, offers a range of REMOTEWARE.RTM. software-only products providing electronic information distribution to and
from remote nodes of a proprietary REMOTEWARE.RTM. computer network intended for use within an organized, corporate or institutional data processing or management information system. The system is primarily server directed, rather than user initiated
and requires an expensive program (priced at $220.00) to run at the user's node whereas the present invention addresses consumer uses which will support costs of no more than a few dollars per node.
Further, REMOTEWARE.RTM. is primarily intended to be used with other REMOTEWARE.RTM. products at the node which other products provide a range of user interface and data management functions, at significant additional cost, each with their own
separate user interface presenting a standard REMOTEWARE.RTM. look and feel. In addition, the nodes require a sophisticated central support and operations function to be provided, which may be difficult for an electronic information publisher to
accomplish and add unacceptable expense.
REMOTEWARE.RTM. is overly elaborate to serve the simpler objectives of the present invention. Designed for the demanding needs of enterprise-wide data processing communications, the client or node package provides many functions such as
background operation, ability to receive calls from the server at any time, ability to work under control of the central server to survey and up | | |
