General Instrument Corporation

Robert Charles Booth

Christopher S Del Sordo

Lawrence D Vince

Christopher Poli

Reem Safadi

Douglas S Makofka

Chris Del Sordo

Donald Tavoletti

Michael Difiglia

Thomas F Bates

Mark A Erinoff

This method and system allow a subscriber to a cable television service to receiving a listing or menu of programming available for that subscriber's set-top terminal to upgrade or enhance the features available over the cable system. A Directory of Services (DoS) message is transmitted over the cable system to the subscriber's set-top terminal. The terminal can then display for the subscriber the menu of programming available. This display may include a price for downloading each programming object. The subscriber can then, using a remote control unit or a user input device on the terminal, direct the set-top terminal to acquire a listed programming object. The DoS message will provide information enabling the set-top terminal to download the indicated programming object from the cable system in response to the subscriber's input. The subscriber can then have immediate access to upgraded or enhanced programming, the purchase of which is billed to the subscriber's account.

Method and system of identifying software and firmware objects available for download over a network such as a cable television system

A system for security and authorization processing in digital terminals. The processing load of a security processor ( ) at the terminal ( ) is reduced by configuring a multiple applications manager (MAM) ( ) to determine if frequently-transmitted application data should be downloaded. The security processor is used by the MAM to build a local virtual application table ( ) that indicates which applications are authorized for downloading. The security processor configures the terminal with an authorization state so that it knows which applications it is authorized to download, i.e., the applications ( ) whose required authorization state correlate with the terminal's configured authorization state. The security processor is accessed when the terminals authorization state changes, or when a required authorization state of an application changes. These events are typically relatively infrequent.

Object and feature authorization for digital communication terminals

The Domain Name System (DNS), which has been used for mapping names to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, is adapted to a broadcast environment, such as a broadband cable or satellite television network. A number of master files are stored on a broadcast name server that define zones of domains in a domain name space, which may include a television-related domain, with sub-domains for different service providers (e.g., ABC, HBO), and a cable domain, with sub-domains for applications, administrative functions and operating system-functions, e.g., at a set-top terminal. The television sub-domains may have their own sub-domains. For example, &ldquo;ABC&rdquo; may have the sub-domains &ldquo;NEWS&rdquo;, &ldquo;WEATHER&rdquo;, and &ldquo;SPORTS.&rdquo; The master files are used to form broadcast resource records, which include an identifier for broadcast services (e.g., &ldquo;ABC&rdquo;) or other data sources, and which are transmitted to end user terminal devices periodically, or in response to a query. The identifier identifies, e.g., an Internet Protocol address, a name, or a virtual channel that are associated with a broadcast or interactive service.

Method and apparatus for defining, managing and distributing broadcast names

A method and apparatus for compressing Internet protocol messages, such as HyperText Transport Protocol (HTTP) messages. Codewords ( ) are provided for commonly occurring HTTP data elements, such as request lines, header lines, status lines, or portions thereof, such as method fields, URL fields, version fields, and status codes or messages. The codewords are used to provide a compressed HTTP message with a reduced amount of data relative to ASCII coding. If other data is included with the message, such as an entity body (e.g., a requested object such as an HTML page), the other data can be coded separately ( ) and recombined ( ) with the codewords for the HTTP data elements. The codewords may have reserved bits for providing specific information about the message. The amount of data that must be communicated, e.g., to or from a subscriber terminal ( ), is thereby reduced. A message handler ( ) decodes and processes the codewords. A compressed message handler can be provided that processes/renders the compressed HTTP data (e.g., codewords) directly without decompressing them. The system is compatible with other compression techniques to provide even greater compression.

Method and apparatus for compressing hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) messages

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Jamison, PA, United States of America

Robert Charles Booth