The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 09, 1997
Filed:
Jul. 03, 1995
Erik C Metz, Bowie, MD (US);
Henry G Hudson, Jr, Annapolis, MD (US);
John W Darr, Jr, Great Falls, VA (US);
Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc., Arlington, VA (US);
Abstract
Set-top terminals utilized in broadband broadcast networks are becoming increasingly intelligent. Upgrading the operation of such terminals periodically requires upgrading the software, particularly the operating system, of the programmable processor which controls the terminal operation. To facilitate frequent upgrades, the network will carry a cyclic broadcast of a packetized data file containing the operating system. Periodically, a terminal will capture and store the broadcast operating system. In the preferred embodiment, the broadcast includes operating system files for a number of different terminal types and data identifying the current broadcast version of the operating system for each type of terminal. The terminal will check the broadcast version number for its terminal type operating system. If the broadcast version number differs from the version number for the operating system the terminal currently is running, then the terminal will capture only the file containing the operating system for the corresponding terminal type.