Patent ID: 6259442
Filing Date: 2001-07-10
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
In a computer system that includes a plurality of client systems and a plurality of server systems, all interconnected by a network infrastructure, wherein the plurality of server systems provide access to sites storing Web pages or other data, and wherein one or more of the client systems comprises a conventional television monitor and set-top box having a processing system that includes program instructions used in the operation of the one or more client systems, such as in retrieving data from said sites, a method of restoring a corrupted portion of the program instructions at the client system, wherein the restoring occurs automatically and without user intervention, the method comprising the client system performing the following steps:during initialization, checking the validity of system program instructions at the client system and thereafter checking the validity of application program instructions at the client system;determining that a corrupted state exists in at least a portion of any of the checked program instructions;in response to determining that the corrupted state exists, connecting the client system to one of the server systems or sites that contains a replacement for the corrupted portion of the program instructions;receiving the replacement from said one of the server systems or sites; andreplacing the corrupted portion of the program instructions with the replacement.