Patent ID: 6532591
Filing Date: 2003-03-11
Classification: G06F,H04H,H04N

Abstract:
A software download system for downloading a software product from a center station to a terminal through a transmission channel, the system comprising:broadcast program guide preparing means, located in the center station, for preparing at least one guide of broadcast program(s) accompanied by the software product whose version number is a first version number, wherein the version number is changed each time the software product is revised in the center station; broadcast program data storing means, located in the center station, for storing data of the broadcast program listed in the prepared guide of the broadcast program; software storing means, located in the center station, for storing data of the software product listed in the prepared guide of the broadcast program; transmitting means, located in the center station, for transmitting the prepared guide of the broadcast program accompanied by the software product, and transmitting the data of the software product with the data of the broadcast program during a time period of transmission of the broadcast program through the transmission channel under the control of the broadcast program guide preparing means; receiving means, located in the terminal, for: receiving the guide to the broadcast program, accompanied by the software product, from the transmitting means transmitted through the transmission channel, and receiving the data of the software product with the data of the broadcast program during the time period of transmitting from the transmitting means through the transmission channel; version number managing means, located in the terminal, for managing a second version number of the software product previously downloaded from the center station to the terminal; download judging means, located in the terminal, for checking whether or not the first version number of the software product of the received guide differs from the managed second version number of the software product and deciding whether to download the received data of the software product to the terminal, where the first version number differs from the second version number; downloading means, located in the terminal, for extracting the data of the software product from the received broadcast program in cases where the downloading of the software product has been accepted by the download judging means and for storing the data of the software product whereby to download the received software product from the center station to the terminal and to use the software product on a user's side; download completion notice means, located in the terminal, for transmitting information about a download completion notice to the center station where the downloading of the software product performed by the downloading means is completed; and download record managing means, located in the center station, for managing a record of the downloading of the software product performed in the terminal by using the information contained in the download completion notice.