Patent EA-002330-B1 (EA)
Title: Systwem for selectively diwnloading information at user terminals from the internet using a satellite broadcast system
Inventor: CAMPANELLA S JOSEPH
IPC: H04N21/647
Filed: 1998-08-19
Abstract: 1. A system for providing user terminals with information from at least one remote communication network comprising: a receiver; a satellite configured to receive a broadcast channel comprising packets containing said information, said information relating to at least one of a plurality of topics, said broadcast channel comprising data indicating which of said packets correspond to which of said plurality of topics, said satellite being operable to transmit said broadcast channel to said receiver; a processing device connected to said receiver; a user input device connected to said processing device; and a display device connected to said processing device, said processing device being programmable to generate a screen on said display device to prompt a user to select one of said plurality of topics, said receiver being operable to provide said packets to said processing device, said processing device being operable to process an input signal generated by said user input device when said user makes a selection using said screen and to examine said data to determine which of said packets correspond to said input signal, said display device being controlled by said processing device to display said information corresponding to said input signal. 2. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a multimedia device connected to said receiver, said information comprising at least one of data, graphics, static images, moving images, text, audio, web pages, and video, said multimedia device being operable to perform at least one of a plurality of operations depending on said input signal comprising displaying at least one of said data, said graphics, said static images, said moving images, said text, said web page and said video and playing said audio. 3. A system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one of an Internet service provider computer and a system gateway connected to said remote communication network, and a broadcast station connected to said at least one of an Internet service provider and a system gateway, said broadcast station being operable receive said information from said at least one of an Internet service provider and a system gateway, to format said information into said broadcast channel with said data indicating to which of said plurality of topics said packets correspond, and to transmit said broadcast channel to said satellite. 4. A system as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a hub for connecting said broadcast station to said system gateway. 5. A method of broadcasting information from Internet service providers to user terminals comprising a radio receiver and a multimedia device via satellite and without a backhaul link between the user terminals and the service providers: formatting a broadcast channel comprising packets of Internet information relating to a plurality of topics and identification data for transmission to said user terminals, said identification data identifying which of said plurality of topics said packets correspond; transmitting said broadcast channel to said user terminals via said satellite; receiving said broadcast channel at a number of said user terminals; generating a menu using said multimedia device to list said plurality of topics; determining a user input signal corresponding to a selection of one of said plurality of topics from said menu; determining which of said packets corresponds to said user input signal using said identification data; and outputting said packets corresponding to said user input signal using said multimedia device. 6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said formatting step comprises the step of formatting Internet information comprising at least one of news, weather reports, stock market rates, educational programs and consumer information. 7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said generating step of: identifying at least one of said news, said weather reports, said stock market rates, said educational programs and said consumer information using said multimedia device as menu options; and providing a prompt for instructing a user to select one of said menu options. 8. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein said formatting step further comprises the step of formatting program information indicating said plurality of topics and corresponding broadcast times for reception at said user terminals. 9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said user terminals are programmed to update said menu using said program information. 10. A satellite broadcast communication system for broadcasting Internet information comprising: a plurality of receivers; at least one broadcast station for transmitting a broadcast channel comprising packets of different types of Internet information and data identifying which of said packets which of said different types of Internet information; and a satellite for receiving said broadcast channel and for transmitting said broadcast channel to said plurality of receivers; wherein at least one of said plurality of receivers receives said broadcast channel, said receiver comprising a multimedia device having a memory device for storing packets obtained from said broadcast channel, an output device for prompting a user to make a selection from a plurality of different types of Internet information; an input device to allow a user to make said selection, and a processor programmed to retrieve selected ones of said packets stored in said memory device which correspond to said selection and provide said selected ones of said packets to said output device. 11. A system for providing user terminals with information from at least one remote communication network comprising: a receiver; a satellite configured to receive packets transmitted to it containing said information, and transmitting information of said broadcast channel to a receiver, said information relating to at least one of a plurality of topics, said broadcast channel has headlines comprising data indicating which of said packets correspond to which of said plurality of topics, a processing device connected to said receiver; a user input device connected to said processing device; and a display device connected to said processing device, said processing device being programmable to generate a screen on said display device to prompt a user to select one of said plurality of topics, said receiver being operable to provide said packets to said processing device, said processing device being operable to process an input signal generated by said user input device when said user makes a selection using said screen and to examine said data to determine which of said packets correspond to said input signal, said display device being controlled by said processing device to display said information corresponding to said input signal. 12. A system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a multimedia device connected to said receiver, said information comprising at least one of data, graphics, static images, moving images, text, audio, web pages, and video, said multimedia device being operable to perform at least one of a plurality of operations depending on said input signal comprising displaying at least one of said data, said graphics, said static images, said moving images, said text, said web page and said video and playing said audio. 13. A system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising at least one of an Internet service provider computer and a system gateway connected to said remote communication network, and a broadcast station connected to said at least one of an Internet service provider and a system gateway, said broadcast station being operable receive said information from said at least one of an Internet service provider and a system gateway, to format inormation in said headlines with said data indicating to which of said plurality of topics said packets correspond. 14. A system as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a hub for connecting said broadcast station to said system gateway. 15. A method of broadcasting information from Internet service providers to user terminals comprising a radio receiver and a multimedia device via satellite and without a backhaul link between the user terminals and the service providers: formatting Internet information relating to a plurality of topics to packets in said broadcast channel for transmission to said user terminals, said broadcast channel has headlines comprising data indicating which of said packets correspond to which of said plurality of topics, transmitting said broadcast channel to said user terminals via said satellite; receiving said broadcast channel at a number of said user terminals; generating a menu using said multimedia device to list said plurality of topics; determining a user input signal corresponding to a selection of one of said plurality of topics from said menu; determining which of said packets corresponds to said user input signal using said identification data; and outputting said packets corresponding to said user input signal using said multimedia device. 16. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said formatting step comprises the step of formatting Internet information comprising at least one of news, weather reports, stock market rates, educational programs and consumer information. 17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said generating step of: identifying at least one of said news, said weather reports, said stock market rates, said educational programs and said consumer information using said multimedia device as menu options; and providing a prompt for instructing a user to select one of said menu options. 18. A method as claimed in claim 15, wherein said formatting step further comprises the step of formatting program information indicating said plurality of topics and corresponding broadcast times for reception at said user terminals. 19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said user terminals are programmed to update s