Patent ID: 7925255

Claim:
A method of distributing files to mobile vehicles that are configured for wireless communication with a central facility, comprising the steps of: sending to one or more vehicles a file broadcast schedule that identifies a plurality of files and that includes scheduling information indicating when the files will be transmitted, wherein at least some of the files contain software; analyzing the file broadcast schedule at one or more of the vehicles by identifying at least one specific file that contains software and that is intended for receipt and storage at that vehicle and by determining from the scheduling information a scheduled time at which the specific file is intended to be received; monitoring a digital satellite transmission channel at the scheduled time for the specific file; upon receiving the specific file, storing it in the vehicle such that it is available for installation in the vehicle; wherein the file broadcast schedule includes a header and a plurality of individual file entries, and wherein each file entry includes: (a) a station identifier that identifies one or more of the vehicles; (b) the scheduled time at which the specific file will be broadcast; (c) a file identifier that uniquely identifies the specific file; and (d) an expiration; wherein the vehicles are configured to use the station identifier in determining whether they are to store the specific file and, for those vehicles identified by the station identifier, the vehicle attempts to receive the specific file beginning at the scheduled time and for a period of time thereafter that is determined using the expiration.