Patent ID: 7366824

Claim:
A system for updating electronic files, comprising: a first device including a processor coupled to a first component of a byte-level file differencing and updating system that generates a delta file, wherein the delta file includes an operation array that codes byte-level differences between an original file and a new file using a variable length integer format, wherein the first device is accessible by at least one provider of the original file; a second device coupled to the first device via at least one coupling, wherein the second device includes a second component of the byte-level file differencing and updating system, wherein the second device is configured to perform a file update by, receiving at least one block of the delta file and store the delta file block in a first memory area; writing a copy of at least one block of the original file from an original memory area to a second memory area, wherein the original file block corresponds to the delta file block; generating a copy of at least one block of the new file using the stored delta file block and the copy of the original file block, wherein the new file block corresponds to the original file block; writing the generated copy of the new file block to a third memory area; and updating the original file block by writing the copy of the new file block over the corresponding original file block in the original memory area.