Patent ID: 7783776

Claim:
A method for distribution of the load of a managing center transmitting information to a plurality of user units, comprising: determining by the managing center a time period for processing user units and a number of user units to process during the time period, each user unit receiving the information from the managing center after a request is carried out by the user unit while connecting to the managing center; determining by the managing center a probability of connection to the managing center by a user unit from the plurality of user units during the time period; transmitting to each user unit a message comprising the probability of connection to the managing center and the time period; generating at a user unit receiving the message from the managing center a first random number; comparing at the user unit the first random number with the probability of connection included in the message; when the first random number is lower than the probability of connection included in the message, generating at the user unit a second random number; determining a time within the time period at which the user unit is to connect to the managing center based on the second random number; and when the first random number is higher than the probability of connection, waiting during the time period, for a new message from the managing center; wherein the probability of connection is increased for a time period subsequent to the time period based on the number of user units that have been connected successfully during the time period, the managing center being configured to record the connections carried out during the time period; and wherein the user units include decoders connected to a server of the managing center, said decoders transmitting requests to the server of the managing center for updating access rights to broadcasted programs, said server transmitting an entitlement control message (ECM) to the decoders comprising a probability of connection and a time period during which an active decoder connects to the server of the managing center for carrying out its updating according to the probability of connection received by the active decoder in the ECM.