Patent ID: 6901604

Claim:
A communication system comprising: a plurality of information receiver and retransmitter devices (IRRTs) coupled to the Internet wherein each IRRT is for receiving and rendering broadcast information and for selectively retransmitting broadcast information to another IRRT, and wherein each IRRT includes a transmission buffer having a buffer forward portion for storing broadcast information to be rendered and a buffer past portion for storing broadcast information that has been rendered and can be retransmitted to another IRRT, wherein a rendering pointer separates said buffer forward and buffer past portions; a plurality of primary broadcast servers coupled to the Internet, each for originating respective primary broadcast information that is chaincast among a group of IRRTs of said plurality of IRRTs; and a chaincast manager coupled to said Internet and for registering said plurality of primary broadcast servers and for scheduling information transfers of said respective primary broadcast information to IRRTs based on broadcast requests generated by said IRRTs to said chaincast manager.