Patent ID: 6928468

Claim:
A portable data communications device, comprising a receiver that includes a tuner that is selectively tunable to receive a selected one of a plurality of software applications being simultaneously broadcasted by a broadcast system over a plurality of channels that are selectively in communication with a return channel from the broadcast system; a user-interface that enables a user to select one of the broadcasted software applications from a menu for downloading; a processor for executing the downloaded software application; and a modem for establishing a two-way communications link with a network control system, said two-way communications link being separate from the broadcast system, wherein the two-way communications link includes a forward channel over which the portable data communications device can transmit client data to the network control system, and the return channel over which the network control system can transmit data to the portable communications device selected from a plurality of channels; wherein said two-way communications link is adapted to retransmit predetermined portions of lost/corrupted software application data that have been broadcast by said network control system, with a request for retransmission of missing/corrupted data is transmitted over the forward channel and retransmission of the missing/corrupted data is transmitted over the return channel.