Broadcast data access system for multimedia clients in a broadcast network architecture

Abstract

A broadcast data access system is provided for receiving broadcast data by applications residing on a multimedia client, where the broadcast data is a set of modules on a data carousel that are being broadcast over a broadcast network. The broadcast data access system includes an interest manager configured to store a plurality of interests, such that each interest identifies an available module on the data carousel being requested by an application. The system further includes at least one application having registered an interest for a first module with the interest manager, and a dispatcher distributing the first module to the requesting application by accessing the interest manager.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A broadcast data access system for receiving broadcast data by applications residing on a multimedia client, the broadcast data being a set of modules on a data carousel that are broadcast over a network, comprising: 
 an interest manager being configured to store a plurality of interests, such that each interest identifies an available module on the data carousel and a requesting application;    a first application on the multimedia client being operative to register a first interest with said interest manager, said first interest representing a first module on the data carousel; and    a dispatcher receiving a plurality of modules from the data carousel, including said first module, and being operative to distribute said first module to said first application by accessing said interest manager.    
     
     
         2 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 1  wherein said dispatcher using a module identifier encapsulated in said first module to access said interest manager, thereby determining said first application.  
     
     
         3 . A broadcast data access system of  claim 1  wherein said interest manager being operative to remove said first interest after distributing said first module to said first application.  
     
     
         4 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 1  further comprises a second application being operative to register a second interest with said interest manager, said second interest representing said first module on the data carousel, and said dispatcher being operative to distribute said first module to said first application and said second application.  
     
     
         5 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 1  wherein said first module being broadcast as a plurality of data packets in a non-sequential order over the data carousel, and said dispatcher being operative to distribute each of said data packets to said first application and to remove said first interest before receiving a duplicate data packet associated with said first module.  
     
     
         6 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 1  further comprising a first data source connection between the network and the multimedia client and a second data source connection between the network and the multimedia client, such that said dispatcher receiving said plurality of modules from at least one of said first and second data source connections.  
     
     
         7 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 6  further comprising a data source processor connected between each of said data source connections and said dispatcher for performing data source specific processing on each incoming module.  
     
     
         8 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 1  further comprising a broadcast file server accessible through the network, said broadcast file server being configured to store said plurality of modules and operative to broadcast said plurality of modules to the multimedia client.  
     
     
         9 . A broadcast data access system for receiving broadcast data by applications residing on a multimedia client, the broadcast data being a set of modules on a data carousel that are broadcast over a network, comprising: 
 a first application on the multimedia client being operative to register a first interest with an interest manager, said first interest representing a first module on the data carousel;    said interest manager being configured to store a plurality of interests, such that each interest identifies an available module on the data carousel and the requesting application;    a data source processor receiving at least a first module and a second module from the data carousel and being configured by said interest manager, in response to said first interest, to filter said second module; and    a dispatcher receiving said first module from said data source processor and distributing said first module to said first application by accessing said interest manager.    
     
     
         10 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 9  wherein said dispatcher using a module identifier encapsulated in said first module to access said interest manager, thereby determining said first application.  
     
     
         11 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 9  wherein said interest manager being operative to remove said first interest after distributing said first module to said first application.  
     
     
         12 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 9  further comprises a second application being operative to register a second interest with said interest manager, said second interest representing said first module on the data carousel, and said dispatcher being operative to distribute said first module to said first application and said second application.  
     
     
         13 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 9  wherein said first module being broadcast as a plurality of data packets in a non-sequential order over the data carousel, and said dispatcher being operative to distribute each of said data packets to said first application and to remove said first interest before receiving a duplicate data packet associated with said first module.  
     
     
         14 . The broadcast data access system of  claim 9  further comprising a broadcast file server accessible through the network, said broadcast file server being configured to store said plurality of modules and operative to broadcast said plurality of modules to the multimedia client.  
     
     
         15 . A method for accessing broadcast data by applications residing on a multimedia client, the broadcast data being a set of modules on a data carousel that are broadcast over a network, comprising the steps of: 
 configuring an interest manager to store a plurality of interests, such that each interest identifies an available module on the data carousel and the requesting application;    registering a first interest by a first application with said interest manager, said first interest representing a first module on the data carousel;    installing a filter to pass said first module, in response to said first interest, by said interest manager;    receiving at least a first module and a second module at a data source processor on the multimedia client;    filtering said second module by said data source processor; and    distributing said first module to said first application by accessing said interest manager.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of distributing said first module further comprises determining said first module based on a module identifier encapsulated in said first module and identifying said first application by using said module identifier to access said interest manager.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprises the step of removing said filter after distributing said first module to said first application.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  further comprises the steps of: 
 registering a second interest by a second application with said interest manager, said second interest representing said first module on the data carousel;  
 distributing said first module to said second application by accessing said s interest manager; and  
 removing said second interest after distributing said first module to said second application.  
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of distributing said first module further comprises broadcasting said first module as a plurality of data packets in a non-sequential order over the data carousel and distributing each of said data packets to said first application before receiving a duplicate data packet associated with said first module.