Controlling digital data distribution in a relay server network

Abstract

The present invention teaches methods and systems for providing a relay server for enabling a data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system to provide digital DOD service via a communications medium over one or more channels, the relay server comprising: an communications network interface for receiving at least one DOD service from the DOD digital broadcast system, wherein the DOD service is formatted as a stream of data blocks arranged in a schedule such that a first data block of the DOD service may be accessed at any selected time period; a uni-directional network interface for providing the stream of data blocks to a plurality of users, wherein the users may access the first data block at any time period and may access subsequent data blocks of the stream of data blocks thereby accessing the at least one DOD service.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A relay server system comprising: 
 a communications interface for receiving data transmissions from a digital data server system; and    uni-directional interface for providing digital data transmissions to a plurality of clients via a wide area network, wherein said relay server does not require upstream communications to provide said digital data transmissions to said clients.    
     
     
         2 . A uni-directional relay server as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said communications interface is further operative for receiving at least one data file from said digital data server system, wherein said data file is formatted as a stream of data blocks arranged in a schedule such that a first data block of said data file may be accessed at any selected time period; and wherein said uni-directional interface is further operative for providing said stream of data blocks to a plurality of users, and wherein said users may access said first data block at any time period and may access subsequent data blocks of said stream of data blocks thereby accessing said at least one data file on demand.  
     
     
         3 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said at least one data file is a plurality of data files formatted as a stream of data blocks arranged in a schedule such that a first data block of a selected one of said plurality of data files may be accessed at any selected time period, and wherein a user may access subsequent data blocks of said selected data file thereby accessing any one of said plurality of data files on demand.  
     
     
         4 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said accessing said selected data file by said users includes displaying at least a portion of a graphical representation of at least one of said data blocks.  
     
     
         5 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said downstream network interface is communicatively coupled to a plurality of set-top-boxes via a cable network.  
     
     
         6 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said set-top-boxes include an audio-visual display apparatus for displaying at least a portion of at least one of said data files.  
     
     
         7 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said downstream network interface is not operative to receive data from said plurality of set-top-boxes.  
     
     
         8 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said relay server is incapable of receiving information from said user.  
     
     
         9 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said relay server is uni-directionally coupled to said plurality of set-top-boxes.  
     
     
         10 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said communications interface is operative to receive digitally encoded data, and wherein said uni-directional network interface is operative to transmit said received digitally encoded data to a plurality of data receivers operative to decode said encoded data.  
     
     
         11 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said uni-directional network interface provides said stream of data blocks as electronic signals.  
     
     
         12 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said communications interface is operative to receive data from a server system, and wherein at least one of said plurality of set-top-boxes is operative to communicate with said server system via a communications medium.  
     
     
         13 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said communications medium includes a telephone network.  
     
     
         14 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said communications medium includes a wireless network.  
     
     
         15 . A relay server system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said communications medium includes the Internet.  
     
     
         16 . A relay server for enabling a data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system to provide digital DOD service via a communications medium over one or more channels, said relay server comprising: 
 an communications network interface for receiving at least one DOD service from said DOD digital broadcast system, wherein said DOD service is formatted as a stream of data blocks arranged in a schedule such that a first data block of said DOD service may be accessed at any selected time period; and    a uni-directional network interface for providing said stream of data blocks to a plurality of users, wherein said users may access said first data block at any time period and may access subsequent data blocks of said stream of data blocks thereby accessing said at least one DOD service.    
     
     
         17 . A relay server as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said at least one DOD service is a plurality of DOD services formatted as a stream of data blocks arranged in a schedule such that a first data block of a selected DOD services may be accessed during any selected time period, and wherein a user may access subsequent data blocks of said selected DOD service, thereby accessing said selected DOD service on demand.  
     
     
         18 . A relay server as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said accessing said at least one DOD service by said users includes displaying at least a portion of a graphical representation of at least one of said data blocks.  
     
     
         19 . A relay server as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said uni-directional network interface is communicatively coupled to a plurality of set-top-boxes via a cable network.  
     
     
         20 . A relay server as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said set-top-boxes include an audio-visual display apparatus for displaying at least a portion of at least one of said DOD services.  
     
     
         21 . A relay server as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said uni-directional network interface may not receive data from said plurality of set-top-boxes.  
     
     
         22 . A relay server as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said relay server is incapable of receiving information from said user.  
     
     
         23 . A relay server as recited in  claim 19 , wherein said relay server is uni-directionally coupled to said plurality of set-top-boxes.  
     
     
         24 . A relay server as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said communications network interface is operative to receive digitally encoded data, and wherein said uni-directional network interface is operative to transmit said received digitally encoded data.  
     
     
         25 . A universal broadcast system as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said uni-directional network interface provides said stream of data blocks as electronic signals.  
     
     
         26 . A relay server method for providing data-on-demand (DOD) digital services via a communications medium over one or more channels, said relay server method comprising the acts of: 
 receiving at least one DOD service from a DOD broadcast server system, wherein said DOD service is formatted as a stream of data blocks arranged in a schedule such that a first data block of said DOD service may be accessed at any selected time period; and    transmitting said stream of data blocks to a plurality of users, wherein said users may access said first data block at any time period and may access subsequent data blocks of said stream of data blocks thereby accessing said at least one DOD service.    
     
     
         27 . A method as recited in  claim 26 , wherein said at least one DOD service is a plurality of DOD services formatted as a stream of data blocks arranged in a schedule such that a first data block of a selected DOD service is accessed at a selected time period, and wherein a user may access subsequent data blocks of said selected DOD service thereby accessing any one of said plurality of DOD services on demand.  
     
     
         28 . A method as recited in  claim 26 , wherein said accessing said selected DOD service by said users includes displaying at least a portion of a graphical representation of at least one of said data blocks.  
     
     
         29 . A method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein said stream of data blocks is transmitted to a plurality of set-top-boxes via a cable network.  
     
     
         30 . A method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein said set-top-boxes include an audio-visual display apparatus for displaying at least a portion of at least one of said DOD services.  
     
     
         31 . A method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein said method excludes receiving data from said plurality of set-top-boxes.  
     
     
         32 . A method as recited in  claim 27 , wherein said stream of data blocks is transmitted to said plurality of set-top-boxes as an electronic signal.  
     
     
         33 . A method as recited in  claim 32 , further comprising amplifying said stream of data blocks.  
     
     
         34 . A method as recited in  claim 29 , wherein said set-top-boxes include advanced television receivers having internal set-top-boxes.  
     
     
         35 . A method as recited in  claim 29 , further including receiving digitally encoded data and transmitting said digitally encoded data via said cable network.  
     
     
         36 . A digital data relay server system for providing digital data services to a plurality of users via a communications medium over one or more channels, said system comprising: 
 first means for receiving at least one DOD service from a DOD digital broadcast server system, wherein said DOD service is formatted as a stream of data blocks arranged in a schedule such that a first data block of said DOD service may be accessed at any selected time period; and    second means for providing said stream of data blocks to a plurality of users, wherein said users may access said first data block at any time period and may access subsequent data blocks of said stream of data blocks thereby accessing said DOD service on demand.    
     
     
         37 . A data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system for providing digital DOD services via a communications medium, said system comprising: 
 a digital broadcast server system for providing client generic DOD digital data; and    a digital data relay server system for receiving said DOD digital data, wherein said relay server system is further operative to provide said DOD digital data to a plurality of authorized clients via a network, wherein said authorized clients access said DOD digital data without sending data to said digital relay data server.    
     
     
         38 . A data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said accessing said DOD data by said clients includes displaying at least a portion of a graphical representation of said DOD data.  
     
     
         39 . A data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said relay server provides said DOD data to said clients in a client generic manner.  
     
     
         40 . A data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system as recited in  claim 37 , wherein set-top-boxes (STB) are used to receive said DOD data, and wherein said STBs include an audio-visual display apparatus for displaying at least a portion of at least one of said DOD services.  
     
     
         41 . A data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system as recited in  claim 40 , wherein said STBs are operative to receive and decode digitally encoded data.  
     
     
         42 . A data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system as recited in  claim 37 , wherein said relay server is a first relay server for providing digital data to clients within a first area, wherein said data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system includes a second relay server for providing digital data to clients within a second area, wherein said second relay server is located in communicative proximity to said second area in order to more efficiently provide said digital data to said clients of said second area.  
     
     
         43 . A data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system as recited in  claim 42 , wherein said first area includes a political region such as a state, and wherein said second area includes a political region such as a state.  
     
     
         44 . A data-on-demand (DOD) digital broadcast system as recited in  claim 43 , wherein said first area includes a geographical region such as an island, and wherein said second area includes a portion of a geographical region such as a portion of a continent.