Distributed application and data dissemination system

Abstract

A computer accesses data that may be stored on a network with which the computer is in communication, the network including at least one server. The data may be an application program, a memory overlay or application specific data. It is first determined whether the data is stored in the computer, and if it is, the data is executed on the computer. If the data is not stored in the computer, a request for data is transmitted from the computer to the server, which accesses the data and transmits the data requested to the computer for execution.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method of executing a program on a computer having a microprocessor and a memory, wherein the program may be stored on a network with which the computer is in communication, the network including at least one server, the method comprising: 
 identifying the program to be executed on the computer;    determining whether the program is stored in the memory of the computer;    upon determining that the program is not stored in the memory of the computer, transmitting a first request to the server on the network for the program;    operating the server to access the program for transmitting;    transmitting the program from the server to the computer; and    executing the program on the computer.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein operating the server to access the program for transmitting comprises: 
 determining whether the program is stored in the server;    upon determining that the program is not stored in the server, transmitting a second request from the server to other servers on the network for the program; and    receiving the program at the server from one of the other servers on the network.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein operating the server to access the program for transmitting comprises: 
 determining whether a user of the computer is authorized to access the program requested.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting a request to the server on the network for the program and transmitting the program from the server to the computer comprise operating wireless transceivers on the computer and the server.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the program is partitioned into a plurality of modules, and the steps of transmitting a request to the server on the network for the program, operating the server to access the program for transmitting, transmitting the program from the server to the computer and executing the program on the computer are performed in multiple iterations for each of the plurality of modules of the program.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the program is partitioned into a root module and at least one overlay module.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of identifying the program to be executed on the computer, determining whether the program is stored in the memory of the computer, and transmitting a first request to the server on the network for the program comprise: 
 operating program manager software on the computer to generate a program request;    translating the program request from the computer into the first request in a format understood by the server; and    transmitting the first request from the computer to the server.    
     
     
         8 . A method of disseminating data in a network comprising a computer and at least one server, the method comprising: 
 executing at least one application program on the computer, the at least one application program being operable to request data comprising at least one of a new application program, a memory overlay, and application specific data; and    accessing the data requested by: 
 determining whether the data requested is stored in the computer;  
 if the data requested is located in the computer, initiating execution of the data by the at least one application program; and  
 if the data requested is not located in the computer, transmitting a first request for the data to the at least one server, and upon receiving the data from the at least one server, initiating execution of the data by the at least one application program.  
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the server, upon receiving the first request for data from the computer, accesses the program according to a method comprising: 
 determining whether the data requested is stored in the server;    upon determining that the data requested is not stored in local memory of the server, transmitting a second request from the server to other servers on the network for the data;    receiving the data requested at the server from one of the other servers on the network; and    transmitting the data requested to the computer.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein accessing the data requested further comprises: 
 determining whether a user of the computer is authorized to access the data requested.    
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein transmitting the first request for the data to the at least one server is performed by communicating between wireless transceivers of the computer and the at least one server.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one application program on the computer is operable to call managing software to execute the first request for data, the managing software operating to: 
 translate a data request by the at least one application program into the first request for data in a format understood by the server; and    transmit the first request from the computer to the server.    
     
     
         13 . A computer adapted to execute a program that may be stored on a network having at least one server, comprising: 
 a transceiver;    a microprocessor, memory, data input system, and display all coupled to a data bus;    first software stored in the memory to execute a first application program on the computer, the first application program being operable to request data, the data being at least one of a second application program, a memory overlay and application specific data; and    second software stored in the memory responsive to requests from the first application program to locate the data requested in at least one of the memory of the computer and the server, the second software being operable to send a remote request for the data to the server via the transceiver if the data is not located in the memory of the computer;    
     
     
         14 . The computer of  claim 13 , wherein the remote request for the data includes a user ID for determining whether a user of the computer is authorized to access the data requested.  
     
     
         15 . The computer of  claim 13 , wherein the transceiver is a wireless transceiver.  
     
     
         16 . The computer of  claim 13 , wherein the second application program is partitioned into a plurality of modules, and the first application program is operable to request the second application program by initiating separate requests for the plurality of modules.  
     
     
         17 . The computer of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of modules include a root module and at least one memory overlay module.  
     
     
         18 . The computer of  claim 13 , wherein the second software comprises: 
 program manager software for requesting at least one of the second application program and the memory overlay, and    transaction manager software for requesting application specific data.    
     
     
         19 . The computer of  claim 13 , wherein the second software is operable to translate requests for data from the first application program into a format understood by the server.