System for downloading computer software programs

In a video-on-demand system, a disk-less set-top box for downloading software programs from a video server of the video-on-demand network, the set-top box comprising:

• a read-only memory storing a boot program, a control protocol stack, and a video protocol stack, the control protocol stack being connected to a bidirectional channel of a circuit of the network, and the video protocol stack being connected to a unidirectional video channel of the circuit;
• means for requesting a software program from the video server, the means for requesting connected to the control stack;
• means for continuously receiving the software program as an encoded video transport stream, the means for receiving connected to the video protocol stack;
• and
• means for decoding the video stream to reconstruct the requested program in a volatile dynamic random access memory of the set-up box.

A set-top box for downloading software programs from a video server of a video-on-demand network, a set-top box comprising:

• a read-only memory for storing a boot program, a control protocol stack, and a video protocol stack, the control protocol stack being connected to a bidirectional control channel of a circuit of the network, and the video protocol stack being connected to a unidirectional video channel of the circuit;
• a selector, connected to the control stack, for requesting a software program from the video server over the control channel;
• a receiver, connected to the video protocol stack, for continuously receiving the software program as an encoded video transport stream;
• and
• a decoder for decoding the video transport stream to reconstruct the requested program in a volatile dynamic random access memory of the set-up box.

An video-on-demand system, comprising:

• a communications link including a unidirectional video channel and a bidirectional control channel;
• a server station for storing at least one of software programs and video;
• a set-top box for downloading software programs from the server via the unidirectional video channel, including:
• a read-only memory for storing a boot program, a control protocol stack, and a video protocol stack, the control protocol stack being connected to the bidirectional control channel, and the video protocol stack being connected to the unidirectional video channel;
• a director connected to the control stack for requesting via the control channel a software program from the video server;
• a receiver connected to the video protocol stack for continuously receiving the software program as an encoded video transport stream over the video channel;
• and
• a decoder for decoding the video stream to reconstruct the requested program in a volatile dynamic random access memory of the set-up box.