Mobile base station for disseminating information

A mobile base station for disseminating data to a plurality of mobile users, comprising:

• a receiver adapted to receive data transmitted by a broadcast server;
• a network interface adapted to transmit data to the plurality of mobile users and to receive information requests from the plurality of mobile users;
• a communication link adapted to communicate the information requests to the broadcast server;
• a computer readable memory adapted to store a copy of the data transmitted by the broadcast server and to store the information requests received from the plurality of mobile users;
• and
• first software routine stored in the computer readable memory and adapted to operate on a processor to determine data updates representing at least some of the data transmitted by the broadcast server which updates the stored copy of the data and to transmit at least some of the data updates to the plurality of mobile users based on the information requests received from the plurality of mobile users.

A method of disseminating data from an information database to a plurality of mobile users, the method comprising:

• receiving information requests from the plurality of mobile users at a mobile base station;
• storing the information requests on a computer readable memory at the mobile base station;
• transmitting the information requests to a broadcast server attached to the information database;
• requesting and receiving data from the information database at the broadcast server;
• transmitting the data received at the broadcast server to the mobile base station;
• storing a copy of the data in the computer readable memory;
• determining data updates representing at least some of the data transmitted by the broadcast server which updates the stored copy of the data;
• and
• transmitting at least some of the data updates to the plurality of mobile users based on the information requests received from the plurality of mobile users.