| 摘要 |
A method and apparatus for rapidly downloading large files over a broadband communications link to a user segments the file into multiple segments and assigns the segments to be transmitted over a plurality of in-band or out-of-band channels. The segments are then carouseled on the assigned channels. Optionally, the segmenting algorithm may optimize the download time based on: file size, unused bandwidth per multiplex, the number of available multiplexes, or channels most viewed during the download period. The optimization program can begin the download process employing all available channels. Subsequently, based on acknowledgements regarding maximum successfully received segments, the optimization program can then reallocate the unsent segments among these channels. When the receiver is tuned to a given channel that has associated with it one or more segments to be downloaded, the receiver starts downloading these segments as a background process, which continues until the download of the entire filed is complete, whether or not the channel is changed by a viewer.
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