METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING A CONTROL CHANNEL IN A DATA NETWORK

1 - 50 . (canceled)

51 . A method for providing control information on a network, the method comprising:

receiving a server digest from each of a plurality of servers, each server digest identifying a current state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with the server associated with the server digest;

generating a control channel digest from a plurality of the server digests, the control channel digest identifying a current state of each of the plurality of servers; and

transmitting the control channel digest to devices on the network.

52 . The method of claim 51 , further comprising:

updating the control channel digest on a periodic basis; and

transmitting the updated control channel digest.

53 . The method of claim 51 wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting the control channel digest over the data network on a control channel to a plurality of wireless devices that communicate with the plurality of servers.

54 . A method of operating a server on a data network comprising:

transmitting a server digest including a state to which a device should be synchronized to interact with the first server;

receiving a control channel digest identifying, for each of a plurality of servers, a state to which a device should be synchronized to interact with the respective server; and

transmitting the control channel digest to a plurality of devices.

55 . The method of claim 54 , further comprising:

transmitting an updated server digest on a periodic basis; and

receiving updated control channel digests on a periodic basis.

56 . The method of claim 54 wherein the step of transmitting comprises transmitting the control channel digest to a device as part of other server information.

57 . A control channel server on a network comprising:

means for receiving server digests from a plurality of servers, each digest indicating a state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with a respective server;

means for generating a control channel digest from the server digests, the control channel digest indicting a state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with each of the plurality of servers; and

means for transmitting the control channel digest to devices on the network.

58 . A server in a multi-server content distribution system, the server comprising:

means for transmitting a server digest indicating a state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with the server;

means for receiving a control channel digest that for each of a plurality of servers in the multi-server content distribution system indicates a state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with that server; and

means for transmitting the control channel digest to the device.

59 . A control channel server comprising:

receiving logic configured to receive a plurality of server digests, each server digest indicating a state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with a respective server;

digest logic configured to generate a control channel digest from the server digests, the control channel digest identifying, for each server a state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with that server; and

transmitting logic configured to transmit the control channel digest to devices in the data network.

60 . A server in a multi-server content distribution system, the server comprising:

digest logic configured to transmit a server digest indicating a state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with the server;

receiving logic configured to receive a control channel digest that for each of a plurality of servers in the multi-server content distribution system indicates a state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with that server; and

transceiver logic configured to transmit the control channel digest to devices on the multi-server content distribution system.

61 . A computer-readable medium having a computer program, which when executed by at least one processor, operates to provide a control information in a data network, the computer program comprising:

instructions for receiving a server digest from each of a plurality of servers, each server digest identifying a current state to which a device should be synchronized to communicate with the server associated with the server digest;

instructions for generating a control channel digest from a plurality of the server digests, the control channel digest identifying a current state of each of the plurality of servers; and

instructions for transmitting the control channel digest to devices on the network.

62 . A computer-readable medium having a computer program, which when executed by at least one processor, operates to provide a control information in a data network, the computer program comprising:

instructions for transmitting a server digest including a state to which a device should be synchronized to interact with the first server;

instructions for receiving a control channel digest identifying, for each of a plurality of servers, a state to which a device should be synchronized to interact with the respective server; and

instructions for transmitting the control channel digest to a plurality of devices.