INFORMATION METHOD AND APPARATUS USING SIMPLEX AND DUPLEX COMMUNICATIONS

An information delivery method and apparatus uses a simplex channel from a central data base site for transmitting data stored at the site to a plurality of remote local terminals. The local terminals receive the broadcast data and selectively store a subset of the data. The local terminals can process user initiated queries directed to the stored data, and determine whether the data is available at the local terminal or at the central data base site. The local terminal can automatically access data not available in its data base. The remote local terminal has a facility for selectively storing only that information of particular interest to the local user and provides for listing desired information in a prioritized fashion and allocating memory to each category. A predicate data base model is developed for advantageously storing the information.