This isn't quite the point of the article but holy crap is this an awful patent:
“[a] communication element associated with each of the units of the commodity capable of carrying results of the two-way local interaction from each of the units of the commodity to a central location"
It couldn't mean when each unit communicates independently to the central location. The app uses the app store independently from the upgrades to purchase upgrades. Instead of talking to the upgrade locally and "carrying the results of the two-way interaction" to the app store.
That's my opinion on the legalese because Apple shows screenshots of the app store in the middle of the communication process.
“[a] communication element associated with each of the units of the commodity capable of carrying results of the two-way local interaction from each of the units of the commodity to a central location"
What on earth could that NOT mean?