Digital content services over the internet that transmit or stream protected digital content to mobile devices, display devices, audio output devices, printing devices, televisions, or television controllers

• US 10,346,114 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Henderson, Esther B.
• Application Number:
  US15/973,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20180253264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1204 resulting in reduced user or operator actions, e.g. presetting, automatic actions, using hardware token storing data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1247 by conversion to printer ready format
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/126 Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1288 in client-server-printer device configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1292 Mobile client, e.g. wireless printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2809 indicating that an appliance service is present in a home automation network monitoring functionality H04L43/0817; discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services, H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2841 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/285 Generic home appliances, e.g. refrigerators
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 : by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 : specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 : Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 : Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 : Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 : Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 : Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 999/99 : dummy group

Abstract

Digital content services provided over the Internet for transmitting or streaming protected digital content to client or output devices are herein disclosed and enabled. The protected digital content is encrypted and device dependent or specific for rendering or playing at a limited number of devices, including smart phones, information pads, audio players, wireless controllers, televisions, printers, etc. To illustrate, a client may include an application for accessing digital content from a subscribed content service or store over the Internet. To access the digital content, a client application may send, to the content service or store, authentication information, subscription information, and/or a reference to selected digital content. The service then generates encrypted device dependent output data, related to the selected digital content and associated with a device previously registered with the service, for transmitting or streaming to the client or output devices (e.g., smart phones, television controllers, speakers, printers) for rendering.

Claims

1. A method for one or more serves to provide digital content over a network, that includes the Internet, to a client of the one or more servers, the one or more servers providing, at least in part, a digital content service accessible by the client over the network, the client being a client device or a client application executable at the client device, the one or more servers being distinct and separate from the client device, and the digital content service includes one or more server applications executable at the one or more servers for managing at least part of the digital content service, the method comprising:

receiving, from the client and by the one or more servers, authentication information associated with a user operating the client;

receiving, from the client and by the one or more servers, subscription information associated with the user for accessing the digital content that is available at the one or more servers;

receiving, at the one or more servers, a device object from the client over the network that includes the Internet, the device object including device information related to one or more devices that are distinct and separate devices from the one or more servers;

providing access to the client, by the one or more servers, to at least part of a list of one or more content that is available at the one or more servers, the providing of access being subsequent to having successfully received the authentication information and the subscription information from the client;

receiving, at the one or more servers and from the client, a pointer or reference to selected digital content from the list of one or more content provided, by the one or more servers, to the client;

retrieving, by the one or more server applications, at least part of the selected digital content from the one or more servers employing, at least in part, the pointer or reference to the selected digital content received from the client;

generating output data, at the one or more servers using the one or more server applications, the output data corresponding to at least part of the selected digital content retrieved by the one or more server applications, and the generating of the output data includes applying, by the one or more server applications, an encryption operation on at least part of the selected digital content, and the generated output data is, at least in part, device dependent for rendering at the one or more devices; and

transmitting, by the one or more servers, at least part of the generated output data to the client for rendering at least part of the selected digital content at the one or more devices, the transmitting of at least part of the generated output data being subsequent to having received the authentication information, and the transmitting of the generated output data being based on having received the subscription information; and

wherein the generated output data is, at least in part, device dependent to the one or more devices for rendering or playing at least part of the selected digital content at the one or more devices, and the generated output data is based, at least in part, on the device information included in the device object and received by the one or more servers from the client over the network that includes the Internet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more servers include at least one server executing the one or more server applications, and the one or more servers further include at least one content server for storing at least part of the digital content that is available at the one or more servers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the selected digital content provided by the one or more servers includes, at least in part, video digital content or audio digital content, individually or in any combination;

and wherein the digital content service includes an audio digital content service or a video digital content service, individually or in any combination.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the client device includes at least one of a smart phone, an information pad, an Internet appliance, or a digital camera, individually or in any combination, and wherein the one or more devices include the client device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the client is the client application executable at the client device, and the client device includes at least one of a smart phone, an information pad, an Internet pad, an Internet appliance, or a digital camera, individually or in any combination;

and wherein the one or more devices include an output device that is a distinct and separate device from the client device; and

wherein the output device includes at least one of a television device, an output controller that is wire connectable to at least a television, an audio output device, a music output device, a projection device, or a printing device, individually or in any combination; and

wherein the device dependent output data is acceptable for rendering at the output device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least part of the device dependent output data includes an encryption scheme for ensuring security of the selected digital content, and wherein the method further comprises:

decrypting, by the client application at the client device, at least part of the selected digital content;

using, at least in part, the encrypted output data received from the one or more servers; and

rendering or playing, by the client application at the one or more devices, at least part of the selected digital content that has been decrypted.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the subscription information is previously received from the user by the digital content service, and the subscription information is provided automatically when the digital content service is accessed by the client device;

and wherein the subscription information includes service subscriber information corresponding to a pre-arranged subscription to the digital content service; and

wherein the method further comprises correlating, by the digital content service, the service subscriber information with a subscriber database that stores subscriber profiles with corresponding subscription information.

8. An information apparatus for obtaining digital content from a digital content service provided by one or more servers over a network, the digital content accessible, at least partly, by the information apparatus, the information apparatus including:

at least one processor;

an operating system;

an interface for interacting with a user;

memory or storage;

software or firmware stored, at least partly, in the memory or storage, at least part of the software or firmware is executable, by the at least one processor at the information apparatus, for accessing the digital content service provided by the one or more servers over the network; and

wherein the information apparatus is configurable for;

sending, from the information apparatus to the one or more servers over the network, authentication information associated with the user of the information apparatus for authentication of the user or the information apparatus, the one or more servers being distinct and separate from the information apparatus;

sending, from the information apparatus to the one or more servers, subscription information for accessing the digital content service provided by the one or more servers;

delivering, from the information apparatus, one or more device objects to the one or more servers over the network, the one or more device objects are related to one or more devices, the one or more devices are for outputting or playing the digital content, and the one or more devices being distinct and separate devices from the one or more servers, and the one or more device objects including information, related to at least one of device identification information, device address information, device capability information, model information, brand information, registration information, or IP address information, individually or in any combination, related to the one or more devices;

accessing, by the information apparatus, one or more digital content that are available at the digital content service, the access of the one or more digital content, provided by the one or more servers, is based, at least in part, on having successfully sent the authentication information and the subscription information;

receiving, via the interface of the information apparatus, an indication from the user of selected digital content from among the one or more digital content that are available from the digital content service;

delivering, from the information apparatus to the one or more servers, at least a pointer or reference to the selected digital content; and

receiving, at the information apparatus and from the one or more servers, output data corresponding to at least part of the selected digital content, the output data is related, at least in part, to the information included in the one or more device objects, delivered from the information apparatus to the one or more servers, and the output data, corresponding to at least part of the selected digital content, is at least in part device dependent with respect to the one or more devices for outputting or playing at least part of the selected digital content at the one or more devices; and

wherein at least part of the device dependent output data includes an encryption scheme for ensuring security of the selected digital content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the information apparatus is at least a smart phone or an information pad or an Internet appliance, individually or in any combination;

and wherein the information apparatus further includes;

a display with a touch sensitive screen;

a graphical user interface, over the touch sensitive screen, for selecting an icon or a function control, and for scrolling the display; and

wherein execution of, at least part of, the software or firmware by the at least one processor at the information apparatus, further configures the information apparatus for;

receiving, via the graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen of the information apparatus, the indication of the selected digital content from among the one or more digital content that are available from the digital content service and that are stored at the one or more servers;

generating, at the information apparatus, a content object that includes a pointer or reference to the selected digital content; and

delivering, by the information apparatus, the generated content object from the information apparatus to the one or more servers.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the one or more devices include at least the information apparatus;

and wherein execution of at least part of the software or firmware by the at least one processor at the information apparatus further configures the information apparatus for decoding, at the information apparatus, at least part of the output data received from the one or more servers for rendering or outputting or playing at least part of the selected digital content; and

wherein at least part of the selected digital content being rendered or outputted or played corresponds to the decoded output data that is device dependent for rendering at the one or more devices.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein execution of at least part of the software or firmware by the at least one processor further configures the information apparatus for transmitting at least part of the received output data from the information apparatus to an output device for rendering or outputting at least part of the selected digital content, the output device including one or more of a printing device, a display device, a projection device, a television device, an audio output device, or an output controller wire connected to a television, individually or in any combination.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the information apparatus is embodied to be at least one of a smart phone, an Internet phone, an Internet pad, an information pad, an Internet appliance, an audio output device, or a digital camera, individually or in any combination;

and wherein execution of at least part of the software or firmware by the at least one processor at the information apparatus further configures the information apparatus for;

discovering an output device as being available for rendering at least part of the selected digital content; and

delivering, from the information apparatus to the one or more servers, an object that includes information related to the discovered output device;

wherein at least part of the output data received from the one or more servers is device dependent for rendering at the discovered output device, and wherein the discovered output device is a separate and distinct device from the information apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the information apparatus further includes one or more wireless communication circuitry units, and communication between the information apparatus and the one or more servers over the network includes wireless transmission of data via the one or more wireless communication circuitry units included in the information apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the information apparatus further transmits at least part of the output data, related to at least part of the selected digital content, to a television for rendering at least part of the selected digital content, the television is either:

(1) wire connected to the information apparatus, or

(2) wirelessly connected to the information apparatus; and

wherein the selected digital content includes, at least in part, video digital content or audio digital content, individually or in any combination.

15. In a non-transitory computer memory or storage device at one or more servers or at an information apparatus, containing client software or firmware configured to be executable, at least partly, at the information apparatus for obtaining digital content from a digital content service operated, at least partly, over the Internet, the information apparatus including:

one or more processors,

memory or storage for storing at least part of the client software or firmware,

an interface that includes at least one of a touch sensitive screen interface or a voice activated command interface, individually or in any combination, for interacting with a user of the information apparatus,

wherein the client software or firmware, is executable, at least partly, by the one or more processors of the information apparatus to perform a method at the information apparatus, comprising;

establishing a communication channel between the information apparatus and the one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the one or more servers being distinct and separate devices from the information apparatus, and the one or more servers providing, at least in part, the digital content service;

sending, from the information apparatus to the one or more servers over the network that includes the Internet, subscription information or authentication information associated with the user operating the information apparatus, for the user to access the digital content service;

obtaining, at the information apparatus, one or more device objects related to one or more devices, the one or more device objects including device information related, at least in part, to at least one of device identification information, device address information, device capability information, model information, brand information, or registration information, individually or in any combination;

delivering, from the information apparatus, at least part of the one or more device objects to the one or more servers;

accessing, by the information apparatus, at least a list of one or more pointers or references to content that are available at the digital content service and stored at the one or more servers, the accessing of at least the list of one or more pointers or references to content being subsequent to having sent the subscription information or the authentication information from the information apparatus to the one or more servers;

receiving selected digital content, via the interface of the information apparatus, from among the list of one or more pointers or references to content that are available from the digital content service;

obtaining, at the information apparatus, a content object that includes at least a pointer or reference to the selected digital content;

delivering, from the information apparatus, at least part of the content object to the one or more servers;

receiving, from the one or more servers and at the information apparatus, at least part of output data that is device dependent for rendering at the one or more devices, the output data corresponding, at least in part, to the selected digital content and having a relationship, at least in part, to the device information included in the one or more device objects delivered from the information apparatus to the one or more servers, and the at least part of the received output data further includes an encryption scheme applied on at least part of the selected digital content for ensuring security of the selected digital content; and

decoding, at the information apparatus, at least part of the received output data, that is, at least in part, device dependent, for rendering at the one or more devices.

16. The non-transitory computer memory or storage device of claim 15, in which the information apparatus is at least one of a smart phone, a touch sensitive screen phone, an Internet pad, an Internet appliance, a television device, a controller that is connectable to at least a television, or a digital camera, individually or in any combination;

and wherein the information apparatus further includes a wireless communication circuitry unit for wireless communication with the one or more servers, and wherein the receiving of the output data from the one or more servers at the information apparatus is received via the wireless communication circuitry unit.

17. The non-transitory computer memory or storage device of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises rendering at least part of the decoded output data related, at least in part, to the selected digital content, at the one or more devices;

and wherein the one or more devices include the information apparatus.

18. The non-transitory computer memory or storage device of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises delivering at least part of the decoded output data, related at least in part to the selected digital content, to the one or more devices for outputting or rendering, where the one or more devices are wired or wirelessly connected to the information apparatus.

19. The non-transitory computer memory or storage device of claim 16, in which the information apparatus includes a touch sensitive screen, and the interface is a touch sensitive screen interface, and the receiving of the selected digital content is via the touch sensitive screen interface, and at least part of the selected digital content includes one or more of image data, graphics data, audio data, video data, or text data, individually or in any combination.

20. The non-transitory computer memory or storage device of claim 15, wherein the interface of the information apparatus includes a voice activated command interface for interacting with the user, and the receiving of the selected digital content is via the voice activated command interface;

and wherein the selected digital content includes video digital content or audio digital content, individually or in combination.