Internet based digital content services that provide content upload, content storage, content sharing, and content playlist selection; and smart devices with access to the internet based digital content services

• US 10,606,535 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Flexiworld Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Chang, William Ho, Liu, Christina Ying
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US15/978,076
• Publication Number:
  US 20180260169A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 709217, 709246, 710 62, 358 115
• 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

Internet based digital content services, as well as mobile client devices for accessing the Internet based digital content services, are herein disclosed and enabled. In one example, user digital content, such as documents, audio, or video content, may be uploaded to a content server for storing. The user may share the user digital content with other client devices or users having appropriate authentication or security procedures. A user play list or rendering list may include a list of pointers or references to the user digital content. The stored user play list or the stored user digital content may be further edited, stored, or shared subsequently for access and rendering. The Internet based digital content services are accessible by smart devices, such as smart phones, information pads, TVs, audio output devices, and printers. The smart devices that access the Internet services may require client software for accessing the Internet services.

Claims

1. A method for rendering digital content of a user at an output device, facilitated, at least in part, by a digital content service, the digital content service includes one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the one or more servers are accessible by a client, the client being a client device or a client application executable at the client device,

the client device being at least a wireless and mobile information apparatus, and the client device includes one or more processors, memory or storage, wireless communication circuitry that includes one or more wireless communication units, a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with the user, and an operating system supporting an object model or a component model, and

the client application, stored, at least partly, in the memory or the storage, is executable, at least partly, by the one or more processors and supported by the operating system, the one or more servers being located across the network and are distinct from the client device and from the output device, the output device being communicatively coupled to the client device, wherein the method comprises:

obtaining, by the client application and via the touch sensitive screen interface at the client device, authentication or security information from the user of the client device for providing the user with access to the digital content service;

wirelessly providing, by the client application and via the wireless communication circuitry, the authentication or the security information to the one or more servers, the authentication or the security information is obtained by the client application for wirelessly accessing the digital content service, wherein, subsequent to having provided the authentication or the security information to the one or more servers, the method further comprises;

obtaining, by the one or more servers and from the client application, one or more output device objects corresponding to one or more devices, and the one or more output device objects include device information related to the one or more devices, the one or more devices include the output device;

wirelessly transmitting, via the wireless communication circuitry and by the client application, user digital content of the user, from the client device to the one or more servers, for storing the user digital content at the one or more servers;

storing, by the client application executing at the client device, the user digital content at the one or more servers;

providing, by the one or more servers, and to the client application, a pointer or reference to the user digital content for providing the user of the client device with access to the user digital content stored at the one or more servers, the user digital content being previously transmitted from and stored by the client application, at the one or more servers;

wirelessly accessing, by the client application and via the wireless communication circuitry, at least part of the user digital content stored at the one or more servers using the pointer or the reference to the user digital content provided by the one or more servers;

obtaining, by the client application executing at the client device, at least an attribute having editing information with at least one of a change, a modification, an update, or a manipulation, individually or in any combination, associated with the user digital content;

obtaining, by the client application executing at the client device, at least part of a digital content object that includes at least the attribute having to the editing information associated with the user digital content previously stored by the client application at the one or more servers, and the digital content object further includes information related to the pointer or the reference to the user digital content that has been provided by the one or more servers to the client application;

receiving, by the one or more servers, one or more messages from the client application, the one or more messages including the digital content object, and the digital content object includes the editing information and the information related to the pointer or the reference to the user digital content;

generating, by the one or more servers, output data relating, at least partly, to the digital content object and the editing information, the generating of the output data is based, at least in part, on the one or more servers having received the digital content object and the one or more output device objects from the client application, and the output data includes the editing information applied to at least part of the user digital content that is stored at the one or more servers, and the generated output data is for outputting or rendering at the one or more devices corresponding to the one or more output device objects obtained by the one or more servers;

transmitting, from the one or more servers, at least part of the output data to the client device, the output data includes edited user digital content that includes at least part of the editing information applied to at least part of the user digital content previously stored by the client application;

wirelessly receiving, via wireless communication circuitry and by the client application, at least part of the output data transmitted by the one or more servers; and

processing, by the client application executing at the client device, at least part of the output data received from the one or more servers for rendering at the output device, the processing of the at least part of the output data including one or more of encoding, decoding, compression, decompression, encryption, decryption, rasterization, scaling, color correction, or half-toning, individually or in any combination, being applied to at least part of the output data received from the one or more servers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device is at least one of a smart phone, a digital camera, an e-book device, an information pad, or an Internet appliance, individually or in any combination, and wherein the user digital content includes audio digital content or video digital content;

and wherein the output data and at least part of the processed output data includes audio data or video data; and

wherein the digital content service is an audio digital content service or a video digital content service.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising obtaining, by the one or more servers, subscription information, from the client application, corresponding to subscription for the digital content service, the subscription information is provided through the touch sensitive screen interface of the client device as entered by the user in response to a request via a graphical user interface (GUI) on the touch sensitive screen interface to enter the subscription information.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising sharing, by the one or more servers, at least part of the user digital content with other client information apparatus, the other client information apparatus having appropriate security or authentication procedures for accessing the user digital content that is previously stored at the one or more servers by the client application executing at the client device, the client device being a distinct and separate device from the other client information apparatus.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the output device further comprises at least one of a display device, an audio device, an output controller connectable to a television, or a television individually or in any combination;

and wherein the output device is wirelessly connected to the client device, via a wireless communication link that is compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within Bluetooth specifications or IEEE 802.11 standards; and

wherein the method further comprises transmitting, by the client application executing at the client device and via the wireless communication link, at least part of the processed output data to the output device for outputting at least part of the user digital content at the output device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the output device is a display device or an audio output device that is wire coupled to the client device or that is included in the client device;

and wherein the method further comprises transmitting, by the client application executing at the client device and via a wired connection, at least part of the processed output data to the output device for outputting at least part of the user digital content at the output device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the output device is at least a printer, and wherein the method, facilitated by the digital content service includes printing of the edited user digital content by the client device at the printer without requiring a printer driver, which is associated specifically with the printer, to be installed at the client device, and wherein the printer is wirelessly connected to the client device via a wireless local are network communication that is compatible at least partly with IEEE 802.11 standards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the output device is a wireless output device, and wherein the client device is at least a smart phone, and at least one wireless communication unit of the one or more wireless communication units being compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within Bluetooth specifications or IEEE 802.11 standards, and the touch sensitive screen interface of the smart phone is for interacting with the user of the smart phone;

and the method further comprises;

(a) wirelessly discovering, using the wireless communication circuitry of the smart phone, the wireless output device;

(b) receiving, using the touch sensitive screen interface of the smart phone, an indication of a selection related to the wireless output device discovered in (a);

(c) establishing, using the wireless communication circuitry of the smart phone, a wireless connection to the wireless output device selected in (b); and

(d) delivering, using the wireless communication circuitry of the smart phone and over the wireless connection established in (c), at least part of the processed output data to the wireless output device selected in (b) for outputting at least part of the user digital content at the wireless output device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more output device objects include information related to the one or more devices, and wherein the generating of the output data further comprises an encryption operation on the user digital content, and wherein the generated output data is, at least in part, device dependent for rendering at the one or more devices, and wherein the one or more devices include at least one of the output device or the client device.

10. A system for rendering digital content of a user at an output device, the system comprising:

the output device;

one or more servers accessible over a network that includes the Internet, the one or more servers implementing, at least in part, a digital content service, the one or more servers being located across the network and being distinct from a client device and from the output device, the output device being communicatively coupled to the client device;

a client, the client being the client device or client software executable at the client device, the client device being at least a wireless and mobile information apparatus, and the client device includes one or more processors, memory or storage, wireless communication circuitry that includes one or more wireless communication units, a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with the user, and an operating system supporting an object model or a component model; and

the client software stored, at least partly, in the memory or the storage being executable, at least partly, by the one or more processors and supported by the operating system, wherein the system is configured to;

obtain, by the client software and via the touch sensitive screen interface at the client device, authentication or security information from the user of the client device for providing the user with access to the digital content service;

wirelessly provide, by the client software to the one or more servers and via the wireless communication circuitry, the authentication or the security information, obtained by the client software, for accessing the digital content service;

wherein, subsequent to having provided the authentication or the security information to the one or more servers, the system is further configured to;

obtain, by the one or more servers and from the client software, one or more output device objects corresponding to one or more devices, and the one or more output device objects include device information related to the one or more devices;

wirelessly transmit, via the wireless communication circuitry and by the client software, user digital content of the user, from the client device to the one or more servers, for storing the user digital content at the one or more servers;

store, by the client software executing at the client device, the user digital content at the one or more servers;

provide, by the one or more servers and to the client software, a pointer or reference to the user digital content for providing the user of the client software with access to the user digital content stored at the one or more servers, the user digital content being previously transmitted from and stored by the client software at the one or more servers;

wirelessly access, by the client software and via the wireless communication circuitry, at least part of the user digital content stored at the one or more servers, using the pointer or the reference to the user digital content provided by the one or more servers;

obtain, by the client software executing at the client device, at least an attribute containing editing information with at least one of a change, a modification, an update, or a manipulation, individually or in any combination, associated with the user digital content;

obtain, by the client software executing at the client device, at least part of a digital content object that includes at least the attribute having the editing information associated with the user digital content previously stored by the client software at the one or more servers, and the digital content object further includes information related to the pointer or the reference to the user digital content that has been provided by the one or more servers to the client software;

receive, by the one or more servers, one or more messages from the client software, the one or more messages including the digital content object that includes the editing information and the information related to the pointer or the reference to the user digital content;

generate, by a server application at the one or more servers, output data relating, at least partly, to the digital content object and the editing information the generating of the output data is based, at least in part, on the one or more servers having received the digital content object and the one or more output device objects from the client software, and the output data includes the editing information applied to at least part of the user digital content that is stored at the one or more servers;

transmit, from the one or more servers, at least part of the output data to the client device, the output data includes edited user digital content that includes at least part of the editing information applied to at least part of the user digital content previously stored by the client software;

wirelessly receive, via the wireless communication circuitry and by the client software executing at the client device, at least part of the output data that is transmitted by the one or more servers; and

process, by the client software executing at the client device, at least part of the output data received from the one or more servers for rendering at the output device, the processing of the at least part of the output data including one or more of encoding, decoding, compression, decompression, encryption, decryption, rasterization, scaling, color correction, or half-toning, individually or in any combination.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the client device is at least one of a smart phone, a digital camera, an e-book device, an information pad, or an Internet appliance, individually or in any combination.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is further configured to obtain, by the one or more servers and from the client software, subscription information corresponding to subscription for the digital content service, the subscription information is provided through the touch sensitive screen interface of the client device as entered by the user in response to a request provided, via a graphical user interface (GUI) on the touch sensitive screen interface, to the user for the user to enter the subscription information;

and wherein the user digital content includes audio digital content or video digital content; and

wherein the output data and the processed output data includes audio data or video data; and

wherein the digital content service is an audio digital content service or a video digital content service.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more servers further share at least part of the user digital content with other client information apparatus, the other client information apparatus having appropriate security or authentication procedures for accessing the user digital content that is previously stored at the one or more servers by the client software of the client device, the client device being a distinct and separate device from the other client information apparatus.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the output device further comprises at least one of a display device, an audio device, an output controller connectable to a television, or a television individually or in any combination;

and wherein the output device is wirelessly connected to the client device via a wireless communication link that is compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within Bluetooth specifications or IEEE 802.11 standards; and

wherein the system is further configured to transmit, by the client software executing at the client device and via the wireless communication link, the at least part of the processed output data to the output device for outputting at least part of the user digital content at the output device.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the output device is a display device or an audio output device that is wire coupled to the client device or that is included in the client device;

and wherein the system is further configured to transmit, by the client software at the client device and via a wired connection, at least part of the processed output data to the output device for outputting at least part of the user digital content at the output device.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the output device is at least a printer, and wherein the system is further configured to print the edited user digital content, by the client device, at the printer without requiring a printer driver, which is associated specifically with the printer, to be installed at the client device, and wherein the printer is wirelessly connected to the client device via a wireless local area network communication that is compatible at least partly with IEEE 802.11 standards.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the output device is a wireless output device, and wherein the client device is at least a smart phone, and the wireless communication circuitry is compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within Bluetooth specifications or IEEE 802.11 standards, and the touch sensitive screen interface of the smart phone is for interacting with the user of the smart phone;

and the system is further configured to;

(a) wirelessly discover, using the wireless communication circuitry of the smart phone, the wireless output device;

(b) receive, using the touch sensitive screen interface of the smart phone, an indication of a selection related to the wireless output device discovered in (a);

(c) establish, using the wireless communication circuitry of the smart phone, a wireless connection with the wireless output device selected in (b); and

(d) deliver, using the wireless communication circuitry of the smart phone and over the wireless connection established in (c), at least part of the processed output data to the wireless output device for outputting at least part of the user digital content at the wireless output device.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more output device objects include information related to the one or more devices, and wherein the generating of the output data further comprises an encryption operation on the user digital content, and wherein the generated output data is, at least in part, device dependent for rendering at the one or more devices, and wherein the one or more devices include at least one of the output device or the client device.

19. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one computer processor, causes a system to perform a method for rendering digital content of a user at an output device, facilitated, at least in part, by a digital content service, the digital content service includes one or more servers over a network that includes the Internet, the one or more servers are accessible by a client, the client being a client device or a client application executable at the client device,

the client device being at least a wireless and mobile information apparatus, and the client device includes one or more processors, memory or storage, wireless communication circuitry that includes one or more wireless communication units, a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with the user, and an operating system supporting an object model or a component model, and

the client application stored, at least partly, in the memory or the storage is executable, at least partly, by the one or more processors and supported by the operating system,

the one or more servers being located across the network and are distinct from the client device and from the output device, the output device being communicatively coupled to the client device, wherein the method comprises:

obtaining, by the client application and via the touch sensitive screen interface of the client device, authentication or security information from the user of the client device for providing the user with access to the digital content service;

wirelessly providing, by the client application and via the wireless communication circuitry, the authentication or the security information to the one or more servers, wherein, subsequent to having provided the authentication or the security information to the one or more servers, the method further comprises;

wirelessly providing, via the wireless communication circuitry at the client device and by the client application to the one or more servers, one or more output device objects corresponding to one or more devices, and the one or more output device objects include device information related to the one or more devices, the one or more devices include the output device;

wirelessly transmitting, via the wireless communication circuitry and by the client application, user digital content of the user from the client to the one or more servers for storing the user digital content at the one or more servers;

storing, by the client application executing at the client device, the user digital content at the one or more servers;

wirelessly receiving, via the wireless communication circuitry, by the client application executing at the client device and from the one or more servers, a pointer or reference to the user digital content, the user digital content previously transmitted from and stored by the client application at the one or more servers;

wirelessly accessing, by the client application and via the wireless communication circuitry, at least part of the user digital content, stored at the one or more servers, using the pointer or the reference to the user digital content wirelessly received from the one or more servers;

obtaining, by the client application executing at the client device, at least an attribute containing editing information with at least one of a change, a modification, an update, or a manipulation, individually or in any combination, associated with the user digital content previously stored by the client application at the one or more servers;

obtaining, by the client application executing at the client device, at least part of a digital content object that includes at least the attribute containing the editing information associated with the user digital content, and the digital content object further includes information related to the pointer or the reference to the user digital content wirelessly received from the one or more servers;

wirelessly providing, via the wireless communication circuitry, by the client application executing at the client device and to the one or more servers, one or more messages, the one or more messages including the digital content object that includes the editing information and the information related to the pointer or the reference to the user digital content;

wirelessly receiving, by the client application and via the wireless communication circuitry from the one or more servers, at least part of the output data, the wireless receiving of the output data being based, at least in part, on the client application having wirelessly provided the digital content object and the one or more output device objects from the client application to the one or more servers, the output data including at least part of the editing information applied to at least part of the user digital content previously stored by the client application; and

processing, by the client application executing at the client device, at least part of the output data received from the one or more servers for rendering at the output device, the processing of at least part of the output data including one or more of encoding, decoding, compression, decompression, encryption, decryption, rasterization, scaling, color correction, or half-toning, individually or in any combination.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the output device is a wireless output device, and wherein the client device is at least a smart phone, and at least one wireless communication unit of the one or more wireless communication units included in the wireless communication circuitry is compatible, at least in part, with at least part of a protocol within Bluetooth specifications or IEEE 802.11 standards, and the touch sensitive screen interface of the smart phone is for interacting with the user of the smart phone;

and the method further comprises;

(a) wirelessly discovering, using the wireless communication circuitry of the smart phone, the wireless output device;

(b) receiving, via the touch sensitive screen interface of the smart phone, an indication of a selection related to the wireless output device discovered in (a);

(c) establishing, using the wireless communication circuitry of the smart phone, a wireless connection with the wireless output device selected in (b); and

(d) delivering, using the wireless communication circuitry of the smart phone and over the wireless connection established in (c), at least part of the processed output data to the wireless output device for outputting at least part of the user digital content at the wireless output device.