Method and apparatus for electronically distributing audio recordings

• US 20010042048A1
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Published: 11/15/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Boykin, Patrick O., Roychowdhury, Vwani P.
• Application Number:
  US09/858,587
• Publication Number:
  US 20010042048A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for electronically distributing an audio recording, other media, or software. An audio player obtains an audio file that comprises an encrypted audio recording. Without an appropriate key for the audio file, the audio player may only play the audio recording in a reduced first quality. However, with the appropriate key, the audio player may play the audio recording in a second quality. The user purchases and the audio player receives the appropriate key to unlock the high quality aspects of the audio file. Additionally, an identifier for the user is written into the modified audio file to associate the audio file with a particular user. Such an association enables the system to track distribution of the particular audio file and may enable the award of points or credit to the user for such distribution.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for electronically distributing an audio recording comprising:

(a) obtaining, in an audio player, an audio file that comprises an encrypted audio recording, wherein;

(i) without an appropriate key for the audio file, the audio player is configured to play the audio recording in a reduced first quality; and

(ii) with the appropriate key, the audio player is configured to play the audio recording in a second quality;

(b) receiving, in the audio player, the appropriate key;

(c) in response to receiving the appropriate key, writing a user identifier into the modified audio file to associate the audio file with a particular user.

2. The method of

claim 1

wherein the audio file is a moving pictures experts group audio layer 3 (MP3) file.

3. The method of

claim 1

further comprising storing the appropriate key in a database on a user'"'"'s computer.

4. The method of

claim 1

wherein the appropriate key is stored in a database on a server.

5. The method of

claim 4

further comprising

transmitting, to a server, a request to play the audio recording;

and

in response to the request, receiving the appropriate key from the server.

6. The method of

claim 1

wherein the received appropriate key comprises an identifier for the audio file and an associated user identifier.

7. The method of

claim 1

further comprising transmitting, to a server, purchase information to purchase the appropriate key, wherein the appropriate key is received in response to the transmitting.

8. The method of

claim 7

wherein:

the purchase information comprises a user identification of a prior user that last purchased the appropriate key for the audio file; and

credit is assigned to the prior user.

9. The method of

claim 8

wherein the credit is redeemed for a reward.

10. The method of

claim 7

wherein the purchase information comprises payment information that is stored such that a future purchase of an audio file is conducted by a single user action.

11. A computer-implemented method for electronically distributing an audio recording comprising:

(a) obtaining an audio recording;

(b) encrypting the audio recording to create an audio file wherein the audio recording is capable of being played by an audio player in a reduced first quality without an appropriate key;

(c) transmitting the audio file;

(d) receiving a request to play the audio recording in a second quality from a particular user; and

(e) in response to the request, transmitting the appropriate key for the audio file that enables the audio player to play the audio recording in a second quality wherein the appropriate key is used to identify the particular user, and wherein the key is capable of being written in the audio file.

12. The method of

claim 11

wherein the audio file is a moving pictures experts group audio layer 3 (MP3) file.

13. The method of

claim 11

wherein the appropriate key is stored in a database on the particular user'"'"'s computer.

14. The method of

claim 11

wherein the appropriate key is stored in a database on a server.

15. The method of

claim 11

wherein the request to play the audio recording comprises purchase information for purchasing the appropriate key.

16. The method of

claim 15

wherein:

the purchase information comprises a user identification of a prior user that last purchased the appropriate key for the audio file; and

credit is assigned to the prior user.

17. The method of

claim 16

wherein the credit is redeemed for a reward.

18. The method of

claim 15

wherein the purchase information comprises payment information that is stored such that a future purchase of an audio file is conducted by a single user action.

19. A system for electronically distributing an audio recording comprising:

(a) an audio recording;

(b) an audio file comprising an encrypted version of the audio recording;

(c) an audio player configured to;

(i) play the audio recording in a reduced first quality when an appropriate key for the audio file is not provided;

(ii) play the audio recording in a second quality when the appropriate key for the audio file is provided;

(iii) receive the appropriate key for the audio file,

(iv) write a user identifier into the modified audio file to associate the audio file with a particular user.

20. The system of

claim 19

wherein the audio file is a moving pictures experts group audio layer 3 (MP3) file.

21. The system of

claim 19

further comprising a database on a user'"'"'s computer configured to store the appropriate key.

22. The system of

claim 19

wherein the appropriate key is stored in a database on a server.

23. The system of

claim 22

wherein the audio player is further configured to:

transmit, to a server, a request to play the audio recording; and

in response to the request, receive the appropriate key from the server.

24. The system of

claim 19

wherein the received appropriate key comprises an identifier for the audio file and an associated user identifier.

25. The system of

claim 19

, wherein the audio player is further configured to transmit, to a server, purchase information to purchase the appropriate key, and wherein the appropriate key is received in response to the transmitting.

26. The system of

claim 25

wherein:

the purchase information comprises a user identification of a prior user that last purchased the appropriate key for the audio file; and

credit is assigned to the prior user.

27. The system of

claim 26

wherein the credit is redeemed for a reward.

28. The system of

claim 25

wherein the purchase information comprises payment information that is stored such that a future purchase of an audio file is conducted by a single user action.

29. A system for electronically distributing an audio recording comprising:

(a) an audio recording;

(b) an audio file comprising an encrypted version of the audio recording;

(c) a computer server configured to;

(i) obtain the audio recording;

(ii) encrypt the audio recording to create the audio file wherein the audio recording is capable of being played by an audio player in a reduced first quality without an appropriate key;

(iii) transmit the audio file;

(iv) receive a request to play the audio recording in a second quality from a particular user; and

(v) in response to the request, transmit the appropriate key for the audio file that enables the audio player to play the audio recording in a second quality wherein the appropriate key is used to identify the particular user, and

wherein the key is capable of being written in the audio file.

30. The system of

claim 29

wherein the audio file is a moving pictures experts group audio layer 3 (MP3) file.

31. The system of

claim 29

wherein the appropriate key is stored in a database on the particular user'"'"'s computer.

32. The system of

claim 29

further comprising a database on the server, wherein the database is configured to store the appropriate key.

33. The system of

claim 29

wherein the request to play the audio recording comprises purchase information for purchasing the appropriate key.

34. The system of

claim 33

wherein:

the purchase information comprises a user identification of a prior user that last purchased the appropriate key for the audio file; and

credit is assigned to the prior user.

35. The system of

claim 34

wherein the credit is redeemed for a reward.

36. The system of

claim 33

wherein the server is further configured to store the purchase information such that a future purchase of an audio file is conducted by a single user action.

37. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for electronically distributing an audio recording, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining, in an audio player, an audio file that comprises an encrypted audio recording, wherein;

(i) without an appropriate key for the audio file, the audio player is configured to play the audio recording in a reduced first quality; and

(ii) with the appropriate key, the audio player is configured to play the audio recording in a second quality;

(b) receiving, in the audio player, the appropriate key;

(c) in response to receiving the appropriate key, writing a user identifier into the modified audio file to associate the audio file with a particular user.

38. The article of manufacture of

claim 37

wherein the audio file is a moving pictures experts group audio layer 3 (MP3) file.

39. The method of

claim 37

, the method further comprising storing the appropriate key in a database on a user'"'"'s computer.

40. The article of manufacture of

claim 37

, wherein the appropriate key is stored in a database on a server.

41. The article of manufacture of

claim 40

, the method further comprising

transmitting, to a server, a request to play the audio recording;

and

in response to the request, receiving the appropriate key from the server.

42. The article of manufacture of

claim 37

wherein the received appropriate key comprises an identifier for the audio file and an associated user identifier.

43. The article of manufacture of

claim 37

, the method further comprising transmitting, to a server, purchase information to purchase the appropriate key, wherein the appropriate key is received in response to the transmitting.

44. The article of manufacture of

claim 43

wherein:

the purchase information comprises a user identification of a prior user that last purchased the appropriate key for the audio file; and

credit is assigned to the prior user.

45. The article of manufacture of

claim 44

wherein the credit is redeemed for a reward.

46. The article of manufacture of

claim 43

wherein the purchase information comprises payment information that is stored such that a future purchase of an audio file is conducted by a single user action.

47. An article of manufacture comprising a program storage medium readable by a computer and embodying one or more instructions executable by the computer to perform a method for electronically distributing an audio recording, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining an audio recording;

(b) encrypting the audio recording to create an audio file wherein the audio recording is capable of being played by an audio player in a reduced first quality without an appropriate key;

(c) transmitting the audio file;

(d) receiving a request to play the audio recording in a second quality from a particular user; and

(e) in response to the request, transmitting the appropriate key for the audio file that enables the audio player to play the audio recording in a second quality wherein the appropriate key can be used to identify the particular user, and wherein the key is capable of being written in the audio file.

48. The article of manufacture of

claim 47

wherein the audio file is a moving pictures experts group audio layer 3 (MP3) file.

49. The article of manufacture of

claim 47

wherein the appropriate key is stored in a database on the particular user'"'"'s computer.

50. The article of manufacture of

claim 47

, the method further comprising storing the appropriate key in a database on a server.

51. The article of manufacture of

claim 47

wherein the request to play the audio recording comprises purchase information for purchasing the appropriate key.

52. The article of manufacture of

claim 51

wherein:

the purchase information comprises a user identification of a prior user that last purchased the appropriate key for the audio file; and

credit is assigned to the prior user.

53. The article of manufacture of

claim 52

wherein the credit is redeemed for a reward.

54. The article of manufacture of

claim 51

wherein the purchase information comprises payment information that is stored such that a future purchase of an audio file is conducted by a single user action.