System and method for the distribution and sharing of media assets between media players devices

• US 20020026442A1
• Filed: 01/24/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zapmedia Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zapmedia Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Petritis, John B., Morrison, Kelly P., Hirsch, Michael D., Lipscomb, Kenneth O., Muntz, Eric Neal, Robison, Richard D.
• Application Number:
  US09/768,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20020026442A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system for the distribution of media assets wherein first and second media player devices individually communicate with the server computer to update a database with the identity of the media assets that are stored thereon. The server computer transmits to each of the first and second media player devices information about the media assets that is stored on the first and second media player devices. As a result of this information, a first media player device may have knowledge of and request a media asset stored on a second media player device. The second media player device responds to the request by transferring or streaming the asset to the first media player.

Claims

1. A system for the distribution of media assets comprising:

a server computer executing a database server application that manages access to a database of media assets that can be stored on one or more media player devices; and

at least first and second media player devices that individually communicate with the server computer to update the database with the identity of the media assets that are respectively stored thereon; and

the server computer further stores information identifying media assets stored on the at least first and second media player devices that are designated to share information about the media assets locally stored therein, whereby the first media player device is informed about the identity of media assets that are stored on the second media player device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the database server application of the server computer synchronizes with a database client application within each media player device in order to obtain information pertaining to media assets stored on the media player devices.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second media player device transmits a media asset stored thereon to the first media player device for storage and use thereon.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first media player device transmits to the second media player device a request for access to a media asset stored on the second media player device, wherein the second media player in response to the request transmits the media asset(s) to the first media player.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the media player devices communicate with each other via a wired communication link and the media player devices communicate with the server computer via a wired communication link.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the media player devices communicate with each other via an infrared communication link.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the media player devices communicate with each other via a wireless communication link and the media player devices communicate with the server computer via a wireless communication link.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the media player devices communicate with each other via a RF communication link and the media player devices communicate with the server computer via a RF communication link.

9. A method for the distribution of media assets comprising steps of:

storing a plurality of media assets and identifiers associated with the media assets on a central computer;

storing a plurality of media assets and identifiers associated with said media assets on each of at least first and second media player devices;

synchronizing the identity of those media assets stored on the first and second media player devices respectively with the central computer; and

transmitting from the central computer to each of the first and second media player devices information about the media assets that is stored on the first and second media player devices.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of transmitting a media asset from the first media player device to the second media player device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising steps of:

a first media player device requesting the second media player device for access to a media asset stored on the second media player device; and

transmitting in response to the request the media asset to the first media player from the second media player device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the media player devices communicate with each other via a wired communication link and the media player devices communicate with the central computer via a wired communication link.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the media player devices communicate with each other via a wireless communication link and the media player devices communicate with the central computer via a wireless communication link.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the media player devices communicate with each other via an infrared communication link.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the media player devices communicate with each other via a RF communication link and the media player devices communicate with the central computer via a RF communication link.

16. A system for the distribution of media assets comprising:

a server computer executing a database server application that manages access to a master database of media assets that can be stored and used by one or more media player devices;

at least first and second media player devices each comprising a database client application that manages access and usage of media assets, wherein the media player devices individually communicate with the database server application at the server computer to update the master database with the identity of the media assets that are stored thereon;

the server computer further storing information indicating that the at least first and second media player devices are designated to share information about the media assets locally stored thereon and such that the first and second media player devices receive such information when communicating with the server computer;

wherein the second media player device receives a request for a particular media asset stored thereon from the first media player device and in response transmits the particular media asset stored to the first media player device for storage and use thereon.