System, device and method for remotely providing, accessing and using personal entertainment media

• US 20020091848A1
• Filed: 09/05/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Tannenbaum, Greg Roth, Robert Agresta
• Original Assignee: David Tannenbaum, Greg Roth, Robert Agresta
• Inventors: Tannenbaum, David, Roth, Greg, Agresta, Robert
• Application Number:
  US09/946,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20020091848A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods for permitting consumers to securely purchase, access, download and/or stream entertainment content such as musical and audio visual works, including a remote terminal or terminals. Consumers subscribe to the system and obtain a terminal or terminals. The terminals permit the subscribers to access the system to obtain content, either by downloading same to the terminal or by directly perceiving the content while streaming the content to the terminal. The invention prevents unauthorized copying, distribution and/or performance of protected works while at the same time eliminating the need for consumers to possess the tangible objects, e.g. CDS and DVDs, upon which detectable works normally reside. The software associated with the system regulates the transmission of content from the database(s) upon which it is stored, through a central server associated with the system, to the subscriber terminals for storage or immediate, i.e., “streaming”, playback.

Claims

1. A system for accessing remotely stored entertainment content, comprising:

a central server connected to memory containing a plurality of entertainment content stored therein;

at least one portable subscriber terminal;

a telecommunications link adapted to connect the at least one portable subscriber terminal to the central server with a purpose of permitting communication between the server and the terminal and permitting retrieval of content requested by the subscriber;

means for permitting the subscriber to input commands to the terminal to be communicated by the telecommunications link to the server;

means associated with the server for receiving the subscriber commands and retrieving entertainment content from the memory storage and transmitting content to the terminal; and

means for modulating a flow of data representative of the content selected by the subscriber from the memory to the terminal in response to available data space within at least one transient data storage buffer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further includes a data buffer transient data storage buffer associated with the subscriber terminal, and, means for causing the flow of data from the memory to the terminal be interrupted upon a predetermined high byte threshold being reached within the buffer, and further causing the flow of data from the memory to the terminal to be resumed when the byte threshold in the buffer reaches a predetermined low threshold.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the means for permitting the subscriber to input commands to the terminal includes a human/machine interface between a subscriber and the central server to permit a user of the terminal to cause content to be retrieved from memory and sent to the terminal for playback by the terminal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein content cannot be retrieved from memory and transmitted to the terminal unless it has been paid for in advance.

5. The system of claim 1, further including:

a means for causing data comprising content to be transferred from the central server to transient data storage buffer;

means for processing the data representative of the content by removing any extraneous data therein prior to playback by the terminal; and

means for monitoring the status of processing of data by the means for processing and indicating the status of the transfer of data from the central server to the terminal.

8. The system of claim 1, further including:

a means for causing data comprising content to be transferred from the central server to transient data storage buffer;

means for processing the data representative of the content by removing any extraneous data therein prior to playback by the terminal; and

means for monitoring the status of processing of data by the means for processing and indicating the status of the transfer of data from the central server to the terminal.

6. A method for permitting subscribers to remotely access stored entertainment content, comprising:

providing a central server connected to memory containing a plurality of entertainment content stored therein;

providing at least one portable subscriber terminal;

providing a telecommunications link adapted to connect the at lease one portable subscriber terminal to the central server with a purpose of permitting communication between the server and the terminal and permitting retrieval of content requested by the subscriber;

receiving commands from the subscriber terminal, retrieving entertainment content responsive to the commands, and transmitting the content to the terminal; and

modulating a flow of data representative of the content in response to available data space within at least one transient data storage buffer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transient data storage buffer is associated with the subscriber terminal, and further comprising:

causing the flow of data from the memory to the subscriber terminal to the interrupted upon a predetermined high byte threshold being reached with the buffer, and causing the flow of data from the subscriber terminal to be resumed when the byte threshold in the buffer reaches a predetermined low threshold.

9. A system which permits consumers to remotely store and access entertainment content, comprising;

a central server having associated therewith at least one database of entertainment content stored therein;

a subscriber terminal adapted to communicate with the central server to request and receive requested entertainment content;

a telecommunications link electronically communicating the central server with the subscriber terminal; and

software associated with the system for facilitating the execution of commands sent to the central server from the subscriber terminal and for facilitating the retrieval and transmission of request entertainment content, comprising;

a transfer module responsible for causing data comprising the entertainment content to be transferred from the central server to a playback buffer associated with the subscriber terminal;

a rendering module responsible for preparing data representative of the entertainment content for playback;

a flow control module responsible for modulating the flow of data representative of the entertainment content from the server to the player;

a user interface update module which monitors the status of the processing of data representative of the entertainment content to be played by the subscriber terminal, indicating the status of the processing to the subscriber, for communicating with the rendering module relative to the progress of the processing of data, and for communicating command signals via the rendering engine to flush the data buffer or to start, stop, pause or play entertainment content through the subscriber terminal; and

a user module responsible for communicating human commands input to a human/machine interface associated with the subscriber terminal.

10. A method for electronically distributing entertainment content, comprising the steps of:

distributing at least one subscriber terminal to a consumer;

permitting the consumer to establish a subscription account to purchase entertainment content through the terminal, the step of permitting the subscriber to establish a subscriber account including receiving payment means from the subscriber;

permitting the subscriber to select from a menu of available entertainment content to be purchased;

permitting the subscriber to select and purchase desired entertainment content from the menu;

storing the selection(s) of the subscriber on a selection list on the central server dedicated to the subscriber;

permitting the subscriber to access and download to the terminal any purchased entertainment content on the subscriber'"'"'s content list at any time; and

whereby the subscriber can purchase rights to and access purchased entertainment content at any time without physically possessing a tangible article upon which the entertainment content resides.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step permitting the subscriber to download entertainment content to the terminal includes permitting the subscriber to store the entertainment content in memory means associated with the subscriber terminal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of permitting the subscriber to download entertainment content comprises streaming the entertainment content to the subscriber terminal for playback in real time.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of downloading the entertainment content to the subscriber terminal includes causing data representative of the entertainment content to be transferred from the central server to the playback buffer, processing said data for playback by the subscriber terminal;

modulating the flow of data from the server to the player in response to available space within the playback buffer;

monitoring the status of the processing of the data and indicating the status to the subscriber via the subscriber terminal; and

receiving at least one human command from the subscriber through a human/machine interface associated with the subscriber terminal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the human/machine interface includes a graphical user interface connected to the subscriber terminal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the human/machine interface is a keypad attached to the subscriber terminal.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the human/machine interface is a touch sensitive screen.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of downloading the entertainment content to the subscriber terminal includes causing data representative of the entertainment content to be transferred from the central server to the playback buffer, processing said data for playback by the subscriber terminal;

modulating the flow of data from the server to the player in response to available space within the playback buffer;

monitoring the status of the processing of the data and indicating the status to the subscriber via the subscriber terminal; and

receiving at least one human command from the subscriber through a human/machine interface associated with the subscriber terminal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the human/machine interface includes a graphical user interface connected to the subscriber terminal.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the human/machine interface is a keypad attached to the subscriber terminal.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the human/machine interface is a touch sensitive screen.

21. A subscription based system for purchasing, storing, retrieving and transmitting entertainment content comprising:

a central server and software module;

an encryption or coding module;

a network server communication module;

a series of databases including a music content database, and playlist database and an account database;

a subscriber terminal which includes;

a client network communication module;

a decryption/decoding module;

a digital to analog conversion module;

a data storage device;

a human/machine interface; and

an analog output.

a telecommunications link between the subscriber terminal and the network server communication module.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the human/machine interface is selected from the group consisting of graphical user interfaces, touch sensitive screens, voice recognition means, biometric scanners, and tough sensitive displays.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the system further includes a data buffer transient data storage buffer associated with the subscriber terminal, and, means for causing the flow of data from the memory to the terminal be interrupted upon a predetermined high byte threshold being reached within the buffer, and further causing the flow of data from the memory to the terminal to be resumed when the byte threshold in the buffer reaches a predetermined low threshold.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for permitting the subscriber to input commands to the terminal includes a human/machine interface between a subscriber and the central server to permit a user of the terminal to cause content to be retrieved from memory and sent to the terminal for playback by the terminal.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein content cannot be retrieved from memory and transmitted to the terminal unless it has been paid for in advance.

27. The system of claim 23, further including:

a means for causing data comprising content to be transferred from the central server to transient data storage buffer;

means for processing the data representative of the content by removing any extraneous data therein prior to playback by the terminal; and

means for monitoring the status of processing of data by the means for processing and indicating the status of the transfer of data from the central server to the terminal.

23. A system for accessing remotely stored entertainment content, comprising:

a central server connected to memory containing a plurality of entertainment content stored therein;

at least one portable subscriber terminal;

a telecommunications link adapted to connect the at least one portable subscriber terminal to the central server with a purpose of permitting communication between the server and the terminal and permitting retrieval of content requested by the subscriber;

means for permitting the subscriber to input commands to the terminal to be communicated by the telecommunications link to the server;

means associated with the server for receiving the subscriber commands and retrieving entertainment content from the memory storage and transmitting content to the terminal;

means for modulating a flow of data representative of the content selected by the subscriber from the memory to the terminal in response to available data space within at least one transient data storage buffer; and

wherein the means for permitting includes a human/machine interface selected from the group consisting of graphical user interfaces, touch sensitive screens, voice recognition means, biometric scanners, and tough sensitive displays.

28. A system which permits consumers to remotely store and access entertainment content, comprising;

a central server having associated therewith at least one database of entertainment content stored therein;

a subscriber terminal adapted to communicate with the central server to request and receive requested entertainment content;

a telecommunications link electronically communicating the central server with the subscriber terminal; and

software associated with the system for facilitating the execution of commands sent to the central server from the subscriber terminal and for facilitating the retrieval and transmission of request entertainment content, comprising;

a transfer module responsible for causing data comprising the entertainment content to be transferred from the central server to a playback buffer associated with the subscriber terminal;

a rendering module responsible for preparing data representative of the entertainment content for playback;

a flow control module responsible for modulating the flow of data representative of the entertainment content from the server to the player;

a user interface update module which monitors the status of the processing of data representative of the entertainment content to be played by the subscriber terminal, indicating the status of the processing to the subscriber, for communicating with the rendering module relative to the progress of the processing of data, and for communicating command signals via the rendering engine to flush the data buffer or to start, stop, pause or play entertainment content through the subscriber terminal; and

a user module responsible for communicating human commands input to a human/machine interface associated with the subscriber terminal, wherein the human/machine interface is selected from the group consisting of graphical user interfaces, touch sensitive screens, voice recognition means, biometric scanners, and tough sensitive displays.