System and method for receiving broadcast audio/video works and for enabling a consumer to purchase the received audio/video works

• US 20020120936A1
• Filed: 03/11/2002
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David J. Del Beccaro, Jeremy Rosenberg
• Original Assignee: David J. Del Beccaro, Jeremy Rosenberg
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Jeremy, Del Beccaro, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,913,273 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/61
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system and method for purchasing broadcast audio and/or video (audio/video) works. According to one embodiment, the system includes a data stream processor that receives a broadcast audio/video data stream and produces from the broadcast audio/video data stream a first audio/video output data stream and a second audio/video output data stream, wherein the broadcast audio/video data stream contains information corresponding to an audio/video work and the first audio/video output stream is in a format that can be recognized and processed by conventional audio/video reproducing equipment; a storage device that stores data included in the second audio/video output data stream, wherein the data corresponds to the audio/video work; and a user interface that enables a user of the system to input to the system an indication that the user desires to purchase the audio/video work.

Claims

1. A system for enabling a consumer to purchase a broadcast audio/video work, comprising:

a data stream processor that receives a broadcast audio/video data stream and produces from said broadcast audio/video data stream a first audio/video output data stream and a second audio/video output data stream, wherein said broadcast audio/video data stream contains information corresponding to an audio/video work and said first audio/video output stream is in a format that can be recognized and processed by conventional audio/video reproducing equipment;

a storage device that stores data included in said second audio/video output data stream, wherein said data corresponds to said audio/video work; and

a user interface that enables a user of the system to input to the system an indication that said user desires to purchase said audio/video work.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processing unit that receives said indication, wherein after receiving said indication, said processing unit determines whether said user is authorized to purchase said work.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein if said processing unit determines that said user is authorized to purchase said work, said data stored in said storage device that corresponds to said work is stored in a second storage device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said first storage device is a volatile storage device and said second storage device is a persistent storage device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said first storage device is a random access memory and said second storage device is a hard disk.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a protection means for copy and/or use protecting said data included in said second audio/video output data stream prior to said data being stored on said storage device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said storage device is a persistent storage device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein upon receiving said indication that said user desires to purchase said audio/video work, the system determines whether said user is authorized to purchase said work.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein if the system determines that said user is authorized to purchase said work, the system disables the copy and/or use protection that protects the data that corresponds to said work and that is stored in said storage device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein upon receiving said indication that said user desires to purchase said audio/video work, the system copy and/or use protects said data that corresponds to said audio/video work and stores said protected data in a second storage device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said first storage device is a volatile storage device and said second storage device is a persistent storage device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said storage device is volatile storage device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said storage device is random access memory.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work comprises the step of storing the audio/video work onto a persistent storage device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of compressing the audio/video work prior to storing it on said persistent storage device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the audio/video work consists entirely of audio information and the audio/video work is compressed according an audio compression scheme.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said audio compression scheme is one of the Windows Media, MP3, or Real Audio compression scheme.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of copy and/or use protecting the audio/video work prior to or shortly after storing it on said persistent storage device.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work comprises the step of verifying that the user is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of copying the audio/video work from said storage device to a persistent storage device if the user is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of compressing the audio/video prior to storing it in said storage device.

23. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of copy and/or use protecting the audio/video work prior to or shortly after storing it onto said storage device.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said storage device is a persistent storage device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work comprises the step of determining that the user is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of disabling the copy and/or use protection if the user is determined to be authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said means for receiving said first audio/video stream and said second audio/video stream comprises a first tuner for receiving said first audio/video stream and a second tuner for receiving said second audio/video stream.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said means for receiving said first audio/video stream and said second audio/video stream comprises one tuner for receiving both of said first and said second audio/video streams.

30. The system of claim 27, further comprising a processing unit that communicates with an authorization system for determining whether the consumer is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work, wherein said processing unit communicates with said authorization system in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said processing unit processes the audio/video work stored in said storage means in response to receiving from said authorization system an indication that the consumer is authorized to obtain the audio/video work.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said processing unit stores onto a persistent storage device a copy of the audio/video work stored in said storage means in response to receiving from said authorization system said indication.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein said storage means is a volatile storage device.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein said volatile storage device comprises random access memory.

35. The system of claim 27, further comprising a processing unit that processes the audio/video work stored in said storage means in response to the consumer indicating that the c onsu mer desires to obtain a cop y of the audio/video work.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said processing unit stores onto a persistent storage device a copy and/or use protected copy of the audio/video work stored in said storage means in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein the audio/video work stored in said storage means is copy and/or use protected.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein said storage means is a persistent storage device.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein said persistent storage device is a hard disk.

12. A method for enabling a user to obtain a copy of a broadcast audio/video work, comprising the steps of:

receiving a broadcast data stream comprising the audio/video work;

storing the audio/video work in a storage device local to the user regardless of whether the user has indicated a desire to have the audio/video work stored in said storage device;

receiving an indication from the user that indicates that the user desires to purchase a copy of the audio/video work; and

processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device in response to the user indicating said desire to obtain the audio/video work.

27. A system for enabling a consumer to purchase a broadcast audio/video work, comprising:

means for receiving a first audio/video stream and a second audio/video stream, wherein said first audio/video stream comprises the broadcast audio/video work formatted according to a first encoding scheme and said second audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work formatted according to a second encoding scheme, wherein said first encoding scheme is different from said second encoding scheme;

storage means for storing the audio/video work formatted according to said second encoding scheme; and

user interface means for enabling the consumer to indicate that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.

40. A method for enabling a consumer to purchase a broadcast audio/video work, comprising:

receiving a first audio/video stream and a second audio/video stream, wherein said first audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work formatted according to a first encoding scheme and said second audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work formatted according to a second encoding scheme, wherein said first encoding scheme is different from said second encoding scheme;

storing the audio/video work formatted according to said second encoding scheme in a storage device; and

enabling the consumer to indicate that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said first audio/video stream is received by a first tuner and said second audio/video stream is received by a second tuner.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein a single tuner receives both of said first audio/video stream and said second audio/video stream.

43. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of determining whether the consumer is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of tile audio/video work.

44. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device in response a determination that the consumer is authorized to obtain the audio/video work.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device comprises the step of storing onto a persistent storage device a copy of the audio/video work stored in said storage device.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein said storage device is a volatile storage device.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said volatile storage device comprises random access memory.

48. The method of claim 40, further comprising means the step of processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device comprises the step of storing onto a persistent storage device a copy and/or use protected copy of the audio/video work stored in said storage device.

50. The method of claim 40, further comprising the step of copy and/or use protecting the audio/video work prior to storing it in said storage device.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein said storage device is a persistent storage device.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein said persistent storage device is a hard disk.

53. A method for enabling a user to purchase a copy of a broadcast audio/video work, comprising the steps of:

receiving a broadcast data stream comprising the audio/video work;

storing the audio/video work in a storage device local to the user regardless of whether the user has indicated a desire to have the audio/video work stored;

providing a user interface for enabling a user to indicate that the user desires to purchase an audio/video work stored on said local storage device; and

in response to the user indicating said desire to purchase an audio/video work, presenting to the user a list of un-purchased audio/video works that are stored on said local storage device; and

enabling the user to select on or more of said listed un-purchased audio/video works.

54. The method of claim 53, further comprising the step of copy and/or use protecting the audio/video work prior to storing the audio/video work in said storage device.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising the step of determining an unpurchased audio-video work selected by the user and verifying that the user is authorized to purchase said selected audio/video work.

56. The method of claim 55, further comprising the step of decrypting said selected audio/video work if the user is determined to be authorized to purchase said selected audio/video work.

57. The method of claim 53, further comprising the step of compressing the audio/video work prior to storing the audio/video work in said storage device.

58. The method of claim 53, further comprising the step of creating an output data stream from said broadcast data stream and providing said output data stream to conventional audio/video reproducing equipment.