System and method of downloading music and playing the downloaded music

• US 20020194356A1
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Published: 12/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Karanetwork Limited
• Original Assignee: Karanetwork Limited
• Inventors: Chan, Koon-Chung, Miu, Eric Kar-Chuen
• Application Number:
  US10/152,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194356A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings
• 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: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0435 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply symmetric encryption, i.e. same key used for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for symmetric key encryption H04L9/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method of downloading and playing the downloaded music files comprises a music website that provides, through a network, music files with searchable indexing page, and a plurality of information terminals that are capable of communicating with the music website through the network and downloading and playing the music files downloaded from the music website. If it is a karaoke song, the music file is marked with position indictor at each point of changing word of lyrics along with melody of the song for synchronization. The music files will be removed from the memory of information terminal after online playing. For offline playing, the music files are encrypted when being downloaded, and will be decrypted at the information terminal for playing with verification of correct encryption key stored in the information terminal. The encryption key is created and updated regularly with the update of the virtual amplifier so as to prevent the user from distributing freely the downloaded music files.

Claims

1. A system of downloading and playing music files through a network, said system comprising a music website that provides, through the network, music files with a searchable indexing page including the information of downloading and playing, and a plurality of information terminals that are capable of communicating with the music website through the network and downloading and playing the music files downloaded from the music website, wherein the website includes means for encrypting the music files that are provided for downloading, and means for releasing the downloaded music files from the information terminal that has downloaded the music files, and wherein the releasing means includes software that is used the release the downloaded music files so as to delete the downloaded music files from the information terminal after the Information terminal has played the music files for a predetermined period of time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet, the information terminals refer to personal computers of end users, and the music website is an website that is able to provide music playing and downloading services.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the releasing means is capable of clearing automatically the temporarily downloaded music files from the information terminal after the terminal plays the music online.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the encrypted files of music are decrypted for playing offline when the music files are downloaded.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein an encryption key is created using a number of a product associated with playing of the downloaded music.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the number of the product is the serial number of a virtual amplifier that is used for playing the downloaded music files.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the encryption key is updated when the product of playing the downloaded music files is updated from time to time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the music files contain karaoke songs with accompaniment and display of words of lyrics, said words changing along with melody of the song.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each position of the melody of the song where the word of lyrics changes and the interval between two positions are marked with synchronizing indicators.

10. A method of downloading and playing music files downloaded from a music website to information terminals through a network, said method comprising the steps of uploading the music files to the music website, providing a searchable indexing page at the music website, clicking to enter the music website after a user signs on the network, searching the index to select desired music files, downloading the selected music files into a temporary folder in a local memory of the information terminal, playing online the selected music files through a virtual player after the selection, and releasing and deleting the music files temporarily stored in the memory of the information terminal after the music files are played online.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the music files include karaoke songs with accompaniment and display of words of lyrics, said words changing along with melody of the song.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each position of the melody of the song where the word of lyrics changes and the interval between two positions are marked with synchronizing indicators before the music files are uploaded to the website.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the singing of the karaoke songs may be recorded at the information terminal during the online playing of the song.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of verifying a member account of the user at the music website, wherein the member account includes at least a preinstalled and stored serial number of the virtual player for identification of updated membership of the information terminal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said encryption key is created with a serial number of a virtual amplifier for playing the downloaded music files, and downloaded to the information terminal with the update of the virtual amplifier from time to time.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said encryption key is downloaded with the downloading of the music files, and used to decrypt the music files downloaded at the information terminal before playing of the music files at the terminal with confirmation of the encryption key thereat.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the music files contain karaoke songs with accompaniment and display of words of lyrics, said words changing along with melody of the song.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each position of the melody of the song where the word of lyrics changes and the interval between two positions are marked with synchronizing indicators.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising installing and updating an encryption key to a member account of the user at the music website, verifying and confirming the member account with updated serial number of the encryption key.

15. A method of downloading and playing music files downloaded from a music website to information terminals through a network, said method comprising the steps of uploading the music files to the music website, providing searchable indexing page at the music website, clicking to enter the music website after a user signs on the network, searching the index to select desired music files, downloading the selected music files into the memory of the information terminal including the update of the encryption key, encrypting the selected music files, decrypting the downloaded music files before playing with verification of the encryption key stored at the information terminal, and playing the downloaded music files on the information terminal.