Method and apparatus for the superdistribution of content in a network including stationary and mobile stations

• US 20040198308A1
• Filed: 10/16/2001
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Chiu, Peter K., Hurst, Leon
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,760 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/403
• 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: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the superdistribution of content on a network having a plurality of terminals for permitting a user of a terminal to superdistribute content stored in the terminal to another terminal and permitting the other user of the other terminal to inspect and purchase the content if desired. The invention provides an easily used mechanism that allows for the superdistribution of content from user to user to aid in the widespread distribution of content among users of various types of terminals including mobile terminals.

Claims

1. A superdistribution method, in a telecommunications network having a plurality of terminals, for permitting a first user of a first terminal to distribute contents stored in said first terminal to a second user of a second terminal to permit said second user to inspect and purchase said content if desired, said superdistribution method comprising the steps of:

transmitting said content from said first terminal to said second terminal;

receiving said content in said second terminal;

temporarily storing said content in said second terminal in a manner to permit said content to be inspected by said second user;

permitting said second user to inspect said content;

permitting said second user to purchase said content if desired and automatically discarding said content if not desired; and

permanently storing said content in said second terminal when purchased by said second user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said telecommunications network is a cellular network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said permanently storing step comprises the steps of:

customizing the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal; and

permanently storing the customized content in said second terminal.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said permanently storing step comprises the steps of:

retrieving identity information of the second terminal; and

permanently storing said identity information in said second terminal together with the received content.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said permanently storing step comprises the steps of:

receiving from the telecommunications network a new version of said content which can be permanently stored in said second terminal; and

permanently storing said new version of said content in said second terminal.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said permanently storing step comprises the steps of:

customizing the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal; and

permanently storing the customized content in said second terminal.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said permanently storing step comprises the steps of:

changing said content received from said first terminal in a manner to permit said content to be permanently stored in said second terminal; and

permanently storing the changed content in said second terminal.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said permanently storing step comprises the steps of:

customizing the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal; and

permanently storing the customized content in said second terminal.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein when said second user purchases said content said first user receives at least one of a discount, rebate, credit, payment, etc.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said permanently storing step comprises the steps of:

customizing the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal; and

permanently storing the customized content in said second terminal.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein when said second user indicates a desire to purchase said content said second user receives from the telecommunications network at least one offer or one or more selectable items of content.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein when said second user selects one of the offer or selectable items of content, the selected content is permanently stored in said second terminal.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said permanently storing step comprises the steps of:

customizing the features of the selected content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal; and

permanently storing the customized content in said second terminal.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user of the first terminal is permitted to implement business methods based on the superdistribution of content in the telecommunications network.

17. The method according to claim 1S, wherein each of the offers includes a copy of the content for inspection that can not be permanently stored in the device being used by the community member receiving the offer.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein when a community member accepts an offer, a new version of the content is received and the new version of the content is permanently stored in the device being used by the community member who accepted the offer.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein said downloading step comprises the steps of:

customizing the features of the new version of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of the device used by the community member who accepted the offer; and

permanently storing the customized content in the device.

15. A method in a superdistribution federation model formed on a network, comprising the steps of:

managing, by a superdistribution community server, a community including registering individual community members with similar interest in content to any one of a plurality of interested groups included in the community, tracking the status of the community members, tracking account activity of the community members of the community, managing Digital Rights Management (DRM) deployment within the community, and aggregating charging and usage records for superdistribution transactions within the community;

managing, by a superdistribution federation server, a plurality of said superdistribution community servers including providing services such as collecting charging and usage records from different communities, interfacing with a charging center, and deploying DRM among said plurality of superdistribution community servers;

permitting a community member to originate content and multicast offers of the content to other community members; and

when a community member accepts an offer, downloading the content to a device being used by the community member who accepts the offer and initiating a superdistribution transaction for the purchase of the content.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said downloading step comprises the steps of:

customizing the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of the device used by the community member who accepted the offer; and

permanently storing the customized content in the device.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein prior to multicasting the offers, reference is made to status information of each of the community members being tracked by the superdistribution community server and the multicasting of offers is conducted based on the status information.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein when the community member indicates a desire to purchase the content the community member receives at least one offer or one or more selectable items of content.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein when the community member selects one of the offers or selectable items of content, the selected content is permanently stored in the device being used by the community member.

23. The method according to claim 15, wherein when the community member who accepts the offer purchases the content, the community member who originated the offer receives at least one of a discount, rebate, credit, payment, etc.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the community member who originated the offer is permitted to implement business methods based on the superdistribution of content in the superdistribution federation model.

25. A superdistribution system for superdistributing content in a telecommunications network, said superdistribution system comprising:

a first terminal being used by a first user; and

a second terminal being used by a second user,

wherein said first terminal transmits said content stored in said first terminal to said second terminal, and

wherein said second terminal receives said content, temporarily stores said content in a manner to permit said content to be inspected by said second user, permits said second user to inspect said content, permits said second user to purchase said content if desired, automatically discards said content if not desired, and permanently stores said content when purchased by said second user.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said telecommunications network is a cellular network.

27. The system according to claim 25, wherein said second terminal when permanently storing said content, customizes the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

28. The system according to claim 25, wherein said second terminal when permanently storing said content, receives from the telecommunications network a new version of said content which can be permanently stored in said second terminal and permanently stores said new version of said content.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein said second terminal when permanently storing content, customizes the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

30. The system according to claim 25, wherein said second terminal when permanently storing content, changes said content received from said first terminal in a manner to permit said content to be permanently stored in said second terminal, and permanently stores the changed content.

31. The system according to claim 30, wherein said second terminal when permanently storing content, customizes the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

32. The system according to claim 25, wherein when said second user purchases said content said first user receives at least one of a discount, rebate, credit, payment, etc.

33. The system according to claim 32, wherein said second terminal when permanently storing content, customizes the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

34. The system according to claim 25, wherein when said second user indicates a desire to purchase said content said second user receives from the telecommunications network at least one offer or one or more selectable items of content.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein when said second user selects one of the offer or selectable items of content, the selected content is permanently stored in said second terminal.

36. The system according to claim 35, wherein said second terminal when permanently storing content, customizes the features of the selected content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said second terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

37. The system according to claim 25, wherein the user of the first terminal is permitted to implement business methods based on the superdistribution of content in the telecommunications network.

38. A superdistribution federation model formed on a network, comprising:

a superdistribution community server which manages a community including registering individual community members with similar interest in content to any one of a plurality of interested groups included in the community, tracking the status of the community members, tracking account activity of the community members of the community, managing Digital Rights Management (DRM) deployment within the community, and aggregating charging and usage records for superdistribution transactions within the community;

a superdistribution federation server which manages a plurality of said superdistribution community servers including providing services such as collecting charging and usage records from different communities, interfacing with a charging center, and deploying DRM among said plurality of superdistribution community servers;

a plurality of devices each being used by a community member to output and/or process content,

wherein each device permits a community member to originate content and multicast offers of the content to other community members, and when the community member accepts an offer for content, to download the content and initiate a superdistribution transaction for the purchase of the content.

39. The system according to claim 38, wherein said device when downloading content, customizes the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said device, and permanently stores the customized content.

40. The system according to claim 38, wherein each of the offers includes a copy of the content for inspection that can not be permanently stored in said second device.

41. The system according to claim 40, wherein when a community member accepts an offer, a new version of the content is received and the new version of the content is permanently stored in said device.

42. The system according to claim 41, wherein said device when downloading content, customizes the features of the new version of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said device, and permanently stores the customized content.

43. The system according to claim 38, wherein said device prior to multicasting the offers, makes reference to status information of each of the community members being tracked by the superdistribution community server and multicasts the offers based on the status information.

44. The system according to claim 38, wherein when the community member indicates a desire to purchase the content, the community member receives at least one offer or one or more selectable items of content.

45. The system according to claim 44, wherein when the community member selects one of the offers or selectable items of content, the selected content is permanently stored in said device being used by the community member.

46. The system according to claim 38, wherein when the community member who accepts the offer purchases the content, the community member who originated the offer receives at least one of a discount, rebate, credit, payment, etc.

47. The system according to claim 38, wherein each community member is permitted to implement business methods on the device being used by the community member based on the superdistribution of content in the superdistribution federation model.

48. A terminal for use in a superdistribution system for superdistributing content in a telecommunications network, said terminal comprising:

means for transmitting content stored in said terminal to another terminal; and

means for receiving content from another terminal, temporarily storing said content in a manner to permit said content to be inspected a user of the terminal, permitting the user to inspect said content, permitting the user to purchase said content if desired, automatically discarding said content if not desired, and permanently storing said content when purchased by the user.

49. The terminal according to claim 48, wherein said telecommunications network is a cellular network.

50. The terminal according to claim 48, wherein said terminal when permanently storing said content, customizes the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

51. The terminal according to claim 48, wherein said terminal when permanently storing said content, receives from the telecommunications network a new version of said content which can be permanently stored in said terminal and permanently stores said new version of said content.

52. The terminal according to claim 51, wherein said terminal when permanently storing content, customizes the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

53. The terminal according to claim 48, wherein said terminal when permanently storing content, changes said content received from said first terminal in a manner to permit said content to be permanently stored in said terminal, and permanently stores the changed content.

54. The terminal according to claim 53, wherein said terminal when permanently storing content, customizes the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

55. The terminal according to claim 48, wherein when the user purchases said content another user who originated the content receives at least one of a discount, rebate, credit, payment, etc.

56. The terminal according to claim 55, wherein said terminal when permanently storing content, customizes the features of the content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

57. The terminal according to claim 48, wherein when the user indicates a desire to purchase said content the user receives from the telecommunications network at least one offer or one or more selectable items of content.

58. The terminal according to claim 57, wherein when the user selects one of the offer or selectable items of content, the selected content is permanently stored in said terminal.

59. The terminal according to claim 58, wherein said terminal when permanently storing content, customizes the features of the selected content based on prestored profile information indicating the capabilities and functions of said terminal, and permanently stores the customized content.

60. The terminal according to claim 48, wherein the user of said terminal is permitted to implement business methods based on the superdistribution of content in the telecommunications network.

61. A superdistribution method, in a telecommunications network having a plurality of terminals, for permitting a first user of a first terminal to distribute contents stored in said first terminal to a second user of a second terminal to permit said second user to inspect and purchase said content if desired, said superdistribution method comprising the steps of:

transmitting said content from said first terminal to said second terminal,

wherein said content includes information which causes said second terminal to perform a specific function;

receiving said content in said second terminal; and

performing said specific function as indicated by said information including;

temporarily storing said content in said second terminal in a manner to permit said content to be inspected by said second user,

permitting said second user to inspect said content,

permitting said second user to purchase said content if desired and automatically discarding said content if not desired, and

permanently storing said content in said second terminal when purchased by said second user.