System and method for providing usage metrics of digital content

• US 20040199527A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 10/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tahoe Research Limited (f/k/a Learndale Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Morain, Pol O., Chuat, Mathieu
• Granted Patent: US 7,797,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed for providing usage metrics of digital content. The system includes one or more clients, such as a computer and an audio player device, a usage metrics server and an optional recommendation system, which are connected together by a network, such as the Internet. A consumer or user at a client system, such as the computer, downloads digital content from a content provider. As the client consumes the digital content, a tracking system operating on the client uploads usage data to the usage metrics system. The usage metrics system processes the usage data and stores the processed data in a storage for subsequent retrieval to provide the data to a content provider, the optional recommendation system and/or third party systems.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a monitoring system that monitors consumption of digital content at a first device;

a usage data storage system that collects usage data of the monitored consumption of the digital content at the first device; and

a usage metrics system that processes the usage data to provide usage results to a second device.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the usage metrics system organizes the usage data into at least one of a plurality of categories comprising a genre type of digital content, time based consumption of the digital content and date based consumption of the digital content.

3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the first device obtains the digital content from a content provider.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a recommendation system that generates digital content recommendations based on the usage results, the recommendation system providing the digital content recommendations to a content provider.

5. The system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the content provider selects additional digital content to send to the first device based on the digital content recommendations.

6. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the usage metrics system provides the usage results to at least one organization system comprising at least one of a content publisher, content developer, advertisement company, music chart company, music marketing company, marketing company and consulting firm.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the digital content comprises at least one of digital music, digital documents, digital movies, and software.

8. A method comprising:

monitoring consumption of digital content at a first device;

collecting usage data of the monitored consumption of the digital content at the first device; and

processing the usage data to provide usage results to a second device.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein processing the usage data further comprises organizing the usage data into at least one of a plurality of categories comprising a genre type of digital content, time based consumption of the digital content and date based consumption of the digital content.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising obtaining the digital content at the first device from a content provider.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising generating digital content recommendations based on the usage results.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 further comprising selecting additional digital content to send to the first device based on the digital content recommendations.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8 further comprising providing the usage results to at least one organization system comprising at least one of a content publisher, content developer, advertisement company, music chart company, music marketing company, marketing company and consulting firm.

14. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform:

monitoring consumption of digital content at a first device;

collecting usage data of the monitored consumption of the digital content at the first device; and

processing the usage data to provide usage results to a second device.

15. The medium as set forth in claim 14 wherein processing the usage data further comprises organizing the usage data into at least one of a plurality of categories comprising a genre type of digital content, time based consumption of the digital content and date based consumption of the digital content.

16. The medium as set forth in claim 14 further comprising obtaining the digital content at the first device from a content provider.

17. The medium as set forth in claim 14 further comprising generating digital content recommendations based on the usage results.

18. The medium as set forth in claim 17 further comprising selecting additional digital content to send to the first device based on the digital content recommendations.

19. The medium as set forth in claim 14 further comprising providing the usage results to at least one organization system comprising at least one of a content publisher, content developer, advertisement company, music chart company, music marketing company, marketing company and consulting firm.