Recording distribution system

• US 20050251454A1
• Filed: 05/06/2004
• Published: 11/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tim Wood
• Original Assignee: Tim Wood
• Inventors: Wood, Tim
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders

Abstract

The invention is a system and method for the distribution of recordings of live audio and/or video performances to audience members at a performance. The system comprises means for promptly uploading recordings of performance segments into a database controlled by an order server. An audience member employs a wireless messaging devices such as a cellular telephone to place an order for a recording with a Short Message Service linked to said order server, and, upon arranging for payment of a recording download, said audience member is provided (via a text message to the ordering wireless device) with an internet URL address at which a copy of the recording ordered has been made available for download.

Claims

1. A system for the distribution of a recording of a live performance to audience members, said system comprising:

(a) means at a live performance venue for recording a performance;

(b) means for uploading a digital recording of a said performance, without substantial delay following said performance, into a database linked to an internet web server;

(c) means for generating, with respect to each said digital recording, a plurality of internet URL addresses from each of which URL addresses a copy of said digital recording may be downloaded;

(d) means for receiving and processing a plurality of orders for a said digital recording that have each been placed by an audience member at said venue via a personal wireless messaging device;

(e) means for uniquely associating each of said plurality of internet URL addresses with a different one of said plurality of orders placed for a said digital recording;

(e) means for fulfilling said plurality of orders comprising means for transmitting, to each wireless messaging device from which a said order has been placed, an identification of the internet URL address thus uniquely associated with the order placed from said wireless messaging device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means for fulfilling said orders further comprises means for conditioning fulfillment of any specific one of said orders to the making of a payment.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising means for managing an automated pre-payment program.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising automated means for managing the making of a payment by recourse to a third-party provider of payment services.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said third-party provider of payment services is a “

900 area code”

billing service.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said recording of a performance is a distinct segment of a concert performance.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising means for associating each said segment with a unique identifier that is displayed to said audience members at said venue.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein orders for recordings of a selected performance segment are placed by messaging the segment identifier associated with said selected segment via a personal wireless messaging device to a telephone number displayed to said audience members at said venue.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said displayed telephone number accesses a Short Message Service operator.

10. A method for marketing and delivering digitized files comprising recordings of live performance segments, said method employing computer means linked to the internet, recording means located at a live performance venue and linked to said computer means, and user-controlled, personal, two-way, addressable, messaging-capable electronic communications devices such as cellular telephones, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) making a recording at said venue of each of a plurality of performance segments;

(b) storing each said recording in a digital format in a database managed by said computer means;

(c) providing audience members at said live performance venue with performance segment identifiers, and at least one receiving device access number at which a recording order may be placed for a said recording of a performance segment, via a data message containing a said performance segment identifier transmitted from a personal communications device to a said at least one receiving device;

(d) operating a messaging service linked to said computer means and adapted to receive a said recording order transmitted via a data message from a personal communications device, and to forward each said recording order to said computer means;

(e) causing said computer means, on receipt of a said recording order, to log said recording order in association with the address of the personal communications device that generated said recording order;

(f) causing said computer means to generate, for each recording order, a unique internet URL address from which a downloadable digital file of the performance segment identified in said recording order may be accessed, and

(g) messaging said URL address identifier via said messaging service to the personal communications device from which said recording order was placed.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising the further step of operating an automated payment management service adapted to enable each person placing a recording order to arrange for payment of said recording order;

12. The method of claim 10 comprising the further step of conditioning said messaging of a URL address identifier to the making of a payment arrangement.

13. A system for distributing recordings of at least one performance segment from a broadcast of a live performance shown on a pay-per-view television channel, to viewers having television reception means comprising a digital access converter box having local data storage means, said system comprising:

(a) computer means comprising an order server and also a data storage means controlled by said order server;

(b) means for recording at least one segment of a live performance broadcast over a pay-per-view television network, and uploading a digital recording of each of said at least one segment into said data storage means;

(c) means for presenting viewers of a said pay-per-view broadcast with a recording purchase menu, for placing a recording purchase order via interaction between a television remote device and a said converter box, to purchase a recording of a said at least one segment of a live performance;

(d) means for forwarding to said order server any recording purchase orders transmitted by viewers of a said broadcast;

(e) means enabling said order server to initiate a download, to the local data storage means of each said converter box used to place a said recording purchase order, of a copy of the recorded performance segment ordered from said converter box; and

(f) means for billing, following each said download of a performance segment, the television service account associated with the converter box having received said download.