Method for providing multimedia data via communication network

• US 20060023752A1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. (RealNetworks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Jae Min
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/487
• 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: 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for providing multimedia data, and more particularly, to a method for providing multimedia data in which a predetermined fee is received from a user who wants multimedia data, and in this case, the user is enabled to download the multimedia data unrestrictedly for a predetermined period corresponding to the fee and play the downloaded multimedia data in various media of the user. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for providing multimedia data, enabling a user who pays a flat fee to download and play multimedia data unrestrictedly for a certain period, thereby reducing a user burden for download of multimedia data.

Claims

1. A method for providing multimedia data at a multimedia data server, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a multimedia database including multimedia data;

maintaining a user database including available period information with respect to a right to download for each user, respectively, in which the right to download of the multimedia data is granted to the user for a period of time determined by the available period information;

receiving a request for download of predetermined multimedia data from a user terminal through a wired/wireless communication network;

determining whether the right to download has been granted to the user by referring to available period information associated with the user, included in the user database;

searching the multimedia data by referring to the multimedia database, in case that the right to download has been granted to the user;

generating authenticated multimedia data including the searched multimedia data and the available period information associated with the user, in which the available period information is information about a playable period for which the authenticated multimedia data can be played; and

transmitting the authenticated multimedia data to the user terminal through the wired/wireless communication network, so as to control the multimedia data to be played in the user terminal for the playable period information by using available period information included in the authenticated multimedia data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein in case that the user terminal accesses the multimedia data server via the Internet, the user terminal performs the steps of:

receiving the authenticated multimedia data from the multimedia data server, so as to store the same in a storage unit of the user terminal;

receiving time information from a predetermined time server repeatedly, so as to determine a current time;

receiving a request for transmission of the authenticated multimedia data stored in the storage unit to a portable device of the user, from the user;

transmitting the authenticated multimedia data to the portable device; and

controlling the portable device, such that a current time be determined in a clock module thereof in accordance with the determined current time; and

the portable device performs the steps of;

in case that a request for playing of the authenticated multimedia data is received from the user, determining whether the request for playing is received within the playable period by using the current time determined in the clock module; and

playing the authenticated multimedia data to provide the same to the user, in case that the request for playing is received within the playable period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of transmitting the authenticated multimedia data to the portable device comprises the steps of:

determining whether the request for transmission is received within the playable period, which is determined by the available period information included in the authenticated multimedia data, by using the determined current time; and

transmitting the authenticated multimedia data to the portable device in case that it is determined that the request for transmission is received within the playable period.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user terminal further performs the steps of:

receiving a play command of authenticated multimedia data stored in the storage unit, from the user;

determining whether the play command is received within the playable period, which is determined by available period information included in the authenticated multimedia data, by using the determined current time; and

playing the authenticated multimedia data to provide the same to the user, in case that it is determined that the play command is received within the playable period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of maintaining a user database including available period information with respect to a right to download for each user, respectively, comprises the steps of:

receiving a request for download service of multimedia data for a predetermined period, from a user;

controlling a service fee corresponding to the period to be charged to the user; and

recording available period information about the period in the user database in association with the user, thereby granting a right to download of multimedia data for the period to the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the multimedia data server transmits multimedia data to the user for the period, with no limit on the number of times, every time a request for download of multimedia data is received from the user.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the user database further includes an authentication number of the portable device associated with the user;

the step of generating the authenticated multimedia data at the multimedia data server is the step of generating authenticated multimedia data including the searched multimedia data, available period information associated with the user, and an authentication number of a portable device associated with the user; and

the step of playing the authenticated multimedia data at the portable device to provide the same to the user is the step of generating the authenticated multimedia data in case that an authentication number included therein is identical to that stored in the portable device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the user database further includes a public key corresponding to a private key recorded in the portable device associated with the user;

the step of generating the authenticated multimedia data at the multimedia data server is the step of encrypting multimedia data including the searched multimedia data and available period information associated with the user, with the public key, so as to generate the authenticated multimedia data; and

the step of generating the authenticated multimedia data at the portable device to provide the same to the user is the step of decrypting the authenticated multimedia data with the private key of the portable device, so as to generate the authenticated multimedia data.

11. A computer readable record medium recording a program for implementing the method according to claim 1.

5. A method for providing multimedia data at a multimedia data server, the method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a multimedia database including multimedia data;

maintaining a user database including available period information with respect to a right to download for each user, respectively, in which a right to download of the multimedia data is granted to the user for a period of time determined by the available period information;

receiving a request for download of predetermined multimedia data from the mobile communication terminal through a wireless communication network;

determining whether the download right has been granted to the user by referring to available period information associated with the user included in the user database;

searching the multimedia data by referring to the multimedia database, in case that the download right has been granted to the user;

generating authenticated multimedia data including the searched multimedia data and available period information associated with the user, in which the available period information is information about a playable period of the multimedia data; and

transmitting the authenticated multimedia data to the mobile communication terminal through a wired/wireless communication network;

wherein the mobile communication terminal performs the steps of;

receiving the authenticated multimedia data from the multimedia data server, so as to store the same in a storage unit of the mobile communication terminal;

receiving a play command of the authenticated multimedia data from the user;

receiving current time information from a mobile switching center connected to the mobile communication terminal through the wireless communication terminal;

determining whether the play command is received within the playable period, which is determined by available period information included in the authenticated multimedia data, by using the current time determined using the current time information; and

playing the authenticated multimedia data to provide the same to the user, in case that it is determined that the play command is received within the playable period.

10. A method for playing multimedia data in a mobile communication terminal, comprising the steps of:

receiving authenticated multimedia data from a predetermined multimedia data server, so as to store the same in a predetermined storage unit, in which the authenticated multimedia data includes multimedia data and available period information associated with a user of the mobile communication network;

receiving a play command of the authenticated multimedia data from the user;

receiving current time information from a mobile switching center connected the mobile communication terminal through a wireless communication network;

determining whether the play command is received within the playable period which is determined by available period information included in the authenticated multimedia data, by using the current time determined using the current time information; and

playing the authenticated multimedia data to provide the same to the user, in case that it is determined that the play command is received within the playable period.