Wireless distribution of content files

• US 20060074766A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Pfleging, Gerald W., Wilkin, George P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,774,232 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A point of sale terminal that can be used to sell commodities such as gasoline, is also used to wirelessly distribute content files, such as MP3 and video files. The content files are addressed to a particular wireless playback receiving device. Wireless distribution of content files at other merchant'"'"'s sites whereat point of sale terminals can be used enables the contents of playback devices to be updated without having to couple the device to a computer. Receipt of payment or account information prior to file transmission helps protect against theft.

Claims

1. A point of sale terminal device comprising:

a transmitter, said transmitter being capable of transmit signals according to a predetermined wireless data transfer protocol, that is data that represents information content;

a content file storage device operably coupled to the transmitter, said content file storage device storing at least a part of one file that represent at least one of;

audio information and video information;

a user-interface terminal on which information can be displayed to a user, and through which a user can select a file for transmission from the transmitter;

a processor, operably coupled to the transmitter, the user-interface terminal, and the content file storage device, and

one or more computer-readable signal-bearing media, operably coupled to the processor, said one or more computer-readable signal-bearing media storing program instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

acquire information from the terminal that identifies a first content file to transmit from the transmitter;

acquire a content file from the content file storage device;

transfer the first content file from the content storage device to the transmitter;

effectuate the transmission of the first content file from the transmitter to a receiver device according to a first wireless data transfer protocol.

2. The point of sale terminal device of claim 1, further comprising:

a point of sale terminal transponder, operably coupled to said processor, said point of sale terminal transponder being capable of detecting a content purchaser-identification device and acquiring information from the purchaser-identification device that identifies an account from which payment for a content file sale can be obtained.

3. The point of sale terminal device of claim 2 wherein the point of sale terminal transponder is a credit card reader.

4. The point of sale terminal device of claim 1, further comprising:

a point of sale terminal transponder, operably coupled to said processor, said point of sale terminal transponder being capable of detecting a content purchaser-identification device and acquiring information from the purchaser-identification device, a media access control address of a device, to which a file from the content file storage device is to be transmitted by the transmitter.

5. The point of sale terminal device of claim 2 wherein the point of sale terminal transponder is a radio frequency identifier module (RFID).

6. The point of sale terminal device of claim 1 wherein said content file storage device is a storage device that stores data files representing music.

7. The point of sale terminal device of claim 1 wherein said content file storage device is a storage device that stores MP3 data files.

8. The point of sale terminal device of claim 1, wherein said transmitter is a transmitter that transmits data in substantial compliance with I.E.E.E. standard 802.

9. The point of sale terminal device of claim 1 wherein the content file storage device is comprised of at least one file storage device that is operably coupled to the transmitter via the Internet.

10. The point of sale terminal device of claim 1, further comprised of an ancillary sales device, operably coupled to the processor, said ancillary sales device being a gasoline pump.

11. A point of sale terminal device comprising:

a transmitter, said transmitter being capable of transmit signals according to a predetermined wireless data transfer protocol, that is data that represents information content;

a data network interface, operably coupling the point of sale terminal device to a data network through which content files can be transferred;

a user identification device;

a user-interface terminal on which information can be displayed to a user, and through which a user can select a file for transmission from the transmitter;

a processor, operably coupled to the transmitter, the user identification device, the data network interface, the user interface terminal, and

one or more computer-readable signal-bearing media, operably coupled to the processor, said one or more computer-readable signal-bearing media storing program instructions, which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

acquire information from the purchaser-identification device that identifies at least one of;

an account by which a music file purchase can be paid for; and

a first address of a receiver device to which a music file will be transmitted by the transmitter;

transfer at least part of a first music file from a music file storage device to the transmitter via the data network interface;

effectuate the transmission of the first music file from the transmitter to a receiver device that is identified by the first address.

12. The point of sale terminal device of claim 11, wherein the user-identification device is a credit card reader.

13. The point of sale terminal device of claim 11 wherein the user-identification device is a radio frequency identifier module (RFID).

14. The point of sale terminal device of claim 11, wherein the data network interface is an interface that couples the point of sale terminal device to the Internet.

15. The point of sale terminal device of claim 11, wherein said transmitter is a transmitter that transmits data in substantial compliance with I.E.E.E. standard 802.

16. The point of sale terminal device of claim 11, further comprised of an ancillary sales device, operably coupled to the processor, said ancillary sales device being a gasoline pump.

17. The point of sale terminal of claim 11 wherein the first address is comprised of a MAC address.

18. A method of wirelessly distributing content information at a point of sale terminal comprising the steps of:

receiving at a point of sale terminal, information identifying a first address that is the address of a device to which data can be wirelessly transferred;

receiving at the point of sale terminal, information that identifies a first data file to transmit to the first address;

transmitting from the point of sale terminal, a wireless signal that carries at least part of the first data file.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

retrieving the first data file from a data file storage device that stores a plurality of data files.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of transmitting a wireless signal includes the step of transmitting an MP3 file.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

receiving at the point of sale terminal, information that identifies an account by which the transmission of the first data file to the first address can be paid for.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

encrypting the first data file prior to its transmission.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of encoding the first data file into a format that is compatible with only the device having the first address.

23-1. A playback device capable of receiving content files by a wireless transmission of digital data comprising:

a receiver, capable of receiving signals into which data is encoded;

a file storage device, into which data can be stored;

a processor, operatively coupled to the receiver and the file storage device;

a playback device, operatively coupled to the processor and by which content from a content file can be reproduced.