Online purchase of digital media bundles

• US 20060089949A1
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Gautier, Patrice, Robbin, Jeffrey L., Heller, David, Wiese, Mike, Verosub, Ellis M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Techniques for interacting with an online media store to obtain a media asset bundle, such as a digital boxset, are disclosed. These techniques involve, for instance, browsing for a media asset bundle that includes at least one non-playable media asset, purchasing the media asset bundle, obtaining the media assets contained in the media asset bundle, determining if a presentation request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle, and presenting the requested media asset. Further, these techniques involve playing the media assets in a media asset bundle by selecting a media asset in the media asset bundle, determining whether the media asset is playable or non-playable, presenting the media asset using an appropriate media asset viewer if it is playable, not playing (skipping) the media asset if it is non-playable, and selecting/playing other media assets in the media asset bundle until no more media assets are available to be played.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a media asset bundle, comprising:

(a) browsing for a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises a plurality of media assets and wherein at least one of the media assets in the media asset bundle is a non-playable media asset;

(b) purchasing the media asset bundle; and

(c) obtaining the media assets contained in the media asset bundle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchasing (b) of the media asset bundle is done at an online media store.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) determining if a request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle; and

(e) presenting the requested media asset.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the presenting of the requested media asset is accomplished using a media management application.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting of (e) further comprises:

(e)(1) determining whether the requested media asset is a non-playable media asset; and

(e)(2) viewing the non-playable media asset in a non-playable media asset viewer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the non-playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) file, a graphics file, a multi-media file and a text file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the non-playable media asset file contains digital rights management information.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the presenting of (e) further comprises:

(e)(3) determining whether the requested media asset is a playable media asset; and

(e)(4) playing the playable media asset in a playable media asset viewer.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the presenting of the non-playable media asset is accomplished using a media management application.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the playable media assets are selected from the group consisting of audio files and video files.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the audio file comprises media content selected from the group consisting of a song and a spoken-word performance.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the playable media assets are selected from the group consisting of songs, music videos, and audio books.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the text file comprises embedded graphics.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein the non-playable media asset viewer is selected from the group consisting of a PDF viewer, a text editor, a web browser, an e-book reader, and an XML browser.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-playable media asset viewer is incorporated into a media management application.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-playable media asset viewer is spawned by a media management application.

17. A method for obtaining a media asset bundle, comprising:

(a) receiving a client request to purchase a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises a plurality of media assets and wherein at least one of the media assets in the media asset bundle is a non-playable media asset;

(b) authorizing a payment for the request to purchase the media asset bundle;

(c) obtaining the media assets of the media asset bundle; and

(d) making the media asset bundle available to the requesting client.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the purchasing (b) of the media asset bundle is done at an online media store.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the making available of (d) further comprises sending the media assets of the media asset bundle to the client.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the making available of (d) further comprises sending a media access response to the client.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the making available of (d) further comprises storing a deferred download request.

22. A method for displaying a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises at least one non-playable media asset and at least one playable media asset, the method comprising;

(a) selecting a media asset in the media asset bundle; and

(b) determining whether the media asset in the media asset bundle is playable or non-playable;

(c) if the media asset is playable, playing the media asset; and

(d) else, if the media asset is non-playable, not playing the media asset.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

(e) repeating (a) through (d) for a next media asset in the media asset bundle until all playable media assets in the media asset bundle have been played.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the not playing the non-playable media asset (d) comprises skipping the non-playable media asset.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the non-playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) file, a graphics file, a multi-media file and a text file.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of an audio file and a video file.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the audio file comprises media content selected from the group consisting of a song and a spoken-word performance.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the playable media assets are selected from the group consisting of songs, music videos, and e-books.

29. A method for obtaining a media asset bundle, comprising:

(a) receiving a client request to purchase a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises a plurality of media assets, including at least one playable file comprising music and at least one non-playable file comprising text and embedded graphics;

(b) authorizing a payment for the request to purchase the media asset bundle;

(c) obtaining the media assets of the media asset bundle;

(d) making the media asset bundle available to the requesting client;

(e) selecting a media asset in the media asset bundle;

(f) determining whether the media asset in the media asset bundle is playable or non-playable;

(g) if the media asset is playable, playing the media asset; and

(h) else, if the media asset is non-playable, not playing the media asset.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the media asset bundle further comprises one or more one playable files comprising video.

31. A system for purchasing media assets, comprising:

one or more client computers, each connected to a computer network;

one or more client applications, each separately running on the one or more client computers, the client applications configured to browse, purchase, and play media assets;

one or more remote server computers configured to process commercial transactions, each of the one or more remote server computers connected to the computer network, wherein at least one of the remote server computers is configured to enable at least one of the client applications to browse for and purchase a media asset bundle;

one or more remote media content servers configured to deliver media assets to any of the one or more client computers connected to the network; and

wherein the media asset bundle comprises media assets and wherein at least one of the media assets in the media asset bundle is a non-playable media asset.

32. A computer readable medium including a media asset bundle, comprising at least one non-playable media asset at least one playable media asset.

33. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the non-playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) file, a graphics file, a multi-media file and a text file.

34. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the non-playable media asset file contains digital rights management information.

35. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of an audio file and a video file.

36. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 35, wherein the audio file comprises media content selected from the group consisting of a song and a spoken-word performance.

37. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of a music file, a music video, and an e-book.

38. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 33, wherein the text file comprises embedded graphics.

39. A method for obtaining a media asset bundle, comprising:

(a) browsing for a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises a plurality of media assets, wherein the plurality of media assets includes at least one media asset of a first media asset type and at least one media asset of a second media asset type;

(b) purchasing the media asset bundle; and

(c) obtaining the media assets contained in the media asset bundle.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the purchasing (b) of the media asset bundle is done at an online media store.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

(d) determining if a request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle; and

(e) presenting the requested media asset.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the presenting of (e) further comprises:

(e)(1) determining whether the requested media asset is a non-playable media asset; and

(e)(2) viewing the non-playable media asset in a non-playable media asset viewer.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the non-playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) file, a graphics file, a multimedia file and a text file.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein the playable media assets types are selected from the group consisting of audio files, video files, and graphics files.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein audio files comprise media content selected from the group consisting of songs, interviews, and spoken-word performances.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein video files comprise media content selected from the group consisting of videos and motion pictures.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein graphics files comprise media content selected from the group consisting of pictures, drawings, and text.