Mobile device that uses removable medium for playback of content

• US 20060121878A1
• Filed: 12/12/2003
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Declan P. Kelly, Jozef P. Van Gassel
• Original Assignee: Declan P. Kelly, Jozef P. Van Gassel
• Inventors: Kelly, Declan P., Van Gassel, Jozef P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,761 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files

Abstract

A service that provides playback of media content, that may include advertising content, to a user. The system comprises device, that may be a portable wireless device, where the wireless device has a media drive and an application that reads content from a medium inserted in the media drive. The system further comprises a service that communicates with the wireless device via a wireless network. The service provides control commands to the application program for controlling playback of content from the medium when inserted in the media drive. The service may also provide advertising content to the user based on a user profile. A fee may be paid for the delivery of the content and/or the advertising to the user.

Claims

1. A method of enabling an electronic transaction, the method comprising the acts of:

providing storable electronic content to a user,

providing an electronic application to the user; and

providing control commands to the user for a fee that is receivable from a party other than the user, the control commands enabling the electronic application to render the electronic content to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storable electronic content and the electronic application are stored on a portable wireless device, and wherein providing the control commands comprises the acts of:

connecting the portable wireless device to a server; and

transmitting the control commands from the server to the portable wireless device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the control commands are required to be separately transmitted each time the electronic application renders the electronic content, the method comprising the act of, at the server, maintaining a count of a number of times that the control commands are transmitted to the portable wireless device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the act of denying transmittal of the control commands if the count exceeds a given number.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic application is only enabled to render the electronic content while the portable wireless device is connected to the server.

6. The method of claim 2, comprising the acts of:

receiving a user identification at the server from the user each time the portable wireless device is connected to the server, and

maintaining a count of a number of times the user identification is received by the user.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic content contains a plurality of electronic content portions and wherein corresponding control commands are required to be separately provided each time the electronic application renders one of the plurality of electronic content portions, the method comprising the acts of:

transmitting a particular control command in response to a request from the user containing a user identification, wherein the request is for the particular control command;

maintaining a count of a number of times each particular control command is transmitted to the user.

8. The method of claim 7, comprising the act of providing unrequested keys determined from the count.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising the act of providing electronic advertising content determined from the count, wherein the electronic advertising content is renderable by the electronic application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic content contains a plurality of electronic content portions and wherein a corresponding control command is required to be separately provided each time the electronic application renders one of the plurality of electronic content portions.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising the act of providing electronic advertising content renderable by the electronic application.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic application renders the electronic content and the electronic advertising content in a determined order.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electronic advertising is played back in between portions of the electronic content.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic advertising is provided together with the electronic content.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the storable electronic content and the electronic application are stored on a portable wireless device, and wherein providing the control commands comprises the acts of:

connecting the portable wireless device to a server;

determining a geographic region where the portable wireless device is located;

identifying electronic advertising for the determined geographic region; and

transmitting the control commands and the identified electronic advertising from the server to the portable wireless device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the control commands control at least one of the selection and order of rendering the electronic content.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic content is at least one of audio content and video content.

18. A method of enabling an electronic transaction, the method comprising the acts of:

providing storable electronic content to a user;

providing an electronic application to the user;

determining electronic advertising based on a personal profile for the user and

providing control commands and the determined electronic advertising to the user for a fee that is receivable from a party that desires the determined electronic advertising be provided to the user, the control commands enabling the electronic application to render the electronic content and the determined electronic advertising to the user.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising the acts of:

monitoring user selection of electronic content;

providing an update to the personal profile based on a result of the monitoring.