Media content delivery systems and methods

• US 20060184431A1
• Filed: 04/12/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Music Choice
• Original Assignee: Music Choice
• Inventors: Yurman, Ronald M., Rosenberg, Jeremy C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,271,341 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for enabling a consumer to acquire media content items.

Claims

1. A media content delivery method, comprising:

using a first device to receive broadcasted media content;

while the first device is receiving the broadcasted media content, using the first device to transmit a message to a fulfillment system, wherein

the message includes a device identifier associated with the first device and/or a user identifier associated with a user of the first device, and

in response to receiving the purchase instruction, the fulfillment system (a) uses the device identifier and/or the user identifier to retrieve from a database an address associated with the device identifier and/or the user identifier and (b) sends to the retrieved address a message comprising (i) a link associated with a media content item corresponding to the broadcast media content and/or (ii) the media content item itself.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the message includes the link, and the message is transmitted via e-mail.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

using a second device to view the message;

activating the link, thereby initiating the downloading of the item associated with the link to the second device; and

after activating the link, receiving the item at the second device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is a direct link to the item.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the link is a link to a server that has access to the item.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, in response to activating the link, the second device transmits a first message to the server and the server responds to the message by transmitting a second message to the second device, wherein the second message prompts the user of the second device to enter an access code.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second message is a web page.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasted media content is a track from a CD.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcasted media content is a music video and the media content item is digital file containing the song from the music video.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an e-mail message and the purchasable item is attached to the e-mail.

11. A media content delivery method, comprising:

transmitting media content simultaneously to a plurality of remote devices;

while transmitting the media content to the plurality of remote devices, receiving from one of the plurality of remote device a message, wherein the message includes a device identifier associated with said one of the plurality of remote devices and/or a user identifier associated with a user of said device; and

upon receiving the message, (a) using the device and/or user identifier to retrieve a address from a database; and

(b) sending to the retrieved address a message comprising (i) a link associated with an item corresponding to the transmitted media content and/or (ii) the item itself.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the media content is an audio track.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the media content is a music video and the item is digital file containing the audio from the music video.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the media content is a music video and the item is a digital file containing the music video.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the message includes the link and the link is a direct link to the item.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the message includes the link and the link is a link to a server that has access to the item.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, in response to a user activating the link, the server receives a first message and responds to the first message by transmitting a second message to the device that transmitted the first message, wherein the second message prompts the user of the device to enter an access code.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second message is a web page.

19. A media content delivery method, comprising:

receiving at a user device a set of identifiers transmitted from a media-on-demand system, each identifier identifying a different media content item;

enabling the user to select one of the media content items;

in response to the user selecting one of the media content items, transmitting from the user device to the media-on-demand system an identifier identifying the selected media content item;

after transmitting the identifier to the media-on-demand system, receiving from the media-on-demand system the selected media content item and meta-data associated with the selected media content item, wherein the user device upon receiving the media content item plays the media content item for the user, and wherein the meta-data indicates that the media content item, or a version thereof, may be acquired by the user;

storing the media content item and meta-data received from the media-on-demand system in a storage device contained within or directly connected to the user device;

retrieving from the storage device the stored media content item and meta-data in response to a command from a user;

playing the retrieved media content item for the user of the user device;

while playing the retrieved media content item, receiving at the user device an indication from the user that the user desires to acquire the item or a version thereof; and

in response to receiving the indication, transmitting a message to a fulfillment system, wherein

the message includes a device identifier associated with the user device and/or a user identifier associated with a user of said device, and

in response to receiving the message transmitted to the fulfillment system, the fulfillment system uses the device and/or user identifier to determine a delivery address associated with the device and/or user identifier and delivers the media content item, or a version thereof, to the delivery address.

20. The method of 19, further comprising displaying on a display of the user device an indication that the media content item, or a version thereof, is available to be acquired.

21. The method of 19, wherein the step of delivering the item to the delivery address comprises transmitting the item to the delivery address.

22. The method of 19, wherein the step of delivering the item to the delivery address comprises transmitting to the delivery address an message that includes the item and/or a link to the item.

23. The method of 22, wherein the message is an e-mail message or a text message.

24. A media content delivery method, comprising:

transmitting media content simultaneously to a plurality of remote devices;

while transmitting the media content to the plurality of remote devices, receiving from one of the plurality of remote device a message, wherein the message includes a device identifier associated with said one of the plurality of remote devices and/or a user identifier associated with a user of said device; and

upon receiving the message, (a) using the device and/or user identifier to retrieve a delivery address from a database; and

(b) transmitting to the delivery address an item corresponding to the transmitted media content, wherein

the delivery address is a virtual address of a mobile telephone,

the media content comprises music,

and the item corresponding to the media content is a digital file containing audio and/or video data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the digital file is an audio file that contains a ringtone version of the music.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein digital file is a video file containing a music video corresponding to the media content.

27. A media content delivery method, comprising:

transmitting media content to a remote device, wherein an item is associated with the media content;

storing a plurality of media files corresponding to the transmitted media content, wherein each of said media files stores a different version of the item;

while transmitting the media content to the remote device, receiving from the remote device a message, wherein the message includes a device identifier associated with said remote device and/or a user identifier associated with a user of said device; and

upon receiving the message, (a) using the device and/or user identifier to retrieve from a database information associated with the identifier, wherein the information includes a delivery address;

(b) selecting from among the plurality of media files a single one of the media files, wherein the selection is based on information in the message and/or at least some of the retrieved information, and (c) transmitting to the delivery address the selected media file and/or a link to the selected media file.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the message further includes a format identifier and the step of selecting one of the media files comprises selecting from the plurality of media files a media file that contains a version of the item that matches the format identified by the format identifier.