Digital media content distribution

• US 20070005503A1
• Filed: 06/21/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Zatloukal, Peter, Engstrom, G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,713,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets

Abstract

A method for distributing digital media content, including the use of a digital performance right key that is unique for a media content and a subscriber of the digital media content distribution service, and apparatuses configured to practice the method or portions thereof, are described herein.

Claims

1. A method for a digital media content distribution service to distribute digital media content, the method comprising:

accepting a digital communication connection from a subscriber device of a subscriber of the digital media content distribution service, the subscriber device having a subscriber identification module with a subscriber identifier of the subscriber stored therein;

receiving from the subscriber device, a digital performance licensing request for a media content;

generating a digital performance right key for the media content for the subscriber, the digital performance right key being unique for the user and the media content; and

providing the digital performance right key to the subscriber device for storage in the subscriber identifier module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises issuing the subscriber identification module for installation into the subscriber device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating comprises generating the digital performance right key based at least in part on the subscriber identifier and an identifier of the media content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital performance right key is digital encoding format independent, entitling the subscriber to selectively consume the media content in a plurality of digital encoding formats, providing a plurality of fidelities.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the providing further comprises providing the media content in a first digital encoding format of relatively lower fidelity to the subscriber device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the media content comprises a song, and the first digital encoding format is MP3.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises

receiving from the subscriber device, a digital download request for the media content, the digital download request including the digital performance right key;

and

providing the media content in a first digital encoding format of relatively lower fidelity to the subscriber device.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising

receiving from the subscriber device, a digital streaming request for the media content, before or after the media content has been provided to the subscriber device in a first digital encoding format of relatively lower fidelity, the digital streaming request including the digital performance right key;

and

streaming the media content in a second digital encoding format to a media player, the second digital encoding format providing higher fidelity of the media content and involving a larger amount of digital data than the first digital encoding format.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the media player is disposed on a selected one of the subscriber device and an apparatus located proximally to the subscriber device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the media player is disposed on an apparatus located proximally to the subscriber device, and the method further comprises verifying the proximal disposition of the apparatus and the subscriber device.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising

receiving from the subscriber device, a digital streaming request for the media content, the digital streaming request including the digital performance right key;

and

streaming the media content in a digital encoding format to a media player.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the media player is disposed on the subscriber device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the media player is disposed on an apparatus located proximally to the subscriber device, and the digital streaming request further includes identification of the proximally located apparatus.

14. An apparatus comprising:

means for storing executable instructions designed to practice a selected one of the methods set forth in claims 1 through 13; and

means for executing the stored executable instructions.

15. A method for consuming digital media content comprising:

establishing a communication connection to a digital media content distribution service, using a subscriber device having a subscriber identifier module with a subscriber identifier of a subscriber of the digital media content service stored therein;

transmitting a digital performance licensing request for a media content to the digital media content distribution service;

receiving a digital performance right key for the media content from the digital media content distribution service, the digital performance right key being unique for the user and the media content; and

storing the digital performance right key in the subscriber identifier module.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the digital performance right key is further digital encoding format independent, entitling the subscriber to selectively consume the media content in any one of a plurality of digital encoding formats, providing a plurality of different fidelities.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiving further comprises receiving the media content in a first digital encoding format of relatively lower fidelity, and storing the received media content in the first digital encoding format in the subscriber identifier module.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the media content comprises a song, and the first digital encoded format is MP3.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises

transmitting a digital download request for the media content to the digital media content distribution service, the digital download request including the digital performance right key;

receiving the media content in a first digital encoding format of relatively lower fidelity; and

storing the media content in the first digital encoding format in the subscriber identifier module.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising

transmitting a digital streaming request for the media content to the digital media content distribution service, before or after having received the media content in a first digital encoding format of relatively lower fidelity, the digital streaming request including the digital performance right key;

receiving streaming of the media content in a second digital encoding format, the second digital encoding format providing higher fidelity of the media content and involving a larger amount of digital data than the first digital encoding format; and

performing a selected one of rendering the streamed media content, and forwarding the streamed media content to a proximally located apparatus to render.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising

transmitting a digital streaming request for the media content to the digital media content distribution service, before or after having received the media content in a first digital encoding format of relatively lower fidelity, the digital streaming request including the digital performance right key, and identification of a proximally located apparatus as recipient of the media content.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the identification of the proximally located apparatus includes location information of the proximally located apparatus, and the method further comprises establishing communication with the proximally located apparatus, and obtaining the location information from the proximally located apparatus.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the digital streaming request further includes identification of a second digital encoding format for the streaming of the media content, the second digital encoding format providing higher fidelity than the first digital encoding format, and the method further comprises establishing communication with the proximally located apparatus, and obtaining the second digital encoding format from the proximally located apparatus.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising

transmitting a digital streaming request for the media content to the digital media content distribution service, the digital streaming request including the digital performance right key;

receiving streaming of the media content in a digital encoding format; and

performing a selected one of rendering the streamed media content, and forwarding the streamed media content to a proximally located apparatus to render.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising

transmitting a digital streaming request for the media content to the digital media content distribution service, the digital streaming request including the digital performance right key, and identification of a proximally located apparatus as recipient of the media content.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the identification of the proximally located apparatus includes location information of the proximally located apparatus, and the method further comprises establishing communication with the proximally located apparatus, and obtaining the location information from the proximally located apparatus.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the digital streaming request further includes identification of a digital encoding format for the streaming of the media content, and the method further comprises establishing communication with the proximally located apparatus, and obtaining the digital encoding format from the proximally located apparatus.

28. An apparatus comprising:

means for storing executable instructions designed to practicing a selected one of the methods set forth in claims 15 through 27; and

means for executing the stored executable instructions.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the apparatus is a wireless mobile phone.

30. An apparatus comprising:

means for storing executable instructions designed to at least contribute to practicing a selected one of the methods set forth in claims 15 through 27; and

means to mate with another apparatus.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the other apparatus is a wireless mobile phone, and the apparatus is removable accessory cover.

32. A method for consuming digital media content comprising

receiving streaming of a media content from a digital media content distribution service, the media content being streamed in response to a streaming request from a proximally located subscriber device of a subscriber of the digital media content distribution service, the streaming request including a performance right key of the media content that is unique for the media content and the subscriber;

and

rendering the received media content.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said receiving comprises receiving the streamed media content through the proximally located subscriber device.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing the proximally located subscriber device with location information to be provided to the digital media content distribution service for use to stream the media content.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising providing the proximally located subscriber device with a digital encoding format to be provided to the digital media content distribution service for use to stream the media content.

36. An apparatus comprising:

means for storing executable instructions designed to practice a selected one of the methods set forth in claims 32 through 35; and

means for executing the stored executable instructions.