Mobile multimedia services ecosystem

• US 20070010195A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ryan, James, Brown, Gregg, Lefar, Marc, Hyatt, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,543,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.60
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones

Abstract

Architecture for accessing and purchasing multimedia services in a mobile terminal cellular environment. The architecture brings together the on-the-fly discovery of music and connectivity for the purchase or preview of multimedia services (e.g., music tracks). Provided is a music client on a cell phone or other mobile communications device that facilitates the discovery, storage, and play of multimedia content or portions thereof such as music. A user can listen to music transmitted to the mobile terminal device (e.g., cell phone) via broadcast, satellite radio, streaming internet radio, etc., review the music, and buy tracks or whole albums over-the-air via the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates access to media services, comprising:

a communications component that facilitates communications with a cellular network and reception of content; and

a client component that facilitates a discovery process, play and storage of the content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content is music content.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein music content includes music metadata that is discovered during the discovery process.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the discovery process includes receiving the content from a content source, analyzing the content, and outputting content data in a format that is compared against a database of similar content.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the discovery process facilitates return of at least one of an artist name and title of the content.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the client component facilitates purchase of the content over the cellular network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the client component facilitates tagging of the content for purchase while a user perceives the content.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the client component facilitates tagging of the content for download and review while a user perceives the content.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the client component facilitates tagging of the content for download to a remote system while a user perceives the content.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the content is music content that is received via at least one of a broadcast radio network, a digital satellite radio network, and an IP network radio service.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a machine learning and reasoning component that employs a probabilistic and/or statistical-based analysis to prognose or infer an action that a user desires to be automatically performed.

12. A computer that employs the system of claim 1.

13. A mobile handset that employs the system of claim 1.

14. A system that facilitates access to media services, comprising:

a player component that receives and plays music content from a music source;

a discovery component that discovers an attribute of the music content; and

a storage component that facilitates storage of the music content.

15. A cell phone that employs the components of claim 14.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the music source is one of a broadcast radio station, a satellite radio network, and a streaming radio source.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the player component allows a user to tag the music content for one of review and purchase.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the tagged music content is transmitted to at least one of a mobile handset and a computer.

19. The system of claim 14, further comprising a synchronization component that facilitates synchronization of music content between a mobile handset and a computing device.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the discovery component receives music signals output from a speaker, and analyzes the music signals to generate the attribute.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the attribute is utilized to determine metadata associated with the music signals to identify at least one of a title and an artist name of the music content.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the attribute facilitates access to an item related to the music content.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the item is one of a ringtone, a ringback, wallpaper, and a service.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the attribute facilitates access to a network location where a user can perceive items for at least one of review and purchase.

25. A mobile handset, comprising:

a communications component that facilitates communications with a cellular network and reception of content;

a player component that receives and plays content from a content source;

a discovery component that discovers an attribute of the content; and

a storage component that facilitates storage of the content.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the communications component facilitates communication of the content to a remote handset as an attachment to a message.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the communications component facilitates communication of the content to a remote handset via an SMS message.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the communications component facilitates communication of the content to a remote handset via an MMS message.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the communications component facilitates communication of the content to a remote handset during a voice call and while the content is being played by the player component.

30. The system of claim 25, further comprising a synchronization component that facilitates synchronization of content between the mobile handset and at least one of a second mobile handset, a portable computer and a portable music player.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein synchronization is performed by at least one of exchange of a memory card, wireless communications, and a tethered communications.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the discovery component facilitates tagging and downloading of an encoded preview version of the content, and the player component plays the preview version for perception by a subscriber.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the subscriber initiates purchase of the content, after which a key is received that unlocks the preview version into a full version for full access by the subscriber.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the content is music content that is received from at least one of a broadcast radio network, a satellite radio system, and an Internet-based music streaming system.

35. A method of providing content, comprising:

receiving content via a cellular network from a content source;

playing the content for perception by a subscriber;

tagging the content for review;

downloading the tagged content for storage; and

reviewing the content.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising an act of presenting metadata associated with the content to the subscriber via a display.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising an act of maintaining the tagged content at the content source for download by another entity associated with the subscriber.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising an act of aging out the tagged content after a predetermined period of time such that the tagged content is no longer accessible from the content source.

39. The method of claim 35, wherein the act of downloading is performed to a mobile handset.

40. The method of claim 35, further comprising an act of unlocking the tagged content after purchased thereof.

41. The method of claim 35, further comprising an act of transmitting the tagged content to a remote system of another subscriber.

42. The method of claim 35, further comprising an act of initiating purchase of the content via a mobile handset.

43. The method of claim 35, further comprising an act of transmitting the tagged content to another device via a peer-to-peer arrangement.

44. A method of providing content, comprising:

receiving music signals from a content source into a mobile handset via a cellular network;

playing the music signals for perception by a subscriber;

tagging for review a music track associated with the music signals;

downloading the tagged music track for storage; and

reviewing a portion of the music track.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising an act of selecting a plurality of music tracks for download.

46. The method of claim 44, further comprising an act of selecting at least one of a ringtone, a ringback, wallpaper, and a service for download.

47. The method of claim 44, further comprising an act of downloading at least one of an image and a video clip associated with the music track.

48. A system that facilitates content management, comprising:

means for receiving radio signals from a radio service into a mobile communications device via a cellular network;

means for playing the radio signals for perception by a user;

means for tagging the radio signals for review;

means for downloading the tagged radio signals;

means for reviewing a portion of the tagged radio signals; and

means for initiating purchase of the tagged radio signals via the mobile communications device.

49. The system of claim 48, further comprising means for recording the received radio signals.

50. The system of claim 48, further comprising means for presenting metadata associated with the radio signals via the mobile communication device, the metadata facilitates the means for tagging by presenting music track data associated with the radio signals such that one or more of the tracks can be selected by the user.