Methods and Systems Employing Digital Content

• US 20070250195A1
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Rhoads, Geoffrey, Levy, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/683 using metadata automatically derived from the content
• 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: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/10 Usage protection of distributed data files
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/16 Copy protection or prevention
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• 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 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A portable device for use with audio or visual content (e.g., an MP3 player-like device, or a camera-enabled device) is equipped with one or more features/capabilities, including: a user interface through which a consumer can instruct that content be delivered to a different consumer'"'"'s device, the ability to derive identifiers from content and take action(s) based thereon, the ability to count playbacks of content; and/or the ability to interact with remote web services. A variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.

Claims

1. A portable personal digital device capable of playing audio for an individual'"'"'s enjoyment, the device including an interface for receiving audio content data, a data storage medium for storing said received audio content data, a processor adapted to play said audio content data, and a counter for tracking a number of plays of said received audio content.

2. The device of claim 1, adapted to derive a content identifier from data representing human-perceptible attributes of said audio, and take action based thereon.

3. A method of user interaction with audio or visual content, comprising:

(a) at a user device, rendering audio or visual content for a user;

(b) deriving a content identifier from data representing human-perceptible attributes of said audio or visual content;

(c) identifying a remote computer resource by reference to said obtained identifier;

(d) communicating with said remote computer resource; and

(e) logging said communication at said remote computer resource, so that information regarding said content can be compiled.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the item of content is provided to the user device in freely accessible form, and the method includes—

as a consequence of said communicating—

providing additional content for the user'"'"'s enjoyment.

5. The method of claim 4 in which said additional content comprises a higher fidelity version of said content.

6. The method of claim 3 in which the method includes—

as a consequence of said communicating—

providing an audio soundtrack in a language different than a soundtrack provided with said content.

7. The method of claim 3 that includes deriving the content identifier by a digital watermark decoding operation.

8. The method of claim 3 that includes deriving the content identifier by a fingerprint calculation.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the content identifier comprises an object identifier by which both the content, and a distributor thereof, can be identified.

10. The method of claim 9 that includes employing said remote computer resource in connection with a purchase transaction, and sharing with said distributor a part of proceeds from said purchase transaction.

11. A method practiced using a portable consumer electronic device that is capable of playing music, comprising the acts:

receiving input from a consumer identifying a song;

querying the consumer as to an intended recipient for the song, by presenting to the consumer a scrollable list of recipient information on a screen of said device;

receiving input from the consumer identifying a recipient from said scrollable list; and

sending data from the device as a consequence of the foregoing.

12. The method of claim 11 that includes consulting a data storage medium of said device to obtain an address corresponding to the recipient identified from the scrollable list.

13. The method of claim 11 that includes consulting a data storage medium of said device to obtain an IP address corresponding to the recipient identified from the scrollable list.