APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECEIVING AND REPRODUCING MULTIMEDIA ENTERTAINMENT CONTENT

• US 20080082688A1
• Filed: 09/28/2006
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Subramanya, S. R., Yi, Byung K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

An apparatus and method for providing a ubiquitous entertainment environment for a user to browse, search, preview, purchase, and use multimedia content easily and in a convenient location. The user can use the selected multimedia contents by connecting a portable storage unit to at least one of a plurality of multimedia equipment devices interfaced with the portable storage unit.

Claims

1. A portable storage device for input, output, use, and management of multimedia content, comprising:

a portable storage unit adapted to download a user'"'"'s selected multimedia content in at least one multimedia format;

at least one interface for inputting and outputting the selected multimedia content to and from the portable storage unit;

a display in communication with a control key pad for facilitating the control and navigation of content on the portable storage unit;

a processing unit for uploading the selected multimedia content from the portable storage unit to at least one of a plurality of multimedia equipment devices; and

a Transcoder unit for decoding/encoding and converting the user'"'"'s selected multimedia content between a first multimedia format and the format of the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices.

2. The portable storage device of claim 1, wherein the selected multimedia content is downloaded from at least one of a plurality of content sources.

3. The portable storage device of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the plurality of content sources is selected from a local content server, a networked content server connected to the Internet, a PC, a laptop, a digital broadcast content, and a digital video recorder (DVR).

4. The portable storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit for uploading the selected multimedia content comprises at least one interface adapted to connect to the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices.

5. The portable storage device of claim 4, wherein the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices is selected from a DVR, a laptop, a PDA, a mobile communication terminal, a digital television, a personal screen in an air planet and a car audio system.

6. The portable storage device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit for uploading the selected multimedia content comprises a multimedia content distributor adapted to interface with the portable storage unit, wherein a selector switch selects at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices to receive the selected multimedia content.

7. The portable storage device of claim 1, wherein the at least one interface for inputting and outputting the selected multimedia content to and from the portable storage unit is at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Bluetooth interface, a Firewire (IEEE1394) interface, WiMax interface, ultra-wideband (UWB) interface and a WiFi interface.

8. The portable storage device of claim 1, wherein the selected multimedia content enables a digital rights management system for generating a usage license, and an error-correction code adapted to protect the legitimate use of the uploaded multimedia content.

9. The portable storage device of claim 1, wherein the at least one multimedia format is one of MP3, WMA (windows media audio), CD-DA (compact disk-digital audio), AAC (advanced audio coding), real audio, MPEG, AVI (audio visual interactive), and real video.

10. An apparatus for browsing, searching, previewing, and purchasing multimedia content according to a user'"'"'s interest, comprising:

a multimedia facility adapted for providing at least one service of searching, browsing, previewing, and purchasing a source of multimedia content;

a content server having a directory of content, adapted for providing the at least one service of searching, browsing, previewing, and purchasing the source of multimedia content;

at least one user station terminal for facilitating user interaction for performing the at least one service of searching, browsing, previewing, and purchasing the source of multimedia content; and

a processing unit for receiving and using a purchased multimedia content.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processing unit for receiving and using the purchased multimedia content comprises a multimedia storage system adapted for the input, output, use, and management of the multimedia content.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the multimedia storage system comprises:

a portable storage unit adapted to download a user'"'"'s purchased multimedia content in at least one multimedia format;

at least one interface for inputting and outputting the purchased multimedia content to and from the portable storage unit;

a display in communication with a control key pad for facilitating the control and navigation of the portable storage unit;

an output device for uploading the purchased multimedia content from the portable storage unit to at least one of a plurality of multimedia equipment devices; and

a Transcoder unit for decoding/encoding and converting the user'"'"'s selected multimedia content between a first multimedia format and the format of the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the purchased multimedia content is downloaded from at least one of a plurality of content sources.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one of the plurality of content sources is selected from a local content server, a networked content server connected to the Internet, a PC, a laptop, a digital broadcast content, and a digital video recorder (DVR).

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the output device for uploading the purchased multimedia content comprises at least one interface adapted to connect to the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices is selected from a DVR, a laptop, a PDA, a mobile communication terminal, a digital television, a personal screen in an airplane, and a car audio system.

17. The portable storage device of claim 12, wherein the output device for uploading the purchased multimedia content comprises a multimedia content distributor adapted to interface with the portable storage unit, wherein a selector switch selects at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices to receive the purchased multimedia content.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one interface for inputting and outputting the purchased multimedia content to and from the portable storage unit is at least one of a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a Bluetooth interface, a Firewire (IEEE1394) interface, WiMax interface, ultra-wideband (UWB) interface, and a WiFi interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one multimedia format is one of MP3, WMA (windows media audio), CD-DA (compact disk-digital audio), AAC (advanced audio coding), real audio, MPEG, AVI (audio visual interactive), and real video.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a digital rights management system for generating a usage license to use the purchased multimedia content.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the digital rights management system comprise an error-correction code adapted to protect the legitimate use of the selected multimedia content.

22. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the content server is coupled to a distribution network of at least one external content server for sharing multimedia content between the content server and the at least one external content server.

23. A method for providing a user with input, output, use, and management of multimedia content, comprising the steps of:

requesting at least one service of browsing, searching, and previewing a source of multimedia content from a local content server;

selecting a desired multimedia content using the at least one service of browsing, searching, and previewing the source of multimedia content;

locating the selected multimedia content;

purchasing the selected multimedia content;

downloading the purchased multimedia content to a portable storage device;

decoding/encoding and converting the purchased multimedia content between a first multimedia format and the format of at least one of a plurality of multimedia equipment devices; and

processing the downloaded multimedia content on the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the requested at least one service of browsing, searching, and previewing the source of multimedia content is performed at a content server.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein when the selected multimedia content is not located on the content server a networked external content server performs the requested service and shares the requested multimedia content with the local content server.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising generating a license for usage of the purchased multimedia content.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the generated license contains the rights objects specifying the conditions for usage of the purchased multimedia content.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the purchased multimedia content is processed on at least one of the multimedia equipment devices selected from a DVR, a laptop, a PDA, a mobile communication terminal, a digital television, a personal screen in an airplane, and a car audio system.

29. A method for providing a user with input, output, use, and management of multimedia content, comprising the steps of:

requesting at least one service of browsing, searching, and previewing a source of multimedia content from a local content server;

selecting a desired multimedia content using the at least one service of browsing, searching, and previewing the source of multimedia content;

locating the selected multimedia content;

purchasing the selected multimedia content;

generating a digital rights management license to use the purchased multimedia content;

downloading the purchased multimedia content to a portable storage device; and

converting the downloaded multimedia content between a first multimedia format and the format of at least one multimedia equipment device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the requested at least one service of browsing, searching, and previewing the source of multimedia content is performed at a content server.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein when the selected multimedia content is not located on the content server a networked external content server performs the requested service and shares the requested multimedia content with the local content server.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein protects the legitimate use of the further comprising embedding an error-correction code in the purchased multimedia content for protecting the legitimate usage of the content.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the purchased multimedia content is converted on at least one of the multimedia equipment devices selected from a DVR, a laptop, a PDA, a mobile communication terminal, a digital television, a personal screen in an airplane, and a car audio system.

34. An apparatus for browsing, searching, previewing, purchasing, and using multimedia content according to a user'"'"'s interest, comprising:

a computing device adapted for providing at least one service of searching, browsing, previewing, and purchasing a source of multimedia content;

a networked content server having a directory of multimedia content;

a portable storage unit adapted to download a user'"'"'s purchased multimedia content in at least one multimedia format;

at least one interface for inputting and outputting the purchased multimedia content to and from the portable storage unit;

a display in communication with a control key pad for facilitating the control and navigation of the portable storage unit;

an output device for uploading the purchased multimedia content from the portable storage unit to at least one of a plurality of multimedia equipment devices; and

a Transcoder unit for decoding/encoding and converting the user'"'"'s purchased multimedia content between a first multimedia format and the format of the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices.

37. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising a digital rights management system for generating a usage license to use the purchased multimedia content.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the digital rights management system comprises an error-correction code adapted to protect the legitimate use of the selected multimedia content.

35. The apparatus of claim 341 wherein the output device for uploading the purchased multimedia content comprises at least one interface adapted to connect to the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the at least one of the plurality of multimedia equipment devices is selected from a DVR, a laptop, a PDA, a mobile communication terminal, a digital television, a personal screen in an airplane, and a car audio system.