ELECTRONIC MOVIE TITLE HIRE METHOD, SYSTEM & DEVICE THEREFOR
First Claim
1. A method of renting one or more movie titles in an electronic format from a movie rental vendor, the method comprising:
- providing a vendor computer system;
registering, with said vendor computer system, a storage device operatively connected to the vendor computer system;
registering one or more authorized users with said vendor computer system;
downloading said selected one or more movie titles from said vendor computer system to said storage device in response to a selection by at least one of said authorized users of one or more movie titles from a plurality thereof available for rent by said vendor; and
receiving a monetary payment by said vendor for said downloaded movie title(s), the magnitude of said payment depending on one or more of the downloaded movie title(s), a length of time of rental for each downloaded title(s), and a number of permitted viewings of each downloaded title.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of a movie rental vendor hiring one or more movie titles in electronic format to a movie renter includes connecting a portable personal storage device to a vendor computer system, and registering the storage device and one or more associated authorized users with the vendor computer system and configuring the storage device to receive one or more movie titles in electronic format. At least one of the authorized users select one or more movie titles from a plurality thereof available for rent by the vendor and then they download the selected one or more movie titles from the vendor computer system to the storage device. The method further includes exchanging monetary payment from the renter to the vendor for the downloaded movie title(s), the magnitude of said payment depending on the downloaded movie title(s) and the length of time of rental for each downloaded title(s) and/or a number of permitted viewings of each downloaded title. The storage device may be connected to an input of television display device for viewing of the downloaded movie title(s) over a predetermined period or a predetermined number of viewings. The renter can the play the downloaded movie title(s) on the television display, and the storage device may be configured to store data unrelated to the downloaded movie title(s) and/or to provide functions in addition to receiving, storing and displaying downloaded movie title(s).
26 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of renting one or more movie titles in an electronic format from a movie rental vendor, the method comprising:
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providing a vendor computer system; registering, with said vendor computer system, a storage device operatively connected to the vendor computer system; registering one or more authorized users with said vendor computer system; downloading said selected one or more movie titles from said vendor computer system to said storage device in response to a selection by at least one of said authorized users of one or more movie titles from a plurality thereof available for rent by said vendor; and receiving a monetary payment by said vendor for said downloaded movie title(s), the magnitude of said payment depending on one or more of the downloaded movie title(s), a length of time of rental for each downloaded title(s), and a number of permitted viewings of each downloaded title. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for renting one or more movie titles in an electronic format from a movie rental vendor, the system comprising:
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a vendor computer system; means for registering said storage device and one or more associated authorized users with said vendor computer system and configuring a storage device to receive one or more movie titles in electronic format; means for selecting one or more movie titles from a plurality thereof available for rent by said vendor; means for downloading said selected one or more movie titles from said vendor computer system to said storage device; and means for receiving a monetary payment by said vendor for said downloaded movie title(s), the magnitude of said payment depending on one or more of the downloaded movie title(s), a length of time of rental for each downloaded title(s), and a number of permitted viewings of each downloaded title. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A method of renting information in an electronic format, the method comprising:
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providing a vendor computer system; registering a storage device operatively connected to the vendor computer system with said vendor computer system, said storage device being associated with one or more authorized users thereof, registering said one or more authorized users with said vendor computer system and configuring said connected storage device to receive information in the electronic format; at least one of said authorized users selecting one or more titles of information from a plurality thereof available for rent by said vendor; downloading, in response to a selection by said at least one of said one or more authorized users, a selected one or more titles from said vendor computer system to said connected storage device; and receiving a monetary payment by said vendor for said one or more downloaded titles, the magnitude of said payment depending on one or more of the downloaded titles, a length of time of rental for each of said one or more downloaded titles, and a number of permitted viewings of each of said one or more downloaded titles. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification