SYSTEM SHARING CONTENT

• US 20080155634A1
• Filed: 03/10/2008
• Published: 06/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: MusicGremlin, Inc. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Price, Harold E., Axelrod, Jonathan N., Khedouri, Robert K.
• Application Number:
  US12/045,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20080155634A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/118
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/64 Browsing; Visualisation therefor generation of a list or set of audio data G06F16/638
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/686 using information manually generated, e.g. tags, keywords, comments, title or artist information, time, location or usage information, user ratings
• 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 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system and method for selecting, requesting, downloading, and playing audio and/or video data content files from an Internet-based database server. The wireless link is preferably implemented in accordance with the WiFi protocol, which allows connectivity to the Internet by being in proximity with a local base station or WiFi hotspot (i.e., publicly available local wireless access hub connected to the Internet). The portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system preferably include a security means for monitoring and blocking unauthorized use of the player apparatus and system. The player apparatus further preferably has the capability to communicate with other neighboring player apparatus for the purpose of exchanging content data files, playlists and personal messages.

Claims

1. A system for storing and distributing digital media in a networked environment, the system comprising:

a content source storing content connected to a communications interface;

a user-operated device including a communications subsystem for determining when a network connectivity is available and for establishing a connection to the content source when possible;

an authentication system in communication with the content source;

a content selector operated by the user to make a selection from said content;

wherein said content source provides access to selected content by said user-operated device if said user-operated device is authenticated by said authentication system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said user-operated device connects to the content source without any input from the respective user.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said user-operated device includes a memory storing content lists descriptive of content available from the content source.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein said device selects content based on said content lists.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said device communicates with said content source wirelessly.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said content source is shared by several user-operated devices.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said content source is another user-operated device.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said content source generates a list indicative of its content.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said list is downloaded to the user-operated device.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said list is downloaded at regular intervals.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said list is downloaded after it has been updated.

12. A method of registering a user of a portable wireless device to a service, the method comprising:

obtaining payment information from the user via the user interface of the device;

securely storing said information on the device;

securely transmitting said information to the service after a network connection is detected; and

processing the registration and sending back a verification or error message to the device.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the user obtains a verification code prior to registration via a telephone, in person, or via the Internet, and enters such verification code on the device in the obtaining step.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the user makes a purchase from the service and is charged.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the user'"'"'s credit card is charged by the service via an Internet gateway.

16. A method of distributing media content from a server to a media player device comprising:

providing a media content device which includes a wireless communications subsystem using a protocol selected from broadband wireless protocols;

providing a catalog of content available from a remote server in said media content device;

receiving a list of desired content from a user based on said catalog; and

downloading the selected media content.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising exchanging content with a second media player based on said catalog.

18. The method of claim 16 further providing transmitting e-mail messages between said media player device and said server.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said messages include at least one of a billing message, a message with new TOS information, and new content information.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein said message appears in a pop-up for a user.