Systems and Methods for Enabling Users to Sample and Acquire Content

• US 20080249872A1
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trans World New York LLC (Kaspien Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trans World New York LLC (Kaspien Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dahlen, Eric, French, Robert, RUSSELL, Stephen A., Huber, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US12/055,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20080249872A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

A system for sampling content and presenting targeted marketing and advertising content, comprising: a sample/advertising server; a retail server receiving sample content from the sample server; media sample tablets for receiving sample content and targeted advertising content for display to a user; and means for collecting data from users.

Claims

1. A system for sampling digital media, comprising:

a content server for providing a master source of digital content;

a sample/ad server for providing a master source of digital content samples and for providing targeted marketing and advertising content which is contextual to the profile of the user;

a retail server for maintaining a local cache of content and samples of content, and for packaging content;

a license server for maintaining licenses, wherein the license server is operable to issue a new license to the retail server at the time of a sale of a piece of digital content and for issuing subsequent licenses for extending usage of said piece of digital content; and

a media tablet for providing a consumer interface for exploring the digital content of the system, and for playing content samples, the media tablet comprising;

(a) an interface for connection by a portable device for content transfer;

(b) means for accepting payment; and

(c) means for interacting with the retail server.

2. A method for sampling and selling digital content, comprising:

providing a media tablet that enables a user to select one or more samples of digital content using the media tablet;

receiving an indication that the user has connected a portable device to the media tablet;

while the portable device is connected to the media tablet, determining whether the portable device is compatible with at least one of a set of one or more digital rights management (DRM) schemes; and

while the portable device is connected to the media tablet, downloading digital content to the portable device using the media tablet, wherein the digital content includes a header that includes license information including the address of a license server.