METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING A MULTIMEDIA FILE TO A PUBLIC KIOSK ACROSS A NETWORK

• US 20080250120A1
• Filed: 02/22/2008
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clear Gospel Campaign
• Original Assignee: Clear Gospel Campaign
• Inventors: Grundy, Kevin P., Fjelstad, Joseph C., Shea, Ronald R., Mick, Colin Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US12/036,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20080250120A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/743 a collection of video files or sequences
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/78 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1078 Logging; Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49109 outside the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• 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 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23473 by pre-encrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42692 for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 : involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/913 : Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/914 : Video
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/949 : Inventory

Abstract

A video network includes public kiosks having digital storage capacity. Centralized inventory control manages the video files stored at individual kiosks or network LANs. A user requests a multimedia file for download, and selects various ancillary files and control features, such as languages, subtitles, control of nudity, etc. The requested file is encrypted according to an encryption key, watermarked, and downloaded from a high-speed port of a public kiosk to a hand-held proprietary high speed memory device of a user. Payment is received at the time of request or at the time of download, and royalties are distributed by the video network to copyright holders. Computer applications or playback devices allow users to store and/or play video files that have been downloaded to a hand-held device while managing and enforcing digital rights of content providers through the watermarking and/or encryption.

Claims

1. A network for distributing video files, the network comprising:

a plurality of file servers including first and second file servers separated by at least one kilometer, the first and second file servers comprising a digital storage capacity for storing at least fifty high density DVDs of feature-length movies; and

,

a plurality of publicly accessible distribution kiosks, each distribution kiosk being configured to download digital video data to high speed memory devices; and

,

including first and second distribution kiosks separated by at least one kilometer.

2. The network according to claim 1, wherein the first distribution kiosk comprises:

a) a user input for inputting data into the first distribution kiosk;

b) a visual output display for displaying data, including data related to a title of a video file;

c) an output port configured to couple with a portable digital high speed memory device; and

d) a high speed signaling system configured to download a digital video file to the portable digital high speed memory device.

3. The network according to claim 1 further comprising a central server configured to direct, at least in part, a video data file transfer from the first file server to the second file server, and to initiate a command to erase a designated video data file from one of the first or second servers, wherein the central server comprises a central index listing the plurality of network servers including the first and second servers, a first plurality of video file identifiers representing video files stored in the first server, and a second plurality of video file identifiers representing video files stored in the second server, and wherein the central server is separated from the first and second file servers by at least one kilometer.

4. The network according to claim 1 wherein the high speed signaling system is configured to transfer data to a portable digital high speed memory device at a rate equal to or greater than 5 gigabytes per second.

5. The network according to claim 1 wherein the high speed signaling system is configured to transfer data to a portable digital high speed memory device at a rate equal to or greater than 10 gigabytes per second.

6. The network according to claim 1 wherein the high speed signaling system is configured to transfer data to a portable digital high speed memory device at a rate equal to or greater than 20 gigabytes per second.

7. The network according to claim 1 wherein the high speed signaling system includes stubless connectors.

8. The network according to claim 7 wherein the stubless connectors are selected from among a group of stubless connectors consisting of stairstep connectors, torsion connectors, and combinations thereof.

9. The network according to claim 1 wherein the high speed signaling system comprises a plurality of signal paths of the same length.

10. The network according to claim 9 wherein the plurality of signal paths of the same length include at least one differential pair.

11. The network according to claim 1 wherein the first network server is part of the first distribution kiosk and the second network server is part of the second distribution kiosk.

12. The network according to claim 11, further comprising a first plurality of feature-length films stored on the first server in digital format, and wherein the first distribution kiosk comprises a local index for indexing a plurality of identifiers corresponding to the first plurality of feature-length films.

13. A network of claim 12 wherein an identifier of a feature-length film includes data selected from among a group of data consisting of a title, an alphanumeric identifier, a date, one or more comparison terms for comparison to a search term, cache management data, one or more corruption values describing corruption of a data file, and combinations thereof.

14. The network according to claim 13 further comprising a second plurality of feature-length films stored on the second server in digital format, and wherein the second distribution kiosk comprises a local index for indexing a plurality of identifiers corresponding to the second plurality of feature-length films.

15. The network of claim 12 wherein the first network server further comprises a listing of pirated videos and one or more digital rights identifiers, wherein each pirated video has one or more a corresponding digital rights identifiers.

16. The network according to claim 1 wherein the first distribution kiosk is configured to download a digital video file to the portable digital high speed memory device in exchange for valuable consideration.

17. The network according to claim 16 wherein the first video kiosk includes a card reader configured to read credit cards.

18. The network according to claim 1 wherein the distribution kiosk comprises an island structure within a commercial shopping area.

19. The network according to claim 1 wherein the distribution kiosk is disposed, at least in part, within a wall a public or commercial structure.

20. The network according to claim 1 wherein the distribution kiosk is disposed, at least in part, against a wall a public or commercial structure.

21. The network according to claim 1 wherein a distribution kiosk further comprises a high-performance drive array, including serial and parallel transmission paths for accessing the high-performance drive array.