Content Preview

• US 20080255994A1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Oney, Adrian J., Strom, Clifford P., Grigorovitch, Alexandre V., Schnell, Patrik, Beaubien, Mark L., Randhawa, Satvir, Paka, Anand, Dubhashi, Kedamath A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,805,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06C 3/00 Arrangements for table look-up, e.g. menstruation table
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Techniques enable creation of a preview license for digital content. In some instances, the preview license indicates that it allows a content-consuming device to consume less than all of the content. This preview license may create a list specifying multiple portions of the digital content that the content-consuming device may consume. These techniques may also present to a device user an offer to purchase rights to consume all of the digital content after consumption of the preview-licensed portion(s). In other instances, a content server may embed the preview license into a content package that contains the digital content, allowing the server to distribute the package to multiple devices. In still other instances, the preview license may be bound to a domain rather than to individual devices. This allows member devices to share the digital content and the preview license, such that each member device may enjoy the preview experience.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a content-consuming device, digital content and a preview license associated with the digital content, the preview license delineating which one or more portions of the digital content a content-consuming device is allowed to consume, the one or more portions defining less than all of the digital content; and

consuming, at the content-consuming device, the one or more portions of the digital content delineated by the preview license.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising receiving, after the consuming of the one or more portions, an offer to purchase additional rights associated with the digital content, such that the content-consuming device is allowed to consume one or more additional portions of the digital content.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the preview license is bound to a domain capable of having multiple member devices, such that each member device of the domain is allowed consume the one or more portions of the digital content, and wherein the content-consuming device is a member device of the domain.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising providing the digital content and the preview license to another member device of the domain, such that the another member device is allowed to consume the one or more portions of the digital content delineated by the preview license without receiving an additional license.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the preview license is embedded within a package that includes the digital content such that the content-consuming device simultaneously receives the digital content and the preview license.

6. A method comprising:

establishing a package that contains digital content and a preview license associated with the digital content, the preview license specifying a list of multiple non-contiguous segments of the digital content that a content-consuming device is allowed to consume, the multiple non-contiguous segments defining less than all of the digital content; and

providing the package that contains the digital content and the preview license to the content-consuming device to allow the content-consuming device to consume the list of multiple non-contiguous segments of the digital content in accordance with the preview license.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the preview license also specifies an order in which the content-consuming device is to consume the list of multiple non-contiguous segments of the digital content.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the preview license also specifies restrictions on how the content-consuming device is to consume the list of multiple non-contiguous segments of the digital content, the specified restrictions comprising a play count that limits a number of times that the content-consuming device is allowed to consume the digital content or a time period that limits a length of time during which the content-consuming device is allowed to consume the digital content.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the digital content comprises a mobile-phone ring tone.

10. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the digital content comprises an audio clip, a video clip, or a portion of a game.

11. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising offering, for purchase, an upsell to the content-consuming device, the upsell allowing the content-consuming device to consume all or substantially all of the digital content.

12. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the preview license is designated as allowing the content-consuming device to consume less than all of the digital content, such that, upon receiving the preview license, the content-consuming device recognizes that the preview license does not allow the content-consuming device to consume all of the digital content.

13. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the license is bound to a domain capable of having multiple member devices, and further comprising providing the package that contains the digital content and the preview license to substantially all member devices of the domain, such that each of the substantially all member devices of the domain is allowed to consume the list of multiple non-contiguous segments of the digital content in accordance with the preview license.

14. A method comprising

establishing a domain capable of having multiple member devices;

receiving, at a first member device of the domain, digital content and a preview license associated with the digital content, the preview license being bound to the domain and indicating either;

(1) that member devices of the domain are allowed to consume some but not all of the digital content, or (2) that member devices of the domain are allowed to consume some or all of the digital content for a limited amount of time or for a limited number of plays; and

providing the digital content and the preview license to a second member device of the domain such that the second member device is allowed consume, with use of the preview license, either;

(1) the some but not all of the digital content, or (2) the some or all of the digital content for a limited amount of time or for a limited number of plays.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the domain comprises substantially all portable media players of a certain make and model or substantially all mobile phones serviced by a certain service provider.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the digital content is a movie, the preview license indicates that member devices are allowed to consume the some but not all of the digital content and the some but not all of the digital content comprises multiple non-contiguous segments of the digital content that define a preview of the movie, such that member devices of the domain are allowed to consume the preview of the movie with use of the preview license.

17. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the domain comprises substantially all of a service provider'"'"'s registered clients.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the service provider is an online music provider, the digital content is a song, the preview license indicates that member devices are allowed to consume the some but not all of the digital content, and the some but not all of the digital content comprises a beginning portion of the song, such that member devices of the domain are allowed to consume the beginning portion of the song with use of the preview license.

19. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the preview license that is bound to the domain allows the second member device to consume either:

(1) the some but not all of the digital content, or (2) the some or all of the digital content for a limited amount of time or for a limited number of plays without receiving an additional license.

20. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the first member device has a domain private key that is specific to the domain, the digital content is encrypted with a content key, and the preview license contains the content key encrypted by a domain public key that is specific to the domain, and further comprising:

accessing, at the first member device, the content key contained in the license by decrypting the content key with the domain private key; and

accessing, at the first member device, some or all of the digital content by decrypting the some or all of the digital content with the content key; and

consuming, by the first member device, either (1) the some but not all of the digital content, or (2) the some or all of the digital content for a limited amount of time or for a limited number of plays.