Activation of Digital Products on Mobile Electronic Device

• US 20090187491A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Wood, Policarpo, Bull, William E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,390,440 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus for distribution of digital products to portable electronic devices are disclosed. Digital products, such as digital assets or digital gifts, can be a purchased from a centralized location and associated with particular ones of the portable electronic devices. In one embodiment, the digital product is a digital asset (e.g., digital media asset) that is pre-stored to a portable electronic device, and after the digital asset is purchased, the digital asset can be activated on the portable electronic device. In another embodiment, the digital product is a digital gift that can be associated with a portable electronic device or a user account for a user of the portable electronic device. Optionally, a personalized message can be provided and associated with a portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for activating digital assets pre-stored on a portable electronic device, said method comprising:

receiving an indication of one or more digital assets pre-stored on a portable electronic device that are to be purchased;

processing purchase of the portable electronic device and the one or more pre-stored digital assets; and

initiating transmission of activation information for the one or more pre-stored digital assets to a remote activation manager.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the activation information comprises a device identifier for the portable electronic device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the activation information comprises asset identifiers for the one or more pre-stored digital assets.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the activation information comprises a device identifier for the portable electronic device and asset identifiers for the one or more pre-stored digital assets.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method is performed by an online store from which the portable electronic device and the one or more pre-stored digital assets are being purchased.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method is performed at a retail location offering the portable electronic device and the one or more pre-stored digital assets for purchase.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the pre-stored digital assets being purchased are digital media assets that can be presented by the portable electronic device after being purchased.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a personalization message for the portable electronic device; and

delivering the personalization message to the portable electronic device after said processing of the purchase of the portable electronic device.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the personalization message being received was formed by entering text and/or by recording an audio and/or video message.

10. A digital asset purchase and activation system for portable electronic devices, comprising:

a store configured to operatively connect to a network, said store offering for purchase (i) portable electronic devices having one or more pre-stored digital assets stored thereon, and/or (ii) the one or more pre-stored digital assets stored on the portable electronic devices; and

an activation manager configured to operatively connect to the network, said activation manager operates to manage activation of certain pre-stored digital assets that have been purchased.

11. A digital asset purchase and activation system as recited in claim 10, wherein said store is configured to (i) receive an indication of one or more digital assets pre-stored on a portable electronic device that are to be purchased, (ii) process purchase of the portable electronic device and the one or more pre-stored digital assets;

and (iii) initiate transmission of activation information to a remote activation manager.

12. A digital asset purchase and activation system as recited in claim 10, wherein said store is an online store.

13. A digital asset purchase and activation system as recited in claim 10, wherein said store is a retail store.

14. A method for activating a digital asset pre-stored on a portable electronic device, said method:

retrieving a device identifier from the portable electronic device;

sending the device identifier to a remote activation manager;

determining whether an activation code is received from the remote activation manager in response to said sending of the device identifier to the remote activation manager; and

activating one or more digital assets that are pre-stored on the portable electronic device in accordance with the activation code.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more digital assets comprise one or more digital media assets.

16. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein said method is performed by a host computer, and wherein said retrieving is performed while the portable electronic device is connected with the host computer.

17. A method for activating a digital gift associated with a portable electronic device, said method comprising:

receiving an indication of a digital gift to be associated with a portable electronic device that is to be purchased;

processing purchase of the portable electronic device and the digital gift; and

initiating transmission of activation information for the digital gift to an activation manager.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the activation manager is a remote activation server.

19. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the activation information associates the digital gift to a device identifier for the portable electronic device that has been purchased.

20. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the digital gift permits purchase of digital assets that are for use on the portable electronic device.

21. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the digital gift is used as credit with respect to a user account associated with a recipient of the portable electronic device.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the user account corresponds to an online media store, and wherein the credit is store credit for the online media store having a plurality of digital media assets available for online purchase.

23. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein said method further comprises:

receiving a personalization message for the portable electronic device; and

delivering the personalization message to the portable electronic device after said processing of the purchase of the portable electronic device.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the personalization message being received was formed by entering text and/or by recording an audio and/or video message.

25. A computer readable medium including at least executable computer program code tangibly stored thereon for activating a digital product associated with a portable electronic device, comprising:

computer program code for receiving an indication of a digital product to be associated with a portable electronic device that is to be purchased;

computer program code for processing purchase of the portable electronic device and the digital product; and

computer program code for initiating transmission of activation information for the digital product to an activation manager.

26. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the digital product is a digital asset pre-stored on the portable electronic device, or is a digital gift for the portable electronic device.

27. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for receiving a personalization message for the portable electronic device; and

computer program code for delivering the personalization message to the portable electronic device after said processing of the purchase of the portable electronic device.

28. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 25, wherein the digital product is a digital asset pre-stored on the portable electronic device,

wherein said computer readable medium further comprises:

computer program code for retrieving a device identifier from the portable electronic device;

computer program code for sending the device identifier to a remote activation manager;

computer program code for determining whether an activation code is received from the remote activation manager in response to said sending of the device identifier to the remote activation manager; and

computer program code for activating the digital asset that is pre-stored on the portable electronic device in accordance with the activation code.