Device for controlling access to user-selectable content

• US 20090287349A1
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Digital Israel Limited (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk IL Ltd. (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Mardiks, Eitan
• Granted Patent: US 9,819,489 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/233
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

A device having user-selectable content includes a storage having the capacity to store pre-loaded content and a controller. The controller is operative to manage access to the pre-loaded content, by way of limiting the access to a user-selected portion of the pre-loaded content. The controller limits access subject to and performed according to an indication of an initial purchase transaction. Also provided is a controller that includes a processing unit and an interface to a memory. The processing unit is operative to manage access to pre-loaded content stored on the memory.

Claims

1. A device having user-selectable content, the device comprising:

a storage having the capacity to store pre-loaded content; and

a storage controller operative to manage access to the pre-loaded content, which access management includes limiting the access to a user-selected portion of the pre-loaded content and making such limited access subject to and performed according to an indication of an initial purchase transaction.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the indication of the initial purchase transaction includes an identification of the user-selected portion.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the pre-loaded content includes a plurality of user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content, and wherein the indication of the initial purchase transaction includes initial permission to use only one of the plurality of user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the pre-loaded content includes a plurality of user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content one of which being the user-selected portion, and wherein the access management includes expanding the access to another one or more of the plurality of user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content, the expandable access being subject to and performed according to a subsequent indication of one or more subsequent purchase transactions corresponding to such one or more user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content.

5. The device of claim 1, in which the access management by the storage controller further includes receiving an identification of the user-selected portion from a playing device interface that facilitates user selections.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the pre-loaded content is encrypted.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the access management by the storage controller further includes decrypting the encrypted pre-loaded content.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the pre-loaded content includes audio, video, still images, text, picture, computer program, or any combination thereof.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein information about the initial and any subsequent purchase transactions is conveyed to an external device.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the initial purchase transaction is based on predetermined criteria for size and type of the user selected portion, and wherein the access management by the storage controller further includes applying the predetermined criteria for delineating the user-selected portion of the pre-loaded content.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the storage has a configuration that complies with a memory card format, including a secured digital memory card format and a multimedia card format.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the storage is a flash memory.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the access management by the storage controller includes enabling a preview to the pre-loaded content and making such preview independent of and unrelated to the indication of the initial purchase.

14. A storage controller comprising:

an interface operative to reversibly connect the storage controller to a device, where the device has access to pre-loaded content; and

a processing unit coupled to the interface and operative to manage access to the pre-loaded content, which access management includes limiting the access to a user-selected portion of the pre-loaded content and making such limited access subject to and performed according to an indication of an initial purchase transaction.

15. The storage controller of claim 14, wherein the indication of the initial purchase transaction includes an identification of the user-selected portion.

16. The storage controller of claim 14, wherein the pre-loaded content includes a plurality of user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content, and wherein the indication of the initial purchase transaction includes initial permission to use only one of the plurality of user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content.

17. The storage controller of claim 14, wherein the pre-loaded content includes a plurality of user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content one of which being the user-selected portion, and wherein the access management includes expanding the access to another one or more of the plurality of user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content, the expandable access being subject to and performed according to a subsequent indication of one or more subsequent purchase transactions corresponding to such one or more user-selectable portions of the pre-loaded content.

18. The storage controller of claim 14, in which the access management by the storage controller further includes receiving an identification of the user-selected portion from a playing device interface that facilitates user selections.

19. The storage controller of claim 14, wherein with the pre-loaded content being encrypted, the access management by the storage controller further includes decrypting the encrypted pre-loaded content.

20. The storage controller of claim 14, wherein the pre-loaded content includes audio, video, still images, text, picture, computer program, or any combination thereof.

21. The storage controller of claim 14, wherein information about the initial and any subsequent purchase transactions is conveyed to an external device.

22. The storage controller of claim 14, wherein the initial purchase transaction is based on predetermined criteria for size and type of the user selected portion, and wherein the access management by the storage controller further includes applying the predetermined criteria for delineating the user-selected portion of the pre-loaded content.

23. The storage controller of claim 14, wherein the access management by the storage controller includes enabling a preview to the pre-loaded content and making such preview independent of and unrelated to the indication of the initial purchase.

24. A card vending machine comprising:

a memory card dispenser where a memory card pre-loaded with content is being stored;

a purchasing interface that is operable to receive from a user a buy indication that corresponds to an initial purchase transaction; and

a controller operative to configure the memory card for managed access to the pre-loaded content, which managed access includes limiting the access to a particular, buyer-selected portion of the pre-loaded content and making such limited access subject to and performed according to the buy indication of the initial purchase transaction.

25. The card vending machine of claim 24, wherein with the card vending machine receiving a subsequent buy indication that corresponds to a subsequent purchase transaction being received from the user via the purchasing interface, the access management further includes expanding access to an additional portion of the pre-loaded content and making such expanded access subject to and performed according to the subsequent buy indication of the subsequent purchase transaction.

26. The card vending machine of claim 24, wherein the pre-loaded content includes audio, video, still images, text, or any combination thereof.

27. The card vending machine of claim 24, further comprising a communication link operative to convey information about the initial and any subsequent purchase transactions to a remote device.