System and Method for Providing Digital Content

• US 20100034522A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NBC Universal Media LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NBC Universal Incorporated (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Reitmeier, Glenn, Ng, Sheau
• Application Number:
  US12/188,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20100034522A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/326
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream

Abstract

A method and device for receiving, storing, and viewing digital content, the method and device configured to receive and store a first content and a second content, associate the second content with the first content, and play the first content and the second content.

Claims

1. A device for receiving, storing, and viewing digital content, the device comprising:

an interface for coupling digitally to a host device; and

a memory configured to;

receive and store a first content separate from a second content;

interact with the host device;

associate the second content with the first content; and

play the first content and the second content.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to play the first content and the second content for viewing at the host device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is configured to receive the first content and the second content via the host device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to receive, store, and organize updates of the first content and of the second content.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store data associated with playback history of the first content or of the second content, or a combination thereof.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the memory is configured to facilitate transmission of the data to a service provider.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to update the second content based on the playback history of the first content.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to protect access of the second content.

9. A device for receiving, storing, and viewing digital content, the device comprising:

an interface for coupling digitally to a host device;

a memory; and

a system architecture stored in the memory, wherein the system architecture configures the memory to;

receive and store a first content separate from a second content;

associate playback of the second content with playback of the first content; and

facilitate playback of the first content and the second content for viewing at the host device.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein system architecture configures the memory to receive and store an application program interface (API) of the host device to facilitate the receipt and storage of the first content and of the second content into the memory via the host device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein system architecture comprises an application program interface (API) stored in the memory to play the first content and the second content at the host device.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the memory is partitioned and configured such that the second content is at least partially-protected from user-access.

13. A device for receiving, storing, and organizing digital content, the device comprising:

an interface for coupling digitally to a host device;

a memory;

a first program code stored in the memory, wherein the first program code organizes receipt and storage in the memory of a first digital content and a second digital content, and organizes playback of the first digital content and of the second digital content;

a second program code stored in memory to facilitate interaction of the device with the host device; and

a third program code stored in memory to play back the first digital content and the second digital content for viewing at the host device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first program code protects access of the second digital content.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the second program faciltates ingestion of the first digital content and of the second digital content into the memory via the host device.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the second program comprises an application program interface of the host device.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the third program comprises a media player.

18. A method for disseminating digital content, comprising:

transmitting a first content and a second content via a host device to a memory;

storing the first content and the second content in the memory;

associating via executable code stored in the memory playback of the second content with playback of the first content;

facilitating via executable code stored in the memory playback of the first content and the second content for viewing at the host device; and

updating the first content stored in memory or the second content stored in memory, or a combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising transmitting via executable code stored in the memory a playback history of at least the first content or the second content to a service provider.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising protecting access of the second content stored in memory.

21. A method for disseminating digital content, comprising:

providing a first content into a first partion of a memory device;

providing a second content into a second partition of the memory device, wherein the memory device is configured to facilitate playback of the first content and of the second content at one or more host devices;

associating the second content with the first content;

monitoring via executable code stored in the memory device a playback history of the first content and of the second content at the one or more host devices; and

changing the association of the second content with the first content.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the memory comprises solid-state memory.

23. The method of claim 21, comprising transmitting the playback history to a service provider, and wherein changing the association comprises changing the association of the second content with the first content based on the playback history.

24. The method of claim 21, comprising receiving at a service provider usage statistics of the memory device.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein changing the association of the second content with the first content comprises providing additional second content into the second partion of the memory device.

26. The method of claim 21, comprising providing additional first content into the first partion of the memory device in response to a request of a user of the memory device.

27. A device for viewing digital content, comprising:

an interface to receive digital content; and

a memory configured to;

organize and store a first content separate from a second content;

associate the second content with the first content; and

organize and store updates of the first content and of the second content

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the memory comprises player code configured to play the first content and the second content at the device.

29. The device of claim 27, wherein the memory is configured to store data associated with a playback history of the first content or of the second content, or a combination thereof.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the device and memory are configured to transmit the data to a service provider.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the memory is configured to update the second content based on the playback history of the first content.

32. The device of claim 27, wherein the memory is configured to protect access of the second content.

33. The device of claim 27, wherein the device and memory are configured to transmit the first content or the second content, or a combination thereof, to another device.

34. A method for disseminating digital content, comprising:

transmitting a first content and a second content;

storing the first content and the second content in memory;

associating via executable code stored in the memory playback of the second content with playback of the first content;

playing via executable code stored in the memory the first content and the second content, wherein the first content is viewed with the second content based on the association; and

updating at least the first content or the second content stored in memory.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein updating comprises updating the second content stored in the memory based on a playback history of at least the first content or of the second content.

36. The method of claim 34, comprising transmitting via executable code stored in the memory the playback history to a service provider.