DIGITAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20100169463A1
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Trans World New York LLC (Kaspien Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Trans World New York LLC (Kaspien Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: HARPER, Gregory W.
• Application Number:
  US12/719,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20100169463A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention enable a user to acquire an item (e.g., a digital song, digital video, etc.) using one device (e.g., a portable device) and to easily move a copy of the acquired item from the one device to another device so that a user of the other device can play the item.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user having a portable device to acquire an item, comprising:

(a) operating a server;

(b) enabling the user to connect the portable device to the server; and

(c) while the portable device is connected to the server, transmitting from the server to the portable device (1) a helper application and (2) a copy of an item requested by the user, wherein the portable device is configured to store the helper application and the copy of the requested item on a storage unit contained within or connected to the portable device, wherein

the helper application is configured to download a second helper application after the portable device connects to a computer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the helper application is configured to download the second helper application substantially in response to the user connecting the portable device to the computer and to a determination that the second helper application is not installed on the computer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second helper application is configured to store a copy of the item stored on the storage unit in a content library stored in a second storage unit that is contained within or connected to the computer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second helper application is configured to prompt the user to select at least one content player and then store the copy of the item in the content library.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second helper application is configured to silently store a copy of the item stored on the storage unit in a content library stored in a second storage unit that is contained within or connected to the computer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second helper application is configured to silently store the copy of the item in the content library substantially in response to the user connecting the portable device to the computer and to a determination that no copy of the item is stored in the content library.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step (b) comprises providing a listening and viewing station (LVS) to which the user can directly connect the portable device, wherein the LVS is connected to the server.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the LVS is openly accessible to the public.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the LVS is located within a retail establishment.

10. A method for enabling a user having a portable device to acquire an item, comprising:

(a) operating a server;

(b) enabling the user to connect the portable device to the server; and

(c) while the portable device is connected to the server, transmitting from the server to the portable device (1) a helper application and (2) a copy of an item requested by the user, wherein the portable device is configured to store the helper application and the copy of the requested item on a first storage unit contained within or connected to the portable device, wherein

the helper application is configured such that, in response to the user connecting the portable device to a particular computer, the helper application automatically begins a process for storing a copy of the item stored on the first storage unit in a content library stored in a second storage unit, said second storage unit being contained within the computer or connected to the computer.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the process comprises prompting the user to select at least one content player.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the process comprises silently storing the copy of the item in the content library.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the process consists of silently storing the copy of the item in the content library.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the step (b) comprises providing a listening and viewing station (LVS) to which the user can directly connect the portable device, wherein the LVS is connected to the server.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the LVS is openly accessible to the public.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the LVS is located within a retail establishment.