MEDIA DATA EXCHANGE, TRANSFER OR DELIVERY FOR PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20110034121A1
• Filed: 10/21/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: NG, Stanley C., BELL, Chris, CUE, Eddy, BORCHERS, Robert Edward, HODGE, Andrew Bert, ROBBIN, Jeffrey L., FADELL, Anthony M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/70 Services for machine-to-machine communication [M2M] or machine type communication [MTC]

Abstract

Methods and systems that facilitate data delivery to electronic devices are disclosed. One aspect pertains to data delivery to electronic devices that are portable, such as, mobile devices. In one embodiment, one mobile device discovers another mobile device within its vicinity. The mobile devices can then wirelessly transmit data from one mobile device to the other. The mobile devices, or their users, can control, request or influence the particular data content being delivered.

Claims

1. A method for broadcasting media content in a venue, the method comprising:

automatically retrieving user information from portable media devices in proximity of the venue that are controlled by users who have purchased media items;

identifying media content to be broadcasted from a media content server to all users in proximity of the venue based upon the retrieved user information; and

broadcasting the identified media content at the venue.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the retrieving, identifying, and broadcasting at predetermined intervals to provide dynamic broadcasted media content relevant to or preferred by the users at the venue.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for each portable media device, comparing the user information against a set of predetermined rules to determine if it is permissible to retrieve user preferences from the user information; and

wherein the retrieving includes obtaining user preferences only from user information from which it is determined it is permissible to obtain.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining media purchase information from the portable media devices, wherein the media purchase information includes data regarding media items purchased by users in possession of the portable media devices; and

identifying media content to be broadcasted at the venue based upon data indicating that certain media items are popular purchases.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

streaming media content information to the portable media devices, allowing the portable media devices to display the media content information as the provided media content is being played.

6. A method for providing broadcasted media content from a media content server to at least one user in a venue in possession of a portable media device, the method comprising:

transmitting a plurality of different broadcasts of media content to users at a venue;

providing incentives to users to share information from user profiles stored on the users'"'"' portable media devices;

retrieving information that users have permitted to be shared;

obtaining characteristics from the information in the user profiles that indicate a preference for certain types of media content;

identifying the different broadcasts of media content to the portable media devices based upon the obtained characteristics and based upon user purchases when the portable media devices are in the proximity of the venue; and

providing the mobile devices with interfaces that permit users to select one of the plurality of different broadcasts to play from the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the incentives include a financial incentive.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the incentives include a credit towards purchasing media content at an online media store.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the credit is only provided if the sharing of the information results in a purchase of media content from the online media store by a different user.

10. A system for providing broadcasted media content to at least one user in a venue, the system comprising:

a wireless access point located at the venue;

a server coupled to the wireless access point, wherein the server is configured to;

automatically retrieve user information from portable media devices in proximity of the venue that are controlled by users who have subscribed to content;

identify media content to be broadcasted from a media content server to all users in proximity of the venue based upon the retrieved user preferences; and

broadcast the identified media content at the venue.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the venue is a business establishment, airport, or city.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the server is further coupled to a plurality of other wireless access points located at the venue.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the server is further configured to:

determine how long each mobile device has been located at various portions of the venue delineated by the wireless access points by tracking communications between the mobile devices and the wireless access points; and

update the broadcasted media content based upon how long each mobile device has been located at the various portions of the venue.

14. A portable media device comprising:

a wireless interface; and

a processor configured to;

receive a broadcast of media content to users at a venue when the portable media device is in proximity of the venue;

transmit information from a user profile stored on the portable media device via the wireless interface to a wireless access point within the venue, wherein the information includes characteristics that indicate a preference for certain types of media content, if a user controlling the portable media device has subscribed to the broadcast; and

receive a broadcast of media content based upon the obtained characteristics.

15. The portable media device of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare the information against a set of predetermined rules to determine if it is permissible to transmit characteristics from the information; and

wherein the transmitting includes transmitting only characteristics deemed permissible to transmit.

16. The portable media device of claim 14, wherein the receiving a broadcast is performed using a device other than the wireless interface.

17. The portable media device of claim 16, wherein the device other than the wireless interface is an audio tuner.

18. A computer readable medium for storing in non-transitory tangible form computer instructions executable by a processor for receiving media content at a portable media device, the computer readable medium comprising:

computer code for automatically retrieving user information from portable media devices in proximity of the venue that are controlled by users who have subscribed to content;

computer code for identifying media content to be broadcasted from a media content server to all users in proximity of the venue based upon the retrieved user preferences; and

computer code for broadcasting the identified media content at the venue.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the automatically retrieving is performed via a wireless communication medium.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the broadcasted media content is provided at the venue via a different transmission medium than the wireless communication over which the user information from the portable media device is retrieved.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the broadcasted media content is provided at the venue via a medium that is not compatible with the portable media device.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the broadcasted media content is provided at the venue by broadcasting the media content over speakers at the venue.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the broadcasted media content is provided at the venue by streaming the broadcasted media content directly to the portable media device.