Licensed Content Purchasing and Delivering

• US 20110047041A1
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Kemery, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,751,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0607 Regulated

Abstract

A content server enables one user to purchase licensed content for another user and, in response to the purchase, automatically delivers the content to the other user'"'"'s device. The content server further configures the other user'"'"'s device to receive and utilize the licensed content, thus enabling the other user to consume the content.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling, by a content server, a purchase of licensed content by a first user of a first device for a second user of a second device; and

automatically delivering, by the content server, the licensed content to the second device to enable consumption of the licensed content by the second user of the second device, the delivering including the content server configuring the second device to receive and utilize the licensed content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the first user of the first device to purchase the licensed content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second devices are telecommunications devices and the content server is associated with a telecommunications service provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the licensed content includes one or more of application(s), video(s), audio file(s), picture(s), and/or electronic book(s).

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the licensed content to both the first and second devices to enable the first and second devices to engage in a session for shared consumption of the licensed content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the license allows shared consumption between two or more devices.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the first user of the first device to configure the licensed content for the second user of the second device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the configuring includes restricting use of one or more features of the licensed content.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a graphic user interface to facilitate users in selecting licensed content to purchase and/or in configuring purchased licensed content.

10. A system comprising:

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor and storing executable instructions that are configured to be operated by the processor to perform operations including;

enabling a purchase of sharable, licensed content by a first user of a first device for a second user of a second device; and

automatically delivering the sharable, licensed content to the second device to enable the second user to share the sharable, licensed content by engaging in a session associated with the sharable, licensed content between the second device and other device(s).

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sharable, licensed content includes one or more of application(s), video(s), audio file(s), picture(s), and/or electronic book(s).

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further include enabling the first user of the first device to configure the sharable, licensed content for the second user of the second device, the configuring including restricting use of one or more features of the sharable, licensed content.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further include providing a graphic user interface to facilitate users in selecting sharable, licensed content to purchase and/or in configuring purchased sharable, licensed content.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the operations further include facilitating an acquiring user in designating users that are party to a license for the sharable, licensed content.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further include adjusting a purchase price based on a number of users covered by the license.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the session is peer-to-peer, with clients of the first and second devices establishing a data connection, or is client-server, with clients of the first and second devices interacting with each other through connections between each and the content server or another server.

17. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium storing executable instructions that are configured to program a computing device to perform operations including;

enabling a user of a device to purchase a content plan for a group of users, the content plan entitling the user and group of users to a number of items of licensed content in a time period, the licensed content being sharable between the user and the group of users and among users of the group of users;

configuring devices of the user and the group of users to receive and utilize the licensed content; and

delivering the licensed content to the device of user and/or devices of some or all of the group of users to enable shared consumption of the licensed content in accordance with terms of the content plan.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the licensed content includes one or more of application(s), video(s), audio file(s), picture(s), and/or electronic book(s).

19. The article of claim 17, wherein the operations further include providing a graphic user interface to facilitate users in selecting licensed content to purchase and/or in configuring purchased licensed content.

20. The article of claim 17, wherein a purchase price for the content plan is a function of one or more of the number of items of licensed content, a length of the time period, and/or a size of the group.