PORTABLE MEDIA PLAYER DEVICE MANAGEMENT

• US 20110119721A1
• Filed: 11/13/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chow, Lee M., Piepenbrink, David J., Sofos, James T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,967,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57

Abstract

A method and system for distributing multimedia content includes a unified storefront (USF) application providing access portals to a multimedia content distribution network, including an Internet-protocol television access portal, a web access portal and a mobile access portal. The USF application may further communicate with a media agent to access a portable media player (PMP), allowing multimedia content to be sent to the PMP from any of the access portals.

Claims

1. A method for distributing multimedia content in a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN), comprising:

making a multimedia asset accessible to a user via an Internet-protocol television portal provided by the MCDN; and

enabling downloading of the multimedia asset to a portable media player (PMP).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is associated with an MCDN account.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying to the user information indicative of multimedia content stored in a memory device included with the PMP.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

uploading multimedia content stored in a memory device included with the PMP.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the multimedia content is uploaded to an MCDN server.

6. A service for distributing multimedia content in a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN), comprising:

enabling a user to access a multimedia asset via an Internet-protocol television access portal provided by the MCDN; and

enabling the user to download the multimedia asset to a portable media player (PMP) associated with the user.

7. The service of claim 6, wherein the user is associated with an MCDN account.

8. The service of claim 7, wherein the PMP is registered with the MCDN.

9. The service of claim 7, further comprising:

charging the user for the multimedia asset using the MCDN account.

10. The service of claim 6, further comprising:

downloading the multimedia asset to the PMP; and

uploading to an MCDN server directory information describing multimedia content stored in a memory device coupled to the PMP.

13. The service of claim 6, further comprising:

authorizing the PMP to replay the multimedia asset.

11. The service of 10, further comprising:

uploading to an MCDN server multimedia content stored in a memory device coupled to the PMP.

12. The service of claim 11, further comprising:

Enabling a user to access a multimedia content via a web access portal.

14. A computer-readable memory media, including instructions for implementing a multimedia content distribution network (MCDN), said instructions executable to:

enable a user to obtain access rights to an obtainable multimedia asset via a web access portal and an Internet-protocol television access portal provided by the MCDN; and

in response to the user obtaining the access rights for the multimedia asset, send the multimedia asset to a portable media player (PMP) associated with the user.

15. The memory media of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable to:

receive confirmation that the user has obtained access rights for the multimedia asset.

16. The memory media of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable to:

notify the PMP that the user is authorized to replay the multimedia asset.

17. The memory media of claim 14, wherein the user is associated with an MCDN account.

18. The memory media of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable to:

charge the MCDN account for the access rights to the multimedia asset.

19. The memory media of claim 14, wherein the access rights entitle the user to unrestricted access to the multimedia asset.

20. The memory media of claim 14, wherein the access rights are limited to a predetermined time period.

21. The memory media of claim 14, wherein the access rights are limited by a number of devices used for replaying the multimedia asset.

22. The memory media of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable to:

register the PMP with the MCDN.