CONTENT DISTRIBUTION REGULATION BY VIEWING USER

• US 20120278904A1
• Filed: 04/26/2011
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Perez, Kathryn Stone, Kipman, Alex Aben-Athar, Fuller, Andrew John
• Application Number:
  US13/094,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20120278904A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/31
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

A content presentation system and method allowing content providers to regulate the presentation of content on a per-user-view basis. Content is distributed an associated license option on the number of individual consumers or viewers allowed to consume the content. Consumers are presented with a content selection and a choice of licenses allowing consumption of the content. The users consuming the content on a display device are monitored so that if the number of user-views licensed is exceeded, remedial action may be taken.

Claims

1. A method of distributing content to a user, comprising:

providing a selection of content available to the user;

for each content, presenting a licensing option comprising associating a performance of the content with an individual user'"'"'s consumption of the content at a display device;

receiving a selection of one of the content and a license display option for said content;

presenting the content to the display device if a number of user performances allowed for the content is equal to or less than the license option for which the selection is received; and

monitoring the presentation of the content at the device to determine the number of users consuming the content during the performance.

2. The method of distributing content of claim 1 wherein the license comprises an absolute limited number of user performances.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the license comprises a limited number of user performances within a period of time.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the license comprises a limited number of user performances per device.

5. The method of claim 1 further including continuously monitoring a number of users at a display device during the performance of the content.

6. The method of claim 5 further including determining whether a number of users at a display device exceeds the license option during the performance of the content.

7. The method of claim 6 further including presenting the user an option to change the license if a number of allowed user performances in a license is exceeded during performance of the content at the display device.

8. A computer implemented method for distributing limited play content to a user, comprising:

transmitting a selection of audiovisual content to a display device, each content having one or more associated license option, each license option allowing a specified number one or more presentations to one or more users on the display device;

receiving a selection of one of the content and a selection of a licensing option for said content;

determining a number of users at the display device prior to presenting the content;

presenting the content on the display device if the number of users at the display device is equal to or lower than that specified in the licensing option; and

monitoring the presentation of the content to determine a number of viewers of the content during presentation of the content at the display device.

9. The method of claim 8 further including continuously monitoring a number of users at a presentation device during the presentation of the content.

10. The method of claim 9 further including determining whether a number of users at a presentation device exceeds the license option during the presentation of the content.

11. The method of claim 10 further including presenting the user an option to change the license if a number of allowed user views in a license is exceeded during performance of the content.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the license option comprises a limited display of user views of the content.

13. The method of claim 12 further including determining a user view by determining at least a number of users within a display area of a display device for a duration of the presentation exceeding a threshold.

14. The method of claim 12 further including identifying specific users within a display area of a display device and associating a duration of the presentation with each user, and determining a user view when performance of the content to an identified user exceeds a threshold.

15. A computer readable medium including instructions providing a processing device to perform the steps of:

providing a selection of display content, each content having one or more associated licenses allowing a limited number of user views of the content;

receiving a selection of one of the content and a license display option for said content;

scanning a display area of a display device selected for performance of the content;

determining a number of users capable of viewing the performance at the display device;

determining if the license display option is met;

presenting the content on the device if a number of user views allowed for the content within a specific time period is equal to or less than the selection of the license display option;

continuously monitoring the presentation of the content to determine the number of users consuming the content during the performance.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 further including determining whether a number of users at a presentation device exceeds the license option during the presentation of the content.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further including determining a user view by determining at least a number of users within a display area of a display device for a duration of the presentation exceeding a threshold.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further including identifying specific users within a display area of a display device and associating a duration of the presentation with each user, and determining a user view when performance of the content to an identified user exceeds a threshold.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further including presenting the user an option to change the license if a number of allowed user views in a license is exceeded during performance of the content.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein the license comprises a limited user views within a display period.