Physical Confirmation For Network-Provided Content

• US 20120311723A1
• Filed: 05/03/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Britt, Joe Freeman Jr., Bartlett, Richard Scott, Koh, Eugene, Hershenson, Matt
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,616 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00862 wherein the remote server can grant the permission to use a content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00869 wherein the remote server can deliver the content to a receiving device
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/65 wherein solid state memory is used for storing indexing information or metadata
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/652 said memory being attached to the recording medium
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/10 Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Measuring tape travel
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• 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

A computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a remote communication device and at a server system, information that indicates a unique identifier for a physical item that corresponds to media content, the identifier differing from identifiers for other physical items that correspond to the same content; associating the received information with an account of a first user of a hosted internet service; and subsequently providing, by the hosted internet service, content that matches the content that corresponds to the physical item, based on a determination that the received information authorizes the first user to obtain the content provided by the hosted internet service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for electronic content management, the method comprising:

receiving, from a remote communication device and at a server system, information that indicates a unique identifier for a physical item that corresponds to media content, the identifier differing from identifiers for other physical items that correspond to the same content;

associating the received information with an account of a first user of a hosted internet service; and

subsequently providing, by the hosted internet service, content that matches the content that corresponds to the physical item, based on a determination that the received information authorizes the first user to obtain the content provided by the hosted internet service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content comprises content selected from a group consisting of electronic books, electronic music files, and electronic audio-visual files.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the physical item that presents the content comprises a paper book, a music CD, or a DVD.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the unique identifier has been provided by another user of the hosted internet service.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising identifying that the received information authorizes the first user to obtain the content provided by the hosted internet service if the unique identifier has not been provided by another user.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising, if the unique identifier has been provided by another user, requesting that the other user again provide the information that indicates the unique identifier for the physical item to establish that the other user still possesses the physical item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information that indicates a unique identifier for the physical item comprises a combination of multiple different information sources on the physical item.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information that indicates a unique identifier comprises at least an ID from a near-field communications device on the physical item and information from an image of the physical item.

9. A computer-implemented method for electronic content management, the method comprising:

exposing a piece of physical media that contains content to an network-connected electronic computing device;

transmitting, from the electronic computing device to a server system for a hosted internet service, information that uniquely identifies the piece of physical media from other pieces of physical media that contain the same or similar content;

subsequently requesting, by the electronic computing device and from the hosted internet service, served content that matches the content on the physical media; and

receiving the served content based on a determination by the hosted internet service that the information that uniquely identifies the piece of physical media has not been provided by other user of the hosted internet service.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the served content comprises streamed media content.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving a request from the hosted internet service to expose the piece of physical media to the electronic device again to confirm the user'"'"'s possession of the piece of physical media.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein exposing the piece of physical media to the electronic computing device comprises bringing the piece of physical media within range of a near-field communication sensor in the electronic computing device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein exposing the piece of physical media to the electronic computing device further comprises capturing an image of at least part of the piece of physical media with the electronic computing device.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating an identifier for the piece of physical media using a combination of multiple distinct and different information sources on the item.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the piece of physical media comprises a data holding piece of media and a storage item for the data holding piece of media.

16. A computer-implemented system for electronic content management, the system comprising:

a web interface arranged to receive, from remote computing devices, information that uniquely identifies pieces of media proximate to the remote computing devices;

a data store associated with a content providing service, the data store correlating information that identifies particular pieces of media with particular user accounts; and

a media server that is part of the content providing service and is programmed to provide content in response to user requests, based on determinations that requesting users have previously provided information that uniquely identifies pieces of media for the requested content, and that other users have not.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the media server is programmed to compare identifying information obtained with electronic devices by the users and from physical items, with identifying information stored in the data store.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the media server is programmed to request, if information that uniquely identifies a piece of media has been provided by another user, that the other user again provide the information that indicates the unique identifier for the physical item to establish that the other user still possesses the physical item.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the information that unique identifies a particular piece of media comprises a combination of multiple different information sources physically placed on the piece of media including on packaging.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the information that unique identifies a particular piece of media comprises at least an ID from a near-field communications device on the physical item and information from an image of the physical item.