Personal digital content system

• US 6,338,044 B1
• Filed: 03/17/1999
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Loudeye Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Cook, David, Hester, Terry D.
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US09/270,817
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/14, 705/26, 705/54, 700/17, 700/83, 709/217, 709/218
• US Class Current: 705/14.54
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

An Internet-enabled means of distributing entertainment programming with embedded advertising in which the entertainment programming is customized according to consumers'"'"' stated preferences and the advertising is customized according to consumer demographics and also according to consumers'"'"' stated preferences. A computing system usable to create and distribute personalized entertainment and advertising content comprising computer hosts having software agents acting to administer a master digital library as well as end users'"'"' digital libraries, establish advertising bookings and insert advertising content, establish schedules of digital content for distribution to end users, identify digital content listed on a schedule but missing from the end user'"'"'s digital library, distribute across a communications network digital content to end users, and decrypt and play or display the digital entertainment and advertising content. A communications network for exchanging information and data among said computer hosts and agents.

Claims

1. A computing system usable to create a personal digital content system comprising:

a plurality of computer hosts with at least one computer host acting as an end user'"'"'s digital library, at least one computer host acting to schedule and distribute digital content, and at least one computer host acting as a master digital library containing material to be used in the personal digital content system;

a communication network for exchanging information and data between said computer hosts;

a plurality of agents executing on said computer hosts, wherein each of said agents is adapted to receive and send electronic messages to another agent, and further the plurality of agents comprises at least one agent adapted to schedule digital content, at least one agent to request schedules of digital content, at least one agent adapted to perform distribution of digital content, and at least one agent adapted to maintain and manage said digital library;

wherein said agents cooperatively perform defined tasks by exchanging said electronic messages with each other and with other sources which can be exchanged across a communication network, and wherein said agents comprise the following;

means for creating or obtaining a schedule of digital content based on attributes of said digital content and end user preferences;

means for comparing the schedule of digital content with an end user'"'"'s digital library;

means for identifying digital content missing from the end user'"'"'s digital library which is listed on said schedule;

means for communicating with said master digital library to obtain the digital content missing from the end user'"'"'s digital library;

means for inserting ads onto the digital content provided from said master digital library;

means for transmitting said digital content with ads to said end user; and

means for storing the digital content.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said at least one computer host acting to schedule and distribute digital content further comprises a database comprising information on every end user, and said information further comprising one or more members of the group:

name, age, geographic location, income, sex, marital status, frequent flyer numbers, financial profile and car preference.

6. The computer system of claim 1 wherein said at least one agent adapted to schedule digital content performs said task-by obtaining a schedule submitted by an end user.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said at least one agent adapted to schedule digital content performs said task by obtaining a preset schedule from an administrative agent which offers at least one preset schedule comprising digital content and advertisements.

8. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said at least one agent adapted to schedule digital content performs said task by obtaining a schedule from a branded channel which offers at least one preset schedule having ads of defined duration and specific frequency of occurrences, wherein said schedule is of a defined theme.

9. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said at least one agent adapted to schedule digital content further compares the schedule to a set of rules selected by the end user which comprises at least one or more of the following:

rules regarding the number of tracks between the artist of the same name;

rules regarding the tempo usable by tracks in series; and

rules regarding the genre of music by track.

10. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said at least one agent adapted to distribute digital content further comprises:

(a) means for communicating electronically with the at least one agent adapted to schedule digital content to obtain a schedule;

(b) means for comparing said schedule with end user information stored on said computer host for scheduling and distribution of digital content, and wherein said end user information contains the content of a particular end user'"'"'s digital library;

(c) means for communicating electronically with the at least one agent adapted to maintain and manage said digital library to obtain content which is absent from said particular end user'"'"'s digital library but which is listed on said schedule;

(d) means for transmitting the content which was obtained from the master digital library but which was absent from the particular end user'"'"'s digital library and attaching at least one advertisement per element of said content to the end user for use based on the schedule.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said at least one agent adapted to maintain and manage said master digital library maintains and manages information concerning the digital content using systems which comprise one or more members of the group:

indexing, key word searching, and classification parameters.

12. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the digital library comprises information selected from the group comprising:

music tracks, artist'"'"'s name by music track, title of music track, time code for music track, intro for music track, outro for music track, genre of music track, custom end user selected information for music including gender of artist, tempo of music track, era of music track, and number of beats per minute per music track.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein a host server system is adapted to store various versions of the same track of music, and which can be selected from the group comprising:

(a) wav (uncompressed);

(b) high bit rate mp3; and

(c) low bit rate mp3.

14. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the digital library comprises data selected from the group comprising:

digital music files, digital movie files, digital photos, and digital message storage.

15. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the digital library further comprises an interface to instant messaging objects.

16. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the digital library further comprises an encrypted version of the digital content.

17. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the agent adapted to maintain and manage the digital library further comprising means for compressing digital content.

18. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a member of the group consisting of:

a local area network, the global communications network (Internet), an intranet, a personal digital communication interface, a similar digital communications system, and combinations thereof.

19. The computer system of claim 1, wherein at least one agent further comprises a queue which provides queuing information for each agent.

20. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the digital content is for music and the system is used to create a personal audio broadcast.

3. The computer system of clam 1, wherein the master digital library includes actual digital content for access by an end user.

4. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the master digital library'"'"'s actual digital content is digital music tracks.

5. The computer system of claim 3, wherein the end user digital library includes an index of the personal digital content for each end user and characteristics for each element of the personal digital content.