System and method for regulating the transmission of media data

• US 6,487,663 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1998
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Barrett, Phillip L., Jaisimha, Mysore Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Darrow, Justin T.
• Application Number:
  US09/175,208
• Time in Patent Office: 1,499 Days
• Field of Search: 713/154, 713/165, 713/167, 713/190, 713/193, 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/225, 709/226, 709/228, 709/229, 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 711/163, 711/164, 705/56, 705/57, 705/51, 370/232, 370/235, 370/265, 370/927, 370/465
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/43 Querying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• 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: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A system and method regulate the transmission of media data. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a header portion of a media file is encoded to include an access code. The access code corresponds to one or more permitted methods by which the media file may be transmitted over a network. In one embodiment, a user operates a web browser to access a web page including a hyperlink which references the media file and specifies a desired type of transmission. Desired types of transmission include, for example, streaming transmission and faster than real time reliable download. When the hyperlink is activated, a web server sends a URL referencing the media file to the web browser. The web browser passes the URL to the media player. The media player requests the media file from a media server. The media server transmits the header of the media file, and the media player extracts the access code to determine whether the media file may be transmitted according to the desired type of transmission. If so, the media server transmits the media file using the desired type of transmission, and the media player renders the media data into video, sound or image signals. If the media player receives the media data using a type of transmission that permits storing the media data locally, the media player may transfer the media data to a portable media player.

Claims

1. An access coded media file stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising:

media data; and

a header including access code bits, said access code bits representing a value causing the media data to be transmitted in accordance with at least one transmission protocol.

2. The access coded media file of claim 1 wherein said access code bits are encrypted and wherein said value is determined by decrypting said access code bits.

3. The access coded media file as described in claim 1, wherein said at least one transmission protocol includes a streaming protocol.

4. The access coded media file as described in claim 1, wherein said at least one transmission protocol includes a faster than real time transmission protocol.

5. An access coded media file stored on a computer-readable medium, comprising:

media data; and

a header including access code bits, said access code bits representing a value causing the media data to be transmitted in accordance with at least one transmission protocol, said access code bits representing a value indicating that the media data may not be transmitted in accordance with at least one transmission protocol.

6. A method for regulating types of access to a media file, the method comprising the steps of:

placing an access code in a media file, said media file stored in a media storage accessible by a media server, said media server connected to a network, said access code indicating that data in the media file may be transmitted in accordance with at least one permitted transmission protocol;

requesting said media file with a media player, said media player connected to said network, said request specifying an intended transmission protocol to use in transmitting said media file over said network in response to said request;

transmitting said access code to said media player with said media server; and

checking said access code with said media player to determine whether said intended transmission protocol is one of said at least one permitted transmission protocols.

7. A method for regulating types of access to a media file, the method comprising the steps of:

placing an access code in a media file, said media file stored in a media storage accessible by a media server, said media server connected to a network, said access code indicating that data in the media file may be transmitted in accordance with at least one permitted transmission protocol;

requesting said media file with a media player, said media player connected to said network, said request specifying an intended transmission protocol to use in transmitting said media file over said network in response to said request;

transmitting said access code to said media player with said media server;

checking said access code with said media player to determine whether said intended transmission protocol is one of said at least one permitted transmission protocols;

encrypting said access code within said media file; and

decrypting said access code with said media player to perform said checking.

8. A system for regulating the transmission of media data, the system comprising:

a media file having media data and a header, said header including an access code corresponding to at least one permitted type of access to said media file;

a media server connected to a network and to media storage, said media file stored on said media storage, said media server responsive to a first request for said media file by transmitting said header, said media server responsive to a second request by transmitting said media data in accordance with one of said at least one permitted type of access; and

a media player connected to said network, said media player responsive to user input to transmit said first request to said media server, said media player receiving said header and extracting said access code from said header, said media player determining from said access code that said media file is enabled for one of said at least one permitted type of access, said media player transmitting said second request to said media server upon said determination.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said first request specifies said one of at least one permitted type of access.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein said one of at least one permitted type of access is a streaming transmission access.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said one of at least one permitted type of access is a faster than real time reliable transmission access.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said permitted type of access includes recording media data to local storage.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said access code is encrypted and wherein said media player decrypts said access code.

14. A system for regulating the transmission of media data, the system comprising:

a media file having media data and a header, said header including an access code corresponding to simultaneous streaming and faster than real time transmission access;

a media server connected to a network and to media storage, said media file stored on said media storage, said media server responsive to a first request for said media file by transmitting said header, said media server responsive to a second request by transmitting said media data in accordance with said simultaneous streaming and faster than real time transmission access; and

a media player connected to said network, said media player responsive to user input to transmit said first request to said media server, said media player receiving said header and extracting said access code from said header, said media player determining from said access code that said media file is enabled for said simultaneous streaming and faster than real time transmission access, said media player transmitting said second request to said media server upon said determination.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said permitted type of access includes recording media data to local storage.

16. A method for controlling access to media data over a network, said method comprising the steps of:

requesting transmission of remotely stored media data in accordance with a preferred transmission protocol;

receiving an access code corresponding to permitted transmission protocols which can be used to transmit said media data, said access code stored within said media data;

determining whether said preferred transmission protocol is one of said permitted transmission protocols; and

receiving said media data in accordance with said preferred transmission protocol if said preferred transmission protocol is one of said permitted transmission protocols.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising the further step of:

receiving said media data in accordance with a default transmission protocol if said preferred transmission protocol is not one of said permitted transmission protocols.

18. The method of claim 17 comprising the further steps of:

encrypting said access code; and

decrypting said access code.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising the further step of decrypting said access code, wherein said access code is encrypted.

20. A system for regulating access to media data, the system comprising:

a media file having an embedded access code, said access code corresponding to at least one permitted type of transmission of said media file;

a web page having a hyperlink which references a network-based file which includes a reference to said media file;

a web browser displaying said web page, said web browser responsive to user activation of the hyperlink to transmit a request for the contents of the network-based file;

a web server responsive to said request for said contents to transmit said reference to said media file to said web browser;

a media player in communication with said web browser to receive said reference to said media file and to responsively transmit a request to a media server for the contents of said media file; and

a media server responsive to said request for said contents of said media file to transmit said access code to said media player, said media player determining from said access code whether a desired type of transmission of said media file is one of said permitted types of transmission.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said reference to said media file indicates said desired type of transmission.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein said media server transmits the contents of said media file to said media player upon said media player'"'"'s determination that said desired type of transmission is one of said permitted types of transmission.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said desired type of transmission is a streaming transmission.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said desired type of transmission is a faster than real time reliable transmission.

25. A system for regulating access to media data, the system comprising:

a media file having an embedded access code, said access code corresponding to at least one permitted type of transmission of said media file;

a web page having a hyperlink which references a network-based file which includes a reference to said media file;

a web browser displaying said web page, said web browser responsive to user activation of the hyperlink to transmit a request for the contents of the network-based file;

a web server responsive to said request for said contents to transmit said reference to said media file to said web browser;

a media player in communication with said web browser to receive said reference to said media file and to responsively transmit a request to a media server for the contents of said media file; and

a media server responsive to said request for said contents of said media file to transmit said access code to said media player, said media player determining from said access code whether simultaneous streaming and faster than real time transmission of said media file is one of said permitted types of transmission;

wherein said media server transmits the contents of said media file to said media player upon said media player'"'"'s determination that simultaneous streaming and faster than real time transmission is one of said permitted types of transmission.

26. A method of encoding a media file to regulate transmission of the media file, said method comprising the steps of:

prompting a user to select a transmission method, wherein said transmission method corresponds to a transmission protocol;

calculating an access code corresponding to said selected transmission method;

opening a media file stored on a computer-readable medium;

placing said access code within said media file; and

storing said media file having said access code on said computer-readable medium.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of encrypting said access code.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of combining said access code with extra bits and placing both said access code and said extra bits in said media file.