System and method for selectively providing information to a user device

• US 6,957,217 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2001
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Davies, Nigel A. J., Storz, Oliver D., Efstratiou, Christos, Raverdy, Pierre-Guillaume
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US09/899,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20020068573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 707/9, 707/104.1, 455/414.1, 715/700, 709/201, 709/232, 725/86, 463/1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/323 wherein the player is informed, e.g. advertisements, odds, instructions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 : from a network towards a terminal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access

Abstract

A system and method for selectively providing information to a user device includes an event server that provides restricted access to various types of event content information and services related to a particular event. A wireless portable user device may provide an access code to the event server at a particular event location through a wireless base station that is coupled to a local area network. A system user may thereby utilize the user device to access the event server for downloading appropriate event content information and related services until the foregoing access code expires.

Claims

1. A system for providing event content to a system user, comprising:

an event server configured to manage said event content, said event server providing a restricted access to said event content over an electronic network; and

a user device configured to communicate with said event server over said electronic network by performing a wireless communications procedure, said user device including a processor, a display, a device memory, a sound module, one or more user interfaces, and input/output interfaces, said input/output interfaces including a wireless communications interface, a network interface, and a removable memory interface, said device memory storing user data related to said system user for sending to said event server to facilitate optimally providing said event content, said user data including at least one of a user profile, event location information, and access rights, said access rights including one or more time-stamped access capabilities that each correspond to a different event service, said time-stamped access capabilities being provided by said event server after receiving said access code from said user device, said user device initially providing an access code to said event server for accessing said event content, said event server responsively providing said event content to said user device until said access code expires.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said event content includes restricted information that is related to at least one of a specified event, an event location, and one or more participants in said specified event.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said user device is implemented as at least one of a personal digital assistant device, a cellular telephone device, a computer device, and a portable wireless telecommunications device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said user device communicates with said event server through one or more wireless base station transceivers and one or more local area networks, said user device communicating with said event server through at least one of a first direct path from said one or more local area networks, an indirect path from said one or more local area networks through an Internet network, and a second direct path from said user device directly through said Internet network.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said device memory includes application software, an operating system, device content information, user data, a login/configuration module for providing said access code to said event server, a download module for updating said application software, a profile module, an access rights module, video streaming support services, and a metadata module for managing ancillary data related to a particular event.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said event server includes a processor, a display, a server memory, one or more user interfaces, and input/output interfaces, said input/output interfaces including at least one of a wireless communications interface and a network interface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said server memory includes application software, an operating system, server content information, users information, a login/configuration manager, an upload module for updating device application software, a profile manager, an access rights manager for managing said restricted access to said event content, a video streaming manager, and a metadata manager for managing ancillary data related to a particular event.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said users information includes one or more sets of user data that each relates to a different one of a plurality of system users for optimally selecting and providing said event content by said event manager, said sets of user data each including at least event location information or access rights.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said server content information includes at least one of restricted content, free content and public content, said access rights manager of said event server allocating said server content information based on said access code.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said system user initiates a login procedure during which said user device contacts said event server and provides user data to said event server, said user data including said access code.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said event server provides configuration information to said user device after receiving said access code, said user device responsively performing a configuration procedure.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said event server provides application update information to said user device after receiving said user data, said user device responsively performing an application software update procedure.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein said user device obtains and utilizes said restricted access to said event content and other event services from said event server based upon said access code, said access rights manager of said event server providing authorized restricted content and free content based upon unexpired time-stamped access capabilities.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said system user performs a logoff procedure to disconnect from said restricted access to said event server, said system user performing a subsequent login procedure for reconnecting to said restricted access of said event server.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein said access code expires when said access rights manager detects that all time-stamped access capabilities related to said event content have exceeded a time-stamp threshold value, said event server responsively terminating said restricted access to said event content.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein multiple user devices access said event server from multiple event locations by utilizing a plurality of access codes.

17. A method for providing event content to a system user, comprising:

managing said event content with an event server that provides a restricted access to said event content over an electronic network; and

communicating with said event server over said electronic network with a user device that performs a wireless communications procedure, said user device including a processor, a display, a device memory, a sound module, one or more user interfaces, and input/output interfaces, said input/output interfaces including a wireless communications interface, a network interface, and a removable memory interface, said device memory storing user data related to said system user for sending to said event server to facilitate optimally providing said event content, said user data including at least one of a user profile, event location information, and access rights, said access rights including one or more time-stamped access capabilities that each correspond to a different event service, said time-stamped access capabilities being provided by said event server after receiving said access code from said user device, said user device initially providing an access code to said event server for accessing said event content, said event server responsively providing said event content to said user device until said access code expires.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said event content includes restricted information that is related to at least one of a specified event, an event location, and one or more participants in said specified event.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said user device is implemented as at least one of a personal digital assistant device, a cellular telephone device, a computer device, and a portable wireless telecommunications device.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said user device communicates with said event server through one or more wireless base station transceivers and one or more local area networks, said user device communicating with said event server through at least one of a first direct path from said one or more local area networks, an indirect path from said one or more local area networks through an Internet network, and a second direct path from said user device directly through said Internet network.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said device memory includes application software, an operating system, device content information, user data, a login/configuration module for providing said access code to said event server, a download module for updating said application software, a profile module, an access rights module, video streaming support services, and a metadata module for managing ancillary data related to a particular event.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein said device memory stores user data related to said system user for sending to said event server to facilitate optimally providing said event content, said user data including at least event location information or access rights.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein said event server includes a processor, a display, a server memory, one or more user interfaces, and input/output interfaces, said input/output interfaces including at least one of a wireless communications interface and a network interface.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein said server memory includes application software, an operating system, server content information, users information, a login/configuration manager, an upload module for updating device application software, a profile manager, an access rights manager for managing said restricted access to said event, content, a video streaming manager, and a metadata manager for managing ancillary data related to a particular event.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said users information includes one or more sets of user data that each relates to a different one of a plurality of system users for optimally selecting and providing said event content by said event manager, said sets of user data each including at least event location information or access rights.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein said server content information includes at least one of restricted content, free content and public content, said access rights manager of said event server allocating said server content information based said access code.

27. The method of claim 17 wherein said system user initiates a login procedure during which said user device contacts said event server and provides user data to said event server, said user data including said access code.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said event server provides configuration information to said user device after receiving said access code, said user device responsively performing a configuration procedure.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said event server provides application update information to said user device after receiving said user data, said user device responsively performing an application software update procedure.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein said user device obtains and utilizes said restricted access to said event content and other event services from said event server based upon said access code, said access rights manager of said event server providing authorized restricted content and free content based upon unexpired time-stamped access capabilities.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein said system user performs a logoff procedure to disconnect from said restricted access to said event server, said system user performing a subsequent login procedure for reconnecting to said restricted access of said event server.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein said access code expires when said access rights manager detects that all time-stamped access capabilities related to said event content have exceeded a time-stamp threshold value, said event server responsively terminating said restricted access to said event content.

33. The method of claim 17 wherein multiple user devices access said event server from multiple event locations by utilizing a plurality of access codes.

34. The method of claim 17 wherein said system user utilizes said user device to provide user feedback information to said event server.

35. The method of claim 17 wherein said system user utilizes said user device to communicate with said event server for purchasing an admission to a future event.

36. A system for providing event content to a system user, comprising:

an event server configured to manage said event content, said event server providing a restricted access to said event content over an electronic network; and

a user device configured to communicate with said event server over said electronic network by performing a wireless communications procedure, said user device initially providing an access code to said event server for accessing said event content, said user device having one or more time-stamped access capabilities that are each utilized to access a different event service, said time-stamped access capabilities being provided by said event server after receiving said access code from said user device.