System and method for distributing media assets to user devices via a portal synchronized by said user devices

• US 7,020,704 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2000
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nim Sar, RCS IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Zapmedia Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Whitehead, III, John Paul, Muntz, Eric Neal, Hirsch, Michael D., Morrison, Kelly P., Robison, Richard D., Petritis, John B., Lipscomb, Kenneth O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prieto, Beatriz
• Application Number:
  US09/679,688
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-219, 709225-226, 709/229, 709231-232, 709/311, 709201-203, 713/2, 705/1
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers

Abstract

A system and method for distributing digital media assets to a plurality of users. A portal is provided comprising at least one server computer. The portal executes a media library database server application that manages access a master library of media assets that can be accessed by users via one or more communication networks. A plurality of media player devices communicate with the portal to access media assets for use. Each media player device may comprise a processor that executes a database client application that manages media assets licensed for use by a user.

Claims

1. A system for managing the distribution of licensed media assets, the system comprising:

a portal comprising at least one server computer executing a media library database server application that manages access to a master library of licensed media assets by establishing a virtual private library for each of a plurality of users, each of said virtual private libraries comprising licensed media assets of said master library that are licensed by one of said plurality of users and that can be accessed by a plurality of media player devices via one or more communication networks;

a first media player device being operated by a first user and being operable to;

communicate with said portal to access licensed media assets in a virtual private library for said first user;

receive a new licensed media asset independent from the portal and that is not currently included in the master library or the virtual private library for said first user; and

transfer the reference of the new licensed media asset to the portal for inclusion in the virtual private library for said first user; and

a second media player device being operated by said first user and being operable to;

communicate with said portal to access licensed media assets in said virtual private library for said first user, including said new licensed media asset, of which the license includes multiple device access to the media assets.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said media library database server application of the portal manages usage rights of users to licensed media assets.

3. A media asset management portal for enabling a user to access media assets via a plurality of media player devices, the media asset management portal comprising:

a virtual media asset library associated with at least one user account which contains at least one media asset that a user associated with the user account is licensed to use on at least two media player devices, the virtual media asset library enabling each of the at least two media player devices corresponding to the user account to access the least one media asset; and

a network interface for controlling communication between the at least two media players and the virtual media asset library via a communications network;

a master media library database application that synchronizes the at least one media asset contained in the virtual media asset library with at least one of the media player devices by receiving the at least one media asset from one of the at least two media player devices and synchronizing the at least one media asset with the virtual media asset library.

4. The media asset management portal of claim 3, wherein the master media library database application synchronizes the at least one media asset received from one of the at least two media player devices with another of the at least two media player devices.

5. A portal for enabling a user to manage media assets across a plurality of associated media player devices via a communications network, the portal comprising:

a virtual media asset library for storing a plurality of licensed media assets associated with a user account, the user account specifying a plurality of media player devices associated with the user account; and

an application associated with the virtual media asset library which enables each of the plurality of media player devices associated with the user account to access at least one of the plurality of licensed media assets via a communications network, to synchronize the plurality of licensed media assets between the virtual media asset library and a local database residing on at least one of the media player devices and is configured to receive a new media asset from one of the plurality of media player devices and add the new media asset to the virtual media asset library.

6. A portal for enabling user to manage media assets across a plurality of associated media player devices via a communications network, the portal comprising:

a virtual media asset library for storing a plurality of licensed media assets associated with a user account, the user account specifying a plurality of media player devices associated with the user account; and

application associated with the virtual media asset library which enables each of the plurality of media player devices associated with the user account to access at least one of the plurality of licensed media assets via a communications network, to synchronize the plurality of licensed media assets between the virtual media asset library and a local database residing on at least one of the media player devices and the application is configured to;

receive a new media asset from one of the plurality of media player devices;

add the new media asset to the virtual media asset library; and

enable another of the plurality of media player devices to access the new media asset.

7. A media asset management system comprising:

a portal comprising;

a user account corresponding to at least one user; and

a virtual media asset library for storing a reference to a plurality of media assets which the user has a license to use; and

a plurality of media player devices associated with the user account, the plurality of media player devices including a media asset portability application that enables the user to access the plurality of media assets referenced in the virtual media asset library across the plurality of media player devices.

8. The media asset management system of claim 7, wherein the media asset portability application is configured to post a new media asset added to the corresponding media player device to the virtual media asset library for access by the other of the plurality of media player devices.

9. The media asset management system of claim 7, wherein the media asset portability application is configured to move one of the plurality of media assets from the corresponding media player device to another of the plurality of media player devices.

10. The media asset management system of claim 7, wherein the media asset portability application is configured to provide at least one of the plurality of media assets from one of the media player devices to another of the plurality of media player devices.