Method and system for tracking content rental

• US 7,233,916 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schultz, Charles P.
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US10/867,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278228A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,099 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 463/39, 340/309.16
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification

Abstract

The invention concerns a method (300, 400) and system (100) for tracking content rental. The method includes the steps of—from a portable electronic device (112)—requesting (312, 416) multimedia content for a rental session, determining (314, 418) whether the request for the rental session is authorized, receiving (320, 422) at the portable electronic device the multimedia content for the rental session if the request is authorized and terminating (324, 426) the rental session based on a predetermined power condition of the portable electronic device.

Claims

1. A method for tracking content rental, comprising the steps of:

from a portable electronic device, requesting multimedia content for a rental session;

determining whether the request for the rental session is authorized;

receiving at the portable electronic device the multimedia content for the rental session if the request is authorized; and

terminating the rental session based on a predetermined power condition of the portable electronic device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the rental session is terminated, the predetermined power condition of the portable electronic device is selected from at least one of the following:

removal of a portable power source from the portable electronic device;

the portable power source reaching a predetermined depletion threshold;

the portable electronic device being charged; and

removal of power being received from at least one of the portable power source and an external source.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining whether the request for the rental session step comprises determining whether the request for the rental session is authorized based on the predetermined power condition.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of prohibiting the rental session if the request is not authorized, wherein the predetermined power condition of the portable electronic device is selected from at least one of the following:

the portable electronic device is in a charging condition;

the portable electronic device is being powered from an external source; and

the portable power source is an invalid portable power source.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of wirelessly transmitting the multimedia content to the portable electronic device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing the multimedia content in a portable storage unit; and

inserting the portable storage unit in the portable electronic device.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia content is downloadable software and wherein the receiving the multimedia content step comprises downloading the software if the request is authorized and the method further comprises the step of uninstalling the software when the rental session is terminated.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the portable electronic device is a mobile communications unit and the portable power source is a rechargeable battery.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the multimedia content is accessible from a wireless local area network coverage area.

10. A portable electronic device for tracking content rental, comprising:

a processor, wherein the processor is programmed to receive a request for a rental session of multimedia content and to determine whether the request for the rental session is authorized; and

a receiving section coupled to the processor, wherein the receiving section receives the multimedia content for the rental session if the processor authorizes the request;

wherein the processor is further programmed to terminate the rental session based on a predetermined power condition of the portable electronic device.

11. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, further comprising a portable power source, wherein when the rental session is terminated, the predetermined power condition of the portable electronic device is selected from at least one of the following:

removal of the portable power source from the portable electronic device;

the portable power source reaching a predetermined depletion threshold;

the portable electronic device being charged; and

removal of power being received from at least one of the portable power source and an external source.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine whether the request for the rental session is authorized based on the predetermined power condition.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the processor is further programmed to prohibit the rental session if the processor determines that the request is not authorized, wherein the predetermined power condition of the portable electronic device is selected from at least one of the following:

the portable electronic device is in a charging condition;

the portable electronic device is being powered from an external source; and

the portable power source is an invalid portable power source.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the multimedia content is wirelessly transmitted to the portable electronic device.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, further comprising a portable storage unit receiver for receiving a portable storage unit, wherein the multimedia content is provided in the portable storage unit.

16. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the multimedia content is downloadable software and the processor is further programmed to download the software if the processor authorizes the request and wherein the processor is further programmed to uninstall the software when the processor terminates the rental session.

17. The potable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein the portable electronic device is a mobile communications unit and the portable power source is a rechargeable battery.

18. The portable electronic device according to claim 10, wherein the multimedia content is accessible from a wireless local area network coverage area.

19. A multimedia content rental system, comprising:

a multimedia content provider providing rental sessions for multimedia content; and

a portable communication device, wherein the portable communication device comprises;

a processor, wherein the processor is programmed to receive a request for a rental session of multimedia content and to determine whether the request for the rental session is authorized; and

a receiving section coupled to the processor, wherein the receiving section receives the multimedia content for the rental session from the multimedia content provider if the processor authorizes the request;

wherein the processor is further programmed to terminate the rental session based on a predetermined power condition of the portable electronic device.

20. The multimedia content rental system according to claim 19, wherein the multimedia content provider wirelessly transmits the multimedia content to the portable electronic device.

21. The multimedia content rental system according to claim 19, wherein the multimedia content provider is a portable storage unit and the portable electronic device further comprises a portable storage unit receiver for receiving the portable storage unit.