Domain-based management of distribution of digital content from multiple suppliers to multiple wireless services subscribers
First Claim
1. A method of providing access to digital products for use in wireless communication devices, the method comprising:
- operating a server system to store domain data defining a plurality of domains, each domain corresponding to a different subset of a plurality of wireless services subscribers, each said subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers including more than one wireless services subscriber, each of the domains further corresponding to a particular billing relationship between a business entity and the corresponding subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers, each of the domains having assigned thereto to a particular set of digital products designed for use in wireless communication devices that are accessible to the wireless services subscribers in that domain;
operating the server system to enable a plurality of digital products suppliers to publish on the server system digital products designed for use in wireless communication devices via a computer network such that the digital products are accessible to the plurality of wireless services subscribers; and
operating the server system to enable wireless services subscribers in each of the plurality of domains to acquire the digital products via at least one wireless network and to use the acquired digital products on associated wireless communication devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A network server system includes a download manager that manages the publication, purchase and delivery of digital content from multiple content suppliers to wireless services subscribers in multiple domains. Each domain is defined as a different grouping of subscribers, such as a wireless carrier or subsidiary thereof, a business enterprise, or other defined group of subscribers. The download manager maintains data defining the multiple domains and associations between the domains and wireless services subscribers. Digital content suppliers can publish and manage their products on the server system via a computer network and make their products available to the subscribers for purchase or licensing. The subscribers in each of the domains can access the server remotely to purchase rights to download and use the digital content on associated wireless communication devices.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of providing access to digital products for use in wireless communication devices, the method comprising:
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operating a server system to store domain data defining a plurality of domains, each domain corresponding to a different subset of a plurality of wireless services subscribers, each said subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers including more than one wireless services subscriber, each of the domains further corresponding to a particular billing relationship between a business entity and the corresponding subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers, each of the domains having assigned thereto to a particular set of digital products designed for use in wireless communication devices that are accessible to the wireless services subscribers in that domain; operating the server system to enable a plurality of digital products suppliers to publish on the server system digital products designed for use in wireless communication devices via a computer network such that the digital products are accessible to the plurality of wireless services subscribers; and operating the server system to enable wireless services subscribers in each of the plurality of domains to acquire the digital products via at least one wireless network and to use the acquired digital products on associated wireless communication devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method comprising:
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maintaining, in a server system, data defining a plurality of domains, each domain corresponding to a different subset of a plurality of wireless services subscribers, each said subset including more than one wireless services subscriber, each of the domains corresponding to a particular billing relationship between a business entity and the corresponding subset of a plurality of wireless services subscribers, including specifying for each of the domains a language for purposes of allowing wireless services subscribers to identify and obtain digital products, where the language for each domain can be set independently of the language of every other domain, and further including specifying for each of the domains a currency in which digital products is to be expressed to wireless subscribers for purposes of wireless services subscribers obtaining digital products, where the currency for each domain can be set independently of the currency of every other domain; enabling a plurality of digital product providers to publish the digital products on the server system; enabling each of the subscribers to view descriptions of at least some of the digital products and to request the digital products from the server system, such that each of the subscribers is able to view descriptions of digital products for a domain with which the subscriber is associated but is not able to view descriptions of digital products of any domain with which the subscriber is not associated; and provisioning the requested digital products in wireless communications devices of the subscribers via at least one wireless network. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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means for maintaining an association between each of a plurality of subscribers of wireless services and one of a plurality of domains into which the plurality of subscribers are grouped, each domain corresponding to a group of the wireless services subscribers and including a different subset of the plurality of subscribers, each said subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers including more than one wireless services subscriber, each of the domains further corresponding to a particular billing relationship between a business entity and the corresponding subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers, each of the domains having assigned thereto a particular set of digital products designed for use in wireless communication devices that are accessible to the wireless services subscribers in that domain; and means for managing publication, management and delivery of digital products by a plurality of digital products suppliers to the subscribers in each of the plurality of domains. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A system to provide digital products from a plurality of digital products suppliers to a plurality of wireless services subscribers using a plurality of wireless communications devices, the system comprising:
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a domain manager to maintain an association between each of the wireless services subscribers and one of a plurality of domains into which the plurality of wireless services subscribers are grouped, each domain corresponding to a different subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers, each said subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers including more than one wireless services subscriber, each of the domains further corresponding to a particular billing relationship between a business entity and the corresponding subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers, each of the domains having assigned thereto a particular set of digital products designed for use in wireless communication devices that are accessible to the wireless services subscribers in that domain; a product manager to manage publication of digital products designed for use in wireless communication devices on the system by the plurality of digital products suppliers; a delivery manager to manage delivery of an item of digital products designed for use in wireless communication devices to a wireless communications device of a requesting subscriber via a wireless network in conjunction with a received request for the item of digital products; and a payment manager to execute a payment process for charging the requesting subscriber for the item of digital products. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system to manage publication and delivery of digital products to users of a plurality of wireless communications devices operating on a wireless network, the users being wireless services subscribers, the plurality of wireless client devices being registered to and operable by the users to access the wireless services, the system comprising:
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a domain manager to maintain data defining an association between each of the subscribers and one of a plurality of domains into which the subscribers are grouped, each domain defined as a group of the wireless services subscribers and including a different subset of the plurality of subscribers, each of the domains corresponding to a particular billing relationship between a business entity and a particular subset of the plurality of subscribers, each subscriber being a member of exactly one of the domains, each said subset of the plurality of wireless services subscribers including more than one wireless services subscriber, each of the domains having assigned thereto a particular set of digital products designed for use in wireless communication devices that are accessible to the wireless services subscribers in that domain; a set of protocol handlers, each protocol handler to enable the system to communicate with wireless client devices over at least one wireless network using a separate associated protocol; a product manager to manage submission and publication of digital products by a plurality of digital products suppliers, wherein the product manager includes a product catalog containing descriptions of available digital products, and a pricing manager to determine and indicate a price for an item of digital products in response to a signal from a wireless communications device of the plurality of wireless communications devices, wherein the price is determined according to a domain in which a requesting subscriber is included; a delivery manager to manage delivery of the item of digital products to the mobile client device via at least one wireless network in conjunction with a received request for the item of digital products; and a payment manager to execute a payment process for charging the requesting subscriber for rights to use the item of digital products. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29)
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Specification