Audio distribution system

• US 7,370,063 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andy Vilcauskas, Bryan Hunter
• Original Assignee: Andy Vilcauskas, Bryan Hunter
• Inventors: Hunter, Bryan, Vilcauskas, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHMOUDI, HASSAN
• Application Number:
  US11/355,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 369/30.06
• 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 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen

Abstract

Audio, including content of a digital data stream, is distributed by a system that confirms an ownership interest in the audio content before an audio file is transferred.

Claims

1. A method of distributing audio comprising the steps of:

(a) storing at least one audio compilation on a server arranged to communicate with another computing device, each said audio compilation associated with a respective ownership license to a first number of instances of the totality of said audio compilation, each audio compilation comprising individual audio tracks selectively, separately transferable over a communications channel to and from said server;

(b) assigning a respective second number of instances of ownership of each said track, said second number equal to the sum of the number of individual audio compilations to which the respective said track belongs, each multiplied by the said first number of instances associated with the respective said individual audio compilation included in said sum;

(c) identifying a said audio track selected for purchase by a third party by download to said another computing device;

(d) determining the availability of an instance of ownership of said audio track;

(e) transferring a copy of said track to said other computing device if at least one instance of ownership of said audio track is available, and thereafter incrementing the said second number of instances of ownership of said track downward by one; and

(f) preventing transfer of a copy of said audio file if no instance of ownership of said audio unit is available.

2. The method of distributing audio of claim 1 wherein the step of storing data included a data stream in at least one audio track on a server arranged to communicate with another computing device comprises the steps of:

(a) receiving a transmission comprising said data stream;

(b) recording said transmission; and

(c) storing said recorded transmission in at least one audio file.

3. The method of distributing audio of claim 1 wherein said transmission comprises a radio transmission.

4. The method of distributing audio of claim 1 wherein said transmission comprises a satellite radio transmission.

5. The method of distributing audio of claim 1 wherein said transmission comprises a television transmission.

6. The method of audio of claim 2 wherein the step of storing said recorded transmission in at least one audio track comprises the steps of:

(a) identifying at least one audio unit included in said data stream; and

(b) storing said audio track in at least one audio file.

7. The method of distributing audio of claim 1 wherein the step of transferring a copy of an audio file to another computing device if at least one instance of ownership of the audio unit is available comprises the steps of:

(a) tracking an identification and a location of said audio file;

(b) constructing a pointer file indicating said identification and said location of said audio file; and

(c) communicating said pointer file to a computing device arranged to download said audio file.

8. The method of distributing audio of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

(a) accepting return of an instance of ownership for a previously transferred audio unit; and

(b) making available an instance of ownership to enable a subsequent transfer of an audio file comprising an audio unit corresponding to said returned instance of ownership.

9. The method of distributing audio of claim 8 further comprising the step of requesting acknowledgement of deletion of an audio file comprising said previously transferred audio unit.