Systems and methods for receiving, storing, and rendering digital video, music, and pictures on a personal media player

• US 7,426,329 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Manchester, Scott, Calhoon, John C., Fierstein, Scott J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury; Nigar
• Application Number:
  US10/384,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20040175098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,021 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386 45- 46, 386/33, 386/96, 386125-126, 348/552
• US Class Current: 386/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44
• 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 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 : Portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 : Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 : using transform coding

Abstract

A personal media player (PMP) uses a digital media processing system—comprising a video rendering subsystem, a music rendering subsystem, and a picture rendering subsystem—to produce moving-video (video), audio (music), still-graphics (picture), and other output rendered from media files ported to the PMP from another source. The PMP further comprises a user interface system, a display unit system, a power source system, and a data port system utilizing Universal Plug and Play functionality, all of which are coupled directly or indirectly to the digital media processing system. The physical components constituting the aforementioned systems and subsystems are then encased in a portable housing unit suitable for hand-held use and ready portability.

Claims

1. A personal media player comprising:

a digital media processing system comprising a video rendering subsystem, a music rendering subsystem, and a picture rendering subsystem;

a user interface system coupled to the digital media processing system;

a display unit system coupled to the digital media processing system;

a power source system coupled to the digital media processing system for providing power to at least one component of the personal media player requiring power for operation;

a Universal Plug and Play data port connection system coupled to the digital media processing system, the data port connection system capable of configuring itself to a network by acquiring a TCP/IP address from the network and using a hypertext transfer protocol to notify at least one other device connected to the network; and

a portable housing unit encompassing the digital media processing system, the user interface system, the display unit system, the power source system, and the data port systems,

wherein if the digital media processing system determines selected media content comprises protected content;

the Universal Plug and Play data port connection system is adapted to issue a request to retrieve key IDs for the selected media content from a media server communicatively coupled to the personal media player via the network, retrieve rights for the selected media content from the license server, upon determining the retrieved rights indicate the selected media content may be copied retrieving keys from the personal media player and validating the personal media player with the license sever, and downloading a license from the license server.

2. The personal media player of claim 1 wherein the digital media processing system comprises a computer system.

3. The personal media player of claim 1 further comprising a Digital Rights Management subsystem.

4. The personal media player of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a left-side media select group and a right-side media control group.

5. The personal media player of claim 1 wherein the display unit comprises a Liquid Crystal Display.

6. The personal media player of claim 1 wherein the power source system comprises a battery.

7. The personal media player of claim 1 wherein the data port system further comprises a Universal Serial Bus connection.

8. The personal media player of claim 1 wherein:

the digital media processing system comprises a computer system;

the personal media player further comprises a Digital Rights Management subsystem;

the user interface comprises a left-side media select group and a right-side media control group;

the display unit comprises a Liquid Crystal Display; and

the power source system comprises a battery.

9. A method for porting media on a personal media player comprising:

establishing communication over a network between a personal media player having a Universal Plug and Play application and a media server using Universal Plug and Play functionality, the Universal Plug and Play functionality including acquiring a TCP/IP address from the network and using a hypertext transfer protocol to notify at least one other device connected to the network;

at the personal media player issuing a Universal Plug and Play browse request to the media server, the browse request resulting in identification of media content on the media server that is available for downloading to the personal media player;

at the personal media player, selecting media content on the media server that is available for downloading;

at the personal media player, determining if the selected media content comprises protected content;

if the personal media player determines the selected media content comprises protected content;

at the personal media player, the Universal Plug and Play application issuing a request to retrieve key IDs for the selected media content from the media server;

at the personal media player, the Universal Plug and Play application retrieving rights for the selected media content from a license server communicatively coupled to the personal media player via the network; and

upon determining the retrieved rights indicate the selected media content may be copied, at the personal media player, the Universal Plug and Play application retrieving keys from the personal media player and validating the personal media player with the license server; and

at the personal media player, the Universal Plug and Play application downloading a license from the license server,

at the personal media player, the Universal Plug and Play application issuing a Universal Plug and Play import request for the selected content to the media server;

at a Universal Plug and Play control point communicatively coupled to the personal media player via the network, receiving and storing the selected media content;

at the personal media player, the Universal Plug and Play application requesting that the Universal Plug and Play control point reformat the selected content for use on the personal media player;

at the personal media player, the Universal Plug and Play application issuing a Universal Plug and Play request to export the reformatted selected content from the Universal Plug and Play control point to the personal media player;

at the personal media player, receiving the selected content from the Universal Plug and Play control point.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein issuing a Universal Plug and Play browse request to the media server comprises issuing the browse request via the Universal Plug and Play control point.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein retrieving rights for the selected media content from a license server comprises retrieving a license from the license server and parsing the license for usage rights established for the selected content.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining if the parsed license indicates the selected media content may be copied.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein validating the personal media player with the license server comprises determining that the personal media player has not been initialized and initializing the personal media player with the license server.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising at the personal media player, the Universal Plug and Play application binds the selected content to the personal media player using the license.

15. A computer storage medium bearing computer readable instructions for:

establishing a connection between a personal media player and a computer system connected to a network using Universal Plug and Play functionality;

acquiring a TCP/IP address from the network and using a hypertext transfer protocol to notify at least one other device connected to the network;

identifying media files on the computer system that are available for downloading to the personal media player;

determining whether the media files comprise protected content;

the Universal Plug and Play data port upon determining that the media files comprise protected content, retrieving at least one of a key ID and a license for the content from the network in order to determine whether the content may be copied;

the Universal Plug and Play data port upon determining the content may be copied, retrieving keys from the personal media player, validating the personal media player with the network and downloading a license from the network;

selecting media files on the computer system that are available for downloading;

downloading at least one media file to the personal media player from the computer system; and

operating the personal media player to render output from at least one of the media files downloaded from the computer system.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for discontinuing the connection between the portable media player and the computer system.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for establishing a connection to the computer system via a network connection.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for establishing a connection to the computer system via a Universal Serial Bus connection.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for validating the personal media player to receive at least one media file protected by Digital Rights Management technologies.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for receiving a license to at least one media file.

21. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for receiving a decryption key to at least one encrypted media file.

22. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for converting at least one media file into a format from which the personal media player can then render output.

23. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for enabling the personal media player to control at least one process from a group of processes comprising identification, selection, and downloading as stated in the claim.

24. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for enabling the personal media player to control the processes of identification, selection, and downloading as stated in the claim.

25. The computer storage medium of claim 15 further comprising computer readable instructions for enabling the computer system to control the processes of identification, selection, and downloading as stated in the claim.