System and method for wirelessly transacting access to a set of events and associated digital content/products

• US 7,630,921 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lalitha, Suryanarayana, White, Russell William, Stuckman, Bruce Edward, Grannan, Michael, Deas, David A., Muhamed, Rias, Wolter, David Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US11/840,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20070282715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/37
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing

Abstract

One or more content providers push data related to: movies, movie products, digital movie content over a network (e.g., a LAN, a WAN, the Internet, or a wireless network) onto an information filling station which, in turn, wirelessly transacts (over a network based on the 802.11b protocol) and transmits any requested data to a portable computer-based device (e.g., laptop, a pen-based computer device, a PDA, a wireless phone, or a pager). The portable device performs financial transactions for: purchasing movie tickets (directly or via auctions), downloading digital entertainment content of interest (e.g., copy of a movie of interest, copy of a movie identified based on a pre-stored profile, copy of soundtrack of a movie of interest), or movie related products. Any purchased digital content is either transferred wirelessly onto the portable device or, optionally, sent on a storage medium to a physical address associated with the profile.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to implement a method to aid in the wireless transmission of requested information and digital data content related to movies from an information filling station (IFS) to a portable computer-based device, said transmission based upon a wireless protocol, said medium comprising:

a. computer readable program code aiding in receiving a request, from said portable device, for information related to movies playing at one or more theaters of interest;

b. computer readable program code aiding in transmitting said requested information to said portable device;

c. computer readable program code aiding in receiving, from said portable device, at least one identified theater of interest and at least one identified movie of interest in said theater of interest;

d. computer readable program code causing the transmission, to said portable device, of available pricing and auction information regarding the availability of tickets for said identified movie of interest;

e. computer readable program code causing the transmission, to said portable device, of one or more advertisements indicating availability and pricing of one or more of the following;

digital content related to said identified movie of interest, digital content related to one or more movies identified based upon a profile of the user of said portable device, and movie related products, wherein said digital content is one or more of an audio media file and a multimedia video file, and said movie related products are one or more of a digital copy of the identified movie of interest and a soundtrack of the identified movie of interest;

f. computer readable program code causing the reception, from said portable device, of an identification indicating tickets of interest and one or more of the following;

digital content of interest related to said identified movie of interest, digital content of interest related to one or more movies identified based upon a profile of the user of said portable device, and movie related products;

g. computer readable program code aiding in facilitating a financial transaction based upon said received identification in step f;

h. computer readable program code which causes, upon successful completion of said financial transaction, a transmission, to said portable device, of a purchase confirmation with instructions for collecting said tickets of interest;

i. delivering said identified digital content of interest and said movie related products of interest to said portable device; and

j. receiving from said portable device feedback information including one of user comments and a video of user reactions, wherein the portable device is capable of downloading and playing said identified digital content of interest and said movie related products of interest.

2. An article of manufacture as per claim 1, wherein said portable device is any of the following:

a laptop, a pen-based computer, a PDA, a wireless phone with a display, or a pager with a display.

3. An article of manufacture as per claim 1, wherein said IFS is located at a remote location from said identified venue of interest.

4. An article of manufacture as per claim 1, wherein said medium further comprises computer readable program code to aid in wirelessly delivering said identified digital content of interest to said portable device.

5. An article of manufacture as per claim 1, wherein said medium further comprises computer readable program code aiding in transmitting any of, or a combination of, the following information related to movies:

movie previews, movie reviews, movie showtimes, direct ticket availability, auction-based ticket availability, movie ticket prices, food availability/prices, comments by movie creators/producers/directors, or text of dialogue related to said movies.

6. An article of manufacture comprising computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein to implement a method to wirelessly receiving information and digital data content related to movies from an information filling station (IFS) onto a portable device, said medium comprising:

a. computer readable program code aiding in receiving from said IFS and based upon an request, information related to movies playing at one or more theaters of interest;

b. computer readable program code aiding in identifying, based upon said rendered information, at least one theater of interest and at least one movie of interest in said theater of interest;

c. computer readable program code aiding in transmitting, to said IFS, said identified information;

d. computer readable program code aiding in receiving, from said IFS, available pricing and auction information regarding the availability of tickets for the identified movie(s) of interest;

e. computer readable program code aiding in identifying, based upon said available pricing and auction information, tickets of interest;

f. computer readable program code aiding in receiving, from said IFS, one or more advertisements indicating availability and pricing of any of the following;

digital content related to the identified movie(s) of interest, digital content related to one or more movie identified based upon a profile of the user of the portable device, and one or more movie related products, wherein said digital content is one or more of an audio file and a multimedia video file, and said movie related products are one or more of a digital copy of the identified movie of interest and a soundtrack of the identified movie of interest;

g. computer readable program code causing said portable device to render said one or more advertisements;

h. computer readable program code aiding in identifying, based upon said rendered advertisements and based upon an input in the portable device, one or more of the following;

digital content related to the identified movie(s) of interest, digital content related to one or more movie identified based upon a profile of the user of the portable device, and one or more movie related products;

i. computer readable program code aiding in performing a financial transaction with said IFS, said transaction based upon information identified in steps (e) and (h);

j. computer readable program code causing, upon successful completion of said financial transaction, said portable device to receive from said IFS, a purchase confirmation with instructions for collecting said tickets of interest;

k. after successful completion of said financial transaction, computer readable program code causing said portable device to receive any of the following;

digital content related to the identified movie(s) of interest, digital content related to one or more movie identified based upon a profile of the user of the portable device, and one or more movie related products; and

l. sending from said portable device feedback information including one of user comments and a video of user reactions, wherein said portable device is capable of downloading and playing said identified digital content of interest and said movie related products of interest.

7. An article of manufacture as per claim 6, wherein said IFS is located at a remote location from said identified theatre of interest.

8. An article of manufacture as per claim 6, wherein medium further comprises computer readable program code aiding in wirelessly delivering said identified digital content of interest to said portable device.