Media validation system

• US 7,631,000 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2005
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DigiMedia Tech, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Schust Development LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US11/226,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010083A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,546 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707100-1041, 707200-206, 713150-181
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• 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: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A media validation system including a plurality of media storage devices which contain a quantity of content thereon, a user computer processor assembly structured to operatively access a select media storage device, a verification module, and a communicative link between the verification module and the user computer processor assembly. Each of the media storage devices includes a unique unit identifier, the verification module identifying the unique unit identifier of the select media storage device and receiving user information associated therewith. The verification module is also structured to apply a reward credit in association with only a first user whose user information is associated with the unique unit identifier for the select media storage device.

Claims

1. A media validation system implemented on a computer assembly comprising:

a verification module configured to associate a unique identifier of a media storage device with user information for validating a first user of the media storage device;

wherein the media storage device is configured to store generally accessible content subject to attempted copying by a plurality of users, wherein the unique identifier is configured to be copied with the generally accessible content if the generally accessible content is copied to another media storage device;

wherein the verification module is configured to permit access to supplemental content only to the first user responsive to the association of the unique identifier of the media storage device with the user information for validating the first user; and

wherein the verification module is configured to restrict access to the supplemental content by the first user responsive to attempted copying of the generally accessible content by a user other than the first user.

2. The media validation system of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured to deny access to the supplemental content to users subsequent to the first user.

3. The media validation system of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured to continue to apply a reward credit to the first user responsive to the first user restricting access to the generally accessible content.

4. The media validation system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is at least partially inaccessible prior to association of the unique identifier of the media storage device with the first user.

5. The media validation system of claim 4, wherein the verification module is configured to permit more than one access to the supplemental content by the first user.

6. The media validation system of claim 4, wherein the verification module is configured to associate the unique identifier of the media storage device with the user information of the first user each time the first user accesses the supplemental content.

7. The media validation system of claim 4, wherein the verification module is configured to validate the media storage device in association with a computer processor assembly such that subsequent access to the supplemental content utilizing the computer processor assembly does not require the verification module to re-associate the unique identifier of the media storage device with any of the user information for validating the first user.

8. The media validation system of claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is stored at least partially remote from the media storage device.

9. The media validation system of claim 8, wherein the verification module is configured to obtain information corresponding to the first user and the unique identifier of the media storage device.

10. The media validation system of claim 9, wherein the verification module is configured to limit access to the supplemental content if access to the supplemental content is simultaneously attempted using a same user information.

11. The media validation system of claim 1, wherein the verification module is configured to verify the first user in response to the first user accessing the media storage device using another user device.

12. The media validation system of claim 11, wherein the media storage device comprises an optical disk and the another user device comprises a computer.

13. A media validation computer processor assembly comprising:

a verification module configured to validate a media storage device by determining a unique identifier of the media storage device and associating the unique identifier with user information of a first user of the media storage device; and

a transmission module configured to transmit a reward credit to the first user responsive to the verification module validating the media storage device and to revoke the reward credit if a user subsequent to the first user attempts to validate the media storage device;

wherein the verification module is configured to permit access to supplemental content only to the first user responsive to the association of the unique identifier of the media storage device with the user information of the first user; and

wherein the verification module is configured to restrict access to the supplemental content by the first user responsive to attempted copying of generally accessible content by a user other than the first user.

14. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 13, wherein the reward credit comprises content capable of being stored on the media storage device.

15. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 14, wherein the content is encrypted and accessible to the first user upon validation by the verification module.

16. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 14, wherein the content is maintained at least partially remote from the media storage device.

17. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 14, wherein the verification module is configured to validate the media storage device each time any user seeks access to the content.

18. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 14, wherein said verification module is configured to validate the media storage device in association with a computer processor assembly such that subsequent access to the content utilizing the computer processor assembly does not require a subsequent validation.

19. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 14, wherein verification module is configured to revoke validation of the media storage device and thereby limit access to the content responsive to one or more users subsequent to the first user attempting to validate the media storage device.

20. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 13, wherein the verification module is configured to store information associated with the first user and to accumulate reward credits for the first user for additional media storage devices.

21. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 20, wherein the verification module is configured such that the user information is automatically submitted.

22. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 13, wherein the verification module is configured to verify the first user in response to the first user accessing the media storage device using another user device.

23. The media validation computer processor assembly of claim 22, wherein the media storage device comprises an optical disk and the another user device comprises a computer.