Marketing compositions by using a customized sequence of compositions

• US 7,827,110 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2005
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synergy Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: James W. Wieder
• Inventors: Wieder, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURDOUGH, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US11/162,763
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1014 to tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1015 to users
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/901 Digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/902 Licensing digital content

Abstract

A method and apparatus for marketing an un-owned composition to a user and acquiring an un-owned composition for a user'"'"'s collection of compositions. A customized sequence of compositions is generated for a user. The customized sequence may be based upon the user'"'"'s history or other compositions familiar to the user or other compositions in the user'"'"'s collection. Portions of one or more compositions that are un-owned by the user may be interleaved for free and/or for multiple times in the sequence, in-order to interest the user in acquiring the composition. While an un-owned composition is active or playing, the user may take action to acquire the composition or add the composition to the user'"'"'s collection. Usage-rights for an acquired composition may be stored at a network repository and may be automatically usable at one or more user-devices, whenever the user is active at such a user-device.

Claims

1. An apparatus-implemented method for marketing a composition to a user, the method comprising:

playing, by a user-device, an entertainment sequence that is customized for a user;

wherein said entertainment sequence comprises a plurality of compositions or pieces that were selected for said user based on information and/or history about said user;

wherein when a composition or piece has finished being played-back, or when the rest of a composition or piece has been forwarded past, a following composition or piece is automatically started without needing user action;

playing, automatically by the user-device, at least one marketed composition or subset portion of a marketed composition, as part of said entertainment sequence;

wherein the marketed composition was selected for said user, without needing user action, based on a profile and history of said user, and on feedback or history of other users;

while a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition is playing in said entertainment sequence, detecting at the user-device whether an authorization to acquire usage-rights for said marketed composition is indicated by said user;

when said authorization is provided by said user, causing usage-rights for a said authorized marketed composition to be acquired for said user;

wherein a digital representation of at least a subset of the user'"'"'s usage-rights for the acquired composition, is transmitted across a network for use at one or more user-devices; and

wherein usage-rights for a composition are acquired for the user, without the user searching a catalog, database or listing of compositions.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the user-device:

immediately responds to user control actions to affect a playback of a composition or compositions; and

when there are no said user control actions available to act upon, automatically plays said entertainment sequence.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein at least some of the compositions in said entertainment sequence are whole compositions for which usage-rights are already owned by the user.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein an limited authorization to include a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition in said entertainment sequence for said user, was obtained without the user incurring any additional fee or fees.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein said authorization to acquire usage-rights comprises the user activating a control button or buttons, or the user speaking a defined word or phrase, to indicate an authorization to acquire usage-rights.

6. A method as in claim 1 further comprising responding to a user control action to skip the rest of a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition, that is currently playing;

and begin playback of another composition in said entertainment sequence.

7. A method as in claim 1 wherein said information or history about the user comprises:

a profile of the user; and

/or

compositions for which the user owns usage-rights; and

/or

a history of playbacks associated with the user; and

/or

a history of control actions by the user that have affected the prior playback of a said composition or compositions.

8. A method as in claim 1 wherein the information and/or history about the user, are prior control actions by said user that have affected the prior playback of a said composition or compositions.

9. A method as in claim 1 wherein a said subset of said marketed composition comprises one or more parts of the whole marketed composition.

10. A method as in claim 1 wherein a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition, is interspersed a plurality of times into said entertainment sequence.

11. A method as in claim 1 wherein a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition, is interspersed a plurality of times into said entertainment sequence, wherein the number of times is based on a purchase history and/or a credit report for said user.

12. A method as in claim 1 wherein a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition, is interspersed a plurality of times into said entertainment sequence, wherein the number of times is based on user feedback about the marketed composition that occurred during a playback of said marketed composition or said subset of a marketed composition.

13. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

replaying a said marketed composition or a said subset of a said marketed composition, when initiated by a control action by said user.

14. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

stopping a playback of a said subset of a said marketed composition and begin playing the whole marketed composition, when initiated by a control action by said user.

15. A method as in claim 1 wherein said digital representation of the user'"'"'s usage-rights for the marketed composition, is distributed across network and/or Internet and/or communication paths, to a plurality of user devices so that said usage-rights are available, without needing user action, at any of a plurality of user devices that the user is currently using.

16. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

providing to the user, information about purchase terms or pricing, as part of said sequence of compositions, wherein said information occurs before, during and/or after a playback, of a said marketed composition or a said subset of said marketed composition is playing.

17. A method as in claim 1 wherein the fraction of the compositions in the entertainment sequence that are said marketed compositions or said portions of said marketed compositions, is dependent upon an indicator of the amount of newness that is desired by said user.

18. A method as in claim 1 wherein said selection, of a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition, is based upon an analysis of compositions that are liked by both the user and other users, to identify other compositions that are also liked by said other users and which the user does not own usage-rights for.

19. A method as in claim 1 wherein said selecting of a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition is based on correlations between:

a composition or compositions that a group of users are known to like, and other compositions that said group of users are known to also like.

20. A method as in claim 1 wherein the user has limited or no usage-rights for the marketed composition.

21. A method as in claim 1 wherein the subset of the marketed composition is a highlight of the marketed composition.

22. A method as in claim 1 wherein said sequence of compositions automatically continues until interrupted by the user.

23. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

providing to the user, information about purchase terms or pricing, as part of said sequence of compositions, wherein said information occurs before, during and/or after a playback, of said marketed composition or a said portion subset of said marketed composition; and

while a said information about purchase terms or pricing is playing in said entertainment sequence, detecting whether an authorization to acquire usage-rights for said marketed composition is indicated by said user.

24. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

automatically causing the user'"'"'s usage-rights, for the acquired marketed composition, to be added to a collection of the user'"'"'s compositions.

25. A method as in claim 1 wherein a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition is selected from a list of compositions, wherein the list was obtained from another user or shared by another user.

26. A Music or Entertainment System for marketing a composition to a user, comprising one or more processors programmed to:

play an entertainment sequence that is customized for a user;

wherein said entertainment sequence comprises compositions or pieces that were selected for said user based on information and/or history about said user;

wherein when a composition or piece has finished, or when the rest of a composition or piece has been forwarded past, a following composition or piece is started without needing user action;

play at least one, marketed composition or subset of a marketed composition, as part of said entertainment sequence;

wherein the marketed composition was selected for said user, without needing user action, based on a profile and history of said user, and on feedback or history of other users;

while a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition is playing in said entertainment sequence, detect whether an authorization to acquire usage-rights for said marketed composition is indicated by said user;

when said authorization is provided by said user, cause usage-rights for a said authorized marketed composition to be acquired for said user;

wherein a digital representation of at least a subset of the user'"'"'s usage-rights for the acquired composition, is transmitted across a network for use at one or more user-devices; and

wherein usage-rights for a composition are acquired for the user, without the user;

searching a catalog, database or listing of compositions.

27. A Music or Entertainment System as in claim 26 wherein said one or more processors:

immediately respond to user control actions to affect a playback of a composition or compositions; and

when there are no said user playback control actions are available to act upon, automatically play said entertainment sequence.

28. A Music or Entertainment System as in claim 26 wherein the user activates a control button or buttons, or speaks a defined word or phrase to indicate an authorization to acquire usage-rights on behalf of the user.

29. A Music or Entertainment System as in claim 26 wherein the information and/or history about the user, are prior control actions by said user that have affected the prior playback of a said composition or compositions.

30. A Music or Entertainment System as in claim 26 wherein a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition, is interspersed a plurality of times into said entertainment sequence, wherein the number of times is based on a purchase history and/or a credit report for said user.

31. A Music or Entertainment System as in claim 26 wherein said digital representation of the user'"'"'s usage-rights for the marketed composition, is distributed across network and/or Internet and/or communication paths, to a plurality of user devices so that said usage-rights are-available, without needing user action, at any of a plurality of user devices that the user is currently using.

32. A Music or Entertainment System as in claim 26 wherein the fraction of the compositions in the entertainment sequence that are said marketed compositions or said portions of said marketed compositions, is dependent upon an indicator of the amount of newness that is desired by said user.

33. One or more computer-readable memories or storage media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, implement the method of:

playing an entertainment sequence that is customized for a user;

wherein said entertainment sequence comprises a plurality of compositions or pieces that were selected for said user based on information and/or history about said user;

wherein when a composition or piece has finished being played-back, a following composition or piece is automatically started without needing user action;

playing at least one, marketed composition or subset of a marketed composition, as part of said entertainment sequence;

wherein the marketed composition was selected for said user, without needing user action, based on a profile and history of said user, and on feedback or history of other users;

while a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition is playing in said entertainment sequence, detecting whether an authorization to acquire usage-rights for said marketed composition is indicated by said user;

when said authorization is provided by said user, causing usage-rights for a said authorized marketed composition to be acquired for said user;

wherein a digital representation of at least a subset of the user'"'"'s usage-rights for the acquired composition, is transmitted across a network for use at one or more user-devices; and

wherein usage-rights for a composition are acquired for the user, without the user searching a catalog, database or listing of compositions.

34. One or more computer-readable memories or storage as in claim 33, wherein said processors:

immediately respond to user control actions to affect a playback of a composition or compositions; and

when there are no said user control actions available to act upon, automatically play said entertainment sequence.

35. One or more computer-readable memories or storage media A as in claim 33 wherein the user activates a control button or buttons, or speaks a defined word or phrase, to indicate an authorization to acquire usage-rights on behalf of the user.

36. One or more computer-readable memories or storage media as in claim 33 wherein the information and/or history about the user, are prior control actions by said user that have affected the prior playback of a said composition or compositions.

37. One or more computer-readable memories or storage media as in claim 33 wherein a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition, is interspersed a plurality of times into said entertainment sequence, wherein the number of times is based on a purchase history and/or a credit report for said user.

38. One or more computer-readable memories or storage media as in claim 33 wherein said digital representation of the user'"'"'s usage-rights for the marketed composition, is distributed across network and/or Internet and/or communication paths, to a plurality of user devices so that said usage-rights are available, without needing user action, at any of a plurality of user devices that the user is currently using.

39. One or more computer-readable memories or storage media as in claim 33 wherein the fraction of the compositions in the entertainment sequence that are said marketed compositions or said portions of said marketed compositions, is dependent upon an indicator of the amount of newness that is desired by said user.