Digital transactions for the delivery of media files
DCFirst Claim
1. A method of delivering a digital media file comprising the following steps:
- (a) dividing a master version of a digital media file into a first series of time frames and a second series of time frames;
(b) delivering the first series of time frames to one or more users without any form of access control, the first series of time frames capable of being used to form a version of the digital media file which is at least one of a group consisting of;
incomplete and corrupted; and
(c) delivering the second series of time frames to one or more users, the second series of time frames capable of being used in conjunction with the first series of time frames to form a version of the digital media file which is complete and uncorrupted, in which access to the second series of time frames is only granted to users satisfying defined access control criteria, wherein the second series of time frames is transmitted separately from the first series of time frames in response to a user request.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An incomplete/partly corrupted media file is delivered ‘in the clear’; in addition, a delta file is delivered to users meeting access control criteria which, when combined with the incomplete/partly corrupted parts allows a complete and uncorrupted version of the media file to be re-constructed. The method allows, in one implementation, a secure music purchase system to operate over digital radio: for example, the start of a song when played over the radio is usually deliberately talked over and the end cut short to prevent listeners being able to record a complete copy. With the present system, this practice can continue, but listeners can also purchase the missing or corrupted sections to enable them to possess a complete and uncorrupted version for playback.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. A method of delivering a digital media file comprising the following steps:
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(a) dividing a master version of a digital media file into a first series of time frames and a second series of time frames; (b) delivering the first series of time frames to one or more users without any form of access control, the first series of time frames capable of being used to form a version of the digital media file which is at least one of a group consisting of;
incomplete and corrupted; and(c) delivering the second series of time frames to one or more users, the second series of time frames capable of being used in conjunction with the first series of time frames to form a version of the digital media file which is complete and uncorrupted, in which access to the second series of time frames is only granted to users satisfying defined access control criteria, wherein the second series of time frames is transmitted separately from the first series of time frames in response to a user request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of receiving a digital media file at a receiving device, the digital media file being held at a remote source as a master version divided into a first series of time frames and a second series of time frames, the method comprising the following steps:
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(a) receiving at the receiving device the first series of time frames, the first series of time frames capable of being used by the receiving device without meeting access control criteria to form a version of the digital media file which is at least one of a group consisting of;
incomplete and corrupted; and(b) receiving at the receiving device the second series of time frames, the second series of time frames capable of being used by the receiving device in conjunction with the first series of time frames to form a version of the digital media file which is complete and uncorrupted, in which access to the second series of time frames is only possible if the receiving device satisfies defined access control criteria, wherein the second series of time frames is transmitted separately from the first series of time frames in response to a request from the receiving device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for processing a digital media file, the apparatus programmed to:
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(a) divide a master version of a digital media file into a first series of time frames and a second series of time frames; (b) send the first series of time frames, the first series of time frames capable of being used at a receiving device without any form of access control to form a version of the digital media file which is at least one of a group consisting of;
incomplete and corrupted; and(c) send the second series of time frames, the second series of time frames capable of being re-combined at the receiving device in conjunction with the first series of time frames to form a version of the digital media file which is complete and uncorrupted, in which access to the second series of time frames is only granted to users satisfying defined access control criteria, wherein the second series of time frames is transmitted separately from the first series of time frames in response to a user request. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for receiving a digital media file, the digital media file being held at a remote source as a master version divided into a first series of time frames and a second series of time frames, the apparatus programmed to:
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(a) receive the first series of time frames, the first series capable of being used by a receiving device without meeting access control criteria to form a version of the digital media file which is at least one of a group consisting of;
incomplete and corrupted; and(b) receive the second series of time frames, the second series of time frames capable of being used by the receiving device in conjunction with the first series of time frames to form a version of the digital media file which is complete and uncorrupted, in which access to the second series of time frames is only possible if the receiving device satisfies defined access control criteria, wherein the second series of time frames is transmitted separately from the first series of time frames in response to a request from the apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of delivering a digital media file comprising the following steps:
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(a) dividing a master version of a digital media file into a first series of time frames and a second series of time frames; (b) delivering the first series of time frames to one or more users without any form of access control, the first series of time frames comprising one or more corrupted time frames and being capable of being used to form a version of the digital media file which is at least corrupted; and (c) delivering the second series of time frames to one or more users, the second series of time frames capable of being used in conjunction with the first series of time frames to form a version of the digital media file which is complete and uncorrupted, in which access to the second series of time frames is only granted to users satisfying defined access control criteria, wherein the second series of time frames comprises one or more uncorrupted time frames being uncorrupted versions of the one or more corrupted time frames in the first series of time frames such that the one or more uncorrupted time frames in the second series of time frames are capable of replacing the one or more corrupted time frames in the first series of time frames. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method of receiving a digital media file at a receiving device, the digital media file being held at a remote source as a master version divided into a first series of time frames and a second series of time frames, the method comprising the following steps:
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(a) receiving at the receiving device the first series of time frames, the first series of time frames comprising one or more corrupted time frames and being capable of being used by the receiving device without meeting access control criteria to form a version of the digital media file which is at least corrupted; and (b) receiving at the receiving device the second series of time frames, the second series of time frames capable of being used by the receiving device in conjunction with the first series of time frames to form a version of the digital media file which is complete and uncorrupted, in which access to the second series of time frames is only possible if the receiving device satisfies defined access control criteria, wherein the second series of time frames comprises one or more uncorrupted time frames that are uncorrupted versions of the one or more corrupted time frames in the first series of time frames such that the one or more uncorrupted time frames in the second series of time frames are capable of replacing the one or more corrupted time frames in the first series of time frames.
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31. A method of delivering a digital media file comprising the following steps:
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(a) dividing a master version of a digital media file into a first series of time frames and a second series of time frames; (b) delivering the first series of time frames to one or more users without any form of access control, the first series of time frames capable of being used to form a version of the digital media file which is at least one of a group consisting of;
incomplete and corrupted; and(c) delivering the second series of time frames to one or more users, the second series of time frames capable of being used in conjunction with the first series of time frames to form a version of the digital media file which is complete and uncorrupted, in which access to the second series of time frames is only granted to users satisfying defined access control criteria, wherein the second series of time frames is transmitted subsequent to the first series of time frames.
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Specification