Local transmission for content sharing

• US 7,827,289 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bucher, Timothy, Ross, Mark Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughn, Jr.; William C
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHRISTENSEN, SCOTT B
• Application Number:
  US11/356,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20070191008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,720 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/225, 709/229, 709/230, 709/231, 709/238, 709/243, 709/250, 709/227, 715/736, 715/740, 715/751, 725/54, 725/62, 725/63
• US Class Current: 709/227
• 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: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

A personal media device transmits media content to one or more nearby personal media devices so that users can dynamically and easily share content. The method includes, on a first media player device having or having access to selected media content, playing the selected media content such that it can be listened to on a first user'"'"'s headphones. The selected media content is also transmitted such that it can be received and simultaneously played by one or more authorized media player devices associated with additional users. The transmitted content is preferable secure so that only authorized users can access it. The media player devices receiving the transmitted content can be wireless headsets configured to receive and simultaneously play the content.

Claims

1. A method for distributing media content to multiple users, comprising:

on a first media player device playing the selected media content;

wirelessly transmitting, directly from the first media player to a first headset associated with said first user, the selected media content such that said selected media content can be listened to by the first user via the first headset;

establishing a first wireless link from the first media player device to a second media player device,

wherein the second media player device is associated with second headset associated with a second user, such that media from the second media player device is wirelessly transmitted to said second headphones for the second user to listen to media content from the second media player,

wherein the first wireless link facilitates an authorization of the second headset for a direct communication with the first media player device;

establishing a second wireless link directly between said second headset and said first media player device in response to said second headset being authorized for a direct communication with said first media player device;

terminating said first wireless link in response to the configuring of the second wireless link; and

wirelessly transmitting the selected media content directly from the first media player device to the authorized second user'"'"'s headset via the second wireless link without the selected media content being received by any the second media devices.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of wirelessly transmitting is performed securely in a unicast transmission between the first media player device and the authorized headset associated with the additional users.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of wirelessly transmitting is performed securely in a multicast transmission from the first media player device to the authorized headset associated with the additional users.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless links are established using a wireless technology selected from 802.11 networks, Bluetooth networks, WiFi networks, cellular networks, and combinations thereof.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of playing the selected media content comprises playing audio content.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of playing the selected media content comprises playing a satellite radio feed.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of wirelessly transmitting the selected media content from the first media player device directly to authorized headphones further comprises:

sharing group data from the first personal media player device; and

using the group data to configure unauthorized headphones as the authorized headphones.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the act of wirelessly transmitting the selected media content from the first media player device directly to authorized headphones further comprises:

sharing group data from the first personal media player device to other personal media player devices associated with additional users; and

performing an authentication process where the other personal media player device uses the group data to configure unauthorized headphones as the authorized headphones.

9. A personal media player device configured to perform the method in claim 1.

10. A method for obtaining selected media content from a first media player device associated with a first user, wherein the first media player device wirelessly transmits the media content to a first headset such that said media content can be listened to said first user via the headphones, the method comprising:

establishing, between a second media player device associated with a second user and the first media player, a first wireless link,

wherein the second media player device is associated with a second headset associated with the second user, such that media from the second media player device is wirelessly transmitted to said second headset for the second user to listen to media content from the second media player,

wherein the first wireless link facilitates an authorization of the second headset for direct communications with the first media player device;

receiving, via the first wireless link, an initial transmission from the first media player device;

establishing, by the second media player, a second wireless link directly between the second headset and the first media player device;

terminating said first wireless link in response to the second wireless link being established; and

wirelessly receiving, at the second wireless headset, the selected media content via the second wireless link, such that the media content is not received by the second media player device.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the act of wirelessly receiving the media content comprises receiving a unicast transmission that is only accessible by authorized wireless headsets.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the act of wirelessly receiving the media content comprises receiving a multicast transmission that is only accessible by authorized wireless headsets can receive the selected media content.

13. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the selected media content further comprises at least one of saved audio content, a satellite radio feed, a digital image, text or video.

14. A wireless headset configured to perform the method of claim 10.

15. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein collecting group data is performed by a personal media player device associated with the first user and the personal media player device associated with the first user using the group data to configure the wireless headset associated with the first user.

16. A community enabled personal wireless media player system, comprising:

a primary media player device associated with a primary user, comprising;

a memory in which media content is stored;

a primary headset wirelessly connected to said primary media player and associated with said primary user;

a wireless receiving module configured to receive media content;

a media control module configured to read media content from the memory source and/or communicated media content received from the wireless receiving module;

an authorization module configured to authorize headsets and media player devices for communication with said primary media player device;

a wireless transmitting module configured to transmit the media content read by the media control module,

wherein the wireless transmitting module is further configured to perform a method comprising the steps of;

establishing a first link with one or more secondary media player devices associated with one or more secondary users,

wherein the secondary media player devices are each wirelessly connected to a secondary headset associated with one of said secondary users;

wherein the first link facilitates an authorization of the secondary headsets;

establishing a second wireless link directly between the primary media player device and each of said secondary headsets in response to each of the secondary headsets being authorized;

terminating the first link to each of said secondary media player devices in response to the establishing of said second wireless link to each of said secondary headsets;

wirelessly transmitting the read media content via the second wireless link directly from the primary media player to each of said authorized secondary headsets without the read media content being received by any of said secondary media player devices.

17. A system as defined in claim 16, wherein the authorization module and the transmitter module are configured to coordinate unicast transmission between devices.

18. A system as defined in claim 16, wherein the authorization module and the transmitter module are configured to coordinate multicast transmission between the primary media player device and the authorized secondary headsets wherein the primary media player device can serve as a router to relay wireless transmissions.

19. A system as defined in claim 16, wherein the media control module comprises a digital audio player.

20. A system as defined in claim 16, wherein the memory source additionally stores authorization data.

21. A system as defined in claim 16, wherein the primary headset comprises wireless headphones.

22. A system as defined in claim 16, wherein the wireless receiving module is configured to receive communicated media content from a satellite radio feed.