Trial access for media files from media list

• US 7,890,431 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rakuten Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt, II; Calvin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qayyum; Zeshan
• Application Number:
  US12/642,477
• Publication Number:
  US 20100131560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for sharing media files. Briefly described, in architecture, one embodiment of the system, among others, can be implemented as follows. The system includes a file sharing application configured to initiate a communication session with a file server, where the file server manages download requests for media files listed on a dynamic list. Use of the media files is subject to a trial period that corresponds to a period that the media files remain on the dynamic list. The system further includes trial period checking logic configured to retrieve a new dynamic list and check whether a trial period for a media file has expired by determining whether the media file is listed on the new dynamic list and offer presentation logic configured to offer a user a license for continued use of a media file that has an expired trial period. Other systems and methods are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing by a user device a dynamic list of media files stored on a file server;

downloading by the user device a media file listed in the dynamic list of media files;

accessing a media file by the user device based on the downloaded media file being listed in the dynamic list;

detecting an event trigger for accessing the dynamic list of media files;

accessing an updated dynamic list of media files in response to the detecting of the event trigger;

determining that the downloaded media file is not listed in the updated dynamic list; and

based on the downloaded media file not being listed in the updated dynamic list, setting the downloaded media file as unavailable for access by the user device.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prompting a user to obtain a license for access to the downloaded media file that is not list in the updated dynamic list; and

granting access to the downloaded media file by the user after the user obtains the license.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the user is provided a grace period for responding to the prompting step.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

configuring the downloaded media file to be inaccessible by the user if the user chooses not to obtain the license for the downloaded media file that is not listed in the updated dynamic list.

5. The method of claim 2

wherein prompting the user to obtain the license is triggered by detecting expiration of a trial period for the downloaded media file, the trial period corresponding to a period of time that the media file is included in the dynamic list before the media file is removed from the dynamic list.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the event trigger is selected from a group consisting of when a portable media device is connected to the user device, and when access to the media file is requested.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a list of media files that are available for download by the user device, the list of media files including media files contained in the dynamic list and excluding media files previously downloaded by the user device.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a connection of a portable media device to the user device that is used to download the media file from the dynamic list; and

checking trial periods of the downloaded media file located on the portable media device and the user device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the dynamic list is organized by music genre.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the dynamic list is organized by a current popularity of the media files.

11. A method comprising:

receiving by a portable media device a media file listed in a dynamic list of media files stored on a file server from a user computer;

determining by the portable media device that it is disconnected from the user computer;

based on the determining that the portable media device is disconnected from the user computer, accessing by the portable media device the media file listed in the dynamic list of the media files;

determining by the portable media device that the portable media device is connected to the user computer;

based on the determining that the portable media device is connected to the user computer, receiving an updated dynamic list of media files stored on the file server from the user computer

determining by the portable media device that the received media file is not listed in the updated dynamic list; and

based on the determining that the received media file is not in the updated dynamic list, setting the received media file as unavailable for access by the portable media device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the media file includes a sound file.

receiving by the portable media device a grace period when the user computer has prompted a user to obtain a license for access to the received media file that is not listed in the updated dynamic list;

and

configuring the received media file to be accessible during the grace period.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the media file includes a sound file.

receiving by the portable media device a indication from the user computer that user has chosen not to obtain the license for access to the received media file that is not listed in the updated dynamic list, wherein the indication is received when the portable media device connects to the user computer;

and

configuring the received media file to be inaccessible when the user chooses not to obtain the license.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein prompting the user to obtain the license is triggered by detecting expiration of a trial period for the received media file, the trial period corresponding to a period of time that the media file is included in the dynamic list before the received media file is removed from the dynamic list.

15. A portable media device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory connected to the processor, the memory storing instructions when executed cause the processor to perform steps of;

accessing by the portable media device a dynamic list of media files stored on a file server;

downloading by the portable media device a media file listed in the dynamic list of media files;

accessing the media file by the portable media device based on the media file being listed in the dynamic list;

detecting an event trigger for accessing the dynamic list of media files;

accessing an updated dynamic list of media files in response to the detecting of the event trigger;

determining that the downloaded media file is not listed in the updated dynamic list; and

based on the downloaded media file not being listed in the updated dynamic list, setting the downloaded media file as unavailable for access by the portable media device.

16. The portable media device of claim 15 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to perform the steps of:

prompting a user to obtain a license for access to the downloaded media file that is not list in the updated dynamic list; and

granting access to the downloaded media file by the user after the user obtains the license.

17. The portable media device of claim 16 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to perform the steps of:

configuring the downloaded media file to be inaccessible by the portable media device if the user chooses not to obtain the license for the downloaded media file that is not listed in the updated dynamic list.

18. The portable media device of claim 16 wherein prompting the user to obtain the license is triggered by detecting expiration of a trial period for the downloaded media file, the trial period corresponding to a period of time that the downloaded media file is included in the dynamic list before the downloaded media file is removed from the dynamic list.

19. The portable media device of claim 15 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to perform the steps of:

displaying a list of media files that are available for download by the portable media device, the list of media files including media files contained in the dynamic list and excluding media files previously downloaded by the portable media device.

20. The portable media device of claim 15 wherein the instructions when executed further cause the processor to perform the steps of:

detecting a connection of the portable media device to a user computer that is used to download the media file from the dynamic list; and

checking trial periods of the downloaded media file located on the portable media device and the user computer.