Online purchase of digital media bundles

• US 7,899,714 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2005
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Verosub, Ellis M., Gautier, Patrice, Robbin, Jeffrey L., Heller, David, Wiese, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg; Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US11/138,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20060089949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,106 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/27, 705/52, 705/26.1, 709/236, 709/231, 707/104.1, 707/E17.009
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Techniques for interacting with an online media store to obtain a media asset bundle, such as a digital boxset, are disclosed. These techniques involve, for instance, browsing for a media asset bundle that includes at least one non-playable media asset, purchasing the media asset bundle, obtaining the media assets contained in the media asset bundle, determining if a presentation request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle, and presenting the requested media asset. Further, these techniques involve playing the media assets in a media asset bundle by selecting a media asset in the media asset bundle, determining whether the media asset is playable or non-playable, presenting the media asset using an appropriate media asset viewer if it is playable, not playing (skipping) the media asset if it is non-playable, and selecting/playing other media assets in the media asset bundle until no more media assets are available to be played.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for downloading a media asset bundle, comprising:

receiving a client request, from a client to a commerce server, to purchase a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises a plurality of media assets and wherein at least one of the media assets in the media asset bundle is a non-playable media asset that is usable independent of playing the other plurality of media assets;

receiving the media asset bundle at the requesting client from the commerce server, wherein the receiving of the media asset bundle at the requesting client is performed after the commerce server authorizes purchase of the media asset bundle is done at an online media store;

determining, by the requesting client, whether an identified media asset in the media asset bundle is playable or non-playable;

if determined that the media asset is playable, initiating playing of the media asset on the requesting client; and

if determined that the media asset is non-playable, initiating viewing of the non-playable media asset in a non-playable media asset viewer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the client request is a deferred download request, and wherein the receiving of the media asset bundle is deferred in view of the deferred download request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the client operates a media management application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the method further comprises presenting the requested plurality of media assets using the media management application.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the presenting further comprises:

determining whether the requested media asset is a playable media asset; and

playing the playable media asset in a playable media asset viewer.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the playable media assets are selected from a group consisting of songs, music videos, and audio books.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the playable media assets are selected from a group consisting of audio files and video files.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the audio file comprises media content selected from a group consisting of a song and a spoken-word performance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-playable media asset viewer is selected from a group consisting of a PDF viewer, a text editor, a web browser, an e-book reader, and an XML browser.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-playable media asset is selected from a group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) file, a graphics file, and a text file.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the text file comprises embedded graphics.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-playable media asset file contains digital rights management information.

13. A computer-implemented method for obtaining a media asset bundle, comprising:

(a) receiving a client request, from a client device to a commerce server, to purchase a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises a plurality of media assets, including at least one playable file comprising music and at least one non-playable file comprising text and embedded graphics;

(b) authorizing, by the commerce server, a payment for the request to purchase the media asset bundle;

(c) obtaining the media assets of the media asset bundle;

(d) making the media asset bundle available to the client device;

(e) receiving a selection of a media asset in the media asset bundle at the client device;

(f) determining, at the client device, whether the media asset in the media asset bundle is playable or non-playable at the client device;

(g) if the media asset is determined to be playable, playing the media asset on the client device; and

(h) if the media asset is determined to be non-playable, viewing of the non-playable media asset in a media asset viewer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the media asset bundle comprises one or more one playable files comprising video.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the authorizing of the media asset bundle is done at an online media store.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the client device operates a media management application.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the playing further comprises presenting the media asset using the media management application.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-playable media asset viewer is selected from a group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) viewer, a text editor, a web browser, an e-book reader, and an XML browser.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-playable media asset is selected from a group consisting of a PDF file, a graphics file, and a text file.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein usage of the non-playable media asset is restricted by digital rights management information.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the playing further comprises playing the playable media asset in a playable media viewer.

22. A computing system for purchasing media assets, comprising:

one or more client computers, each connected to a computer network;

one or more client applications, each separately running on the one or more client computers, the client applications configured to browse, purchase, and play media assets;

one or more remote server computers configured to process commerce transactions, each of the one or more remote server computers connected to the computer network, wherein at least one of the remote server computers is configured to enable at least one of the client applications to browse for and purchase a media asset bundle;

one or more remote media content servers configured to deliver media assets to any of the one or more client computers connected to the network;

wherein the media asset bundle comprises media assets and wherein at least one of the media assets in the media asset bundle is a non-playable media asset, and

wherein the one or more client applications determine whether a media asset in the media asset bundle is playable or non-playable after purchasing the media asset, playing the media asset on the one or more client computers if the media asset is playable, and viewing the media asset on the one or more client computers using a media asset viewer if the media asset is non-playable.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the non-playable media asset is selected from a group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) file, a graphics file, and a text file.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the text file comprises embedded graphics.

25. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein usage of the non-playable media asset is restricted by digital rights management information.

26. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the audio file comprises media content selected from a group consisting of a song and a spoken-word performance.

27. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the playable media asset is selected from a group consisting of an audio file and a video file.

28. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein the playable media asset is selected from a group consisting of a music file, a music video, and an e-book.

29. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a program of instructions executable to perform a method for obtaining a media asset bundle, the method comprising:

sending a user request from a client device to a remote server to access a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises a plurality of media assets, including at least one playable file comprising music and at least one non-playable file comprising text and embedded graphics;

receiving the media asset bundle at the requesting client device after the media asset bundle is purchased;

receiving a selection of a media asset in the media asset bundle at the client device;

determining whether the media asset in the media asset bundle is playable or non- playable at the client device;

playing the media asset on the client device if the media asset is playable; and

viewing the media asset on the client device in a media asset viewer if the media asset is non-playable.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the remote server hosts an online media store and the media asset bundle is purchased from the online media store.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 29,

wherein the client operates a media management application, and

wherein the playing of the media asset on the client device comprises playing the media asset using the media management application.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein the non-playable media asset viewer is selected from a group consisting of a PDF viewer, a text editor, a web browser, an e-book reader, and an XML browser.

33. The computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein if the media asset is non-playable, the media asset is selected from a group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) file, a graphics file, and a text file.

34. The computer readable storage medium of claim 33, wherein the media asset is protected digital rights management information.

35. The computer readable storage medium of claim 29, wherein if playable, the media asset is selected from a group consisting of songs, music videos, and audio books.