Tracking locally broadcast electronic works

• US 8,041,290 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Wayne, Paolini, Michael A., Smith, Jr., Newton James, Wright, Jr., Cornell G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John J
• Application Number:
  US12/057,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20080176507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 455/67.11, 455/419, 455/3.01, 455/3.03, 455/3.06, 455/420, 455/418, 455/414.1, 455/67.16, 455/2.01, 704/200.1, 704/270, 705/26, 705/14
• US Class Current: 455/2.01
• 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 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4661 Deriving a combined profile for a plurality of end-users of the same client, e.g. for family members within a home user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method, system, and program for tracking locally broadcast electronic works are provided. According to one aspect of the invention, a sending player locally broadcasts an electronic work. In particular, the local broadcast may be a wireless broadcast creating an ad-hoc radio system. At least one recipient player receives the localized broadcast of the electronic work and accepts a distribution cookie for tracking distribution of the electronic work. The at least one recipient player updates the distribution cookie with tracking information about the broadcast of the electronic work, including ratings by users at the second player and purchase of the broadcast electronic work. Each of the at least one recipient players may in turn become a sending player that broadcasts the electronic work to other recipient players and requires the other recipient players to accept a copy of the distribution cookie updated by the second player. Then, responsive to detecting a network connection to a statistics server, the at least one recipient player provides the distribution cookie to the statistics server, such that localized broadcast distribution of the electronic work is tracked.

Claims

1. A method for tracking distribution of an electronic work, comprising:

detecting a localized broadcast of an electronic work from a first player to a second player;

accepting a distribution cookie from said first player at said second player with said broadcast of said electronic work;

updating said distribution cookie with tracking information about said broadcast of said electronic work to said second player;

updating said distribution cookie with a response by a recipient at said second player, wherein said response comprises at least one from among a purchase of said electronic work, a rating of said electronic work, a review of said electronic work, a rating of a review of said electronic work, and a broadcast of said electronic work; and

responsive to detecting a network connection, providing said distribution cookie to a tracking server, such that localized broadcast distribution of said electronic work is tracked through gathering and analyzing said distribution cookie at said tracking server.

2. The method according to claim 1 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, wherein detecting a localized broadcast of an electronic work further comprises:

detecting a wireless broadcast of said electronic work from a first player to a second player, wherein at least one from said first player and second player is a portable electronic device.

3. The method according to claim 1 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, wherein accepting a distribution cookie further comprises:

allowing playback of said electronic work at said second player only if a recipient at said second player accepts said distribution cookie.

4. The method according to claim 1 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

receiving said distribution cookie at said first player from a distribution server, wherein said distribution cookie identifies at least one from among said distribution server, a purchaser identification, a purchase identification, a time of purchase, a location of purchase, an incentive for distribution of said electronic work, and an incentive for purchase of said electronic work.

5. The method according to claim 1 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

broadcasting said electronic work with said distribution cookie from said second player to a next player; and

updating said distribution cookie with information about said broadcast of said electronic work to said next player.

6. The method according to claim 1 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

updating said distribution cookie with a plurality of electronic work ratings of a plurality of electronic works by a recipient at said second player.

7. The method according to claim 1 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

providing said distribution cookie to said tracking server, wherein said tracking server is enabled to gather and analyze said distribution cookie to determine at least one from among a rate of distribution of said electronic work, a marketing area in which said electronic work is favorably received, a purchase rate and history of said electronic work, a current rating response to said electronic work, and a current rating response to at least one comment about said electronic work.

8. The method according to claim 1 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

only providing said distribution cookie to said tracking server if a digital rights rule enables access by said tracking server to said distribution cookie.

9. The method according to claim 1 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

triggering a communication with said tracking server from a link specified in said distribution cookie.

10. A system for tracking distribution of an electronic work, comprising:

a second player detecting a first player locally broadcasting an electronic work;

said second player operative to accept distribution cookie from said first player at said second player with said broadcast of said electronic work;

said second player operative to update said distribution cookie with tracking information about said broadcast of said electronic work to said second player;

said second player operative to update said distribution cookie with a response by a recipient at said second player, wherein said response comprises at least one from among a purchase of said electronic work, a rating of said electronic work, a review of said electronic work, a rating of a review of said electronic work, and a broadcast of said electronic work; and

said second player, responsive to detecting a network connection, operative to provide said distribution cookie to a tracking server enabled to analyze said distribution cookie.

11. The system according to claim 10 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, wherein said first player wirelessly broadcasts said electronic work.

12. The system according to claim 10 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

a distribution server operative to distribute said electronic work an said distribution cookie to said first player, wherein said distribution cookie identifies at least one from among said distribution server, a purchaser identification, a purchase identification, a time of purchase, a location of purchase, an incentive for distribution of said electronic work, and an incentive for purchase of said electronic work.

13. The system according to claim 10 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

said second player operative to broadcast said electronic work with said distribution cookie from said second player to a next player; and

said second player operative to update said distribution cookie with information about said broadcast of said electronic work to said next player.

14. The system according to claim 10 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

said second player operative to update said distribution cookie with a plurality of electronic work ratings of a plurality of electronic works by a recipient at said second player.

15. The system according to claim 10 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

said tracking server operative to analyze said distribution cookie to determine at least one from among a rate of distribution of said electronic work, a marketing area in which said electronic work is favorably received, a purchase rate and history of said electronic work, a current rating response to said electronic work, and a current rating response to at least one comment about said electronic work.

16. The system according to claim 10 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

said second player operative to only provide said distribution cookie to said tracking server if a digital rights rule enables access by said tracking server to said distribution cookie.

17. The system according to claim 10 for tracking distribution of an electronic work, further comprising:

said second player operative to trigger a communication with said tracking server from a link specified in said distribution cookie.

18. A computer program product for tracking distribution of an electronic work, comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to detect a localized broadcast of an electronic work from a first player to a second player;

second program instructions to accept a distribution cookie from said first player at said second player with said broadcast of said electronic work;

third program instructions to update said distribution cookie with tracking information about said broadcast of said electronic work to said second player;

fourth program instructions to update said distribution cookie with a response by a recipient at said second player, wherein said response comprises at least one from among a purchase of said electronic work, a rating of said electronic work a review of said electronic work, a rating of a review of said electronic work, and a broadcast of said electronic work; and

fifth program instructions to provide said distribution cookie to a tracking server, responsive to detecting a network connection;

wherein the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth program instruction are stored on the computer readable storage media.