Media validation system

• US 8,069,164 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2009
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DigiMedia Tech, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Schust Development LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh
• Primary Examiner(s): Woo; Isaac M
• Application Number:
  US12/608,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20100049716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831
• US Class Current: 707/713
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• 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 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99938 Concurrency, e.g. lock management in shared database
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99944 Object-oriented database structure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A media validation system including a plurality of media storage devices which contain a quantity of content thereon, a user computer processor assembly structured to operatively access a select media storage device, a verification module, and a communicative link between the verification module and the user computer processor assembly. Each of the media storage devices includes a unique unit identifier, the verification module identifying the unique unit identifier of the select media storage device and receiving user information associated therewith. The verification module is also structured to apply a reward credit in association with only a first user whose user information is associated with the unique unit identifier for the select media storage device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

validating a storage device by associating a unique identifier of the storage device with a first user of the storage device and by associating the storage device with a processing device;

applying a reward credit to the first user in response to validating the storage device;

permitting the first user to access supplemental content in response to applying the reward credit to the first user; and

restricting the first user from accessing the supplemental content in response to a second user accessing primary content stored on the storage device;

wherein after the storage device is validated subsequent access to the primary content using the processing device does not require further validation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward credit includes the supplemental content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reward credit includes content encrypted for access by the first user in response to the validation of the storage device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the supplemental content, wherein at least a portion of the supplemental content is stored remote from the storage device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein validating the storage devices further includes validating the storage device each time a user attempts to access the storage device.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

means configured for validating a storage device by associating a unique identifier of the storage device with a first user of the storage device;

means configured for recording a reward credit to the first user in response to validating the storage device;

means configured for permitting the first user to access supplemental content in response to recording the reward credit to the first user;

means configured for restricting the first user from accessing the supplemental content in response to a second user accessing primary content stored on the storage device; and

means configured for associating the storage device with a processing device;

wherein after the storage device is validated, subsequent access to the primary content using the processing device does not require further validation.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the reward credit includes content.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the reward credit includes content encrypted for access by the first user in response to the means configured for validating the storage device.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means configured for storing the supplemental content, wherein at least a portion of the supplemental content is stored remote from the storage device.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means configured for validating the storage device each time a user attempts to access the storage device.

11. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means configured for revoking the validation of the storage device by limiting the first user from accessing the supplemental content in response to the second user attempting to validate the storage device after the first user validated the storage device.