System and method for updating digital media content

• US 8,122,466 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Portulim Foundation LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rothschild, Leigh M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US11/652,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20070113264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 725/105, 725/86, 725/32, 705/14.36, 705/14.56
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0258 Registration
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42646 for reading from or writing on a non-volatile solid state storage medium, e.g. DVD, CD-ROM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A system and method for updating digital content are provided. The system and method of the present disclosure enable updating of content on digital media by dynamically presenting specialized selected content from a global computer network, e.g., the Internet, or other stored digital medium. The system and method provide for reading at least one identifier of at least one media content; transmitting the at least one identifier to a remote server; receiving at least one indication of updated supplemental content related to the at least one media content from the remote server; and presenting the received at least one indication to a user. In one embodiment, the at least one indication is a menu of at least one selectable item. The at least one item may be a movie preview, a movie segment, a web page, an ecommerce website, a product preview, a document or an audio file.

Claims

1. A method for updating digital content over a network comprising:

reading, with a media player assembly, at least one identifier of at least one media content disposed on a portable storage medium, wherein the portable storage medium includes a static menu listing at least one selectable item disposed on the portable storage medium in addition to the at least one media content;

prompting a user to select an originator of the at least one media content from a list of retailers that is preloaded onto the portable storage medium;

transmitting the at least one identifier and the selected originator information from the media player assembly to a remote server;

receiving at the media player assembly at least one indication of supplemental content related to the at least one media content from the remote server;

updating the menu to include the at least one indication, wherein the supplemental content includes branding information from the selected originator;

receiving an instruction code from the remote server, wherein the instruction code instructs the media player assembly to not prompt the user to select the originator for any subsequent playback of the at least one media content, and wherein the instruction code updates the menu with information from the selected originator upon subsequent playing of the at least one media content; and

presenting the menu on a display device coupled to the media player assembly.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the supplemental content includes a movie preview, a movie segment, a web page, an ecommerce website, a product preview, a document or an audio file.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising transmitting user information to the remote server, wherein the supplemental content is based on demographic or psychographic profiling of the user.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is selected by the originator.

5. The method as in claim 4, wherein the originator is a retailer, reseller, publisher or author.

6. The method as in claim 4, wherein the instruction code presents the supplemental content selected by the originator upon subsequent playing of the at least one media content without accessing the remote server.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein the instruction code is a software applet.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at least one content segment from the remote server and an instruction set for updating the at least one media content with the at least one content segment; and

playing the updated at least one media content.

9. The method as in claim 8, wherein the at least one content segment is a product placement segment.

10. The method as in claim 9, further comprising transmitting user information to the remote server, wherein the received at least one content segment is based on demographic or psychographic profiling of the user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the remote server, an update to the list of retailers that is preloaded onto the portable storage medium.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the update removes one or more retailers from the list of retailers.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the update adds one or more retailers from the list of retailers.

14. A system for updating digital content, the system comprising:

at least one media player assembly comprising;

a playback decoder module configured to play and selectively control at least one media content and to read at least one identifier of the at least one media content, wherein the at least one media content is disposed on a portable storage medium, wherein the portable storage medium includes a static menu listing at least one selectable item disposed on the portable storage medium in addition to the at least one media content;

an interface configured to prompt a user to select an originator of the at least one media content from a list of retailers that is preloaded onto the portable storage medium;

a communication device configured to transmit the at least one identifier and the selected originator information to a remote server and to receive at least one indication of supplemental content related to the at least one media content from the remote server;

wherein the playback decoder module is further configured to update the menu to include the at least one indication, wherein the supplemental content includes branding information from the selected originator;

wherein the communication device is further configured to receive an instruction code from the remote server, wherein the instruction code instructs the at least one media player assembly to not prompt the user to select the originator for any subsequent playback of the at least one media content, and wherein the instruction code updates the menu with information from the selected originator upon subsequent playing of the at least one media content; and

wherein the interface is further configured to present the menu on a display device coupled to the at least one media player assembly.

15. The system as in claim 14, where the supplemental content includes a movie preview, a movie segment, a web page, an ecommerce website, a product preview, a document or an audio file.

16. The system as in claim 14, wherein the communication device is further configured to transmit user information to the remote server, wherein the remote server is configured to determine the supplemental content based on demographic or psychographic profiling of the user.

17. The system as in claim 14, wherein the supplemental content is selected by the originator.

18. The system as in claim 17, wherein the originator is a retailer, reseller, publisher or author.

19. The system as in claim 17, wherein the instruction code presents the supplemental content selected by the originator upon subsequent playing of the at least one media content without accessing the remote server.

20. The system as in claim 19, wherein the instruction code is a software applet.

21. The system as in claim 14, wherein the remote server is configured to:

determine at least one content segment;

generate an instruction set for updating the at least one media content with the at least one content segment; and

transmit the at least one content segment and the instruction set to the at least one media player assembly.

22. The system as in claim 21, wherein the playback decoder module is configured to play the updated at least one media content.

23. The system as in claim 22, wherein the at least one content segment is a product placement segment.

24. The system as in claim 23, wherein the at least one content segment is selected based on demographic or psychographic profiling of the user.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions for reading at least one identifier of at least one media content disposed on a portable storage medium, wherein the portable storage medium includes a static menu listing at least one selectable item disposed on the portable storage medium in addition to the at least one media content;

instructions for prompting a user to select an originator of the at least one media content from a list of retailers that is preloaded onto the portable storage medium;

instructions for transmitting the at least one identifier and the selected originator information from a media player assembly to a remote server;

instructions for receiving at the media player assembly at least one indication of supplemental content related to the at least one media content from the remote server;

instructions for updating the menu to include the at least one indication, wherein the supplemental content includes information from the selected originator;

instructions for receiving an instruction code from the remote server, wherein the instruction code instructs the at least one media player assembly to not prompt the user to select the originator for any subsequent playback of the at least one media content, and wherein the instruction code updates the menu with information from the selected originator upon subsequent playing of the at least one media content; and

instructions for presenting the menu on a display device coupled to the media player assembly.