Receiving over-the-air licenses to high-quality media content

• US 8,136,139 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2008
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Habib, Ahsan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US12/100,742
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 725/62, 725/81, 725/86, 725/89, 725/94, 725109-110, 726 3- 4
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/4627 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 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed

Abstract

A method, system, and medium are provided for enabling playback of licensed media content. The depicted embodiments provide a method to enable users to play a high-quality media file on a computing device. More specifically, the method provides a method to authenticate a high-fidelity license on a computing device to enable playback of an associated high-quality media file. Illustrative examples of high-quality media files include any media file that may contain a video and/or audio component.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media (“

media”

) having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method of communicating licensed content over the air by way of a telecommunications network, said method comprising;

receiving a request for a high fidelity media file from a requesting device, said high fidelity media file requiring a corresponding license to be used;

identifying said requesting device;

based on said requesting device, enabling a creation of said corresponding license that will enable said high fidelity media file to be played on said requesting device, wherein enabling said creation based on said requesting device includes integrating aspects of said requesting device into said corresponding license;

communicating, via said telecommunications network, a low-fidelity version of said high fidelity media file to said requesting device;

communicating via the telecommunications network said corresponding license, thereby enabling said requesting device to play said high fidelity media file incident to said high fidelity media file being copied to said requesting device, said requesting device automatically locating said corresponding license incident to receiving a subsequent request to play said high fidelity media file.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein said high fidelity media file is a music file or a video file.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein said integrating aspects of said requesting device includes embedding identifying indicia into said corresponding license such that said license includes information useable to identify said requesting device.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein said telecommunications network communicates data utilizing CDMA, GPRS, or GSM technology.

5. The media of claim 1, wherein said telecommunications network is not a local area network (LAN).

6. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media (“

media”

) having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method of enabling automatic playback of a high-fidelity media file that was requested via a wireless telecommunications network, said method comprising;

sending a request that indicates interest in said high-fidelity media file from a playing device that is capable of playing said high-fidelity media file,

wherein the request comprises identifying information of said playing device;

by way of said wireless telecommunications network, receiving a low fidelity version of the high-fidelity media file in response to said request;

also by way of said wireless telecommunications network, receiving a license comprising the identifying information of said playing device, wherein the license authorizes playback of said high-fidelity media file; and

storing said license on a storage component of said playing device such that said license can automatically be referenced incident to receiving a playback request for said high-fidelity media file.

7. The media of claim 6, wherein said high-fidelity-media file is a music file.

8. The media of claim 6, further comprising:

storing said high-fidelity media file on said storage component of said playing device.

9. The media of claim 6, wherein said playing device comprises a computer, a wireless communications device, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

10. The media of claim 9, wherein said playing device is communicatively coupled to said wireless telecommunications network.

11. The media of claim 6, further comprising:

authenticating said license on said playing device.

12. The media of claim 6, further comprising:

automatically locating said license and facilitating playback of said high-fidelity media file incident to a request to play said high-fidelity media file.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media (“

media”

) having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by a computing device, perform a method of communicating licensed media content to a seeking device via a wireless telecommunications network, said method comprising;

accepting a request on the computing device for a media content file from said seeking device, said media content file necessitating a corresponding license, wherein said request comprises identifying information of said seeking device;

recognizing said seeking device as having an association with a particular account holder that has access to the media content file based on the identifying information of said seeking device;

communicating a low-fidelity version of the media content file to the seeking device;

creating a high-fidelity license in correlation with said media content file to enable a high-quality version of said media content file to be played back on said seeking device, wherein creating the high-fidelity license is based on recognizing said seeking device as having an association with said particular account holder that has access to the media content file;

storing the high quality version of said media content file and said high fidelity license on a storage component associated with said computing device; and

communicating said high quality version of the media content file and said high-fidelity license to said seeking device to download a copy of said high quality version of the media content file from said storage component prior to enabling said high quality version of the media content file.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein said recognizing includes identifying a device associated with said account holder.

15. The media of claim 13, wherein said high quality version of the media content file contains metadata useable to authenticate said high-fidelity license.

16. The media of claim 13, wherein said seeking device is a computer, a wireless communications device, or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

17. The media of claim 13, wherein said seeking device can be communicatively coupled to said wireless telecommunications network.

18. The media of claim 13, wherein said high-quality version of said media content file is a Windows Media Audio (WMA) file.