System and method for providing content to portable devices

• US 8,170,535 B1
• Filed: 11/12/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lopes, Veronica M., Backelin, Doug, Miller, Erik, Joyner, Henry, Gaspar, David, Dolan, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOLLIDAY, JAIME MICHELE
• Application Number:
  US12/617,159
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 4554141-4143, 455/431
• US Class Current: 455/414.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2146 located in mass transportation means, e.g. aircraft, train or bus flight-deck installations for entertainment or communications B64D11/0015; arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62; moving wireless networks H04W84/005
• 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 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10

Abstract

The present disclosure introduces a system and method for distributing content. Content is stored on a server located on a vehicle prior to departure by the vehicle for a destination. A portable device is provided by a passenger on the vehicle. A communication link is established between the server and the portable device, and the content is transmitted to the portable device.

Claims

1. A system for wirelessly distributing information, comprising:

an airplane;

a server located within the airplane;

at least one access point, located within the airplane and in communication with the server, that is capable of communicating with at least one portable device during travel of the airplane to a destination, the at least one portable device being provided by a passenger on the airplane;

content stored on the server, the content being stored on the server prior to departure by the airplane for the destination and capable of being transmitted to the at least one portable device via the at least one access point; and

a plurality of computer program instructions stored in the server, the instructions comprising;

instructions that negotiate a first access level for the at least one portable device to thereby permit the at least one portable device to access the server in accordance with the first access level;

instructions that transmit software from the server to the at least one portable device, the software comprising a digital rights management platform, wherein the digital rights management platform manages access to the content;

instructions that receive a second access level set by the passenger on the airplane;

instructions that transmit the content to the at least one portable device in accordance with the second access level during the travel of the airplane to the destination;

instructions that receive payment information from the at least one portable device after the transmission of the content to the at least one portable device; and

instructions that set a rights management level in accordance with the received payment information, the rights management level being selected from the group consisting of;

a rights management level that permits consumption of the content on the at least one portable device during the travel of the airplane to the destination while preventing consumption of the content on the at least one portable device after the airplane has arrived at the destination;

a rights management level that permits consumption of the content on the at least one portable device during the travel of the airplane to the destination and further permits consumption of the content on the at least one portable device for an amount of time after the airplane has arrived at the destination while preventing consumption of the content on the at least one portable device after the amount of time;

a rights management level that permits consumption of the content on the at least one portable device to be repeated for a maximum number of times;

a rights management level that permits consumption of a first portion of the content on the at least one portable device and prevents consumption of a second portion of the content on the at least one portable device during the travel of the airplane to the destination while preventing consumption of the first and second portions of the content on the at least one portable device after the airplane has arrived at the destination; and

a rights management level that permits consumption of a first portion of the content on the at least one portable device during the travel of the airplane to the destination and for an amount of time after the airplane has arrived at the destination while preventing consumption of a second portion of the content on the at least one portable device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the content is selected from the group consisting a safety video, music, a game, a movie, a television program, a book, a magazine, audio programming, current information, an arrival video, a map, an operational application, a recreational application, and a computer application for use by flight attendants.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portable device is removably connectable to the airplane.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one portable device is selected from the group consisting of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a pager, a cellular device, a mobile telephone, a wireless device, a handheld device, a laptop, an audio device, a game console, and a camera.

5. A method for distributing content, comprising:

storing a plurality of content on a server located on an airplane prior to departure by the airplane for a destination location;

establishing a communication link between the server and at least one portable device, wherein the at least one portable device is provided by a passenger on the airplane;

transmitting software from the server to the at least one portable device, the software comprising a digital rights management platform, wherein the digital rights management platform manages access to at least one of the plurality of content;

receiving a first input from the passenger on the airplane setting an access level indicative of a characteristic of one or more of the plurality of content;

receiving a second input from the passenger selecting a first content of the plurality of content;

accessing the server from the at least one portable device using the software during travel to the destination location;

transmitting the first content to the at least one portable device;

receiving payment information after transmitting the first content to the at least one portable device; and

enabling the first content to be consumed after the airplane has arrived at the destination location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting the first content is managed by a digital rights management platform.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting the first content is managed by a content filter module.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting the first content transmits the first content by streaming the first content to the at least one portable device.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

causing the first content on the at least one portable device to be deleted.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein causing the first content on the at least one portable device to be deleted comprises:

causing the first content on the at least one portable device to be deleted after consumption by the passenger.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein causing the first content on the at least one portable device to be deleted comprises:

causing the first content on the at least one portable device to be deleted after a predetermined time.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting the first content transmits a first part of the first content and a second part of the first content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the transmitting the first part of the first content occurs at a departure location prior to departure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the departure location is an airline gate.

15. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

encrypting the first content.

16. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

storing the first content on the at least one portable device.