Media validation system

• US 8,219,590 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2011
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US13/280,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041981A1
• Time in Patent Office: 260 Days
• Field of Search: 707600-831
• US Class Current: 707/791
• 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 first user of a storage device by associating a unique identifier of the storage device with information relating to the first user;

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

permitting the first user to access supplemental content stored on the storage device in response to the reward credit; and

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

wherein the reward credit may comprise points or value; and

wherein the supplemental content comprises encrypted content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary content stored on the storage device includes publicly accessible content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising restricting the first user from accessing the supplemental content in response to a non-validated user attempting to copy the primary content.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising restricting non-validated users from accessing the supplemental content.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising making at least a portion of the stored supplemental content inaccessible prior to validating the first user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting the first user more than a single access to the supplemental content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein validating the first user comprises validating the first user before permitting the first user to access the supplemental content.

8. 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.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

means for storing primary content in a storage device;

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

means for applying a reward credit to the first user in response to validating the first user;

means for permitting the first user to access supplemental content associated with the primary content in response to the reward credit; and

means for restricting the first user from accessing the supplemental content in response to a second user at least attempting to access the primary content stored in the storage device;

wherein the reward credit may comprise points or value; and

wherein the supplemental content comprises encrypted content.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for storing the primary content as publicly accessible content.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for restricting the first user from accessing the supplemental content in response to a non-validated user attempting to copy the primary content.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for restricting non-validated users from accessing the supplemental content.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for making at least a portion of the stored supplemental content inaccessible prior to validating the first user.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for permitting the first user more than a single access to the supplemental content.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for validating the first user each time the first user accesses the supplemental content.

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