Wireless digital video recorders—content sharing systems and methods

• US 8,407,746 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven M., Selvadurai, Gnana, Mitchell, Angela
• Primary Examiner(s): HANCE, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US11/434,729
• Publication Number:
  US 20060218598A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,507 Days
• Field of Search: 725/142, 725/74
• US Class Current: 725/74
• 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 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods for distributing media content between portable media devices with digital rights management protections. Offering several applications in the technical arts, embodiments of the present invention provide methods for managing distribution of media content between portable media devices. Further, embodiments of the present invention provide methods for easy and effective transmission of media content between portable media devices.

Claims

1. A method for disseminating media content between portable media devices, the method comprising:

transferring media content from a first portable media device to a second portable media device, wherein;

the first portable media device is associated with a first user;

the media content is processed for transfer and subsequently transferred from the first portable media device to the second portable media device upon selecting the media content for transfer user, wherein processing the media content comprises;

formatting the media content for the second portable media device;

applying or maintaining digital rights management controls to the media content;

applying a signature identifying the content provider; and

applying a signature identifying the first portable media device; and

the second portable media device is associated with a second user;

transmitting, from the second portable media device directly to the first portable media device, a first electronic record comprising information about the reception of the media content by the second portable media device and identifying the media content and a user of the second portable media device; and

providing a second electronic record to a content provider from the first portable media device, the second electronic record comprising the first electronic record.

2. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein the first user and the second user are the same user.

3. A method as recited by claim 1, further comprising:

billing the second user for the transferred media content.

4. A method as recited by claim 1, further comprising:

providing recompense to the first user.

5. A method as recited by claim 4, wherein the recompense is monetary.

6. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein the media content comprises marketing content that includes advertisements.

7. A method as recited by claim 1, wherein:

the media content is transferred wirelessly from the first portable media device to the second portable media device.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

converting the media content into a plurality of packets of information; and

determining that each of the plurality packets of information is transferred from the first portable media device to the second portable media device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein, the information is further adapted to create a demographic profile of at least one of the first user, the second user, and other consumers receiving the media content.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein, the wireless media is transferred wirelessly over a personal broadcast channel.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein, the second electronic record,

is received by a content processor;

identifies the distribution of the media content; and

requests authorization to transfer the content.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content comprises streaming media content.

13. A system for disseminating media content between portable media devices, comprising:

a media content transmitter coupled with a first portable media device and configured to process and transmit a selection of the media content for transfer from the first portable media device being made by a first user associated with the first portable media device, wherein processing the media content comprises;

formatting the media content ready for a second portable media device;

applying or maintaining digital rights management controls to the media content;

applying a signature identifying the content provider; and

applying a signature identifying the first portable media device;

a media content receiver coupled with the second portable media device and configured to receive the media content;

a reception processor coupled with the second portable media device and configured to process the reception of the media content and to create a first electronic record comprising information about the reception of media content by the second portable media device, the first electronic record identifying the media content and a user of the second portable media device and adapted to be sent to the first portable media device from the second portable media device;

a first communication port coupled with the second portable media device and configured to transmit the first electronic record directly from the second portable media device to the first portable media device; and

a second communication port coupled with the first portable media device and configured to transmit a second electronic record to a content provider, the second electronic record comprising the first electronic record.

14. A system as recited by claim 13, wherein the second communication port is configured to transmit the electronic record to a content provider.

15. A system as recited by claim 13, further comprising:

a billing processor associated with the content provider and configured to process the electronic record and bill a user associated with the second portable device for the media content transfer.

16. A system as recited by claim 13, wherein the electronic record comprises at least one of a user identification for the user, a credit card identifier for a credit card associated with the user, an account identifier for an account of the user with the media provider and a billing address.

17. A system as recited by claim 13, wherein:

the second communication port is configured to receive the first electronic record from the second portable media device.

18. A system as recited by claim 17, wherein the first portable media device is configured to determine, based on the first electronic record, whether the second portable media device is authorized to receive the media content.

19. A system as recited by claim 17, wherein the first portable media device is configured to:

transmit the media content to the second portable media device; and

create the second electronic record.

20. A system as recited by claim 19, wherein the second electronic record comprises an identification of the media content.

21. A system as recited by claim 17, wherein the first portable media device is configured to:

transmit the second electronic record to the media content provider in order to determine whether the second portable media device is authorized to receive the media content.

22. A system as recited by claim 13, wherein the first and second portable media devices comprise wireless phones.

23. A system as recited by claim 13, wherein at least one of the transmitter and receiver comprises an infra-red.

24. A system as recited by claim 13, wherein at least one of the receiver and transmitter comprises one of a WiFi and a WiMax.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the media content comprises streaming media content.

26. The system of claim 13, wherein the media content comprises marketing content.

27. A method for disseminating media content between portable media devices, comprising:

sending a request for media content from a first portable media device to a media content provider;

providing the requested media content from the media content provider to the first portable media device;

processing the media content at the first portable media device upon selection of the media content for transfer, wherein processing the media content comprises;

formatting the media content for a second portable media device;

applying or maintaining digital rights management controls to the media content;

applying a signature identifying the content provider; and

applying a signature identifying the first portable media device;

transferring the media content from the first portable media device to the second portable media device upon a selection of the media content for transfer by a first user associated with the first portable media device, wherein the second portable media device is associated with a second user;

creating on the second portable media device a first electronic record comprising information about the reception of the media content by the second portable media device, the first electronic record identifying the media content and a user of the second portable media device and adapted to be sent to the first portable media device from the second portable media device;

transmitting the first electronic record directly from the second portable media device to the first portable media device; and

providing a second electronic record to the content provider from the first portable media device to the content provider, the second electronic record comprising the first electronic record.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the media content comprises streaming media content.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the media content comprises marketing content.