Content rental system

• US 8,677,430 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mitsuji, Hiro, Ward, Alan, Despotovic, Mihailo, Gharabally, Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Alata, Yassin
• Application Number:
  US12/241,376
• Publication Number:
  US 20090178093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,995 Days
• Field of Search: 725 1- 8, 725 25- 31, 725 37- 63, 725/68, 725 86-104, 725/131, 725/139, 725/151, 705901-912, 386/349
• US Class Current: 725/93
• 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A content rental system includes one data store for storing rental content. The content rental system also includes a content server for transferring content to one viewing device based upon a received request. The content server is further configured to authorize the transfer of the content from the viewing device to another viewing device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a first data store for storing rental content;

a second data store for storing at least one of user rental history and user purchase history associated with the rental content; and

a content server for transferring content to a first viewing device based upon a received request,

wherein the content server is further configured to record the request in the second data store and to authorize the transfer of the content from the first viewing device to a second viewing device, and

the content server is further configured to authorize the first viewing device to remove the content from the first viewing device after an expiration of a playback period, and

the content server is further configured to authorize the first viewing device to flag the content for removal from the second viewing device, after the expiration of the playback period, wherein the removal would occur when the second device has received a communication to remove the content,

wherein the playback period includes;

a rental period defined as a period of time during which playback of the content is to be initiated, and

a viewing period during which content playback must be completed after content playback is initiated, wherein content playback is allowed to exceed the expiration of the rental period if the viewing period has not expired so long as content playback is initiated during the rental period and the playback is not paused after the expiration of the rental period.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the content server is configured to check the history of the second data store for a previous record of the rental content, and to request confirmation from a user prior to transferring the content.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a content selling system configured to use the history of the second data store to sell previously rented content.

4. The system of claim 2 in which user confirmation initiates a rental period.

5. A system comprising:

a first data store for storing rental content, the rental content including digital rights management controls defining;

a rental period during which rental content playback must be initiated; and

a viewing period during which content playback must be completed after content playback is initiated, wherein content playback is allowed to exceed the expiration of the rental period if the viewing period has not expired so long as content playback is initiated during the rental period; and

a content server for transferring a portion of the stored rental content to a first viewing device based upon a request, wherein the content server is further configured to authorize the transfer of the content from the first viewing device to a second viewing device,

wherein at least one of the first viewing device and the second viewing device is configured to cause an alert to be displayed indicating that playback is discontinued if a command to pause playback is issued after the termination of at least one of a rental period and a viewing period, wherein the termination is defined by a clock on at least one of the content server, the first viewing device, and the second viewing device.

6. The system of claim 5 in which the alert is initiated at a predefined time period prior to the termination.

7. The system of claim 5 in which the clock is located at the content server.

8. The system of claim 5 in which the alert is issued in a repetitive manner.

9. A method, comprising:

sending a request to a content rental system;

transferring content from a content rental system to a first viewing device based upon the request;

recording the request in a data store;

authorizing transfer of the content from the first viewing device to a second viewing device;

authorizing the first viewing device to remove the content from the first viewing device after an expiration of a playback period; and

authorizing the first viewing device to flag the content for removal from the second viewing device, after the expiration of the playback period, wherein the removal would occur when the second device has received a communication to remove the content,

wherein the playback period includes;

a rental period defined as a period of time during which playback of the content is to be initiated, and

a viewing period during which content playback must be completed after content playback is initiated, wherein content playback is allowed to exceed the expiration of the rental period if the viewing period has not expired so long as content playback is initiated during the rental period and the playback is not paused after the expiration of the rental period.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

checking the data store for a previous record of the content; and

requesting user confirmation prior to transferring the content.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

sending data representative of the confirmation to the content rental system; and

initiating a rental period.

12. One or more computer readable storage devices storing instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

transferring content from a content rental system to a first viewing device based upon a received request;

recording the request in a data store;

authorizing transfer of the content from the first viewing device to a second viewing device;

authorizing the first viewing device to remove the content from the first viewing device after an expiration of a playback period; and

authorizing the first viewing device to flag the content for removal from the second viewing device, after the expiration of the playback period, wherein the removal would occur when the second device has received a communication to remove the content,

wherein the playback period includes;

a rental period defined as a period of time during which playback of the content is to be initiated, and

a viewing period during which content playback must be completed after content playback is initiated, wherein content playback is allowed to exceed the expiration of the rental period if the viewing period has not expired so long as content playback is initiated during the rental period and the playback is not paused after the expiration of the rental period.

13. The computer readable storage devices of claim 12, further comprising instructions to cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

checking the data store for a matching previous request; and

requesting confirmation prior to transferring the content.

14. The computer readable storage devices of claim 13, further comprising instructions to cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

sending data representative of the confirmation to the content rental system; and

initiating a rental period for the content.