Digital media content location and purchasing system

• US 9,111,267 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Holmes, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/159,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20140136363A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• 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 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

Systems and methods for locating digital media content. The systems and methods include receiving search terms from a client device through a single interface, searching a plurality of digital media content providers for digital media content using the search terms to obtain search results, sorting and organizing the search results, and returning the search results to the client device through the single interface.

Claims

1. A method for automatically acquiring a digital copy of a song that is being received over a radio channel and played on a device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the device, user preferences for purchasing digital copies of songs;

playing, by the device, a radio channel;

while a song is being played on the radio channel, receiving user input that requests that a digital copy of the song being played be acquired;

identifying one or more characteristics of the song being played;

using the one or more characteristics to search, over the internet, one or more audio content providers to locate a digital copy of the song that is available to be purchased at each of the one or more audio content providers;

receiving information from each of the one or more audio content providers that indicates characteristics of the digital copy of the song that is available to be purchased at the audio content provider;

using the user preferences stored on the device to automatically determine whether to purchase a digital copy of the song provided by one of the one or more audio content providers, wherein determining whether to purchase a digital copy of the song comprises determining whether the digital copy of the song matches at least one of the user preferences stored on the device; and

automatically purchasing a digital copy of the song that matches at least one of the user preferences stored on the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of audio content providers provide a digital copy of the song, and wherein using the user preferences stored on the device to automatically determine whether to purchase a digital copy of the song comprises identifying that a first audio content provider provides a digital copy of the song that matches more user preferences than digital copies of the song provided by other audio content providers and purchasing the digital copy of the song from the first audio content provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of audio content providers provide a digital copy of the song, and wherein using the user preferences stored on the device to automatically determine whether to purchase a digital copy of the song comprises identifying that a first and a second audio content provider each provides a digital copy of the song that matches more user preferences than digital copies of the song provided by other audio content providers, the method further comprising:

identifying that the first audio content provider provides a digital copy of the song at a lower price than the second audio content provider; and

purchasing a digital copy of the song from the first audio content provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences include a minimum bitrate for the digital copies.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user preferences include a format for the digital copies.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the digital copy of the song provided by the first audio content provider matches a bitrate and a format specified in the user preferences.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the digital copy of the song provided by the first and second audio content providers each matches a bitrate and format specified in the user preferences.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to using the one or more characteristics to search over the internet, determining whether the user has rights to the song being played.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the user has rights to the song being played comprises accessing a remote server that maintains a registry of digital media content to which the user has rights.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the user has rights to the song being played comprises accessing one or more libraries of digital media content stored on the device.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining that the user has rights to the song being played; and

determining that additional rights to the song being played are available.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the additional rights include rights for a longer period of time.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the user preferences specify a desired level of rights for digital copies of songs.

14. A method for automatically acquiring a digital copy of a song that is being received over a radio channel and played on a device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the device, user preferences for purchasing digital copies of songs, the user preferences including a minimum bitrate for the digital copies;

playing, by the device, a radio channel;

while a song is being played on the radio channel, receiving user input that requests that a digital copy of the song being played be acquired;

identifying one or more characteristics of the song being played;

using the one or more characteristics to search, over the internet, one or more audio content providers to locate a digital copy of the song that is available to be purchased at each of the one or more audio content providers;

receiving information from each of the one or more audio content providers that indicates characteristics of the digital copy of the song that is available to be purchased at the audio content provider, the characteristics including a bitrate of the digital copy of the song;

using the user preferences stored on the device to automatically determine whether to purchase a digital copy of the song provided by one of the one or more audio content providers, wherein determining whether to purchase a digital copy of the song comprises determining whether the digital copy of the song has a bitrate that at least equals the minimum bitrate specified by the user preferences; and

automatically purchasing a digital copy of the song that has a bitrate that at least equals the minimum bitrate.

15. A method for acquiring a digital copy of a song that is being received over a radio channel and played on a device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the device, user preferences for obtaining digital copies of songs;

playing, by the device, a radio channel;

while a song is being played on the radio channel, receiving user input that requests that a digital copy of the song being played be acquired;

identifying one or more characteristics of the song being played;

determining that the user has rights to the song being played;

determining that the rights to the song being played are below a desired level of rights as defined by the user preferences;

using the one or more characteristics to search, over the internet, one or more audio content providers to locate a digital copy of the song that is available at each of the one or more audio content providers;

receiving information from each of the one or more audio content providers that indicates characteristics of the digital copy of the song that is available at the audio content provider;

using the user preferences stored on the device to automatically identify at least one of the one or more audio content providers that provides a digital copy of the song that matches the desired level of rights defined by the user preferences; and

automatically purchasing a digital copy of the song from one of the at least one audio content provider.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the user has rights to the song being played comprises determining that the user has access to a subscription service.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the desired level of rights includes ownership of a digital copy of the song.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining that the user has rights to the song being played comprises determining that the user owns a digital copy of the song, and wherein determining that the rights to the song being played are below a desired level of rights as defined by the user preferences comprises determining that the digital copy of the song owned by the user does not match one or more of the user preferences.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the digital copy of the song owned by the user does not have one of a bitrate or a format specified in the user preferences.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein automatically purchasing a digital copy of the song from one of the at least one audio content provider comprises receiving user input selecting a first audio content provider and automatically purchasing a digital copy of the song from the first audio content provider.