Device associated with a user account

• US 9,143,809 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RCS IP LLC
• Original Assignee: Zapmedia Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Morrison, Kelly P., Lipscomb, Kenneth O, Robison, Richard D., Petritis, John B., Whitehead, III, John Paul, Muntz, Eric Neal, Hirsch, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US11/420,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20060206492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,407 Days
• Field of Search: 709223-226, 709225-229, 709/203, 709/250, 715/716, 715/730, 707/10, 707/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• 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: G11B 2220/216 Rewritable discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2562 DVDs [digital versatile discs]; Digital video discs; MMCDs; HDCDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• 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 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for distributing digital media assets to a plurality of users. A portal is provided comprising at least one server computer. The portal executes a media library database server application that manages access a master library of media 5 assets that can be accessed by users via one or more communication networks. A plurality of media player devices communicate with the portal to access media assets for use. Each media player device may comprise a processor that executes a database client application that manages media assets licensed for use by a user.

Claims

1. A media management system comprising:

a record created by the media management system and corresponding to at least one user, the record being stored by the media management system on at least one server computer;

the media management system placing within the record, references to a plurality of media assets and references to one or more media player devices of said user; and

a server application accessible over a network and configured to access said record on the at least one server and recognize said one or more media player devices of said user as being referenced in said record,

wherein the media management system enables at least the said one or more media player devices referenced in said record to play one or more of said plurality of media assets referenced in said record; and

the server application being communicatively coupled with a client application residing on at least one of the media player devices that are referenced in said record and the server application operating to assist said at least one media player device to play one or more of said media assets referenced in said record.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said references to said plurality of media assets includes a user playlist.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said record includes a list of media genres.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said references to said plurality of media assets includes at least a plurality of uniform resource locators corresponding to said media assets.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said first media player device is selected from a group of media player devices comprising a computer, portable media player device and mobile telephone of said first user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said second media player device is selected from a group of media player devices comprising a computer, portable media player device and mobile telephone of said first user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said record limits the number of media player devices of said user to a maximum number of media player devices of said first user.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein once a third media player device of said user has been used to provide login and password information of said user to at least one of said server applications, said server application facilitates the download of one or more media assets referenced in the record by said user to said third media player device, regardless of whether said device has been referenced in said record.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said system impedes the ability of a media player device to play one or more of said referenced media assets.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising a user-personalized view permitting said user to see instances of profile information for said user, including media assets referenced in said record of said user.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising a server application which generates media-specific suggestions for said user based on media preference information of said user.

12. The system of claim 6, where said media assets are presented to said first media player device by at least one of downloading and streaming.

13. A media management system comprising:

a record created by the media management system and including information corresponding to at least one user, the record being provided to and stored on at least one server computer;

the media management system placing within the record, references to a plurality of media assets and references to one or more media player devices of said user; and

a server application accessible over a network and configured to recognize said one or more media player devices of said user as being referenced in said record,

wherein the media management system enables at least said one or more media player devices referenced in said record to play one or more of said plurality of media assets referenced in said record; and

a server application communicatively coupled with an application residing on at least one of the referenced media player devices and assisting said media player device to play one or more of said referenced media assets.