Wireless entertainment center

• US 9,258,594 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Linda S. Mensch
• Original Assignee: Linda S. Mensch
• Inventors: Mensch, Linda S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US14/314,949
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 725/5, 725/62, 725/89, 725/121, 725/123, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An entertainment delivery system including a delivery station configured for receiving an order for entertainment content from a telephone, the telephone being configured to receive entertainment content over a wireless network, the telephone also having a display device adapted to display said entertainment content, a database coupled to the delivery station, wherein the delivery station is configured for retrieving the entertainment content from the database when the order is received, the entertainment content including video content for display, and a billing database coupled to the delivery station, wherein the delivery station is configured for sending a billing record corresponding to a user account associated with the telephone to the billing database when the order is received.

Claims

1. A method for delivering entertainment content, the method comprising:

receiving an order for entertainment content from a wireless communication device over a wireless network, wherein the received order includes an identifier associated with the wireless device and wherein the identifier is a cellular phone identifying signal;

processing the order using the identifier;

retrieving the entertainment content from a database; and

delivering the entertainment content to the wireless communication device over the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless network comprises the internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication device is a mobile telephone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is sufficient to identify an account for receiving a bill;

and

wherein said processing comprises generating a billing record corresponding to the identified account.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said processing further comprises sending the generated billing record to a party associated with the identified account.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the account comprises a default account.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information comprises a cookie retrieved from the wireless communication device.

8. An apparatus for delivering entertainment content, the apparatus comprising:

an interface device that receives an order for entertainment content from a wireless communication device over a wireless network, wherein the received order includes an identifier associated with the wireless device and wherein the identifier is a cellular phone identifying signal;

a computer configured to;

process the order using the identifier;

retrieve the entertainment content from a database; and

deliver the entertainment content to the wireless communication device over the wireless network.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus comprises a delivery station.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising;

a database for storing the entertainment content;

wherein said computer is further configured to retrieve the entertainment content from said database.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said computer is further configured to:

generate a billing record corresponding to an account associated with the identifier; and

send the generated billing record to a location associated with the identifier.

12. A method for providing entertainment content for a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

sending a request for entertainment content from the wireless communication device over a wireless network, wherein the request includes an identifier associated with the wireless device, wherein the identifier is a cellular phone identifying signal and wherein the identifier is sufficient to allow a user associated with the wireless device to be billed for the entertainment content;

receiving the entertainment content over the wireless network by the wireless communication device; and

storing the received entertainment content in a memory of the wireless communication device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

playing the stored entertainment content on a display of the wireless communication device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

playing the stored entertainment content on a device connected to the wireless communication device.

15. An apparatus for providing entertainment content, the apparatus comprising:

a wireless communication device configured to send a request for entertainment content from the wireless communication device over a wireless network, wherein the request includes an identifier associated with the wireless device, wherein the identifier is a cellular phone identifying signal and wherein the identifier is sufficient to allow a user associated with the wireless device to be billed for the entertainment content;

a receiver in the wireless communication device configured to receive the entertainment content over the wireless network;

a memory in the wireless communication device configured to at least temporarily store the received entertainment content.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a display for displaying the stored entertainment content.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a controller configured to play a video game using the received entertainment content.