Sharing media items with pass phrases

• US 9,485,286 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2014
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sellier, Laurent E., Gayles, Edward James, Lynch-Freshner, Lawrence Arnold, Rachabathuni, Sailesh, Berbessou, David, Zhou, Xuejin
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Don
• Application Number:
  US14/312,924
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity

Abstract

A sharing service receives a request to store a media item stored on an electronic book reader device for sharing with one or more other content rendering devices. In response, the sharing service associates a pass phrase with the request. The sharing service then provides the media item to those devices (e.g., eBook reader devices) that provide the pass phrase to the sharing service within a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

one or more processors;

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

provide an indication on the display that a different electronic device has shared a media item on a server, the media item being available on the server in a first media format;

receive, via a user interface of the electronic device, a pass phrase associated with the media item;

provide the pass phrase to the server;

receive from the server, in response to the pass phrase being provided to the server, a portion of the media item in a second media format that is compatible with the electronic device, wherein the portion of the media item is converted to the second media format by the server;

store the portion of the media item in the memory;

render the portion of the media item on the display prior to receipt of a removal message;

receive the removal message at an expiration of a predetermined amount of time; and

remove the portion of the media item in response to the removal message.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to receive the pass phrase via textual or audible entry.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, further storing the computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, via the user interface, an indication requesting an additional piece of information prior to receiving the portion of the media item from the server.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the additional piece of information includes a numerical personal identification number (PIN).

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the media item includes non-copyrighted material; and

the portion of the media item includes any or all of the media item.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the media item includes copyrighted material; and

the portion of the media item includes a sample of the copyrighted material.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein:

the copyrighted material includes an electronic book comprising a plurality of chapters; and

the portion of the media item includes a particular chapter of the plurality of chapters of the electronic book.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein:

the copyrighted material includes a periodical comprising a plurality of articles; and

the portion of the media item includes at least a portion of a particular article of the plurality of articles of the periodical.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, further storing the instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to provide at least one of an offer for a free trial subscription to the periodical or a request to subscribe to the periodical.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, further storing the computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

provide an indication on the display that the different electronic device has shared the media item for the predetermined amount of time.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portion of the media item corresponds a particular portion of the media item previously accessed by the different electronic device.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, at a server and from a first electronic device, a media item in a first media format for sharing the media item with a second electronic device;

receiving, at the server and from the first electronic device, a first indication identifying a particular security level of a plurality of security levels associated with access to the media item;

receiving, at the server and from the first electronic device, a request for additional authentication information being supplied from the second electronic device for accessing the media item;

generating, by the server, a pass phrase that allows the access to the media item, wherein a complexity of the pass phrase is based at least in part on the particular security level;

causing, by the server, a presentation of a third indication on a display of the second electronic device, the third indication identifying the media item along with a request for the pass phrase and the additional authentication information to access the media item;

receiving, by the server via an interface of the second electronic device, the pass phrase and the additional authentication information to access the media item;

transmitting, by the server, in response to receiving at least the pass phrase and the additional authentication information, the media item to a memory of the second electronic device in a second media format to enable the second electronic device to render the media item prior to receipt of a removal message; and

transmitting, by the server, the removal message to the second electronic device at an expiration of a predetermined amount of time, the removal message to cause the second electronic device to remove the media item from the memory of the second electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, receiving, by the server via the interface of the second electronic device, a recording of the pass phrase via a microphone from the second electronic device.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising, receiving, at the server, an indication of the period of time to share the media item with the second electronic device.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the media item corresponds to an electronic book, and the first electronic device is associated with a user that has purchased the electronic book, and further comprising;

receiving, at the server and from the first electronic device, an indication of a portion of the electronic book to share with the second electronic device, the portion of the electronic book being previously accessed by the first electronic device; and

in response to receiving the pass phrase and the additional authentication information, transmitting, by the server, the portion of the electronic book to the memory of the second electronic device.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising,

receiving, at the server, an additional indication that an additional electronic device receives the media item;

and

in response to receiving, by the server via the interface of the second electronic device, the pass phrase and the additional authentication information to access the media item, transmitting by the server, the media item to a memory of the second electronic device.

17. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a media item and a first indication from a first electronic device, the media item being in a first media format, and the first indication including a particular security level to associate with access to the media item;

generate a pass phrase that allows access to the media item, wherein a complexity of the pass phrase is based at least in part on the particular security level;

send, to the first electronic device, a second indication that includes the pass phrase;

receive, from a second electronic device, the pass phrase;

provide, to the second electronic device, in response to receiving the pass phrase, access to the media item in a second media format that is compatible with the second electronic device, the second media format being different from the first media format, the access granting temporary permission for the second electronic device to render the media item prior to receipt of a removal message; and

provide, to the second electronic device, the removal message at an expiration of a predetermined amount of time, the removal message to cause the second electronic device to remove the media item from memory of the second electronic device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the memory further stores the computer-readable instructions when executed by the one or more processors, causing the system operable to:

receive an input from the first electronic device that specifies the predetermined amount of time.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the pass phrase comprises of one or more words;

and

wherein to generate the pass phrase further includes the computer-readable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a number of words for the pass phrase, based at least in part on the particular security level.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the pass phrase comprises of a predetermined number of words;

and

wherein to generate the pass phrase further includes the computer-readable instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

determine a complexity of the predetermined number of words based at least in part on the particular security level.