Method and system for upgrading a previously purchased media asset

• US 9,665,878 B2
• Filed: 02/11/2015
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pirnack, Tracy, Cortes, Ricardo D., Campbell, George, Lew, Darren Ming, Gharabally, Sam, Mitsuji, Hiro, Ward, Alan, Gautier, Patrice, Ameerally, Debra
• Primary Examiner(s): Kujundzic, Dino
• Application Number:
  US14/619,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

Systems, graphical user interfaces and methods for upgrading from one or more digital media assets to a set of digital media assets over a network are described. A potential purchaser can be notified of available upgrade opportunities that are available for purchase. The potential purchaser can elect to pursue an upgrade opportunity so as to purchase a set of digital media assets. Upon upgrading to the set of digital media assets, the digital media assets within the set of digital media assets are made available to the purchaser. According to one aspect, a graphical user interface facilitates presenting and requesting upgrade opportunities. According to another aspect, equivalency rules and/or eligibility rules can be used to control which sets of digital media assets are available for upgrade by respective potential purchasers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a processor, a first media asset purchased by a user associated with a device;

determining, by the processor, that the first media asset is an interchangeable variation of a second media asset in a media asset bundle available for purchase as a collection from a server;

calculating, by the processor, an upgrade cost for the media asset bundle by reducing a reduced bundle price defined for the collection by a respective cost of the second media asset in the media asset bundle, wherein the reduced bundle price defined for the collection is different than a combined cost of all individual media items in the media asset bundle; and

generating, by the processor, a media item listing area providing a listing of media items in the media asset bundle, wherein the media item listing identifies the first media asset or the second media asset as being previously acquired and a remaining set of media assets in the media item listing as being available from the server as part of the media asset bundle at the upgrade cost.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first media asset is an interchangeable variation of the second media asset comprises determining that the first media asset is equivalent to the second media asset based on at least one of a matching vendor identifier, a matching disk number, or a matching media asset code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media asset bundle is an album, and items in the listing of media items are tracks, and wherein the listing of media items displays at least one of a name, duration, artist or album.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing of media items further includes an indication of a respective cost for each of the remaining set of media assets.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing of media items identifies a number of media items in the remaining set of media assets.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying an opportunity to upgrade the first media asset to the collection associated with the media asset bundle based on the determining that the first media asset is an interchangeable variation of the second media asset in the media asset bundle available for purchase as the collection from the server.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the media item listing is triggered by the identifying of the opportunity to upgrade.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the media asset is an interchangeable variation of the second media asset comprises determining that the first media asset is equivalent to the second media asset, wherein determining that the first media asset is equivalent to the second media asset comprises identifying the first media asset as being equivalent to the second media asset by matching the first media asset to the second media asset in a listing of equivalency mappings.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising identifying a second opportunity to upgrade the first media asset purchased by the user to a second collection associated with a different media asset bundle based on a determination that the first media asset is a second interchangeable variation of a third media asset in the different media asset bundle, the different media asset bundle being available for purchase as the second collection from the server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, via a graphical user interface, at least one upgrade request control to enable the user to request an upgrade to complete the media asset bundle.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to;

identify a first media asset purchased by a user associated with a device;

determine that the first media asset is an interchangeable variation of a second media asset in a media asset bundle available for purchase as a collection from a server;

calculate an upgrade cost for the media asset bundle by reducing a reduced bundle price defined for the collection, by a respective cost of the second media asset in the media asset bundle, wherein the reduced bundle price defined for the collection is different than a combined cost of individual all media items in the media asset bundle; and

generate a media item listing area providing a listing of media items in the media asset bundle, wherein the media item listing identifies first media asset or the second the media asset as being previously acquired and a remaining set of media assets in the media item listing as being available from the server as part of the media asset bundle at the upgrade cost.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein determining that the first media asset is an interchangeable variation of the second media asset comprises determining that the first media asset is equivalent to the second media asset based on at least one of a matching vendor identifier, a matching disk number, or a matching media asset code.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the media asset bundle is an album, and items in the listing of media items are tracks, and wherein the listing of media items displays at least one of a name, duration, artist or album, and wherein the listing of media items further includes an indication of a respective cost for each of the remaining set of media assets.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, storing additional instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to identify an opportunity to upgrade the first media asset purchased by the user to the collection associated with the media asset bundle based on the determining that the media asset is the interchangeable variation of the second media asset in the media asset bundle available for purchase as the collection from the server.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein determining that the media asset is an interchangeable variation of the second media asset comprises determining that the first media asset is equivalent to the second media asset, wherein determining that the first media asset is equivalent to the second media asset in the media asset bundle available for purchase as the collection from the server comprises identifying the first media asset as being equivalent to the second by matching the first media asset to the second media asset in a listing of equivalency mappings, wherein the listing of equivalency mappings is generated based on equivalency rules.

16. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one computer-readable storage medium having stored therein instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising;

identifying a first media asset purchased by a user associated with a device;

determining that the first media asset is an interchangeable variation of a second media asset in a media asset bundle available for purchase as a collection from a server;

calculating an upgrade cost for the media asset bundle by reducing a reduced bundle price defined for the collection, by a respective cost of the second media asset in the media asset bundle, wherein the reduced bundle price defined for the collection is different than a combined cost of all individual media items in the media asset bundle; and

generating a media item listing area providing a listing of media items in the media asset bundle, wherein the media item listing identifies first media asset or the second the media asset as being previously acquired and a remaining set of media assets in the media item listing as being available from the server as part of the media asset bundle.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein determining that the first media asset is an interchangeable variation of the second media asset comprises determining that the first media asset is equivalent to the second media asset based on at least one of a matching vendor identifier, a matching disk number, or a matching media asset code.

18. The system of claim 16, the at least one computer-readable storage medium storing additional instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform an operation comprising:

identifying an opportunity to upgrade the first media asset purchased by the user to the collection associated with the media asset bundle based on the determining that the first media asset is the interchangeable variation of the second media asset in the media asset bundle available for purchase as the collection from the server.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein determining that the media asset is an interchangeable variation of the second media asset comprises determining that the first media asset is equivalent to the second media asset, wherein determining that the first media asset is equivalent to the second media asset comprises identifying the first media asset as being equivalent to the second media asset by matching the first media asset to the second media asset in a listing of equivalency mappings.

20. The system of claim 18, the at least one computer-readable storage medium storing additional instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform an operation comprising:

identifying a second opportunity to upgrade the first media asset purchased by the user to a different collection associated with a different media asset bundle based on a determination that the first media asset is equivalent to a third media asset in the different media asset bundle, the different media asset bundle being available for purchase as a second collection from the server.