Systems and methods for dynamic access to program features

• US 9,854,016 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chasen, Jeffrey M., Elman, Joshua E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Desrosiers, Evans
• Application Number:
  US14/574,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,105 Days
• Field of Search: 713168-174, 713182-186, 713202, 709206, 709225, 709229, 709249, 709389, 726 2- 8
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• 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 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

The multimedia client-server system provides a multimedia client program with a set of features and a server system that creates feature access information that determines which features are to be made available to a particular user. The server system may send the feature access information to the user such that the information is accessible to the multimedia client program. The multimedia client program may dynamically control the user'"'"'s access to the program'"'"'s feature set by using the feature access information to validate and verify the user. In addition, the feature access information may be accessible to the server system, such that the server system may periodically update the feature access information, such as, for example, when the user accesses the server system to download multimedia content.

Claims

1. At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions that when executed by at least one server computer system result in performance of operations comprising:

providing, at least in part, by the at least one server computer system, in response, at least in part, to at least one request, at least one service, the at least one service comprising at least one word processing feature, the at least one word processing feature being accessible via at least one remote computer system;

the at least one service being provided based upon a subscription, the subscription being capable of being established via at least one user account capable of being created, at least in part, using the at least one remote computer system;

the subscription being associated with one of a plurality of subscription levels, the plurality of subscription levels including at least one relatively higher subscription level and at least one relatively lower subscription level;

the at least one relatively higher subscription level being associated with at least one set of features, the at least one relatively lower subscription level being associated with at least one other set of features;

the at least one set of features including at least one additional feature compared to the at least one other set of features, the at least one additional feature being capable of being provided, at least in part, via at least one application that is capable of being provided, at least in part, via download, from the at least one server computer system to the at least one remote computer system;

the at least one relatively higher subscription level being associated with at least one relatively higher subscription fee relative to at least one relatively lower subscription fee associated with the at least one relatively lower subscription level;

wherein the operations also comprise;

providing by the at least one server computer system, in response at least in part to at least one other request from the at least one remote computer system, at least one subscription-based unlimited music streaming and audio file download service to be provided to the at least one remote computer system for playing via at least one downloadable media application;

periodically providing to the at least one remote computer system, by the at least one server computer system, updated user access control-related data to be stored at the at least one remote computer system so as to permit dynamic control of user access to streaming media content that is capable of being provided to the at least one remote computer system from the at least one server computer system.

2. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one word processing feature is accessible, at least in part, via cellular communication.

3. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of subscription levels are associated with subscription packages that comprise sets of features.

4. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the relatively lower subscription fee is free.

5. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the subscription is a trial subscription.

6. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one word processing feature is to be provided, at least in part, by a word processing program to be executed, at least in part, by the at least one remote computer.

7. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one additional feature is related, at least in part, to at least one of;

streaming audio;

streaming video;

recording of video data;

viewing of video data;

transmission of documents; and

retrieving of documents.

8. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one word processing feature is capable of utilizing, at least in part, letter and fax templates.

9. At least one server computer system comprising:

computer-readable memory storing instructions that are capable of being executed by the at least one server computer system, the instructions when executed by the at least one server computer system resulting in the at least one server computer system being capable of providing, at least in part, in operation of the at least one server computer system, in response at least in part to at least one request, at least one service, the at least one service comprising at least one word processing feature, the at least one word processing feature being accessible via at least one remote computer system;

the at least one service being provided based upon a subscription, the subscription being capable of being established via at least one user account capable of being created, at least in part, using the at least one remote computer system;

the subscription being associated with one of a plurality of subscription levels, the plurality of subscription levels including at least one relatively higher subscription level and at least one relatively lower subscription level;

the at least one relatively higher subscription level being associated with at least one set of features, the at least one relatively lower subscription level being associated with at least one other set of features;

the at least one set of features including at least one additional feature compared to the at least one other set of features, the at least one additional feature being capable of being provided, at least in part, via at least one application that is capable of being provided, at least in part, via download, from the at least one server computer system to the at least one remote computer system;

the at least one relatively higher subscription level being associated with at least one relatively higher subscription fee relative to at least one relatively lower subscription fee associated with the at least one relatively lower subscription level;

wherein;

the at least one server computer system is capable of providing, in response at least in part to at least one other request from the at least one remote computer system, at least one subscription-based unlimited music streaming and audio file download service to be provided to the at least one remote computer system for playing via at least one downloadable media application;

the at least one server computer system is capable of periodically providing to the at least one remote computer system updated user access control-related data to be stored at the at least one remote computer system so as to permit dynamic control of user access to streaming media content that is capable of being provided to the at least one remote computer system from the at least one server computer system.

10. The at least one server computer system of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one word processing feature is accessible, at least in part, via cellular communication.

11. The at least one server computer system of claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of subscription levels are associated with subscription packages that comprise sets of features.

12. The at least one server computer system of claim 9, wherein:

the relatively lower subscription fee is free.

13. The at least one server computer system of claim 9, wherein:

the subscription is a trial subscription.

14. The at least one server computer system of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one word processing feature is to be provided, at least in part, by a word processing program to be executed, at least in part, by the at least one remote computer.

15. The at least one server computer system of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one additional feature is related, at least in part, to at least one of;

streaming audio;

streaming video;

recording of video data;

viewing of video data;

transmission of documents; and

retrieving of documents.

16. The at least one server computer system of claim 9, wherein:

the at least one word processing feature is capable of utilizing, at least in part, letter and fax templates.