Music distribution systems

• US RE41,137 E1
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zarbana Digital Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ochoa Optics LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hunter, Charles Eric, Sparks, Kelly C., Hebrank, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US11/801,109
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225, 709/226, 709/229, 705/14, 705/26
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2529 Mini-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 2220/41 Flat as opposed to hierarchical combination, e.g. library of tapes or discs, CD changer, or groups of record carriers that together store one title
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/17 on recording information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/22 per use
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/63 for services of sales data processing systems or methods specially adapted for electronic commerce G06Q30/00

Abstract

Music is blanket transmitted (for example, via satellite downlink transmission) to each customer'"'"'s computer-based user station. Customers preselect from a list of available music in advance using an interactive screen selector, and pay only for music that they choose to have recorded for unlimited playback, for example, by a “CD burner”. An antipiracy “ID tag” is woven into the recorded music so that any illegal copies therefrom may be traced to the purchase transaction. Music is transmitted on a fixed schedule or through an active scheduling process that monitors music requests from all or a subset of satellite receivers and adjust scheduling according to demand for various CD'"'"'s. Receivers store selections that are likely to be preferred by a specific customer. In those instances where weather conditions, motion atmospheric layers or dish obstructions result in data loss, the system downloads the next transmission of the requested CD and uses both transmissions to produce a “good copy”. In conjunction with the blanket transmission of more popular music, an automated CD manufacturing facility may be provided to manufacture CD'"'"'s that are not frequently requested and distribute them by ground transportation.

Claims

1. A method of distributing digitally encoded data files comprising:

classifying a plurality of digitally encoded data files as belonging to at least one of a plurality of categories;

integrating an anti-piracy ID tag into the digitally encoded data files;

storing user preference information including information identifying at least one of the categories of digitally encoded data files associated with a user;

blanket transmitting a plurality of digitally encoded data files including at least one digitally encoded data file belonging to a category identified in the user preference information for a the user;

automatically storing the identified digitally-encoded data file at a location of the user;

permitting the user to purchase the stored digitally encoded data file, the digitally encoded data file including the anti-piracy ID tag; and

communicating the fact of the purchase to a central control system for billing the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing customer preference information, wherein the managing customer preference information further includes:

creating a standard user profile identifying at least one of the categories, and

matching a user to the standard user profile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein matching a user to the standard profile further includes receiving from a the user a selection of the standard profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically storing further comprises overwriting a digitally encoded data file previously stored in the a storage medium based on the age of the previously stored data file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically storing further comprises overwriting a digitally encoded data file previously stored in the a storage medium using a first In first out priority scheme.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically storing further comprises overwriting a digitally encoded data file previously stored in the a storage medium based on the demand for the previously stored digitally encoded data file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitally encoded data file includes a header, the method further comprising:

including, in the header of the digitally encoded data file, information identifying a category to which the digitally encode encoded data file belongs.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically storing further comprises selecting a digitally encoded data file from the blanket transmission a data file containing a header identifying a category identified by the user'"'"'s user preference information.

9. The method of claim 1, further including:

creating a user-specific advertisement for a digitally encoded data file using the user preference information for that user;

transmitting the user-specific catalog advertisement to the user;

receiving an order from the user for a data file identified in the catalog advertisement, for the user location to store the ordered data file upon transmission.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the advertisement is a catalog containing an advertisement for each of a plurality of digitally encoded data files belonging to a category identified in the user'"'"'s user preference information.

11. The method of claim 9, further including creating at a production facility a copy of the ordered digitally encoded data file for shipping to the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the digitally encoded data file files is a promotional data file comprising promotional information about other digitally encoded data files.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitally encoded data file comprises files comprise digitally encoded music.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the digitally encoded data file comprises files comprise digitally encoded video.

15. A system for distributing digitally encoded data files, wherein each digitally encoded data file belongs to one or more categories, comprising:

an encoder integrating an anti-piracy ID tag into the digitally encoded data files;

a user preference storage module storing user preference information including information identifying at least one of the categories of digitally encoded data files associated with the a user;

a first transmitter blanket transmitting a plurality of digitally encoded data files including at least one digitally encoded data file belonging to a category identified in the user preference information for a user;

a download module automatically storing the identified digitally-encoded data file at a location of the user;

an input receiving a user selection of the stored digitally encoded data file for purchase, the digitally encoded data file including the anti-piracy ID tag; and

a second transmitter communicating the fact of the purchase to a central control system for billing the user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user preference storage module comprises a standard user profile identifying at least one of the categories to which a user may be matched.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a user interface receiving a user selection of the standard profile.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the download module overwrites a digitally encoded data file previously stored in the a storage medium based on the age of the previously stored data file.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the download module overwrites a digitally encoded data file previously stored in the a storage medium using a First-In, First-Out priority scheme.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the download module overwrites a digitally encoded data file previously stored in the a storage medium based on the demand for the previously stored digitally encoded data file.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the digitally encoded data file includes a header, the system further comprising:

an encoder integrating, into the header of the digitally encoded data file, information identifying a category to which the digitally encode data file belongs.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the download module further selects a digitally encoded data file from the blanket transmission a data file containing a header identifying a category identified by the user'"'"'s preference information.

23. The system of claim 15, further including:

a catalog generator module creating a user-specific advertisement for a digitally encoded data file using the user preference information for that user.

24. The system of claim 23, further including an input receiving an order from the user for a data file identified in the advertisement, for the user location to store the ordered data file upon transmission.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the advertisement is a catalog containing an advertisement for each of a plurality of digitally encoded data files belonging to a category identified in the user'"'"'s user preference information.

26. The system of claim 24, further including a production facility creating a copy of the ordered digitally encoded data file for shipping to the user.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the digitally encoded data file is a promotional data file comprising promotional information about other digitally encoded data files.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the digitally encoded data file comprises digitally encoded music.

29. The method of claim 15, wherein the digitally encoded data file comprises digitally encoded video.

30. A method of distributing digitally encoded data files comprising:

classifying a plurality of digitally encoded data files as belonging to at least one of a plurality of categories;

storing user preference information including information identifying at least one of the categories of digitally encoded data files associated with a user;

blanket transmitting a plurality of digitally encoded data files, wherein the plurality of digitally encoded data files includes at least one digitally encoded data file belonging to a category identified in the user preference information for a user, for storage at the user'"'"'s location;

receiving from the user an indication of a purchase of the stored digitally encoded data file, the digitally encoded data file including an anti-piracy ID tag; and

using the indication of purchase to bill the user for the purchase of the digitally encoded data file.

31. A system for distributing a digitally encoded data file, wherein the digitally encoded data file belongs to at least one of a plurality of categories, the system comprising:

a storage module storing user preference information including information identifying at least one of the categories of digitally encoded data files associated with a user;

a transmitter blanket transmitting a plurality of digitally encoded data files, wherein the plurality of digitally encoded data files includes at least one digitally encoded data file belonging to a category identified in the user preference information for a user, for storage at the user'"'"'s location;

a receiver receiving from the user an indication of a purchase of the stored digitally encoded data file, the digitally encoded data file including an anti-piracy ID tag; and

a billing module using the indication of purchase to bill the user for the purchase of the digitally encoded data file.

32. A method of purchasing distributed digitally encoded data files comprising:

identifying a user preference comprising a category, wherein the category contains information identifying at least one digitally encoded data file belonging to the category;

receiving, via a blanket transmission, a plurality of digitally encoded data files including at least one digitally encoded data file belonging to a the category identified in the user preference for the user;

automatically storing a transmitted digitally-encoded digitally encoded data file at a location of the user, if the digitally encoded data file belongs to a the category identified by the user;

selecting a the stored digitally encoded data file for purchase; and

communicating the fact of the purchase to a central control system for billing the user.

33. A system for purchasing distributed digitally encoded data files comprising:

a user interface receiving an identification of a user preference comprising a category, wherein the category contains information identifying at least one digitally encoded data file belonging to the category;

a download module receiving, via a blanket transmission, a plurality of digitally encoded data files including at least one digitally encoded data file belonging to a the category identified in the user preference for the user, and automatically storing a transmitted digitally-encoded data file at a location of the user, if the digitally encoded data file belongs to a category identified by the user;

a first input receiving a selection of a stored digitally encoded data file for purchase; and

a transmitter communicating the fact of the purchase to a central control system for billing the user.