Method and system for remote access of personal music

• US 20020116082A1
• Filed: 02/16/2001
• Published: 08/22/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: SONY CORP./SONY ELECTRONICS, INC.
• Inventors: Gudorf, Gregory D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,024,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• 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 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet

Abstract

In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for storing audio files. The method includes: (a) receiving electronic files at a central location from a first device, those electronic files representing audio signals; (b) associating the audio files with identification information; (c) storing the audio files at the central location on at least a portion of a storage media, that portion being uniquely associated with the identification information; (d) receiving the identification information from a second device; and (e) transmitting the audio files to the second device upon receipt of the identification information.

Claims

1. A method of storing audio files comprises:

(a) receiving at a central location electronic files representing audio signals from a first device,

(b) associating the audio files with identification information,

(c) storing said audio files at said central location on at least a portion of a storage media, said portion uniquely associated with said identification information,

(d) receiving at said central location said identification information from a second device,

(e) transmitting said audio files to said second device upon receipt of said identification information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said server is a web server and said files and information are received and transmitted via the Internet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said devices is a general purpose computer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at least one of said devices is a personal computer.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said second device is installed in an automobile.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said devices is a personal digital assistant.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said personal digital assistant receives said audio files via wireless communication.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising encoding said electronic files from a source of audio information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said source is a compact disk.

10. The method claim 1 wherein said electronic files are compatible with the MPEG format when received at said central location.

11. The method claim 1 wherein said electronic files are compatible with the ATRAC3 format when received at said central location.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving said identification from said first device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of receiving at said central location said identification information comprises said second device automatically sending said identification information to said central location.

14. The method of claim 12 or 13 wherein said identification information is associated with said device.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said first device and said second device are the same device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said identification information is associated with a user.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said step of associating said audio files with identification information comprises a user sending information which identifies the user.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said identification information is sent from said first device when said first device is connected to said central location via a network.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said network is the Internet.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said identification information is sent automatically by said first and second devices to said central location.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of receiving at said central location a request for at least one of said files and wherein said step of transmitting comprises transmitting said at least one of said files.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising the step of comparing the identification information associated with said requested file with the identification information received during said step of receiving said identification information from said second device, and said step of transmitting is conditional upon the results of said comparison.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of transmitting to said second device a list of the files associated with the identification information received from said second device.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising comparing the size of the electronic file with the amount of said portion uniquely associated with said identification information, and wherein performance of said step of storing is conditional upon the result of such comparison.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising transmitting a notification to the user if the size of the electronic file plus the size of other files stored in said portion is greater than the amount of said portion.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein said second device is at a a geographic location remote from said first device.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of transmitting comprises downloading said file.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said step of transmitting comprises streaming said file to said second device.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said step of transmitting comprises permitting said second device to permanently store said file.

30. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) receiving at said central location electronic files representing audio signals from a third device, said third device having different identification information,

(b) storing the audio files from said third device on a portion of said storage media that is different from the portion uniquely associated with said identification information associated with said audio files from said first device.

31. A system for storing and transmitting audio information comprising:

a processor;

memory;

data stored in said memory, said data identifying a plurality of users or devices, said data further comprising a plurality of files associated with audio information, each said file being uniquely associated with the identity of a single user or device;

a set of instructions executable by said processor, said instructions conditioning the transmission of a song from the system to a user or device based on the identity of the user or device associated with said audio information.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the total size of files stored in said data for a particular user or device is limited.

33. The system of claim 32 wherein a file associated with a first user is identical to a file associated with a second user and said data comprises two copies of said file.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein said system comprises a server.

35. The system of claim 34 further comprising an audio player connected via a network to said server, said audio player being identified by at least some of the data identifying a plurality of users or devices.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein said audio player comprises memory containing information identifying said player.

37. The system of claim 36 wherein said audio player further comprises a speaker and a processor for playing said file.

38. The system of claim 36 wherein said audio player sends the identification information automatically to said server.

39. The system of claim 36 wherein said remote device is a PDA.

40. The system of claim 36 wherein the identification information comprises a GUID.

41. The system of claim 31 wherein said identification information comprises a portable audio player.

42. A method of storing and transmitting songs comprising:

uniquely associating a portion of the storage space on a server with a user or device;

associating said portion with a first identifier;

receiving said first identifier;

receiving a song file representative of a song; and

storing said song file in the portion of said storage space associated with said first identifier;

receiving a second identifier and a request for said song file;

comparing said second identifier with the identifier associated said requested song file;

transmitting said song file in response to said request depending upon the outcome of said step of comparing.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein if a first file is received along with a first identifier and a second file is received along with a second identifier and said first file and second file are identical copies of one another, then said first file is stored on a portion of said storage space different from the portion where said second file is stored.

44. The method of claim 43 further comprising the step of tracking the number of times a song file has been transmitted.

45. The method of claim 42 wherein said step of storing said song file in the portion of said storage space associated with said first identifier occurs prior to said step of associating said portion with a first identifier.

46. The method of claim 42 wherein said step of receiving said song file comprises receiving said song file from said user.

47. The method of claim 42 wherein said step of receiving said song file comprises receiving said song file from a bank of song files.

48. The method of claim 47 further comprising the step of said song bank preventing access to said song file stored at said song bank for an amount of time.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein said amount of time is determined by the number of times a user is permitted to download the song.