Remote activation of digital media

• US 20050021418A1
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Published: 01/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Segue Strategy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Segue Strategy, Inc.
• Inventors: Marcus, Matt, Poydar, Henry
• Application Number:
  US10/804,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021418A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

Systems and techniques are described enable the remote activation of digital media from a personal device over a network. The techniques include one or more users browsing a repository of media files using a wired or wireless device and selecting media files from the repository for inclusion in a public queue. Every user may view the public queue on his own wireless device and add value to a media file in the queue. The file with the most associated value plays next over a playback device.

Claims

1. A method of activating digital media on a network comprising:

allowing each user connected to the network to add digital media files to a media gaming queue accessible to each user of the network;

providing a visual indication of a sequence of the digital media files in the media gaming queue;

allowing each user to add currency units to one or more selected digital media files in the queue;

altering the sequence of the digital media files in the queue based on the respective currency units associated with each digital media file in the queue; and

activating a digital media player to play the digital media files in sequence from the queue.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein a media file with a first value of currency units associated with it is sequenced in the queue ahead of a media file having a lesser value of currency units associated with it.

3. A system to control the order of activating digital media files comprising:

a repository to store local content of digital media files;

a client/server to browse the local content coupled to the repository;

a local wireless network coupled to the client/server; and

a digital media player coupled to the repository to play activated digital media files in sequence from a media gaming queue wherein the sequence of the media files in the media gaming queue is determined by users of the system.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising an account server coupled to the network to associate currency units with a user'"'"'s stored-value account.

5. The system of claim 3 further comprising means to enable a user to associate currency units with one or more media files in the queue.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the sequence of the media files in the gaming queue is determined by a respective value of currency units associated with each media file.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein a media file with a first value of currency units associated with it is sequenced in the queue ahead of a media file having a lesser value of currency units associated with it.

8. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

a retail server coupled to the network to enable the user to download media files to a user'"'"'s computer;

a shopping cart server associated with the retail server to collect user requested downloads; and

an authorization system to enable payment from the user'"'"'s stored-value account or from a credit card.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein the repository to receives content updates and user account verification over the network.

10. A method comprising:

receiving media files for entry into a media gaming queue;

allowing users to associate currency units with a respective media file;

sequencing the media files in the media gaming queue, the sequence being determined by a respective value of currency units associated with each media file; and

playing the media file on a media player in the sequence from the media gaming queue.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein a media file with a first value of currency units associated with it is sequenced in the queue ahead of a media file having a lesser value of currency units associated with it.

12. A method comprising:

coupling one or more users'"'"' device to a media player over a wireless network for playing media files in sequence from a media gaming queue in a space;

adding one or more media files from a local media repository to the media gaming queue; and

altering the sequence of the media files in the media gaming queue based on currency units associated with one or more selected media files.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein a value of currency units associated with one of the media files is altered in response to input by one or more.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the currency units are representative of a stored-value associated with each respective user.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the respective user can increase the stored-value associated with the respective user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the respective stored-value is increased by adding stored-value from a credit card account.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the respective stored-value is increased in relation to the number of media files added to the media gaming queue by a respective user that are played on the media player.

18. A method comprising:

receiving media content updates for storage in a local media repository coupled to a wireless local area network from a central media server;

allowing one or more users connected to the wireless local area network to select one or more media files from the local media repository for addition to a media gaming queue; and

allowing one or more users to associate currency units with a respective media file in the media gaming queue.

19. The system of claim 18 comprising altering the sequence of the media files in the media gaming queue based on the currency units associated with the respective media file.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein a media file with a first value of currency units associated with it is sequenced in the queue ahead of a media file having a lesser value of currency units associated with it.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the currency units are representative of a stored-value associated with each respective user.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the user can increase the respective stored-value.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the respective stored-value is increased by adding stored-value from a credit card account.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the respective stored-value is increased in relation to the number of media files added to the media gaming queue by a respective user that are played on the media player.