Music purchasing and playing system and method

• US 20050197906A1
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pandora Media LLC (Liberty Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Doron, Amir, Sitze, Kevin, Pellouchoud, Philip Mansiel, Kogan, Michael J., Kindig, Bradley D., Clegg, Nathan Lavar, Joshlin, Sean Cornell, Kleemann, Robert F., Laffoon, Mark Alan, Sullivan, Sean Robert, Abed, Ameen Hikmat, Baird, Daniel Davidson
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,873 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

An online music purchasing system and method is disclosed, in which a radio service operates on a user'"'"'s computer and is configured for receiving and playing digital radio representations of media content in near real-time in a radio session. A content server is configured for serving the digital radio representations of media content to the radio service, and a radio sequence server is configured for serving a sequential list of currently-playing and previously-played media content of the radio session to the radio service. An account server is configured for receiving a signal indicative of a user'"'"'s desire to purchase a file of one of a currently-playing or previously-played media content. A download manager is configured for downloading the file to the user'"'"'s computer according to the signal indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to purchase the file.

Claims

1. An online music purchasing system, comprising:

a radio service operating on a user'"'"'s computer and configured for receiving and playing digital radio representations of media content in near real-time in a radio session;

a content server configured for serving the digital radio representations of media content to the radio service;

a radio sequence server configured for serving a sequential list of currently-playing and previously-played media content of the radio session to the radio service;

an account server configured for receiving a signal indicative of a user'"'"'s desire to purchase a file of one of a currently-playing or previously-played media content; and

a download manager, configured for downloading the file to the user'"'"'s computer according to the signal indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to purchase the file.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a license server, in communication with the account server, configured for obtaining at least one license for the file.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a payment processor, in communication with the account server, configured for processing the user'"'"'s credit card information for the purchase of the file before the file is downloaded.

4. A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a user interface displaying a graphical representation of the radio service.

5. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the download manager operates concurrently with the radio service.

6. A system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the user interface includes controls for associating the file with a folder for later access.

7. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the radio service includes media player controls.

8. A system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the media player controls includes a forward control for accessing a next digital radio representation of media content from the content server.

9. A system in accordance with claim 8, wherein the next digital radio representation of media content is determined by the radio sequence server.

10. A system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the media content is a music track.

11. An online music purchasing method, comprising:

receiving and playing digital radio representations of media content in near real-time in a radio session;

displaying a sequential list of currently-playing and previously-played media content of the radio session;

receiving a signal indicative of a user'"'"'s desire to purchase a file of one of a currently-playing or previously-played media content; and

downloading the file from a content server according to the signal indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to purchase the file.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising receiving suggestions of other media content to receive and play.

13. A method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising receiving credit card information for purchasing the file.

14. A method in accordance with claim 13, further comprising validating the credit card information before downloading the file.

15. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein receiving the signal indicative of the user'"'"'s desire to purchase the file includes:

displaying a buy button in a user interface; and

receiving a signal that the user has selected the buy button using an input device.

16. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein downloading a file occurs simultaneously with receiving and playing digital radio representations of media content.

17. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the media content is a music track.

18. A system for enabling simultaneous online radio services and music purchasing, the system comprising:

a user interface, including a radio control window to control playing of digital representations of music tracks of a radio session, and a radio session sequence window displaying a sequential list of currently-playing and previously-played media content of the radio session, wherein the radio session sequence window is configured to display a purchase control button for receiving a signal indicative of a user'"'"'s desire to purchase a music file associated with one of the digital representations of music tracks.

19. The system in accordance with claim 18, further comprising an artist window displaying artist information corresponding to one of the music tracks.

20. The system in accordance with claim 18, further comprising a folder window displaying a plurality of folders, and wherein the user interface is configured to receive an indication from a user of a particular folder to which the purchase music file is to be stored.