Digital content distribution systems and methods

• US 20060190410A1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 2428392 Inc.
• Original Assignee: Trans World New York LLC (Kaspien Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harper, Gregory W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,436 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention enable a user to acquire an item (e.g., a digital song, digital video, etc.) using one device (e.g., a portable device) and to easily move a copy of the acquired item from the one device to another device so that a user of the other device can play the item.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a user having a first device to acquire an item, comprising:

(a) connecting the first device to a second device, wherein the first device is a portable device;

(b) while the portable device is connected to the second device, using the second device to submit a request to acquire the item;

(c) after submitting the request and while the portable device is connected to the second device, receiving at the portable device an encrypted copy of the requested item and a license, and storing the encrypted copy of the requested item and the license on a first storage unit contained within or connected to the portable device, wherein the encrypted copy of the item has a header portion containing a pointer to a license server and a key-id, and the license enables a content player running on the portable device to play the encrypted item from the first storage unit;

(d) after step (c), disconnecting the portable device from the second device;

(e) after step (d), connecting the portable device to a third device;

(f) after step (e), storing a copy of the encrypted item stored on the first storage unit in a content library stored in a second storage unit that is contained within or connected to the third device, wherein the second storage unit also contains a license store;

(g) after step (f) and in response to a request to play the copy of the encrypted item stored in the second storage unit using a content player running on the third device, silently obtaining from the license server a license that enables the content player running on the third device to play the encrypted item from the second storage unit; and

(h) storing the obtained license in the license store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the header portion further contains a transaction code.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transaction code is generated after step (b).

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of silently obtaining the license from the license server comprises transmitting from the third device a license request message to the license server, wherein the request message includes the key-id and transaction code, wherein the license server determines whether it may grant the license in response to the request, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the transaction code.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of determining whether to grant the license comprises using the transaction code to retrieve information from a database, wherein the information is used to determine whether or not the license may be granted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second device is a device accessible to the public at least during certain time periods.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second device is located within a retail establishment.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of making or authorizing a payment for the item prior to step (c).

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing a helper application on the first storage unit after step (a) and prior to the user disconnecting the portable device from the second device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the helper application is configured to perform step (f).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the helper application is configured to prompt the user to select at least one content player and then perform step (f) by storing the copy of the encrypted item in a content library associated with a selected content player.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the helper application is configured to silently perform step (f).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the helper application is configured to silently perform step (f) substantially in response to the user connecting the first device to the third device and to a determination that no copy of the item is stored in the content library.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the helper application is configured to download a second helper application to the second storage unit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the helper application is configured to download a second helper application to the second storage unit substantially in response to a user connecting the first device to the third device and to a determination that the second helper application is not installed on the third device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second helper application is configured to perform step (f).

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second helper application is configured to prompt the user to select at least one content player and then perform step (f) by storing the copy of the encrypted item in a content library associated with a selected content player.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the second helper application is configured to silently perform step (f).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second helper application is configured to silently perform step (f) substantially in response to the user connecting the first device to the third device and to a determination that no copy of the item is stored in the content library.

20. A method for enabling a user having a first device to acquire an item, comprising:

(a) connecting the first device to a second device, wherein the first device is a portable device;

(b) while the portable device is connected to the second device, using the second device to submit a request to acquire the item;

(c) after submitting the request and while the portable device is connected to the second device, receiving at the portable device an encrypted copy of the requested item and a license, and storing the encrypted copy of the requested item and the license on a first storage unit contained within or connected to the portable device, wherein the encrypted copy of the item has a header portion containing a pointer to a license server and a key-id, and the license enables a content player running on the portable device to play the encrypted item from the first storage unit;

(d) storing a helper application on the first storage unit after step (a) and prior the portable device being disconnected from the second device;

(e) after step (c), disconnecting the portable device from the second device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the helper application is configured to store a copy of the encrypted item stored on the first storage unit in a content library stored in a second storage unit that is contained within or connected to a third device after the portable device connects to the third device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the helper application is configured to prompt the user to select at least one content player prior to storing the copy of the encrypted item in the content library, wherein the content library is associated with at least one of the selected content players.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the helper application is configured to silently store the copy of the encrypted item in the content library.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the helper application is configured to silently store the copy of the encrypted item in the content library substantially in response to a user connecting the first device to the third device and to a determination that no copy of the item is stored in the content library.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(f) after step (d), connecting the portable device to a third device;

(g) after step (f) and in response to a request to play the copy of the encrypted item stored in the second storage unit using a content player running on the third device, silently obtaining from the license server a license that enables the content player running on the third device to play the encrypted item from the second storage unit; and

(h) storing the obtained license in a license store accessible to the content player.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the header portion further contains a transaction code.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the transaction code is generated after step (b).

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of silently obtaining the license from the license server comprises transmitting from the third device a license request message to the license server, wherein the request message includes the key-id and transaction code, wherein the license server determines whether it may grant the license in response to the request, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the transaction code.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of determining whether to grant the license comprises using the transaction code to retrieve information from a database, wherein the information is used to determine whether or not the license may be granted.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein the second device is a device openly accessible to the public.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the second device is located within a retail establishment.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the helper application is configured to download a second helper application to a second storage unit that is contained within or connected to a third device after the portable device connects to the third device.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the helper application is configured to download the second helper application to the second storage unit substantially in response to a user connecting the first device to the third device and to a determination that the second helper application is not installed on the third device.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the second helper application is configured to store a copy of the encrypted item stored on the first storage unit in a content library stored in a second storage unit that is contained within or connected to a third device after the portable device connects to the third device.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the second helper application is configured to prompt the user to select at least one content player and then store the copy of the encrypted item in the content library.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the second helper application is configured to silently store a copy of the encrypted item stored on the first storage unit in a content library stored in a second storage unit that is contained within or connected to a third device after the portable device connects to the third device.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the second helper application is configured to silently store the copy of the encrypted item in the content library substantially in response to a user connecting the first device to the third device and to a determination that no copy of the item is stored in the content library.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

(f) after step (d), connecting the portable device to a third device;

(g) after step (f) and in response to a request to play the copy of the encrypted item stored in the second storage unit using a content player, silently obtaining from the license server a license that enables the content player to play the encrypted item from the second storage unit; and

(h) storing the obtained license in a license store accessible to the content player.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the header portion further contains a transaction code.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the transaction code is generated after step (b).

41. The method of claim 38, wherein the step of silently obtaining the license from the license server comprises transmitting from the third device a license request message to the license server, wherein the request message includes the key-id and transaction code, wherein the license server determines whether it may grant the license in response to the request, wherein the determination is based, at least in part, on the transaction code.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the step of determining whether to grant the license comprises using the transaction code to retrieve information from a database, wherein the information is used to determine whether or not the license may be granted.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein the second helper application is configured to store a copy of the encrypted item stored on the first storage unit in a content library stored in a second storage unit that is contained within or connected to a third device after the portable device connects to the third device.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the second helper application is configured to prompt the user to select at least one content player and then store the copy of the encrypted item in the content library, wherein the content library is associated with one of the selected content players.