AUDIO VISUAL PLAYER APPARATUS AND SYSTEM AND METHOD OF CONTENT DISTRIBUTION USING THE SAME

• US 20080184359A1
• Filed: 12/26/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Music Gremlin Incorporated
• Inventors: Khedouri, Robert, Axelrod, Jonathan, Kraul, Douglas R., Edinger, Mark, Becker, John, Price, Harold
• Application Number:
  US11/964,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20080184359A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/134 Distributed indices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1834 implemented based on peer-to-peer networks, e.g. gnutella p2p communication protocols H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/635 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system is presented providing content to a plurality of handheld devices (including musical selections). The devices can access a server over the Internet via a WIFI or other similar wireless interconnection and can download songs requested by a user from the server or from other users using, e,g, a P2P protocol. All downloads are governed by applicable DRM rules. Content and playlists may also be pushed by a server from other sources and means including, e.g., podcasting, based on predetermined rules, favorite preferences of users, and other criteria.

Claims

1. -8. (canceled)

9. A method for distribution of content from a server comprising:

establishing a secure communication pathway from a user-controlled device to the server;

initiating a request for protected content from said user-controlled device on said secure communication pathway;

authenticating said user-controlled device;

formulating a proxied request on said server;

establishing a second communication pathway from said server to a content provider; and

delivering said requested content from said provider to said user controlled device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the protection is performed using Digital Rights Management technology.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the server and said content provider modify the security process between them without updating said device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the request for a DRM license is proxied.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the content request is proxied.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the request for the DRM license is proxied and returned to the server.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the content request is proxied but the content is downloaded directly by said user-controlled device.

16. A method for managing user profile data regarding protected digital media content comprising:

establishing a secure communication pathway from a user-controlled device to a server;

initiating a request for protected content from said user-controlled device on said secure communication pathway;

authenticating said user-controlled device;

formulating a proxied request for content from said server;

establishing a second communication pathway from said server to a content provider;

delivering said requested content and associated security data from said provider to said server;

extracting said security related data; and

delivery of said requested content to said user controlled device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the protection is performed using Digital Rights Management.

18. A system for distribution and maintenance of protected digital media content comprising:

a user-controlled digital media player;

a proxy server;

a content server;

wherein said proxy server formulates proxy messages to said content server in response to a request from said user-controlled digital media player;

wherein said content server delivers content with associated security data to said proxy server; and

wherein said proxy server retains said associated security data for later modification.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the protection is implemented using Digital Rights Management.