Digital Media Asset Identification System and Method

• US 20080215632A1
• Filed: 04/15/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Content Technologies LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Lambert, Edward M., Dunkeld, Bryan C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for identifying and transferring digital media assets within a system through the use of identification data. The identification data is applied to each transferred copy and includes data specific to the customer and digital media asset. To facilitate transfers and ease of use the digital media assets can be made DRM-free.

Claims

1. A system for distributing digital media assets across a network to customers comprising:

a digital media asset server coupled to the network for servicing transfers to customers, said digital media asset server including;

(a) a first software routine adapted to set up an account for a first customer to receive digital media assets;

wherein only a single authorization is required for said first customer to receive a plurality of separate digital media assets under said account;

(b) a second software routine adapted to transfer a first digital media asset over the network for said first customer to a first client device and to generate a transaction record associated with said transfer;

wherein said first digital media asset is configured by said first software routine to include identification data for such asset and said first customer on said first client device, including at least a customer identification and an asset identification;

further wherein said first digital media asset does not include any digital rights restrictions to restrict playback by said first customer on a second client device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said first digital media asset does not include any watermark or encryption as part of said digital rights restrictions.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said first digital media asset does not include any digital rights restrictions to restrict transfer to a second client device.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said second client device can include a hand held playback device that is not connected to said network.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said digital media asset server causes said digital media assets to be transferred from a separate computing device coupled to said network, including a host server and/or a second client device.

6. The system of claim 1 including a second software routine adapted to detect one or more second digital media assets stored on said first client device which do not have customer identification data for said first customer.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein said second software routine is further adapted to convert said one or more second digital media assets by adding a customer identification and an asset identification information for the first customer to each of said one or more second digital media assets.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein each transfer of a digital media asset is associated with corresponding identification data embedded in a different location within said asset.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said identification data is coded to include a complete list of all transfers of any digital media asset.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said identification data is placed in a position in said digital media asset based on an offset provided by said second software routine.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said identification data is embedded within least significant bits of content of said digital media asset.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said digital media asset consists of at least two separate products which are combined in such asset, at least one product which is a playable media file.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one product includes human readable content.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one product is an advertisement.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one product is content for a webpage.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one product is instructions for a computer program.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one product includes an electronic proxy representing a tangible good.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one product includes an electronic proxy representing a right to use product.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one product includes an electronic proxy representing a subscription product.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one product includes an electronic proxy representing a financial product.

21. The system of claim 12 wherein at least one product includes an electronic proxy representing a service product.

22. The system of claim 1 wherein said second software routine is adapted to transfer different types of content in the form of digital media assets.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said digital media assets can include both audio and video files.

24. A system for distributing digital music files across a network to customers comprising:

a digital music file server coupled to the network for servicing transfers to customers, said digital music file server including;

(a) a first software routine adapted to set up an account for a first customer to receive digital music files;

wherein only a single authorization is required for said first customer to receive a plurality of separate digital music files under said account, and said digital music files do not include any watermark, encryption or other protection to restrict playback by said first customer;

(b) a second software routine adapted to transfer a first digital music file over the network for said first customer to a first client device and to generate a transaction record associated with said transfer;

wherein said first digital music file is configured by said first software routine to include a first identifier within such music file for said first customer on said first client device, including at least a first customer identification and a digital music file identification;

further wherein said software routine is adapted to provide a unique identifier for at least some combinations of customers and digital music files, such that said first digital music file is coded for a second customer authorized to receive said digital music files with a second identifier including a second customer identification and said digital music file identification.

25. A system for distributing digital media assets across a network comprising:

a first client device associated with a first customer adapted to store and play digital media assets;

wherein said digital media assets are machine readable music files;

a digital media asset server coupled to the network for servicing transfers to customers, said digital media asset server including;

(a) a first software routine adapted to set up an account for said first customer to receive digital media assets;

wherein only a single authorization is required for said first customer to receive a plurality of separate digital media assets under said account;

(b) a second software routine adapted to transfer a first digital media asset over the network for said first customer to said first client device and to generate a transaction record associated with said transfer;

wherein said first digital media asset is configured by said first software routine to include identification data for such asset and said first customer on said first client device, including at least a customer identification and an asset identification;

further wherein said first digital media asset does not include any watermark, encryption or other protection to restrict transfer by said first customer to a second client device or playback thereon.

26. A method of distributing digital media assets across a network to customers comprising:

providing a digital media asset server coupled to the network for servicing transfers to customers, said digital media asset server including one or more software routines adapted to execute the following operations;

(a) to set up an account for a first customer to receive digital media assets;

wherein only a single authorization is required for said first customer to receive a plurality of separate digital media assets under said account;

(b) to transfer a first digital media asset over the network for said first customer to a first client device and to generate a transaction record associated with said transfer;

(c) to configure said first digital media asset to include identification data for such asset and said first customer on said first client device, including at least a customer identification and an asset identification;

wherein said first digital media asset does not include any digital rights restrictions to restrict playback by said first customer on a second client device.

27. A method of distributing digital music files across a network to customers comprising:

providing a digital media asset server coupled to the network for servicing transfers to customers, said digital media asset server including one or more software routines adapted to execute the following operations;

(a) to set up an account for a first customer to receive digital music files;

wherein only a single authorization is required for said first customer to receive a plurality of separate digital music files under said account, and said digital music files do not include any watermark, encryption or other protection to restrict playback by said first customer;

(b) to transfer a first digital music file over the network for said first customer to a first client device and to generate a transaction record associated with said transfer;

(c) to configure said first digital music file to include a first identifier within such music file for said first customer on said first client device, including at least a first customer identification and a digital music file identification;

wherein a unique identifier is provided for at least some combinations of customers and digital music files, such that said first digital music file is coded for a second customer authorized to receive said digital music files with a second identifier including a second customer identification and said digital music file identification.

28. A method of distributing digital media assets across a network comprising:

providing a first client device to a first customer adapted to store and play digital media assets;

wherein said digital media assets are machine readable music files;

providing a digital media asset server coupled to the network for servicing transfers to customers, said digital media asset server including one or more software routines adapted to execute the following operations;

(a) set up an account for said first customer to receive digital media assets;

wherein only a single authorization is required for said first customer to receive a plurality of separate digital media assets under said account;

(b) transfer a first digital media asset over the network for said first customer to said first client device and to generate a transaction record associated with said transfer;

(c) configure said first digital media asset to include identification data for such asset and said first customer on said first client device, including at least a customer identification and an asset identification;

further wherein said first digital media asset does not include any watermark, encryption or other protection to restrict transfer by said first customer to a second client device or playback thereon.