System and method for processing media gifts

• US 20100082489A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lin, Gloria, Rosenblatt, Michael, Hodge, Andrew, Nakajima, Taido Lantz, Mayo, Sean Anthony, Mikhak, Amir Mahmood
• Granted Patent: US 8,131,645 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

Various techniques are provided for the gifting between multiple electronic devices of media content provided by an online digital media provider. An offer and acceptance of a selected gift file is accomplished between a gifter device and a receiving giftee device using a near-field communication (NFC) connection. If a connection to the online provider is available, the gifter device may transmit a gift request by which the gifter'"'"'s account is charged for the gift file. Thereafter, a gift file created using DRM keys associated with the giftee'"'"'s account may be downloaded to the giftee device. If a network connection is unavailable, the giftee device may transfer a locked gift file and a corresponding gift license to the giftee device using a peer-to-peer connection. The giftee device may authenticate the license and unlock the gift file once a connection to the online provider is available.

Claims

1. A method for approving a request to gift a digital media file from a first device to a second device on a server associated with an online digital media provider, the method comprising:

receiving a gift request from the first device;

processing the gift request to determine at least an account belonging to a user of the first device, an account belonging to the user of the second device, and an identity of the digital media file, wherein the accounts belonging to the users of the first and second devices are associated with the online digital media provider; and

authorizing the creation of a gift file to be received by the second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gift request is received using a communication interface configured to establish a first communication path with a communication interface on the first device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein authorizing the creation of the gift file comprises determining if the account belonging to the user of the first device may be charged for the gift file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the account belonging to the user of the first device includes at least a credit card account, and wherein determining if the credit card account may be charged for the gift file comprises obtaining an authorization to charge the credit card account from an external credit card verification server.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising, if the creation of the gift file is authorized, creating the gift file using a digital rights management (DRM) key associated with the account belonging to the user of the second device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the communication interface is further configured to establish a second communication path with a communication interface on the second device, and wherein the created gift file is transmitted to the second device from the server using the communication interface.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising, if the creation of the gift file is authorized, transmitting a DRM key associated with the account belonging to the user of the second device from the server to the first device, wherein the first device is configured to create the gift file using the DRM key.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the DRM key is transmitted from the server to the first device using the communication interface.

9. A method for approving the gifting of a digital media file from a first device to a second device on a server associated with an online digital media provider, the method comprising:

receiving on the server a request from the second device to unlock a locked gift file, wherein the locked gift file was previously transmitted to the second device from the first device;

receiving a gift license from the second device, the gift license being associated with the locked gift file, wherein the gift license comprises at least an account belonging to a user of the first device;

authorizing the unlocking of the locked gift file; and

providing the authorization to unlock the locked gift file to the second device, wherein the unlocked gift file may be played back on the second device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the unlock request and the gift license are received using a communication interface on the server configured to establish a communication path with a communication interface on the second device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication interfaces comprise at least one of a LAN interface, a wireless LAN interface, or a WAN interface, or any combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein authorizing the unlocking of the locked gift file comprises determining if the account belonging to the user of the first device may be charged for the gift file.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the authorization to unlock the locked gift file is provided from the server to the second device if the account belonging to the user of the first device is charged.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the authorization to unlock the locked gift file comprises permitting the second device to unlock the locked gift file using a digital rights management (DRM) key associated with an account belonging to a user of the second device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein authorizing the unlocking of the locked gift file further comprises:

if the account belonging to the user of the first device cannot be charged, providing an option from the server to the second device, wherein the option may allow a user of the second device to authorize a charge for the gift file to an account belonging to the user of the second device; and

authorizing the unlocking of the locked gift file if it is determined by the server that the account belonging to the user of the second device may be charged for the gift file.

16. A method for approving the gifting of a digital media file from a first device to a second device on a server associated with an online digital media provider, the method comprising:

receiving on the server an electronic gift certificate from the second device, wherein the electronic gift certificate was previously transmitted from the first device to the second device;

processing the electronic gift certificate to determine at least an account belonging to a user of the first device, an account belonging to the user of the second device, and the identity of the digital media file, wherein the accounts belonging to the users of the first and second device are associated with the online digital media provider;

authorizing the creation of a gift file to be received by the second device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic gift certificate is received by the server using a communication interface configured to establish a first communication path with a communication interface on the second device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein authorizing the creation of the gift file comprises determining if the account belonging to the user of the first device may be charged for the gift file.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising, if the creation of the gift file is authorized, creating the gift file on the server using a digital rights management (DRM) key associated with the account belonging to the user of the second device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising, transmitting the gift file from the server to the second device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the gift file is transmitted from the server to the second device using the communication interface.

22. A system for gifting a digital media file from a first device to a second device comprising a server associated with an online digital media provider, wherein the server is configured authorize the creation of a gift file corresponding to the digital media file.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the server is further configured to receive a gift request, the gift request comprising at least an account belonging to a user of the first device, an account belonging to the user of the second device, and the identity of the digital media file, wherein the accounts belonging to the users of the first and second device are associated with the online digital media provider.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the server is further configured to determine whether the account belonging to the user of the first device may be charged for the gift file, and wherein the creation of the gift file is authorized if it is determined that the account belonging to the user of the first device may be charged.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the account belonging to the user of the first device comprises at least a credit card account, and wherein the server is configured to communicate with an external credit card verification server in order to obtain an authorization to charge the credit card account.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein, if the creation of the gift file is authorized, the server is further configured to create the gift file using a digital rights management (DRM) key associated with the account belonging to the user of the second device and to transmit the gift file to the second device using a communication interface on the server, the communication interface being configured to establish a communication path with a communication interface on the second device.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein, if the creation of the gift file is authorized, the server is further configured to transmit a DRM key associated with the account belonging to the user of the second device to the first device, wherein the first device is configure to create the gift file using the DRM key and to transmit the gift file to the second device once the gift file is created.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein the server is further configured to receive a request from the second device to unlock a locked gift file sent to the second device from the first device, wherein the locked gift file includes a gift license, the gift license comprising at least an account belonging to a user of the first device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the server is further configured to determine whether the account belonging to the user of the first device may be charged for the gift file, and wherein the creation of the gift file comprises permitting the second device to unlock the gift file if it is determined that the account belonging to the user of the first device may be charged.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the server is further configured to receive an electronic gift certificate from a second device, wherein the electronic gift certificate comprises at least an account belonging to a user of the first device, an account belonging to the user of the second device, and the identity of the digital media file, and wherein the authorization to create the gift file is determined based upon whether the account belonging to the user of the first device may be charged for the gift device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the server is further configured to create the gift file using a DRM key associated with the account belonging to the user of the second device and to transmit the gift file to the second device if the account belonging to the user of the first device is charged.

32. The system of claim 22, wherein the one or more gifted media files comprises at least one of a music file, a video file, or an electronic book file, an audio book file, a software application file, or any combination thereof.