METHODS OF MEDIA ASSET DISTRIBUTION BY EMPLOYING ELECTRONIC APPARATUS

• US 20110004505A1
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yang Pan
• Original Assignee: Yang Pan
• Inventors: Pan, Yang
• Application Number:
  US12/496,486
• Publication Number:
  US 20110004505A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• 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

A method is disclosed for distributing media assets by employing a new electronic apparatus. Selected media assets are pre-loaded to the apparatus based upon a targeted user'"'"'s personal profile. The operation of “pre-loading” may be conducted at a manufacturing site or at a point of sales. The selected assets are encoded. The user may purchase a pre-loaded asset through a pre-paid credit system or through an on-line payment facility. The purchased asset may be decoded based upon a public/private key method. The invention is characterized by that the storage system of the electronic apparatus is managed by a software module. Each pre-loaded media asset is assigned to a priority in a sequential manner. The lower priority assets are deleted, in a manner un-notified to the user, when the storage capacity is required as a result of the user'"'"'s operation of the apparatus.

Claims

1. A method of delivering media assets to a user by a merchandiser using an electronic apparatus comprising a processor, an input unit, an output unit and a storage unit with a storage capacity for storing data files, the method comprising the following steps:

a. selecting a plurality of media assets by the merchandiser;

b. assigning a priority for each asset in a sequential manner;

c. loading up the selected media assets to the storage unit of the electronic apparatus;

d. selecting one media asset from the loaded media assets by the user; and

e. purchasing the selected media asset,

wherein the method is characterized by that the storage capacity of the storage unit is managed by a software module through the use of the processor and the lower priority media assets are deleted if at least a portion of the storage capacity used by the pre-loaded media assets is required as a result of the user'"'"'s operation of the apparatus.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one selected media asset is encoded and the encoded asset is decoded after the user purchases the asset.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step a) to c) may be performed in a server at a manufacturing site or at a point of sales before the apparatus is delivered to said user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said operation of “

selecting”

in the step a) may be performed based upon the user'"'"'s personal profile comprising information of the user'"'"'s personal interests in specific media asset group.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the user'"'"'s personal profile may be sent to the server through a communication network or be established by the user at the point of sales.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said electronic apparatus may be selected from the following group:

a. a portable media player;

b. a home high fidelity audio/video system;

c. a vehicle audio/video system

d. a personal computing device;

e. an electronic book; and

f. a handheld mobile computing and communication device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said operation of “

purchasing”

at the step e) further comprising a step as;

deducting at least a portion of a credit associated with the apparatus if at least one media asset is purchased by the user, wherein said credit is assigned to the apparatus at the manufacturing site or at the point of sales.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein said operation of “

assigning”

a credit is performed through purchasing a credit by employing an on-line facility during the user'"'"'s operation of the apparatus.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said operation of “

purchasing”

at the step e) further comprising steps as;

a. connecting the electronic apparatus to a communication network; and

b. purchasing a credit through an on-line facility.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said operation of “

purchasing”

at the step e) is performed through an on-line facility.

11. An electronic apparatus for delivering media assets to a user, the apparatus comprising:

a. a processor pertaining to control operations of the apparatus;

b. an input unit;

c. an output unit;

d. a storage unit comprising a storage capacity for storing data files with at least a portion of the capacity is used for storing pre-loaded media assets; and

e. a software module for managing the storage capacity of the storage unit,

wherein the apparatus is characterized by that the storage capacity for storing pre-loaded media assets is changeable, wherein each pre-loaded asset has been assigned a priority and lower priority media assets are deleted when the capacity is required as a result of the user'"'"'s operation of the apparatus.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the data file is with a file format for storing filed data and the file contains at least one field for numbering priority of the associated data file with regard to the use of the storage capacity.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the output unit further comprising a display screen for displaying a selected group of pre-loaded media assets after a predefined user'"'"'s input operation.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said apparatus further comprising a communication module connectable to a communication network.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein said apparatus is based upon a device selected from the following group:

a. a portable media player;

b. a home high fidelity audio/video system;

c. a vehicle audio/video system

d. a personal computing device;

e. an electronic book; and

f a handheld mobile computing and communication device.

16. A method of managing a file storage system of an electronic apparatus comprising a processor, an input unit, an output unit and a storage unit for storing data files, the method comprising following steps:

a. pre-loading a plurality of media assets to the file storage system;

b. assigning each pre-loaded media asset a priority in a sequential manner;

c. determining required storage capacity when the user is operating the apparatus; and

d. deleting the lowest priority media asset in a repeating manner until said required storage capacity is met or all the pre-loaded media assets are deleted.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said operation of “

pre-loading”

at the step a) may be conducted at a manufacturing site or at a point of sales.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said method further comprising:

a. recording a history of the user'"'"'s selection of the media assets;

b. adjusting the priority of each pre-loaded media asset based upon the recorded history.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said operation of “

assigning”

priority for a media asset at the step b) is conducted by ranking the priority of each media asset in a sequential manner.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said file storage system further including data files other than the pre-loaded media assets and the other data files have the same priority which is higher than that of all pre-loaded media assets with regard to the use of the file storage system.