System and method for utilizing data packets

• US 6,349,339 B1
• Filed: 11/19/1999
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Dedicated Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: ClickRadio, Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Henry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/444,123
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/229, 707/104, 707/10
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation

Abstract

A system and method for utilizing (e.g., playing) data packets, e.g., audio, video, text, etc. are provided. A server arrangement of the system provides the data packets to a user computing arrangement of the system. A storage device of the user computing arrangement stores the data packets. The data packets are arranged in a predetermined order using the server arrangement and/or the user computing arrangement. The user computing arrangement executes a set of instructions to utilize the data packets in the predetermined order. A user of the user computing arrangement is prevented from modifying the predetermined order.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

providing data packets from a server arrangement to a user computing arrangement;

determining, using at least one of the server and the user computing arrangement, rules governing utilization of the data packets by the user computing arrangement and preventing a user from altering the rules;

storing the data packets on a storage device of the user computing arrangement; and

with the user computing arrangement, executing a set of instructions which utilize the data packets in a predetermined order in accord with the rules, wherein the user of the user computing arrangement is prevented from modifying the predetermined order.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

establishing a connection between the user computing arrangement and the server arrangement using a communication network; and

transmitting the data packets from the server arrangement to the user computing arrangement via the network.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing the data packets on a removable storage device;

providing the removable storage device to the user; and

transferring the data packets from the removable storage device to the storage device of the user computing arrangement.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the providing step includes the substep of encrypting the data packets, and wherein the executing step includes the substep of decrypting the data packets.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from the user to purchase at least one packet of the data packets;

obtaining payment from the user for the at least one packet;

decrypting the at least one packet; and

providing the at least one packet to the user, wherein the user has an unlimited control over the at least one packet.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

compiling a list of the utilized data packets; and

storing the list on the storage device.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

providing a limited access to the utilized data packets; and

enabling the user to purchase at least one packet of the utilized data packets.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein each of the data packets includes a plurality of subpackets, and wherein, during the limited access, a predetermined number of the plurality of subpackets are utilized.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

rating the data packets to generate rating data; and

storing the rating data in a rating database which is provided in the storage device.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

providing the rating data to the server arrangement.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

generating the rating data as a function of a rating provided by the user.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

generating the rating data as a function of actions of the user during or after a utilization of the data packets.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

determining an affinity matching between a plurality of users using the rating data.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of:

selecting the data packets to be provided by the server arrangement as a function of the rating data.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

enabling the user to skip a currently utilized data packet of the data packets.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the data packets includes at least one of an audio, a video, text, an advertisement material and an informative material.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

providing the informative material to the user, the informative material being associated with a data packet of the data packets which is being utilized.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of:

inserting at least one data packet including advertisement material between predetermined ones of the data packets representing one of audio video, text and a informative material based on the rules.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the data packets includes a plurality of subpackets, wherein the storage device includes a random access memory, and the method further comprising the step of:

utilizing the particular data packet as soon as the plurality of subpackets are stored in the random access memory.

20. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

preventing the user from replaying the currently utilized data packet.

21. A method, comprising the steps of:

providing data packets from a server arrangement to a user computing arrangement;

determining, using at least one of the server and the user computing arrangement, rules governing utilization of the data packets by the user computing arrangement and preventing a user from altering the rules;

with the user computing arrangement, executing a set of instructions which utilize each of the data packets in a predetermined order in accord with the rules, wherein the user of the user computing arrangement is prevented from changing the predetermined order; and

allowing the user of the user computing arrangement to skip from a first one of the data packets only to a second one of the data packets which immediately follows the first data packet in the predetermined order.

22. The method according to claim 21, wherein the rules prevent the user from copying any of the data packets.

23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the rules prevent the user from selecting a desired data packet for utilization on demand.

24. The method according to claim 21, wherein the rules permit the user to access only selected ones of the data packets on demand and prevent the user from accessing others of the data packets on demand.

25. The method according to claim 21, wherein the rules permit a user to skip past selected ones of the data packets to access subsequent data packets in the predetermined order.

26. A method, comprising the steps of:

providing data packets from a server arrangement to a user computing arrangement;

storing the data packets on a storage device of the user computing arrangement;

determining, using the server arrangement, rules governing utilization of the data packets by the user computing arrangement and preventing a user from altering the rules;

with the user computing arrangement, arranging the data packets in a predetermined order in accord with the rules; and

with the user computing arrangement, executing a set of instructions which utilize the data packets in the predetermined order, wherein the user of the user computing arrangement is prevented from modifying the predetermined order.

27. A method, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a plurality of data packets from a server arrangement to a user computing arrangement, each of the data packets including a plurality of subpackets;

(b) storing a first one of the subpackets for a first one of the data packets on a storage device of the user computing arrangement;

(c) arranging the data packets in a predetermined order using at least one of the server arrangement and the user computing arrangement;

(d) determining, using at least one of the server and the user computing arrangement, rules governing utilization of the data packets by the user computing arrangement and preventing a user from altering the rules;

(e) after steps (a) and (b), providing a second one of the subpackets from the first data packet from the server arrangement to the user computing arrangement;

(f) after step (e), storing the second subpacket on the storage device; and

(g) with the user computing arrangement, executing a set of instructions which utilize the data packets in the predetermined order in accord with the rules, wherein the user of the user computing arrangement is prevented from modifying the predetermined order.

28. The methods according to claim 27, further comprising the step of:

(g) after the step (f), removing the second subpacket from the storage arrangement.

29. A system, comprising:

a server arrangement transmitting data packets, each of the data packets including first and second subpackets, the server arrangement transmitting the first subpacket of each data packet before the second subpacket thereof; and

a user computing arrangement receiving and storing the first subpacket of each data packet before the second subpacket thereof, at least one of the server arrangement and the user computing arrangement determining rules governing utilization of the data packets by the user computing arrangement and preventing a user from altering the rules,

wherein the user computing arrangement executes a set of instructions which utilize the data packets in a predetermined order in accord with the rules, and

wherein the user of the user computing arrangement is prevented from modifying the predetermined order.

30. A system, comprising:

a server arrangement providing data packets; and

a user computing arrangement receiving and temporarily storing the data packets, at the least one of the server arrangement and the user computing arrangement determining rules governing utilization of the data packets by the user computing arrangement and preventing a user from altering the rules,

wherein the user computing arrangement executes a set of instructions which utilize the data packets in a predetermined order in accord with the rules, and

wherein the user of the user commuting arrangement is prevented from modifying the predetermined order, the user being allowed to skip a currently utilized one of the data packets.

31. A system, comprising:

a server arrangement providing data packets; and

a user computing arrangement receiving and temporarily storing the data packets, at the least one of the server arrangement and the user computing arrangement determining rules governing utilization of the data packets by the user computing arrangement and preventing a user from altering the rules,

wherein the user computing arrangement executes a set of instructions which utilize the data packets in a predetermined order in accord with the rules,

wherein the predetermined order is determined as a function of the rules and a rating database, and

wherein the user of the user computing arrangement is prevented from modifying the predetermined order, the user rating the data packets to generate the rating database.

32. A user computing arrangement, comprising:

an input arrangement receiving data packets which are provided by a server arrangement;

a storage device storing the data packets; and

a processor executing a set of instructions which utilize the data packets in a predetermined order,

wherein at least one of the server arrangement and the user computing arrangement determines rules governing utilization of the data packets and prevents a user from altering the rules, the predetermined order being set in accord with the rules, and

wherein the user is prevented from modifying the predetermined order.

33. A computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions executable by a processor, the set of instructions performing the steps of:

providing data packets from a server arrangement to a user computing arrangement;

determining, using at least one of the server and the user computing arrangement, rules governing utilization of the data packets by the user computing arrangement and preventing a user from altering the rules;

storing the data packets on a storage device of the user computing arrangement; and

with the user computing arrangement, executing a set of instructions which utilize the data packets in a predetermined order in accord with the rules, wherein the user of the user computing arrangement is prevented from modifying the predetermined order.

34. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, the computer data signal comprising:

(a) a first source code segment providing data packets from a server arrangement to a user computing arrangement;

(b) a second source code segment determining rules governing utilization of the data packets by the user computing arrangement and preventing a user from altering the rules;

(c) a third source code segment storing data packets on a storage device of the user computing arrangement; and

(d) a fourth source code segment executing a set of instructions permit the user computing arrangement to utilize the data packets in the predetermined order determined in accord with the rules, wherein the user of the user computing arrangement is prevented from modifying the predetermined order.

35. A method for playing digitized data, comprising:

transmitting a control command from a main computer to a remote computer, the remote computer storing the data which include elements arranged for playing in a predetermined order;

receiving over a network by the main computer a subset of the elements, the subset of the elements being transmitted by the remote computer sequentially in the predetermined order, the subset of the elements including all of the elements except at least one of the elements, the at least one of the elements being excepted by the remote computer as a function of the control command;

storing the received subset of elements in a memory device at the main computer; and

with the main computer, playing the subset of elements.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the control command is a skip command.

37. The method according to claim 35, wherein the storing step includes temporarily buffering the received subset of elements in a cache memory device.

38. The method according to claim 35, wherein each of the elements include at least one of audio, video, text, an advertisement material and an informative material.

39. A method for playing digitized audio data, comprising:

transmitting a control command from a user at a main computer to a remote computer, the remote computer storing the data, the data including elements arranged for playing in a predetermined order;

sequentially transmitting, in the predetermined order by the remote computer to the main computer, all of the elements except at least one of the elements, the at least one of the elements being selected as a function of the control command;

receiving over a network by the main computer the transmitted elements; and

playing by the main computer the received elements.

40. A method for playing digitized audio data, comprising:

transmitting a control command from a main computer to a remote computer, the remote computer storing the data, the data including elements arranged for playing in a predetermined order;

receiving over a network by the main computer a subset of the elements, the subset of the elements being transmitted by the remote computer sequentially in the predetermined order, the subset of the elements including all of the elements except at least one of the elements, the at least one of the elements being excepted by the remote computer as a function of the control command;

storing the received subset of elements in a memory device at the main computer; and

with the main computer, playing the subset of elements.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein the control command is a skip command.

42. The method according to claim 40, wherein the storing step includes temporarily buffering the received subset of elements in a cache memory device.

43. A method for playing digitized audio data, comprising:

transmitting a control command from a user at a main computer to a remote computer, the remote computer storing data, the data including elements arranged for playing in a predetermined order;

sequentially transmitting, in the predetermined order, by the remote computer to the main computer, all of the elements except at least one of the elements, the at least one of the elements being selected as a function of the control command;

receiving over a network by the main computer the transmitted elements; and

playing by the main computer the received elements.