Method and apparatus for content management

• US 7,555,785 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2007
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Original Assignee: Digimarc Corporation
• Inventors: Levy, Kenneth L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lipman; Jacob
• Application Number:
  US11/671,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20070277247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28, 380/277
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3246 of data relating to permitted access or usage, e.g. level of access or usage parameters for digital rights management [DRM] related to still images

Abstract

The present application relates generally to content management (e.g., management of audio, video and/or imagery). One claim recites a method including: tracking up to N identifiers associated with previously accessed content items, where N is an integer, and where each previously accessed content item has an identifier associated therewith; reviewing rendering rules associated with a new content item or with an identifier associated with the new content item; and restricting access to the new content item if the rendering rules are not met or satisfied. The rendering rules include one or more rules allowing access to the new content item if: i) its identifier is one of the N identifiers associated with the previously accessed content items, or ii) less than N content items have been accessed within a predetermined time. Of course, other claims, implementations and embodiments are provided as well.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

utilizing at least a processor or computing device, tracking up to N identifiers associated with previously accessed content items, where N is an integer, and where each previously accessed content item has an identifier associated therewith;

reviewing rendering rules associated with a new content item or with an identifier associated with the new content item; and

restricting access to the new content item if the rendering rules are not met or satisfied,

wherein the rendering rules include one or more rules allowing access to the new content item if;

i) an identifier associated with the new content item is one of the N identifiers associated with the previously accessed content items, or ii) less than N content items have been accessed within a predetermined time.

2. The method of claim 1 where N is decided by the rendering rules associated with the new content.

3. The method of claim 1 where N is decided by a rendering device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein N comprises 10 or more.

5. The method of claim 1 where the identifier associated with the new content item is also associated with a user or broadcast.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the act of restricting restricts access via a consumer electronics device, and wherein the consumer electronic device comprises the processor or computing device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the consumer electronic device is located in a home or automobile.

8. The method of claim 1 where at least one of the N identifiers can be replaced if a content item associated with an identifier to be replaced has not been accessed for a predetermined period of time.

9. The method of claim 8 where the predetermined period of time is decided by the rendering rules.

10. The method of claim 8 where the predetermined period of time is decided by a rendering device.

11. The method of claim 8 where the predetermined period of time comprises at least one week.

12. The method of claim 8 where the predetermined period of time is influenced by a number of times the content item associated with the identifier to be replaced has been rendered.

13. The method of claim 12 where if the content item associated with the identifier to be replaced has been rendered at least a predetermined number of times, the identifier is tracked for a longer time relative to other identifiers.

14. The method of claim 8 where the identifier also can be replaced dependent upon a difference equation involving an access or rendering count.

15. The method of claim 14 where the access or rendering count for tracked identifiers is decremented or reduced after the expiration of a predetermined time period, and the identifier also can be replaced if it has a zero count.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined time period, comprises one day.

25. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the apparatus comprises a consumer electronics device.

26. The method of claim 25 where the consumer electronic device is located in a home or automobile.

17. An apparatus including:

a logic processor, and

memory, wherein the logic processor or memory includes;

(a) a tracker to track up to N identifiers associated with previously accessed content items, where N is an integer, and where each previously accessed content item has an identifier associated therewith;

(b) a reviewer to review rendering rules associated with a new content item or with an identifier associated with the new content item; and

(c) a controller to restrict access to the new content item if the rendering rules are not met or satisfied,

wherein the rendering rules include one or more rules allowing access to the new content item if;

i) an identifier associated with the new content item is one of the N identifiers associated with the previously accessed content items, or ii) less than N content items have been accessed within a predetermined time.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the identifier associated with the new content item is also associated with a user or broadcast.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the logic processor comprises a digital processor.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the logic processor comprises a combination of analog and digital circuitry.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 further comprising a user input to reset at least one item from a group of items comprising:

tracked identifiers, the predetermined time, and the rendering rules.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the user input is password controlled.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein the password is based at least in part on a pseudo-random sequence.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the pseudo-random sequence helps to ensure that a user contacts technical support to reset the at least one item.