Systems and methods for the selection and purchase of digital assets
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for enabling a customer in a retail store to purchase digital assets, comprising:
- receiving at a terminal located within the retail store a virtual shopping cart identifier inputted by the customer;
transmitting the identifier from the terminal to a server system, which determines the status of the identified virtual cart;
after determining the status of the cart, transmitting a response to the terminal;
displaying to the customer at the terminal a user interface that enables the customer to select a digital asset for purchase;
receiving at the terminal input from the customer indicating that the customer desires to add the digital asset to the customer'"'"'s virtual cart;
transmitting from the terminal to the server system an asset identifier identifying the digital asset, wherein the server system associates the asset identifier with the cart identifier;
receiving at the terminal and from the customer an indication that the customer is ready to purchase the contents of the customer'"'"'s virtual cart;
transmitting to a fulfillment system an order message, wherein the order message includes information identifying one or more digital assets, each of which digital asset has an identifier associated with the cart identifier;
receiving an order response from the fulfillment system, wherein the order response includes an order confirmation code;
providing the order confirmation code to the customer;
receiving a message transmitted from a device operated by the customer and located outside the store, wherein the message contains the order confirmation code; and
after receiving the message, transmitting to the device located outside of the store the one or more digital assets.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides systems and methods for enabling a customer to sample content and select content for purchasing while the customer is in a retail store. Advantageously, the customer may be given one or more options for the delivery of the content.
106 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A method for enabling a customer in a retail store to purchase digital assets, comprising:
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receiving at a terminal located within the retail store a virtual shopping cart identifier inputted by the customer; transmitting the identifier from the terminal to a server system, which determines the status of the identified virtual cart; after determining the status of the cart, transmitting a response to the terminal; displaying to the customer at the terminal a user interface that enables the customer to select a digital asset for purchase; receiving at the terminal input from the customer indicating that the customer desires to add the digital asset to the customer'"'"'s virtual cart; transmitting from the terminal to the server system an asset identifier identifying the digital asset, wherein the server system associates the asset identifier with the cart identifier; receiving at the terminal and from the customer an indication that the customer is ready to purchase the contents of the customer'"'"'s virtual cart; transmitting to a fulfillment system an order message, wherein the order message includes information identifying one or more digital assets, each of which digital asset has an identifier associated with the cart identifier; receiving an order response from the fulfillment system, wherein the order response includes an order confirmation code; providing the order confirmation code to the customer; receiving a message transmitted from a device operated by the customer and located outside the store, wherein the message contains the order confirmation code; and after receiving the message, transmitting to the device located outside of the store the one or more digital assets. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for enabling a customer in a retail store to purchase digital assets, comprising:
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receiving at a terminal located within the retail store an account identifier associated with the customer; transmitting the identifier from the terminal to a server system, which determines whether a database coupled to the server system associates any digital asset identifiers with the account identifier; after determining whether the database associates any digital asset identifiers with the account identifier, transmitting a response to the terminal; displaying to the customer at the terminal a user interface that enables the customer to select a digital asset for purchase; receiving at the terminal input from the customer indicating that the customer desires to purchase the digital asset; transmitting from the terminal to the server system an asset identifier identifying the digital asset, wherein the server system uses the database to associate the asset identifier with the account identifier; receiving at the terminal an indication that the customer is ready to purchase the digital assets identified by the asset identifiers associated with the account identifier; transmitting to a fulfillment system an order message, wherein the order message includes the account identifier and information identifying one or more digital assets, each of which digital asset has an identifier associated with the account identifier; receiving from a device operated by the customer and located outside of the store the account identifier; and after receiving the account identifier, transmitting to the device located outside of the store the one or more digital assets. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for enabling a customer in a retail store to purchase digital assets, comprising:
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providing the customer with a shopping card having a virtual shopping cart identifier printed thereon or stored therein; placing a terminal in the retail store, the terminal having a reader for reading virtual shopping cart identifiers printed on or stored in shopping cards; transmitting from the terminal to a server system the virtual shopping cart identifier after the reader reads the virtual shopping cart identifier, which server system determines whether a database coupled to the server system associates any digital asset identifiers with the cart identifier; after determining whether the database associates any digital asset identifiers with the cart identifier, transmitting a response to the terminal; displaying to the customer at the terminal a user interface that enables the customer to select a digital asset for purchase; receiving at the terminal input from the customer indicating that the customer desires to purchase the digital asset; transmitting from the terminal to the server system an asset identifier identifying the digital asset, wherein the server system associates the asset identifier with the cart identifier; receiving at the terminal an indication that the customer is ready to purchase the digital assets identified by the asset identifiers associated with the cart identifier; transmitting to a fulfillment system an order message, wherein the order message includes information identifying one or more digital assets, each of which digital asset has an identifier associated with the cart identifier; receiving an order response from the fulfillment system; providing an order confirmation code to the customer; receiving from a device operated by the customer and located outside the store a message containing the order confirmation code; and after receiving the message containing the order confirmation code, transmitting to the device located outside of the store the one or more digital assets. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for enabling a customer in a retail store to purchase digital assets, comprising:
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receiving at a terminal located within the retail store an account identifier associated with the customer or a virtual shopping cart identifier; associating the account or cart identifier with a set of one or more audio encoding formats; transmitting the account or cart identifier from the terminal to a server system; transmitting an audio recordings identifier from the terminal to the server system, wherein the audio recordings identifier identifies a set of audio recordings; determining the set of audio encoding formats associated with the account identifier or cart identifier; determining whether an audio recording included in the set of audio recordings is available for purchase in at least one of the audio encoding formats in included in the set; and displaying an indication to the customer that the audio recording is available for purchase only if it was determined that the audio recording is available for purchase in at least one of the audio encoding formats included in the set. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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Specification