Wireless entertainment system

• US 7,950,037 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2001
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Linda S. Mensch
• Original Assignee: Linda S. Mensch
• Inventors: Mensch, Linda S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US09/809,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133824A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,721 Days
• Field of Search: 725 62- 73, 725/86, 725/121, 725/123, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/57 for mobile receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A wireless entertainment system includes a delivery station, a wireless telephone network, and a receiver. Entertainment, such as a motion picture, is ordered by a customer through a wireless telephone, and is delivered to the customer through the wireless telephone network. The entertainment is delivered in a non-permanent method (streaming) to the customer through the network, to a receiver, such as a television viewing set in the customer'"'"'s home, or to an intermediate storage medium, such as a memory device, that is then communicated directly to a viewing device.

Claims

1. A method for providing entertainment, comprising:

ordering entertainment using a telephone;

billing an account associated with a telephone;

delivering said entertainment through a wireless network to a first receiver, and storing said entertainment in a receiver memory for subsequent use;

relaying entertainment from said first receiver to a second receiver after delivering the entertainment through the wireless network, and wherein said second receiver is a television.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first receiver comprises a wireless communications device having audio and video components, further including automatically identifying said account by using information submitted while ordering, and wherein the method further comprises communicating said entertainment from said wireless communications device to the second receiver that the wireless communications device is connected to for viewing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein ordering entertainment is accomplished through an Internet, and identifying said account is accomplished automatically by using information submitted while ordering.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said ordering is communicated to a central station, wherein said central station downloads said entertainment to a local station, and wherein said delivering is accomplished by said local station communicating said entertainment to said first receiver.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering is accomplished by delivering entertainment to the first receiver in accordance with selected restricted use criteria.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering is accomplished by downloading entertainment to the first receiver, said entertainment having an ability to play only a specified number of times.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering is accomplished by downloading entertainment with access for a limited time period, wherein the first receiver comprises a wireless communications device having audio and video components, and wherein said ordering is communicated over the internet using a URL and using a series of entries made in response to web-enabled queries.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said telephone comprises a wireless telephone communicating with a delivery company using a wireless network, wherein customer information from ordering entertainment is used in selecting said first receiver, and further including the step of gathering customer information automatically from pre-programmed entries from said wireless telephone.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising relaying entertainment from a central station to a local station when the ordering occurs, and then delivering said entertainment from said location station to said first receiver at a later time when a customer desires the entertainment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment is a motion picture, a television show, a video game, an educational, cultural or political event, sports programming, news, financial news, weather, or music.