Re-download management of previously acquired digital media assets

• US 8,117,309 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mirrashidi, Payam, Patton, Neale, Meldrum, Colin, Neumann, David, Ward, Alan, Mitsuji, Hiro
• Primary Examiner(s): LAZARO, DAVID R
• Application Number:
  US12/356,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/223, 709/224, 709/226, 709/225, 726 26- 33
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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]

Abstract

Improved techniques that enable users to download digital media assets are disclosed. According to one aspect, digital media assets that a user has acquired from a remote media repository can be authorized for download multiple times. This, for example, allows a user to subsequently re-downloaded digital media assets that the user previously acquired. In one embodiment, digital media assets that a user previously downloaded to a user client device from a remote media repository can be made available to the user for subsequent re-download. Advantageously, a remote media repository can, in effect, provide users with a remote backup for previously acquired digital media assets.

Claims

1. A method for downloading a digital media asset from a network-based storage device to a client device via a network, said method comprising:

identifying a digital media asset of interest;

receiving a purchase request for the identified media asset from a requestor operating the client device;

determining whether any re-downloads are available for the identified media asset in response to the purchase request;

informing the requestor of the available re-downloads for the identified media asset;

receiving a user input indicating whether the requestor desires to initiate a re-download request or continue with the purchase request in view of the available re-downloads for the identified media asset; and

processing the re-download request if the user input received indicates that the requestor desires to receive a re-download instead of continuing with the purchase request.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said method further comprises:

processing the purchase request if the user input received indicates that the requestor desires to continue with the purchase request.

3. A method as recited in claim 2, wherein said processing of the purchase request comprises:

initiating a purchase transaction for the identified media asset; and

making the identified media asset available for download by the requestor from the network-based storage device to the client device via the network.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein said processing of the purchase request comprises:

determining a re-download allotment for the identified media asset; and

associating the re-download allotment to the identified media asset that has been purchased by the requestor, the re-download allotment specifying a number of re-downloads of the identified media asset permitted by the requestor.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the re-download allotment for the identified media item is associated with a user account of the requestor such that a re-download is permitted to any client device authorized for user by the requestor.

6. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said processing of the re-download request comprises:

processing the re-download request such that the identified media asset is downloaded from the network-based storage device to the client device;

retrieving a re-download allotment for the identified media asset; and

reducing the re-download allotment based on the identified media asset being re-downloaded.

7. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein said processing of the download request comprises:

offering an opportunity to acquire additional assignable re-download allotments;

acquiring one or more additional assignable re-download allotments;

allocating at least one of the assignable re-download allotments to the identified digital media asset;

processing the re-download request such that the identified media asset is downloaded from the network-based storage device to the client device;

retrieving a re-download allotment for the identified media asset; and

reducing the re-download allotment based on the identified media asset being re-downloaded.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said informing comprises:

displaying a dialog on a display associated with the client device that requests another user input.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein said processing of the re-download request comprises:

processing the re-download request such that the identified media asset is downloaded from the network-based storage device to the client device; and

storing the identified media asset that has been downloaded to the client device.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein said processing of the download request further comprises:

retrieving a re-download allotment for the identified media asset; and

reducing the re-download allotment based on the identified media asset being re-downloaded.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including at least computer program code stored thereon that can be used by a computer to download digital media assets from a network-based storage device to a client device via a network, said computer readable storage medium comprising:

computer program code for identifying a digital media asset of interest;

computer program code for receiving a purchase request for the identified media asset from a requestor operating the client device;

computer program code for determining whether any re-downloads are available for the identified media asset in response to the purchase request;

computer program code for informing the requestor of the available re-downloads for the identified media asset;

computer program code for receiving a user input indicating whether the requestor desires to initiate a re-download request or continue with the purchase request in view of the available re-downloads for the identified media asset; and

computer program code for processing the re-download request if the user input received indicates that the requestor desires to receive a re-download instead of continuing with the purchase request.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 11, wherein said computer program code for method further comprises:

computer program code for processing the purchase request if the user input received indicates that the requestor desires to continue with the purchase request.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 12, wherein said computer program code for processing of the purchase request comprises:

computer program code for initiating a purchase transaction for the identified media asset; and

computer program code for making the identified media asset available for download by the requestor from the network-based storage device to the client device via the network.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 13, wherein said computer program code for processing of the purchase request comprises:

computer program code for determining a re-download allotment for the identified media asset; and

computer program code for associating the re-download allotment to the identified media asset that has been purchased by the requestor, the re-download allotment specifying a number of re-downloads of the identified media asset permitted by the requestor.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the re-download allotment for the identified media item is associated with a user account of the requestor such that a re-download is permitted to any client device authorized for user by the requestor.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein said computer program code for processing of the re-download request comprises:

computer program code for processing the re-download request such that the identified media asset is downloaded from the network-based storage device to the client device;

computer program code for retrieving a re-download allotment for the identified media asset; and

computer program code for reducing the re-download allotment based on the identified media asset being re-downloaded.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein said computer program code for processing of the download request comprises:

computer program code for offering an opportunity to acquire additional assignable re-download allotments;

computer program code for acquiring one or more additional assignable re-download allotments;

computer program code for allocating at least one of the assignable re-download allotments to the identified digital media asset;

computer program code for processing the re-download request such that the identified media asset is downloaded from the network-based storage device to the client device;

computer program code for retrieving a re-download allotment for the identified media asset; and

computer program code for reducing the re-download allotment based on the identified media asset being re-downloaded.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said computer program code for informing comprises:

computer program code for displaying a dialog on a display associated with the client device that requests another user input.

19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein said computer program code for processing of the re-download request comprises:

computer program code for processing the re-download request such that the identified media asset is downloaded from the network-based storage device to the client device; and

computer program code for storing the identified media asset that has been downloaded to the client device.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein said computer program code for processing of the download request further comprises:

computer program code for retrieving a re-download allotment for the identified media asset; and

computer program code for reducing the re-download allotment based on the identified media asset being re-downloaded.

25. A system as recited in claim 17, wherein the process of the re-download request by said re-download manager, said re-download manager is configured to:

process the re-download request such that the identified media asset is downloaded from the network-based storage device to the client device; and

store the identified media asset that has been downloaded to the client device.

21. A system for managing re-download of digital media assets, said system comprising:

user accounts established for a plurality of account holders;

a media storage device configured to store a plurality of digital media assets;

a server device for providing online access to browse or acquire one or more of the digital media assets; and

a re-download manager configured to manage availability of re-downloads for qualifying ones of the digital media assets in accordance with said user accounts with respect to a particular account holders, wherein said re-download manager is configured to at least (i) receive a purchase request for an identified media asset from a requestor operating the client device;

(ii) determine whether any re-downloads are available for the identified media asset in response to the purchase request;

(iii) receive a user input indicating whether the requestor desires to initiate a re-download request or continue with the purchase request in view of the available re-downloads for the identified media asset; and

(iv) process the re-download request if the user input received indicates that the requestor desires to receive a re-download instead of continuing with the purchase request.

22. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein the quantity of re-downloads available for the identified media asset is limited.

23. A system as recited in claim 21, wherein said re-download manager is configured to:

determine a re-download allotment for the identified media asset; and

associate the re-download allotment to the identified media asset that has been purchased by the requestor, the re-download allotment specifying a number of re-downloads of the identified media asset permitted by the requestor.

24. A system as recited in claim 23, wherein the re-download allotment for the identified media item is associated with a user account of the requestor such that a re-download is permitted to any client device authorized for user by the requestor.