Digital content hub

• US 8,234,261 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2007
• Issued: 07/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Monahan, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Jessica N
• Application Number:
  US11/779,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20090024631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,841 Days
• Field of Search: 707 3- 5, 707/706, 707/754, 707/705
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• 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: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

There are provided methods and systems to retrieve search result information and digital content. The system receives input information identifying a plurality of data sources from which to retrieve digital content. Next the system retrieves search result information, over the network, from the plurality of data sources based on the input information. Next the system retrieves the digital content, over the network, from at least one of the data sources based on the search result information. Finally, the system communicates digital content to a client machine.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving input information from a client machine, the input information being received via a single user interface and identifying a plurality of data sources from which to retrieve digital content, the received input information including a first data source identifying a first content provider and a second data source identifying a second content provider, the plurality of data sources including a plurality of search engines;

responsive to the receiving of the input information, retrieving search result information, over a network, from the plurality of search engines corresponding to the plurality of data sources based on metadata generated from the input information, the retrieving of the search result information includes filtering the search result information based on a media type including at least one of a music video, a digital sample, or a streaming video;

responsive to the retrieving of the search result information, retrieving the digital content, over the network, from at least one of the plurality of data sources based on the search result information and the metadata, the retrieving of the digital content includes determining whether predetermined criteria is exceeded, the predetermined criteria includes a storage limitation and a purchase limitation; and

responsive to the retrieving of the digital content, communicating the digital content to the client machine.

2. The method of claim 1, further including communicating the digital content from the client machine to a portable client machine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the input information includes at least one of receiving artist information, receiving creation information, or receiving category information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiving of the artist information includes at least one of receiving a request for a type of artist, receiving a request for an artist, receiving a request for ticket information, or receiving a request for digital sample information, wherein the receiving of the creation information includes at least one of receiving a request for digital content that is released or receiving a request for a multimedia presentation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the search result information includes at least one of communicating a query to at least one data source to receive the search result information or communicating a subscription to at least one data source to receive the search result information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the search result information is performed periodically based on a predetermined period.

7. The method of claim 1, including determining whether payment is required after the digital content is retrieved from the data source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving the digital content includes at least one of communicating a query to at least one data source to receive the digital content or communicating a subscription to at least one data source to receive the digital content.

9. The method of the claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the digital content includes communicating a subscription to at least one data source and receiving the digital content that is pushed from the data source based on a recommendation of the data source.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the digital content includes identifying whether payment is required to retrieve the digital content from the data source.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieving of the digital content includes purchasing the digital content.

12. The method of claim 1, including communicating, on a predetermined communication channel, an alert that the digital content has been retrieved.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a recommendation for each search result information entry based on profile information, the generating the recommendation being responsive to the retrieval of the search result information, wherein the metadata includes the profile information, the profile information including a history of input information collected from a user over a predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of search engines includes a first search engine that corresponds to the first data source and a second search engine that corresponds to the second data source.

27. The method of claim 2, wherein the retrieving of the digital content includes generating remote commands associated with the digital content, the remote commands included in the metadata, the remote commands including commands to communicate the digital content to the portable client machine.

15. A system comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor for storing instructions configured;

to receive input information from a client machine, the input information received via a single user interface, the received input information including an identification of a plurality of data sources from which to retrieve digital content and including a first data source that identifies a first content provider and a second data source that identifies a second content provider, the plurality of data sources includes a plurality of search engines;

responsive to receipt of the input information, to retrieve search result information, over a network, from the plurality of search engines corresponding to the plurality of data sources based on metadata generated from the received input information, the retrieving of the search result information including filtering the search result information based on a media type that includes at least one of a music video, a digital sample, or a streaming video; and

responsive to retrieval of the search result information, to retrieve the digital content, over the network, from at least one of the plurality of data sources based on the search result information and the metadata, the retrieving of the digital content including determining that predetermined criteria is exceeded, the predetermined criteria including a storage limitation and a purchase limitation; and

responsive to the retrieval of the digital content, to communicate the digital content to the client machine.

16. The system of claim 15, further including a distribution module, at the client machine, to communicate the digital content to a portable client machine.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the input information includes at least one of artist information, creation information, and category information.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the artist information includes at least one of a request for a type of artist, a request for an artist, a request for ticket information, and a request for digital sample information, wherein the creation information is includes at least one of a request for digital content that is released and a request for a multimedia presentation.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the configuration module is to communicate a query to at least one data source to receive the search result information and wherein the configuration module communicates a subscription to at least one data source to receive the search result information.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the configuration module is to retrieve the search result information periodically based on a predetermined period.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing module is to determine whether payment is required after the digital content is retrieved from the data source.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing module is to communicate a query to at least one data source to receive the digital content and wherein the processing module communicates a subscription to at least one data source to receive the digital content.

23. The system of the claim 15, wherein the processing module is to communicate a subscription to at least one data source and wherein the processing module is to receive the digital content that is pushed from the data source based on a recommendation of the data source.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing module is to determine whether payment is required to retrieve the digital content from the data source.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing module is to purchase the digital content.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing module is to communicate, on a predetermined communication channel, an alert that the digital content has been retrieved.

28. A system comprising:

a first means for receiving input information from a client machine, the input information received via a single user interface, the received input information includes an identification of a plurality of data sources from which to retrieve digital content and a first data source that identifies a first content provider and a second data source that identifies a second content provider, the plurality of data sources includes a plurality of search engines, and, responsive to receipt of the input information, to retrieve search result information, over the network, from the plurality of search engines corresponding to the plurality of data sources based on metadata generated from the input information, the retrieving of the search result information includes filtering the search result information based on a media type that includes at least one of a music video, a digital sample, or a streaming video; and

a second means, responsive to retrieval of the search result information, for retrieving the digital content, over the network, from at least one of the plurality of data sources based on the search result information and the metadata, the retrieving of the digital content includes determining whether predetermined criteria is exceeded, the predetermined criteria includes a storage limitation and a purchase limitation, and, responsive to retrieval of the digital content, to communicate the digital content to the client machine.

29. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive input information from a client machine, the input information received via a single user interface, the received input information includes an identification of a plurality of data sources from which to retrieve digital content including a first data source that identifies a first content provider and a second data source that identifies a second content provider, the plurality of data sources includes a plurality of search engines;

responsive to receipt of the input information, retrieve search result information, over a network, from the plurality of search engines corresponding to the plurality of data sources based on metadata generated from the received input information, the retrieving of the search result information including filtering the search result information based on a media type that includes at least one of a music video, a digital sample, or a streaming video;

responsive to retrieval of the search result information, retrieve the digital content, over the network, from at least one of the plurality of data sources based on the search result information and the metadata, the retrieving of the digital content includes determining whether predetermined criteria is exceeded, the predetermined criteria includes a storage limitation and a purchase limitation; and

responsive to retrieval of the digital content, communicate the digital content to the client machine.