Portable electronic device for receiving and playing feature length movies

• US 8,424,048 B1
• Filed: 02/18/2006
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Philip Scott Lyren
• Inventors: Lyren, Robert Louis, Lyren, Philip Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dubasky, Gigi L
• Application Number:
  US11/356,952
• Time in Patent Office: 2,614 Days
• Field of Search: 725/62, 725/87, 725 99-100, 725/104, 725/106, 725/112
• US Class Current: 725/106
• 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 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV

Abstract

One embodiment is a handheld portable cellular device that receives and plays feature length movies. In one exemplary embodiment, a multifunctional handheld portable cellular device (HPCD) has a body, a display and a processor. The processor plays a feature length movie on the display. The HPCD orders, via a wireless connection to a network, the feature length movie before a public release date of the feature length movie, and plays the feature length movie on the display before the public release date.

Claims

1. A handheld portable electronic device (HPED), comprising:

a body having a display; and

a processor for playing a feature length movie on the display, wherein the HPED purchases and downloads to the HPED, via a wireless connection to a network, the feature length movie before a public release date of the feature length movie, and plays the feature length movie on the display before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing by a general public in movie theaters, wherein a private release group of the general public purchases and plays the feature length movie on HPEDs before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing in the movie theaters, the feature length movie is subsequently available for viewing by the general public in the movie theaters after being played on the HPEDs, and each of users in the private release group designates specific times when the feature length movie plays on the HPEDs before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing by the general public in the movie theaters.

2. The HPED of claim 1, wherein the feature length movie is played on the display before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing in the movie theaters only if the HPED is manufactured by a specific manufacturer of handheld portable electronic devices.

3. The HPED of claim 1, wherein the feature length movie is played on the display before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing in the movie theaters only if the HPCD uses cellular services of a specific cellular telephone company.

4. The HPED of claim 1, wherein the feature length movie is played on the display before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing in the movie theaters if an extra fee is paid, the extra fee being separate from a fee for buying or viewing the feature length movie.

5. The HPED of claim 1, wherein the feature length movie is played on the display before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing in the movie theaters if a user of the HPED purchases a product other than the feature length movie such that purchasing of the product and viewing of the feature length movie are tied together.

6. The HPED of claim 1, wherein the feature length movie is played on the display before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing in the movie theaters only if a user of the HPED purchases a service that is separate from the feature length movie such that purchasing of the service and viewing of the feature length movie are tied together.

7. The HPED of claim 1, wherein the feature length movie is delivered to the HPED before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing in the movie theaters at an email address specific time of day that is specified by a user of the HPED.

8. A multifunctional handheld portable electronic device (HPED), comprising:

a display;

a memory storing a browser; and

a processor for executing the browser to access an internet location and purchase and download, at the internet location, a feature length film that is not yet publicly available for viewing on digital video disks (DVDs) and in movie theaters, wherein the feature length film first becomes available for viewing on the display before a day that the feature length film is publicly available for viewing by a general public on the DVDs and in the movie theaters, and the feature length film is sold to HPEDs of a private release group and viewed on the HPEDs of the private release group before the day that the feature length film is publicly available for viewing by the general public on the DVDs and in the movie theaters, the feature length film subsequently has a public release to the general public in the movie theaters and the DVDs after being played on the HPEDs, and each of users in the private release group determines a time when the feature length movie plays on the HPEDs before the day that the feature length film is publicly available for viewing by the general public on the DVDs and in the movie theaters.

9. The HPED of claim 8, wherein viewing of the feature length film on the HPED before the feature length film is publicly released to the general public in the movie theaters and the DVDs is tied to a purchase by the private release group of a product other than the feature length film.

10. The HPED of claim 8, wherein the users in the private release group pre-order the feature length film before the feature length film is completed.

11. The HPED of claim 8, wherein the feature length film is played on the display before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing in the movie theaters only if the HPCD uses cellular services of a specific cellular telephone company.

12. The HPED of claim 8, wherein the HPED accesses the feature length film through a link in an email before the day that the feature length film is publicly available for a first time for viewing on the DVDs and in the movie theaters.

13. The HPED of claim 8, wherein the feature length film is played on the display before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing in the movie theaters if the users of the HPEDs purchase a particular HPED such that viewing of the feature length movie is tied to the purchase of the particular HPED.

14. The HPED of claim 8, wherein a notice automatically appears on the HPED to notify a member of the private release group that the feature length film is available for viewing, the notice appearing on the display before the day that the feature length film is publicly available for a first time for viewing on the DVDs and in the movie theaters.

15. A method of software execution, comprising:

accessing, with a handheld portable electronic device (HPED), a network location to purchase and download a feature length movie before a release date of the feature length movie to a general public in movie theaters; and

displaying, for a first time before the release date to the general public in the movie theaters, the feature length movie on a display of the HPED, wherein the feature length movie is sold to and viewed by a group of the general public before the release date in the movie theaters if the group of the general public plays the feature length movie on HPEDs, and the feature length movie is subsequently available for viewing by the general public on the release date in the movie theaters, wherein the group of the general public is a private release group, and the feature length movie is delivered to the HPED before the release date in movie theaters at a specific time of day that is specified by a user of the HPED.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein users in the group of the general public are denied an opportunity to view the feature length movie on the HPEDs before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing by the general public on the DVDs and in the movie theaters unless the users in the group of the general public purchase the product from a cellular company.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising, providing before the release date a hyperlink to watch the feature length movie on the HPED.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising, providing a notice on the display of the HPED before the release date to notify that the feature length movie is available for viewing.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising, automatically transmitting the feature length movie to the HPED before the release date.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the feature length movie is a motion picture having a runtime that is greater than ninety minutes.

21. A handheld portable device (HPD), comprising:

a display;

a memory that stores programming code; and

a processor that executes the programming code to purchase over an internet a product and download to the HPD a feature length movie that is not yet publicly available for viewing by a general public on digital video disks (DVDs) and in movie theaters, and play the feature length movie on the display before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing by the general public on the DVDs and in the movie theaters, wherein a group of the general public plays the feature length movie on HPDs before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing by the general public on the DVDs and in the movie theaters if the group of the general public purchases both the product and the feature length movie since the product and the feature length movie are tied together, and the feature length movie is subsequently released to the general public in the movie theaters after being played on the HPDs, and users in the group designate specific times when the feature length movie plays on the HPDs before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing by the general public on the DVDs and in the movie theaters.

22. The HPD of claim 21, wherein users in the group of the general public are denied an opportunity to view the feature length movie on the HPDs before the feature length movie is publicly available for viewing by the general public on the DVDs and in the movie theaters unless the users in the group of the general public purchase the product from a cellular company.