Online purchase of digital media bundles

• US 8,489,468 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2011
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Robbin, Jeffrey L., Heller, David, Wiese, Mike, Gautier, Patrice, Verosub, Ellis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US13/005,222
• Publication Number:
  US 20110106665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/27.1, 705/52, 705/26.61
• US Class Current: 705/26.62
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Techniques for interacting with an online media store to obtain a media asset bundle, such as a digital boxset, are disclosed. These techniques involve, for instance, browsing for a media asset bundle that includes at least one non-playable media asset, purchasing the media asset bundle, obtaining the media assets contained in the media asset bundle, determining if a presentation request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle, and presenting the requested media asset. Further, these techniques involve playing the media assets in a media asset bundle by selecting a media asset in the media asset bundle, determining whether the media asset is playable or non-playable, presenting the media asset using an appropriate media asset viewer if it is playable, not playing (skipping) the media asset if it is non-playable, and selecting/playing other media assets in the media asset bundle until no more media assets are available to be played.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for obtaining a media asset bundle, comprising:

(a) browsing a commerce server for a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises a plurality of media assets and wherein at least one of the media assets in the media asset bundle is a non-playable media asset;

(b) purchasing the media asset bundle;

(c) obtaining, at a client device, the media assets contained in the media asset bundle;

(d) determining by a media management application operating on the client device, if a request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle;

(e) determining by the media management application operating on the client device, whether the media asset is a playable media asset or a non-playable media asset;

(f) presenting the requested media asset in a playable media asset format by the media management application operating on the client device, if it is determined that the media asset is a playable media asset; and

(g) presenting the requested media asset in a non-playable media asset format by the media management application operating on the client device, if it is determined that the media asset is a non-playable media asset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchasing (b) of the media asset bundle is done at an online media store.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting (f) and (g) are restricted by digital rights management information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) file, a graphics file, a multi-media file and a text file.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the non-playable media asset file contains digital rights management information.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the text file comprises embedded graphics.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the playable media assets are selected from the group consisting of audio files and video files.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the audio file comprises media content selected from the group consisting of a song and a spoken-word performance.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the playable media assets are selected from the group consisting of songs, music videos, and audio books.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the text file comprises embedded graphics.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting (g) uses at least one of a PDF viewer, a text editor, a web browser, an e-book reader, or an XML browser.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the presenting (g) causes a media asset viewer to be spawned by the media management application.

13. A method for obtaining a media asset bundle, comprising:

(a) browsing for a media asset bundle, wherein the media asset bundle comprises a plurality of media assets, wherein the plurality of media assets includes at least one media asset of a first media asset type and at least one media asset of a second media asset type;

(b) purchasing the media asset bundle;

(c) obtaining, at a client device, the media assets contained in the media asset bundle;

(d) determining by a media management application operating on the client device, if a request has been made for a media asset in the media asset bundle;

(e) determining by the media management application operating on the client device, whether the media asset is a playable media asset or a non-playable media asset;

(f) presenting the requested media asset in a playable media asset format by the media management application operating on the client device, if it is determined that the media asset is a playable media asset; and

(g) presenting the requested media asset in a non-playable media asset format by the media management application operating on the client device, if it is determined that the media asset is a non-playable media asset.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the purchasing (b) of the media asset bundle is done at an online media store.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the presenting (f) and (g) is restricted by digital rights management information.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the non-playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of a portable document format (PDF) file, a graphics file, a multimedia file and a text file.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the playable media asset is selected from the group consisting of audio files, video files, and graphics files.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein audio files comprise media content selected from the group consisting of songs, interviews, and spoken-word performances.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein video files comprise media content selected from the group consisting of videos and motion pictures.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein graphics files comprise media content selected from the group consisting of pictures, drawings, and text.