Systems and methods for receiving, storing, and rendering digital video, music, and pictures on a personal media player

• US 8,503,861 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Calhoon, John C., Fierstein, Scott J., Manchester, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Nigar
• Application Number:
  US12/201,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20080317441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 386252-260
• US Class Current: 386/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00291 with receiver circuitry television receiver circuitry per se H04N5/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8113 comprising music, e.g. song in MP3 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 : Portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/38 : Transmitter circuitry for the transmission of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 : on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 : using transform coding

Abstract

A personal media player (PMP) uses a digital media processing system—comprising a video rendering subsystem, a music rendering subsystem, and a picture rendering subsystem—to produce moving-video (video), audio (music), still-graphics (picture), and other output rendered from media files ported to the PMP from another source. The PMP further comprises a user interface system, a display unit system, a power source system, and a data port system utilizing Universal Plug and Play functionality, all of which are coupled directly or indirectly to the digital media processing system. The physical components constituting the aforementioned systems and subsystems are then encased in a portable housing unit suitable for hand-held use and ready portability.

Claims

1. A personal media player, comprising:

a processor;

a user input device communicatively coupled with said processor;

a media output device adapted to render digital media, said media output device communicatively coupled with said processor;

a communications port adapted to communicate over a network, the communications port communicatively coupled with said processor; and

memory communicatively coupled with the processor, the memory comprising instructions for performing the following;

requesting selected media content from a server;

determining if the selected media content includes protected content;

if the selected media content includes protected content, determining whether the protected content may be copied;

upon determining that the protected content may be copied, validating the personal media player with the server using a key retrieved from the personal media player and forwarded to the server;

receiving the selected media content from the server; and

processing the received media content.

2. The media player of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions for determining whether to proceed with requesting the selected media content based upon the retrieved license.

3. The media player of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions for reformatting the received media content into a format suitable for rendering on the media player.

4. The media player of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions for binding the received media content to the personal media player.

5. The media player of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions for requesting a list of media content from the server.

6. The media player of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions for initializing the personal media player with the server.

7. The media player of claim 1, wherein the memory further comprises instructions for requesting to browse available media content.

8. A computer storage device comprising computer-executable instructions for controlling access to media content, the instructions for implementing steps comprising:

receiving a request from a personal media player for selected media content;

determining if the selected media content includes protected content;

if the selected media content includes protected content, determining whether the protected content may be copied;

upon determining that the protected content may be copied, validating the personal media player with a server;

downloading a license for the protected content;

requesting the selected media content, wherein the selected media content is associated with a key;

receiving the selected media content and the associated key from the server; and

forwarding the received media content and data derived from the associated key to the personal media player.

9. The computer storage device of claim 8, further comprising instructions for determining whether to proceed with requesting the selected media content based upon the retrieved license.

10. The computer storage device of claim 8, wherein validating the personal media player with a server comprises retrieving keys from the personal media device and forwarding the keys to a server.

11. The computer storage device of claim 8, further comprising instructions for reformatting the received media content into a format suitable for rendering on the media player.

12. The computer storage device of claim 8, further comprising instructions for binding the received media content to the personal media player.

13. The computer storage device of claim 8, further comprising instructions for receiving a request for a list of media content from the personal media player and transmitting a request for a list of media content to a sever.

14. The computer storage device of claim 13, further comprising instructions for communicating a list of media content to the media player.

15. The computer storage device of claim 8, further comprising instructions for initializing the personal media player with the server.

16. A computing system adapted to control access to media content, comprising:

a server; and

computing memory communicatively coupled to said server, the computing memory having stored therein a software application adapted for the following;

validating a media player;

receiving a request for available media content, including receiving a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) browse request;

communicating an identification of available media content;

receiving a request for selected media content, wherein the selected media content is associated with a key identifier; and

communicating the selected media content and the key identifier of the selected media content, wherein data derived from the key identifier controls processing of the selected media content.

17. The computing system of claim 16, wherein receiving a request for selected media content comprises receiving a request to import selected media content.

18. The computing system of claim 16, further comprising initializing the media player.

19. A computer-implemented method for porting media content to a personal media player comprising:

establishing communication over a network between a Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) control point and the personal media player;

establishing communication over a network between the UPnP control point and a media server;

at the UPnP control point, acquiring a TCP/IP address from the network using UPnP functionality;

at the UPnP control point, issuing a UPnP browse request to the media server, the browse request to identify media content on the media server that is available for downloading to the personal media player;

at the UPnP control point, requesting selected media content from the media server, the selected media content is associated with a key identifier;

at the UPnP control point, receiving the selected media content from the media server;

at the UPnP control point, determining whether the selected media content is protected;

if the UPnP control point determines the selected media content is protected, requesting a license from a license server, the license server communicatively coupled to the network, wherein the request for a license includes the key identifier for the selected media content;

at the UPnP control point, receiving the license for the selected media content from the license server, wherein the license allows the UPnP control point to send the selected media content to the personal media player; and

sending the selected media content to the personal media player.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 further comprising:

using the UPnP functionality, receiving a notification that the personal media player is present on the network.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein the selected media content comprises two or more content items and each of the two or more content items is associated with a key identifier.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 further comprising reformatting the selected media content based on rendering capabilities of the personal media player.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 further comprising:

retrieving a key from the personal media player and using the key to validate the personal media player with the media server.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 wherein the UPnP control point is a client computer.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 further comprising initializing the personal media player with the license server.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 further comprising initializing the UPnP control point with the license server.