Content and identity delivery system for portable playback of content and streaming service integration

• US 8,898,803 B1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Truesight Communications LLC (Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC)
• Original Assignee: Media IP LLC.
• Inventors: Zipperer, Joseph P., Hostetter, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLDER, BRADLEY W
• Application Number:
  US13/004,806
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28
• US Class Current: 726/28
• 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

A disclosed system, method and computer readable storage medium includes downloading digital media content from a kiosk to a flash media or other secured portable memory or drive. User service information is also downloaded from the kiosk to the flash media that identifies a streaming service from which the user may also receive content. When the flash media is connected to a playback device, if the device is not connected to a network, the content is played back from the flash media. If the playback device is connected to a network, the streaming service is accessed using the user service information, and the streaming service streams the content to the playback device. In one implementation, the streamed content is of a higher quality (e.g., a high definition version) of the content that was downloaded to the flash media from the kiosk.

Claims

1. A method of delivering content by integrating a kiosk delivery system with a streaming service, the method comprising:

transferring content from a kiosk to a flash memory media device, wherein the flash memory media device is configured to be connected to a playback device; and

transferring user service information, including user account information for one or more account based digital content streaming services, from the kiosk to the flash memory media device,

wherein, responsive to the flash memory media device being connected to the playback device;

if the playback device is connected to a network via a network connection having a speed that meets a threshold for streaming digital content, the transferred user service information from the connected flash memory media device is used to access at least one of the one or more account based digital streaming services to stream a higher quality version of the content to the connected playback device for playback, wherein the higher quality version of the content is a high definition version of standard definition content transferred from the kiosk to the flash memory media device,

otherwise, the content stored on the connected flash memory media device is used for playback of the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user account information for each account based digital streaming service comprises an account identifier and login information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein user service information includes information necessary to access a digital streaming service for delivery of content over a network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content transfer can occur without removing the flash memory media device from a device containing the flash memory media device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content transfer can occur by removing the flash memory media device from a device containing the flash memory media device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user service information is received from a user device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user service information is received through a website.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user service information is received from a data feed from a provider of the streaming service.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein users can register for the streaming service at the kiosk.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein users may update user service information via the kiosk.

11. A method of operating a playback device to automatically play back content from either a flash memory media device or a digital streaming service depending upon playback circumstances, the method comprising:

receiving, from a connected flash memory media device, user service information, including user account information for an account based digital media content streaming service, wherein the user service information enables access to the account based digital media content streaming service; and

wherein the connected flash memory media device previously has received content from a kiosk delivery system including the user service information that includes user account information for one or more account based digital streaming services;

responsive to the user service information being unrecognized by the playback device, playing back the content from the connected flash memory media device, the content previously received from the kiosk delivery system; and

responsive to the user service information being recognized by the playback device;

responsive to the playback device not being connected to a network, playing back the content from the connected flash memory media device; and

responsive to the playback device being connected to a network, accessing the account based digital media content streaming service using the user service information, by;

responsive to a speed of the connection not meeting a threshold for streaming digital content, playing back the content from the connected flash memory media device; and

responsive to the speed of the connection meeting the threshold for streaming digital content, streaming the content from the account based digital media content streaming service, wherein streaming the content from the account based digital media content streaming service comprises streaming the content in high definition, and wherein the content on the flash memory media device is standard definition.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein accessing the account based digital media content streaming service using the user service information comprises automatically logging the user into the account based digital media content streaming service.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the threshold is a lower limit on speed consistent with avoiding service interruptions.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a flash memory media device can be transferred between playback devices.