Media content device, system and method

• US 8,978,149 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2012
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Next Issue Media
• Inventors: Barraclough, Keith, Irvine, David, Larson, Melanie, Guenther, Morgan P., Johnson, Gerri
• Primary Examiner(s): Nalven, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): FIELDS, COURTNEY D
• Application Number:
  US13/415,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20120297490A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 709/224, 705/14.64, 705/14, 713/200, 707/748, 707/100
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5054 Automatic deployment of services triggered by the service manager, e.g. service implementation by automatic configuration of network components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Media content is provided using metric-apportioning. In accordance with one or more embodiments, remote-user interface circuits are authenticated and remote access is provided to different sets of media content via the interface. For each authenticated interface and a time-based period during which the interface accesses the media content, time-stamped usage data that characterizes use of the media content at the interface is communicated therewith. A usage metric characterizing usage of the media content is apportioned based upon the time-stamped usage data and stored weighting factor data for the media content.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first circuit-based module configured and arranged to

authenticate remote-user interface circuits by processing authentication criteria communicated from the remote-user interface circuits with stored authentication data, and

for each authenticated remote-user interface circuit, provide remote access to a plurality of different sets of media content via the remote-user interface circuit based upon stored media content authorization data associated with the remote-user interface circuit and provide said remote access to different sets of media content by controlling non-linear delivery of portions of periodical-based media content to the remote-user interface circuit, based upon historical access to previous versions of the periodical-based media content by a user associated with the authentication criteria communicated from the remote-user interface circuit; and

a second circuit-based module connected to the first circuit-based module and configured and arranged to, for each authenticated remote-user interface circuit and a time-based period during which the remote-user interface circuit accesses at least one of the different sets of media content as indicated via the connection to the first circuit-based module,

communicate with the remote-user interface circuit to receive time-stamped usage data that characterizes time periods during which remote users access different sets of the media content via the remote-user interface circuit, and

for each of the remote users, apportion a usage metric characterizing usage of the respective sets of media content based upon the time-stamped usage data and one of a plurality of different weighting factor data associated with the accessed media content, each of the plurality of different weighting factor data being respectively associated with different sets of media content.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second circuit-based module is configured and arranged to

apportion the usage metric for each authenticated remote-user interface circuit by using the weighting factor data and time-stamped usage data as inputs, and

attribute respective portions of the usage metric to different sets of the media content based upon a weighting factor assigned to each set of media content, time-stamped usage data for each set of media content, and time-stamped usage data for all sets of media content accessed by the remote-user interface circuit during the time-based period, wherein the weighting factor data assigns different values to different ones of the sets of media content and are used to provide time-independent weighted indications respectively based on the different sets of media content.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a third circuit-based module configured and arranged to, for each set of media content to which access is provided at one of the remote-user interface circuits, configure the display of the media content based upon at least one display characteristic of the remote-user interface circuit and display configuration data assigned to the media content.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one display characteristic of the remote-user interface circuit and display configuration data assigned to the media content include at least one of:

a data format requirement of the remote-user interface circuit, a display size of the remote-user interface circuit, display preference requirements specified for the provision of the media content to remote-user interface devices, and integrated third-party data to be displayed with the media content at the remote-user interface circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second circuit-based module is further configured and arranged to

apportion the usage metric for each authenticated remote-user interface circuit based upon a weighting factor that corresponds to one of the plurality of different weighting factor data, by apportioning the usage metric based upon the weighting factor for a media content tier with which the set of media content is associated, wherein at least one of the sets of media content is associated with a tier that is different than a tier with which at least another one of the sets of media content is associated.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second circuit-based module is configured and arranged to, for each user identification (ID) and media content subscription data therefore, generate the usage metric for attributing a portion of a fixed value metric to respective media content providers that provide the respective sets of media content.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first circuit-based module is configured and arranged to provide remote access to a plurality of different sets of media content by providing respective sets of media content via different remote media content provider circuits communicatively coupled with the first circuit-based module over a network.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second circuit-based module is configured and arranged to communicate with multiple remote-user interface circuits, and to apportion the usage metric by apportioning a usage metric for all remote-user interface circuits assigned to a common grouping identification and therein provide a usage metric corresponding to an entire group of remote user-interface devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein

the first circuit-based module is configured and arranged to provide remote access to the plurality of different sets of media content by providing access to the sets of content, in different formats, for different remote-user interface circuits that use common authentication data, the formats being selected based on a display characteristic of the specific remote-user interface circuit to which the content is provided in the particular format, and

the second circuit-based module is configured and arranged to apportion the usage metric based upon at least one of the format of the respective sets of content and the display characteristic of the respective remote-user interface circuits to which the content is provided.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second circuit-based modules is configured and arranged to carry out the respective operations by communicating with a remote networked circuit to control the remote networked circuit to carry out the operations.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first circuit-based module is configured and arranged to provide said remote access based upon geographical data received from the remote-user interface circuit, the geographical data indicating a geographical location of the remote-user interface circuit.

26. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first circuit-based module is configured and arranged to provide remote access to a plurality of different sets of media content via the remote-user interface circuit by, in response to the stored media content authorization data associated with the remote-user interface circuit, transmitting portions of at least one of the sets of media content to the remote user-interface circuit.

27. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the time-stamped usage data includes data indicative of a total time of active user interaction with the media content at the remote-user interface circuit.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a first circuit-based module configured and arranged to

authenticate remote-user interface circuits by processing authentication criteria communicated from the remote-user interface circuits with stored authentication data, and

for each authenticated remote-user interface circuit, provide remote access to a plurality of different sets of media content via the remote-user interface circuit based upon stored media content authorization data associated with the remote-user interface circuit and provide said remote access to different sets of media content by controlling non-linear delivery of portions of periodical-based media content to the remote-user interface circuit, based upon historical access to previous versions of the periodical-based media content by a user associated with the authentication criteria communicated from the remote-user interface circuit; and

a second circuit-based module configured and arranged to, for each authenticated remote-user interface circuit and a time-based period during which the remote-user interface circuit accesses the different sets of media content,

communicate with the remote-user interface circuit to receive time-stamped usage data that characterizes use of the media content at the remote-user interface circuit, and

apportion a usage metric characterizing active usage of the respective sets of media content based upon stored weighting factor data for each set of media content and the time-stamped usage data, the time-stamped usage data indicating at least one of;

dwell time at the remote-user interface circuit during access of the media content, a background/foreground condition of the display of the media content at the remote-user interface circuit, and an awake/sleep status of the remote-user interface circuit.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a first module configured and arranged to interface with a remote content-providing circuit over a network communication link, to provide authentication criteria to the content-providing circuit and to receive media content access information from the content-providing circuit, the media content access information being indicative of content available at the apparatus based upon the authentication criteria;

a second module coupled to the first module and configured and arranged to present the media content access information for interaction by a user, identify a set of media content for local access at the apparatus based upon user input, retrieve the identified set of media content from the content-providing circuit via the first module, and present the retrieved media content for access by the user; and

a third module configured and arranged to collect time-stamped usage data that characterizes the user'"'"'s active access to the presented retrieved media content, and communicate data corresponding to the collected time-stamped usage data to the content-providing circuit via the first module based upon a trigger event at the apparatus, wherein the first, second and third modules are configured and arranged to provide remote access to different sets of media content by controlling non-linear delivery of portions of periodical-based media content to a remote-user interface circuit, based upon historical access to previous versions of the periodical-based media content by a user associated with the authentication criteria communicated from the remote content-providing circuit.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third module is configured and arranged to, for a time-based period during which the retrieved media content is accessed by the user, apportion a usage metric characterizing usage of the media content based upon stored time-independent weighting factor data for each set of media content and the time-stamped usage data, and to communicate data corresponding to the collected time-stamped usage data by communicating the usage metric.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third module is configured and arranged to apportion a usage metric characterizing usage of the media content by executing an algorithm to, using weighting factor data and the time-stamped usage data as inputs, attribute respective portions of the usage metric to different sets of the retrieved media content based upon a weighting factor assigned to each set of media content, time-stamped usage data for each set of media content, and time-stamped usage data for all sets of the retrieved media content during a time-based period.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third module is configured and arranged to communicate data corresponding to the collected time-stamped usage data based upon a trigger event corresponding to a time period for periodic communication of the data.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third module is configured and arranged to communicate data corresponding to the collected time-stamped usage data based upon a trigger event corresponding to an interaction between the apparatus and the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third module is configured and arranged to apportion a usage metric characterizing usage of the media content by apportioning the usage metric based upon a weighting factor for a media content tier with which the retrieved media content is associated, wherein the retrieved media content includes at least one set of media content associated with a tier that is different than a tier with which at least another set of media content is associated.

28. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the third module is configured and arranged to collect time-stamped usage data by monitoring user interaction with the media content in real time, and collecting data indicative of a total time that the user interacts with the media content.

29. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second module is configured and arranged with the first module to present the retrieved media content for access by the user by retrieving, from the content-providing circuit, respective portions of the retrieved media content for active display to the user.

19. A method comprising:

authenticating remote-user interface circuits by processing authentication criteria communicated from the remote-user interface circuits with stored authentication data;

for each authenticated remote-user interface circuit, providing remote access to a plurality of different sets of media content via the remote-user interface circuit based upon stored media content authorization data associated with the remote-user interface circuit, including the step of controlling non-linear delivery of portions of periodical-based media content to the remote-user interface circuit, based upon historical access to previous versions of the periodical-based media content by a user associated with the authentication criteria communicated from the remote-user interface circuit; and

for each authenticated remote-user interface circuit and a time-based period during which the remote-user interface circuit accesses the different sets of media content,

communicating with the remote-user interface circuit to receive time-stamped usage data that characterizes use of the media content at the remote-user interface circuit, and

apportioning a usage metric characterizing usage of the respective sets of media content based upon stored weighting factor data for each set of media content and the time-stamped usage data.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein apportioning a usage metric includes executing an algorithm to, using the weighting factor data and time-stamped usage data as inputs, attribute respective portions of the usage metric to different sets of the media content based upon a weighting factor assigned to each set of media content, time-stamped usage data for each set of media content, and time-stamped usage data for all sets of media content accessed by the remote-user interface circuit during the time-based period.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein apportioning a usage metric includes apportioning the usage metric based upon a weighting factor for a media content tier with which the set of media content is associated, wherein at least one of the sets of media content is associated with a tier that is different than a tier with which at least another one of the sets of media content is associated.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein apportioning a usage metric includes generating, for each user ID and media content subscription data therefor, the usage metric for attributing a portion of a fixed value metric to respective media content providers that provide the respective sets of media content.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein apportioning a usage metric includes apportioning a usage metric for all remote-user interface circuits assigned to a common grouping identification and therein provide a usage metric corresponding to the entire group of remote user-interface circuits.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein apportioning a usage metric includes apportioning a usage metric based upon at least one of a format of respective sets of content and a display characteristic of respective remote-user interface circuits to which the content is provided.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein apportioning a usage metric includes apportioning the usage metric based upon time-stamped usage data indicating at least one of:

dwell time at the remote-user interface circuit during access of the media content, a background/foreground condition of the display of the media content at the remote-user interface circuit, and an awake/sleep status of the remote-user interface circuit.

30. The method of claim 19, wherein providing remote access includes, at a circuit remote from the remote-user interface circuit, accessing the media content authorization data and, based upon the authorization data, sending respective portions of the media content to the remote-user interface circuit for active display to a user in response to media content requests received from the remote-user interface circuit.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein the time-stamped usage data includes data indicating a period of time during which a user actively interacts with the media content at the remote-user interface circuit.