Methods, systems, and products for distributing digital media

• US 9,990,647 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McQuaide, Jr., Arnold Chester
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US14/250,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20140222544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• 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

Abstract

Digital media is distributed to a list of subscriber addresses. The digital media is stored in a memory of a client device that is dedicated to content offered by a producer.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sending, by a server, a stream of electronic media via the Internet for a storage at a client device, the stream of electronic media locked from a retrieval by a software lock having an expiration at a date of premiè

re;

receiving, by the server, an electronic notification sent via the Internet from the client device, the electronic notification specifying a date of retrieval of the stream of electronic media from the storage at the client device, the date of retrieval after the expiration of the software lock at the date of premiè

re;

comparing, by the server, the date of retrieval of the stream of electronic media to the expiration of the software lock at the date of premiè

re;

determining, by the server, a calendar difference from the expiration of the software lock to the date of retrieval from the storage;

determining, by the server, a number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference determined from the expiration of the software lock to the date of retrieval from the storage; and

notifying, by the server via the Internet, a billing server of a purchase price associated with the stream of electronic media, the purchase price based on the number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference determined from the expiration of the software lock to the date of retrieval from the storage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising streaming packets of data to a network address associated with the client device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising streaming packets of data to a network address associated with a user of the client device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising streaming a preview to the client device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a preview of the stream of electronic media to the client device for storage in an unrestricted portion of a memory device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the stream of electronic media to a restricted portion of a memory device operating in the client device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the stream of electronic media to an addressable portion of a memory device operating in the client device, the addressable portion of the memory device dedicated to an entity producing the stream of electronic media.

8. A system, comprising:

a hardware processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

sending a stream of electronic media via the Internet for a storage at a client device, the stream of electronic media locked from a retrieval by a software lock having an expiration at a date and time;

receiving an electronic notification sent via the Internet from the client device, the electronic notification specifying a date of retrieval of the stream of electronic media from the storage at the client device, the date of retrieval after the date and time of the expiration of the software lock;

comparing the date of retrieval of the stream of electronic media from the storage to the date and time of the expiration of the software lock;

determining a calendar difference from the date and time of the expiration of the software lock to the date of retrieval from the storage;

determining a number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference determined from the date and time of the expiration of the software lock to the date of retrieval from the storage; and

billing via the Internet a purchase price based on the number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference determined from the date and time of the expiration of the software lock to the date of retrieval from the storage.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending the stream of electronic media to a network address associated with the client device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending the stream of electronic media to a network address associated with a user of the client device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending promotional content associated with the stream of electronic media.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending a preview of the stream of electronic media.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending the stream of electronic media to an addressable portion of a memory operating in the client device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise sending the stream of electronic media to an addressable portion of a memory operating in the client device, the addressable portion of the memory dedicated to an entity producing the stream of electronic media.

15. A memory device storing instructions that when executed cause a hardware processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

sending a stream of electronic media via the Internet to a client device, the stream of electronic media locked from a retrieval by a software lock having an expiration at a date and time;

receiving an electronic notification sent via the Internet from the client device, the notification specifying a date of retrieval of the stream of electronic media by the client device, the date of retrieval after the date and time of the expiration of the software lock;

executing a rule that compares the date of retrieval of the stream of electronic to the date and time of the expiration of the software lock to determine a calendar difference and to determine a number of bi-daily intervals in the calendar difference from the date and time of the expiration of the software lock to the date of retrieval; and

notifying a billing server via the Internet of a purchase price associated with the stream of electronic media, the purchase price based on the number of bi-daily intervals determined from the date and time of the expiration of the software lock to the date of retrieval.

16. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending the stream of electronic media to a network address associated with the client device.

17. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending the stream of electronic media to a network address associated with a user of the client device.

18. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending promotional content associated with the stream of electronic media.

19. The memory device of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise sending a preview of the stream of electronic media.