Abstract:
A method for limiting digital content consumption inside defined real-world geographic area(s) is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method is realized by adding additional consumption policy for geographic control to digital content&#39;s metadata, requesting the digital consumption device to acquire and provide its current location, checking device&#39;s current location against the geographic control consumption policy, and displaying the content for consumption if the digital content consumption policy is satisfied.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/424519, entitled “ Method and Apparatus for Limiting Digital Content Consumption Inside Defined Real-world Geographic Area ( s )”, filed on Dec. 17, 2010 and naming Haixiang He as inventor, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein, in its entirety, by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention is in the technical field of digital content consumption. More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of limiting digital content consumption inside defined real-world geographic area(s). 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Digital content consumption requires a hardware platform and software applications that are primarily used for receiving and viewing digital content. Common examples of digital content include music, video games, films, books, and software. 
         [0006]    Technologies including Digital Right Management (DRM) have been developed to enable content owners or distributors to control their digital content consumption. Most existing technologies focus on preventing unauthorized consumption. 
         [0007]    Currently there is no efficient or easy way to control the digital content consumption inside defined real-world geographic area(s), while on the other hand physical content consumption can be easily controlled inside defined real-world geographic area(s). For example, a specific print book can be freely read inside a particular physical bookstore. But currently an eBook cannot be freely read at the same particular physical bookstore. 
         [0008]    However, there are many use cases and motivations to control digital content distribution inside defined real-world geographic area(s). For example, many people may want to freely read eBooks inside a bookstore similar to current experience of freely reading print books. And hence, such a control method and apparatus is desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention is a method and apparatus to control the digital content consumption. It provides a capability for digital content to be consumed inside certain defined real-world geographic area(s). 
         [0010]    These geographic areas can be a predefined set of boundaries like coffee shop, bookstore, school attendance zones or neighborhood boundaries. They can also be dynamically generated as in a radius around a store or point location and/or as in any customized shape. 
         [0011]    Information representing the defined real-world geographic area(s) is associated with each piece of digital content. The association can be achieved for example by adding the information to the digital content&#39;s metadata. 
         [0012]    The digital content consumption device needs have the capability to acquire its current location. The current location may be in the format of a pair of data (latitude, longitude). The location can be acquired through Global Position System (GPS) or other location acquisition systems and services. 
         [0013]    Function or capability to limit digital content consumption inside defined real-world geographic area(s) can be added to digital content consumption hardware platform and software applications. When digital content is consumed, the consumption hardware and software need to acquire the current location. If the current location is inside the defined real-world geographic area(s), the consumption is allowed. Otherwise, the content consumption is prohibited. 
         [0014]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the present invention and realize additional aspects thereof after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments in association with the accompanying figures. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The present invention is illustrated by way of example in the following drawings in which like references indicated similar elements. The following drawings disclose various embodiments of the present invention for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in very figure. In the figures: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram of a digital content consumption device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram of a digital content storage according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  shows a real-world geographic area dynamically generated as in a radius around a location point according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  shows a real-world geographic area dynamically generated as in a polygon according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a process of consuming a piece of digital content according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The following detailed description sets forth numerous specific details to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, protocols, algorithms, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention. 
         [0022]      FIG. 1  is a functional block diagram showing the relevant components of an example digital content consumption device  100  that may be used to consume digital content. Digital content consumption device has hardware platform and software applications. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the digital content consumption device  100  includes an Internet logic  110  configured to enable the Internet especially mobile Internet communication. It also includes location logic  120  configured to enable the digital content consumption device to acquire its current location. The location can be specified in a pair of data (latitude, longitude) format. 
         [0023]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the digital content is stored in digital content storage  130 . The digital content consumption device  100  contains a receiving logic  150  configured to receive digital content through Internet logic  110  from external entities. Upon receipt of digital content, the receiving logic  150  will store the digital content in digital content storage  130 . The digital content consumption device  100  also contains a viewing logic  160  configured to view digital content. The viewing logic  160  will get the digital content from digital content storage  130  and display it for content consumption. In another embodiment of the present invention, the digital content storage  130  may reside outside the device and connect over Internet especially mobile Internet with digital content consumption device  100  through Internet logic  110 . 
         [0024]    In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the digital content consumption device  100  includes a consumption control logic  140  configured to enforce consumption control policy. The consumption control logic  140  contains a geographic control logic  142  configured to enforce the control policy to limit digital content consumption inside defined real-world geographic area(s). The device&#39;s current location acquired through location logic  120  will be used by geographic control logic  142  for policy enforcement. Consumption control logic  140  and geographic control logic  142  may reside outside the digital content consumption device  100  in another embodiment of the present invention. The policy enforcement can be achieved through client-server solution. 
         [0025]    Digital content consumption device  100  may also contain other components. 
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a functional block diagram showing the relevant components of an example digital content storage  200  that may be used to store digital content. Digital content database can be any hardware or software that is capable of storing digital content. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the digital content storage  200  includes a number of digital content records  210  configured to store each piece of digital content. Digital content record  210  includes record identifier  212  configured to uniquely identify each piece of digital content, content  214  configured to store the real content part of the digital content record  210 , and metadata  216  configured to store information related to the digital content. Digital content record  210  may also contain other fields. Metadata  216  includes a number of data fields  2162  configured to store metadata information related to the corresponding digital content. One data field  2162  is geographic area(s)  2164  configured to store defined real-world geographic area(s). Digital content can be any type of digital content including digital music, digital video, eBook, etc., according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows a geographic area dynamically generated as in a radius around a location point according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the geographic area(s)  300  is dynamically generated as in a radius R  320  around a location point P  310 . Location point P  310  represents a real-world location point with latitude lat and longitude lon. 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows a geographic area dynamically generated as in a polygon according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the geographic area  400  is dynamically generated as in a polygon. The polygon is specified by locations points P 1   410  representing a real-world location point with latitude latl and longitude lonl; P 2   420  representing a real-world location point with latitude lat 2  and longitude lon 2 ; P 3   430  representing a real-world location point with latitude lat 3  and longitude lon 3 ; P 4   440  representing a real-world location point with latitude lat 4  and longitude lon 4 ; P 5   450  representing a real-world location point with latitude lat 5  and longitude lon 5 ; P 6   460  representing a real-world location point with latitude lath and longitude lon 6 ; and P 7   470  representing a real-world location point with latitude lat 7  and longitude lon 7 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a process for consuming a piece of digital content with consumption policy to control the consumption inside defined real-world geographic area(s) according to an embodiment of the invention. While particular messages may be described in connection with  FIG. 5 , the invention is not limited to this particular sequence of message as other sequences may be used as well. Also, the messages in the following description have been given particular names for ease of reference. The names of the messages may change without departing from the scope of the invention. 
         [0030]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , before it can be consumed, digital content # 1  needs to be received by the digital content consumption device ( 510 ). Digital content # 1  is stored as digital content record # 1   210  in the digital content storage  200 . It contains metadata  216 , which includes geographic area(s)  2164 . The geographic area  2164  for digital content # 1  is defined as in a radius around a location point  300 . 
         [0031]    When digital content # 1  is requested for consumption ( 512 ), consumption control policy stored in metadata  216  is checked ( 514 ) by consumption control logic  140 , more specifically the geographic control logic  142 . If the metadata does not contain the policy to control the content consumption geographically ( 520 ), then the digital content # 1  is displayed for consumption ( 534 ). Otherwise ( 520 ), the consumption device is requested to provide its current location ( 522 ). 
         [0032]    Consumption device acquires its current location by way of location logic  120  ( 524 ) in latitude and longitude format. Consumption control logic  140 , more specifically the geographic control logic  142 , will check device&#39;s current location against the consumption control policy store in metadata  216 , more specifically geographic area(s)  2164  ( 526 ). 
         [0033]    If consumption device&#39;s current location is not inside the defined geographical area(s) ( 530 ), the digital content # 1  consumption request is rejected and rejection decision and reason are displayed ( 532 ). Otherwise ( 530 ), the digital content # 1  is displayed for consumption ( 534 ). 
         [0034]    In another embodiment of the present invention, the consumption control logic  140  and geographic control logic  142  may be implemented outside digital content consumption device  100 . In such a client-server situation, additional hardware and software may be required. And additional sequence may be required also. 
         [0035]    It should be understood that all functional statements made herein describing the functions to be performed by the methods of the invention may be performed by software programs implemented utilizing subroutines and other programming techniques known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Alternatively, these functions may be implemented in hardware, firmware, or a combination of hardware, software, and firmware. The invention is thus not limited to a particular implementation. 
         [0036]    The control logic in this embodiment may be implemented as a set of program instructions that are stored in a computer readable memory within the network element and executed on a microprocessor on the network element. However, in this embodiment as with the previous embodiments, it will be apparent to a skilled artisan that all logic described herein can be embodied using discrete components, integrated circuitry such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), programmable logic used in conjunction with a programmable logic device such as a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or microprocessor, or any other device including any combination thereof. Programmable logic can be fixed temporarily or permanently in a tangible medium such as a read-only memory chip, a computer memory, a disk, or other storage medium. All such embodiments are intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0037]    While the foregoing written description of the invention enables one of ordinary skill to make and use what is considered presently to be the best mode thereof, those of ordinary skill will understand and appreciate the existence of variations, combinations, and equivalents of the specific embodiment, method, and examples herein. The invention should therefore not be limited by the above described embodiment, method, and examples, but by all embodiments and methods within the scope and spirit of the invention.