Abstract:
The present invention provides system and methods for facilitating the acquisition of content. In some embodiment, the systems and method enable a user to acquire and store content on a portable device.

Description:
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/776,318, filed Jul. 11, 2007, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/819,650, filed on Jul. 11, 2006, which are incorporated herein by this reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates generally to systems and methods for enabling a user to download content (e.g., audio recordings, video recordings, software, games, news information, or any other content) to a portable player. The content may be DRM protected content or non-DRM content. 
     2. Discussion of the Background 
     Portable digital media players are popular. Typically, a user of a portable player acquires content for the player by downloading an asset (e.g., a computer file containing encoded audio and or video data) to a computer, connecting the portable player to the computer, and then transferring a copy of the asset to a storage unit of the player. 
     What is desired are additional systems and methods for facilitating the acquisition of content. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides systems and method for facilitating the acquisition of content. 
     In one aspect, the invention provides a system for enabling user of a portable device to acquire content for the portable device. 
     In some embodiments, the system includes: a client device configured to allow the user to add assets to a virtual shopping cart; a server system in communication with the client device; and a filling station having an operating system and a database that stores settings and/or options that are used by the operating system, wherein the filing station is operable to: (a) communicate with the portable device after the portable device is connected wirelessly or physically to the filling station; (b) automatically store onto the portable device the assets that were placed in the virtual cart by the user after the portable device is connected to the filling station; and (c) automatically restore the database to a previous state after the portable device is disconnected from the filling station. In some embodiments, the filling station is located in a public place, such as a retail store, such that any member of the public may use the filling station. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides a method for enabling user of a portable device to acquire content for the portable device. 
     In some embodiments, the method includes: providing a client system that a user can use to place assets in a virtual shopping cart; enabling the user to wirelessly or physically connect a portable device to a filling station; and after the user connects the portable device to the filling station: determining a characteristic of the portable device; if the determined characteristic of the portable device matches a predefined characteristic, then providing to the user an option to obtain the assets in the virtual shopping cart in a non-protected form; if the user accepts the option, then storing onto the portable device a non-DRM asset corresponding to an asset that was placed in the virtual shopping cart by the user. 
     In some embodiments, the method includes: enabling a user to wirelessly or physically connect a portable device to a filling station, wherein the filling station comprises a computer and a storage unit that stores a database that contains settings and/or options that are used by an operating system running on the computer; after the user connects the portable device to the filling station, storing onto the portable device an asset that was placed in a virtual shopping cart by the user; and automatically restoring the database to a previous state after the portable device is disconnected from the filling station. 
     The above and other aspects and embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic of a system  100  according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIGS. 2A-B  contain a flow chart illustrating a process according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  contains a flow chart illustrating a process according to an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic of a system  100  according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , system  100  includes a client computer system  102  (hereafter referred to as “listening and viewing station” or “LVS”), a server system  106 , which may include one or more servers that may or may not be co-located and which may include a point-of-sale system  109 , and a computer filling station  108 , which may include one or more personal computers running the Windows® operating system or other operating system and/or other software for implementing the functionality described herein. 
     In one embodiment, multiple LVSs  102  are distributed throughout a retail store, which may contain physical assets that are available for purchase, and filling station  108  is also located in the retail store. In embodiments where filling station  108  is located in a public place (e.g., a retail store), filling station  108  is a public system (i.e., any member of the public may use filling station as described herein). A description of certain features and functionality of LVS  102  and server system  106  can be found in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/025,149, filed Dec. 30, 2004 and published as Pub. No. 2005/0144091, the content of which is incorporated herein. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 2  is a flow chart illustrating a process  200  for acquiring DRM protected assets and/or non-DRM assets using system  100 . 
     Process  200  may begin in step  201  where user  101  may use LVS  102  to “add” one or more assets to a virtual shopping cart. In some embodiments, when a user “adds” an asset to the virtual shopping cart, system  100  inserts an identifier corresponding to the asset into a database record corresponding to the virtual shopping cart. Some, none or all of the assets “added” to the cart may be copy and/or use protected using a digital rights management (DRM) scheme. Such assets are referred to as DRM protected assets. Assets that are not copy and/or use protected are referred to as non-DRM asset. An example of a non-DRM asset is an MP3 file or AAC file or WMA file. 
     In step  202 , after (e.g., immediately after) an asset is “placed” in the cart, server system  106  may determine whether a copy of the asset is stored in a local asset repository  130 . If it is, process  200  may proceed to step  208  or back to  201 . If it is not stored in repository  130 , system  106  may determine whether a copy of the asset is stored in a local asset repository  110  (step  203 ). If it is stored in local asset repository  110 , then system  106  may transmit a copy of the asset to filling station  108 , which, stores the asset in a local repository  130  (step  204 ), otherwise, system  106  may place an identifier identifying the asset in a download queue (step  205 ). An asset that is identified by an asset identifier that has been placed in the download queue is downloaded from a central repository  190  once the identifier reaches the top of the queue. After the asset is downloaded (or while it is being downloaded), its corresponding identifier is removed from the top of queue, thereby causing the next identifier in the queue to reach the top of the queue. 
     Local asset store  130  may include, for example, an internal or external hard drive, flash drive, flash memory, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), or any other storage unit. In some embodiments, the assets are encrypted prior to being transmitted to filling station  108  so that the assets stored in local store  130  are encrypted. In some embodiments, the assets are not encrypted. 
     In step  208 , which typically occurs after the user is finished adding assets to his/her shopping cart, the user may proceed to the location of filling station  108  and “connect” his/her portable device  120  (e.g., a portable music player or portable storage device such as a USB memory device) to filling station  108  so that filling station  108  and device  120  can communicate with each other. The portable device  120  may be either physically or wirelessly connected to filling station  108 . Accordingly, filling station  108  includes an interface  140  for connecting with device  102 . For example, interface  140  may include a physical interface (e.g., a USB port or other physical communication interface) and/or a wireless interface (e.g., a Bluetooth transceiver, a wifi transceiver and/or other wireless communication interface). 
     In step  209 , after the user connects device  120  with filling station  108 , filling station  108  may communicate with device  120  to determine, for example, the device type and/or version of device  120 . For example, in step  209 , filling station may communicate with device  120  to determine whether the device is an iPod® and, if it is an iPod, which version of the iPod it is. 
     In step  212 , the user may input into filling station  108  a code associated with the user&#39;s shopping cart (for this purpose, filling station  108  may include a user input device (e.g., keyboard, touch screen, mouse, etc.)). In some embodiments, this code may be a customer account number (e.g., a code associated with a customer loyalty card) or any other code associated with the shopping cart (e.g., the name of the shopping cart). Inputting the code enables system  100  to retrieve the user&#39;s cart, calculate an amount owed, if any, and determine the assets that are in the cart. 
     In step  214 , filling station  108  determines whether any of the assets in the cart correspond to DRM protected content. If so, the process may proceed to step  220 , otherwise the process may proceed to step  240 . 
     In step  220 , filling station  108  may determine whether device  120  is a certified DRM device. For example, filling station  108  may determine, based on information received in step  209 , whether device  120  is a FairPlay device (i.e., a device, such as the iPod®, that implements the FairPlay digital rights management technology developed by Apple Inc.) or a “PlaysForSure” device, which is a device that has been certified to work with Microsoft Windows and with Microsoft&#39;s branded digital rights management. If it is a certified DRM device, then the process may proceed to step  240 , otherwise it may proceed to step  222 . 
     In step  222 , determines whether device  120  is a non-DRM device (e.g., a device that does not implement any DRM scheme) or a DRM device. If it is determined that device  120  is a non-DRM device, then process  200  may proceed to step  224 , otherwise it may proceed to step  230 . 
     In step  224 , filling station  108  informs the user that the DRM protected assets that are in the users cart are not compatible with the user&#39;s device  120  and gives the user the option to obtain the those DRM assets in a non-DRM form. If the user chooses this option, the DRM protected items in the cart are replaced with identical non-DRM items (step  225 ) and the user may be charged a greater amount for those non-DRM items, otherwise, the DRM protected items are simply removed from the cart (step  226 ). After step  225  and  226 , the process may proceed to step  240 . 
     In step  230 , filling station  108  informs the user that the DRM protected items that are in the users cart are not compatible with the user&#39;s device  120  and gives the user the option to obtain those DRM items in a non-DRM form or obtain them on a CD (or other storage device) in the DRM form that is compatible with the device  120 . For example, in embodiments where system  100  does not support the iTunes DRM scheme, when a user connects an Apple iPod to filling station  108 , filling station  108  may give the user the option to obtain one or more of the items that are in the user&#39;s cart in the iTunes format on a CD. If the user chooses to obtain the DRM items in non-DRM form, then the DRM protected items in the cart are replaced with identical non-DRM items (step  225 ). If the user chooses to obtain the DRM items in the DRM format that is compatible with device  120 , then those items are flagged, thereby indicating that the items should be burned to a CD in the appropriate DRM format (step  232 ). If the user chooses neither of these options, then the DRM protected items are simply removed from the cart (step  226 ). 
     In step  240 , filling station  108  determines whether device  120  has sufficient free storage capacity to store the assets that are in user&#39;s shopping cart. If filling station  108  determines that device  120  does not have the necessary storage capacity, then filling station may display an error message to user  101 . 
     In step  245 , filling station requests and receives “payment” from the user if payment is required (in some cases, a user may acquire assets free of charge). In some embodiments, the user may have a customer card that has an account code printed thereon or stored therein. Thus, in these embodiments, a user may user his/her customer card to make payment. For example, the account code on/in the card may be inputted into the filling station  108 , which may communicate the code to server system  106  (e.g., point-of-sale (POS) system  109 ), which may then charge the amount owed to an account associated with the account code. Accordingly, filling station  108  may include a user input device (e.g., keyboard, touch screen, mouse, etc.) for receiving input from the user. In some embodiments, to ensure that the holder of the card is authorized to use the card, system  100  may first prompt the user for a PIN prior to charging the amount owed to the account. In some embodiments, filling station  108  may have a credit card swipe or other device for receiving payment from the user. 
     In step  250 , filling station  108  determines whether there are assets in the cart that are not stored in repository  130 . If there is such an asset, the filling station  108 , may send a request to system  106  for a copy of the asset and receive the asset from system  106  (step  252 ). In response to receiving the request, system  106  may immediately download the asset from central repository  190  if the asset is not stored in local repository  110 . 
     In step  260 , filling station  108  retrieves from local asset store  130  an un-flagged asset the user purchased. If necessary, filling station  108  decrypts the received asset. In step  262 , filling station  1088  may protect the retrieved asset from unauthorized use by encrypting the asset utilizing a digital rights management scheme. In step  264 , filling station  108  may communicate with a license server to obtain a license for the asset. In some embodiments step  264  may need not be performed because licenses may be pre-stored in filling station  108  or the user may not need a license to use and/or copy the asset. In step  266 , filling station  108  transmits a copy of the retrieved asset and a license, if necessary, to the user&#39;s device  120 . 
     In step  267 , filling station  108  may add meta-data to the device  120  by, for example, updating a database stored on the user&#39;s device. For example, in step  267 , filling station  108  may cause meta-data to be added to a database stored on the user&#39;s device, where the data corresponds to the asset stored on the device in step  266 . This meta-data may, for example, include information about the asset. For instance, if the asset is a song, the meta-data may include the title of the song and the artist who recorded the song. In some embodiments, the data may include a pointer to the asset that was stored in step  266  so that software running on the device can locate the asset when a user requests the device to play the asset. Because the format of the database may vary depending on the version and/or type of device  120  and/or because different devices  120  may require the meta-data to be in different formats, in some embodiments, filling station  108  determines the correct protocol (e.g., data format) to use when loading the meta-data onto device  120 . For example, before updating a database, filling station  108  may communicate with device  120  to determine the type and/or version of device  120  (see step  209 ) and then may use this information to select the protocol with which to communicate with the device in order to update the database. 
     Steps  260 - 267  are repeated so that all of the purchased un-flagged assets are transferred to device  120 . 
     In step  270 , the flagged assets, if any, are stored onto a CD in the DRM format that is compatible with device  120 . 
     In step  272 , filling station  108  may ask the user if the user would like to have a backup CD (i.e., a CD that stores the same content that was placed in device  120 ). If the user would like a backup CD, the user&#39;s account may be charged and filling station  108  causes a CD to be created that contains the required content (step  274 ). 
     In step  280 , the user may disconnect device  120  from filling station  108  and then use device  120  to play the newly acquired assets. Accordingly, in this manner, the user can obtain assets for his/her portable device  120 . 
     In step  282 , filling station  108  may send a message to the license server that causes the license server to update a license database to indicate that the filling station  108  is no longer authorized to use any of the DRM assets copied to device  120 . 
     In step  284 , if filling station  108  has a database (e.g., a registry) that was modified as a result of the user connecting the device  120  to the filling station  108 , then, immediately or a short time after the user disconnects device  130  from filling station  108 , filling station  108  may restore the database to a state it was in prior to the user connecting device  120  to filling station  108 . For example, if filling station  108  includes a Windows computer to which the user connected device  120  and information was added to the Windows registry (i.e., the database that stores settings and options that are used by the operating system) as a result, then filling station  108  may automatically remove the information from the registry after the user disconnects device  120  from the filling station  108 . Depending on the implementation of filling station  108 , this may be a critical feature of the filling station  108  because, in some implementations, if the information is not removed from the registry after a certain number of user&#39;s have used filling station  108 , then filling station may become non-operational after a period of use. 
     In some embodiments (e.g., when the virtual shopping cart contains video assets), after the user connects device  120  with filling station  108  and before filling station stores an un-flagged asset on device  120 , filling station  108  may determine the capabilities of device  120  so that if device  120  is capable of playing high-resolution content (e.g., high-resolution videos), filling station  108  may give the user a choice between obtaining the asset in a high-resolution format or a low-resolution format. If the user selects high-resolution, then in step  260  filling station  108  will retrieve the high-resolution asset, otherwise it may retrieve the lower resolution asset. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3 ,  FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating a process  300  for acquiring DRM protected assets using system  100 . 
     Process  300  may begin in step  302  where user  101  may use LVS  102  to add one or more DRM protected assets to a virtual shopping cart. 
     In step  304 , the user checkouts the shopping cart (i.e., the user indicates that he/she is finished shopping and would like to obtain the assets that he/she placed in his/her cart). 
     If payment is required at this time, the user may pay for the items at the LVS  102 , at a cash register or at the filling station  108 . In some embodiments, the user may have a customer card that has an account code printed thereon or stored therein. Thus, in these embodiments, a user may user his/her customer card to make payment. For example, the account code on/in the card may be inputted into the LVS or filling station  108 , which may communicate the code to server system  106  (e.g., point-of-sale (POS) system  109 ), which may then charge the amount owed to an account associated with the account code. In some embodiments, to ensure that the holder of the card is authorized to use the card, system  100  may first prompt the user for a PIN prior to charging the amount owed to the account. 
     If the user checks out the cart at filling station  108 , the user may first input into filling station  108  a code associated with the user&#39;s shopping cart (for this purpose, filling station  108  may include a user input device (e.g., keyboard, touch screen, mouse, etc.)). In some embodiments, this code may be a customer account number or any other code associated with the shopping cart. Inputting the code enables system  100  to retrieve the user&#39;s cart and calculate an amount owed, if any. Filling station  108  may have a credit card swipe or other device for receiving payment from the user. 
     If the user checks out the cart using the LVS or a POS system, the user may be given a unique security code. The user may then be instructed to proceed to filling station  108  and input into the filing station the received code. If the user is not given a security code after checking out the shopping cart, then the user may be instructed to proceed to the filling station  108  and input a code associated with the shopping cart. 
     In step  306 , which may occur after the user has checked out his/her cart, the assets from the cart that are not currently stored in a local asset store  130  of filling station  108  are transferred to the filling station  108  and then placed in the storage unit  130 . For example, server system  106  may include or have access to an asset store  110  that stores a multitude of different assets and system  106  may retrieve the appropriate assets from store  110  and transmit the assets to filling station  108 , which upon receiving the assets stores them in local store  130 . As discussed above, if an asset is not stored in either store  110  or store  130 , system  106  may retrieve the asset from store  190 . 
     In step  308 , the user may connect portable device  120  to filling station  108  so that filling station  108  and device  120  can communicate with each other. 
     In step  310 , filling station  108  may communicate with device  120  to determine whether it is certified. For example, filling station  108  may communicate with device  120  to determine whether it is a “PlaysForSure” device, which is a device that has been verified to work with Microsoft Windows and with Microsoft&#39;s branded digital rights management, or a FairPlay device. 
     Additionally, in step  310 , filling station  108  may communicate with device  120  to determine whether device  120  has the free storage capacity to store the assets from the user&#39;s shopping cart. If filling stations determines that device  120  is not certified or does not have the necessary storage capacity, then filling station may display an error message to user  101  or may give the user the option to acquire non-DRM assets. 
     For example, if device  120  is not certified, but station  108  determines that device  120  is capable of playing or storing MP3 files, then the user may be given the option to download un-protected MP3 files to device  120 . For instance, a list of such MP3 songs may be displayed on a display device of station  108  and the user may be given the option to select one or more of the songs from the list; station  108 , in response to the user selecting songs from the list, may transmit a copy of each song to device  120 . The user may be charged more for non-DRM content. 
     As another example, system  100  may give the user the option to have the purchased content stored onto an optical storage medium (e.g., a CD or DVD or other like storage medium). This option may be given to the user regardless of whether system  100  determines device  120  to be certified or not. Accordingly, if the user has purchased a set of music tracks, the user may be given the option to have the music tracks burned to a CD, DVD, etc. In addition to placing the music tracks on the CD, meta-information associated with each track (e.g., information identifying the title of the track, artist information, album/CD information, etc.) may also be stored on the storage medium along with the track. 
     If device  102  is certified and has sufficient free storage capacity, the process  300  may proceed to step  312 . In step  312 , filling station  108  retrieves from local asset store  130  an asset that the user had checked out. If necessary, filling station  108  decrypts the asset. In step  314 , filling station may protect the asset from unauthorized use by encrypting the asset utilizing a digital rights management scheme. In step  316 , filling station  108  may communicate with a license server to obtain a license for the asset. In some embodiments step  316  may not need to be performed because licenses may be pre-stored in filling station  108 . In step  318 , filling station transmits a copy of the asset and a license to the user&#39;s device  120 . Steps  312 - 218  are repeated so that all of the checked out assets are transferred to device  120 . In step  319 , the user may disconnect device  120  from filling station  108  and then use device  120  to play the newly acquired assets. Accordingly, in this manner, the user can obtain assets for his/her portable device  120 . 
     In step  320 , filling station  108  may send a message to the license server that causes the license server to update a license database to indicate that the filling station  108  is no longer authorized to use any of the assets. 
     In step  322 , if filling station  108  has a database (e.g., a registry) that was modified as a result of the user connecting the device  120  to the filling station  108 , then filling station  108  may restore the database to a state it was in prior to the user connecting device  120  to filling station  108 . 
     Referring back to  FIG. 1 , although LVS  102 , server system  106  and filling station  108  are shown as being separate entities it is contemplated that a single device (e.g., a computer programmed to implement the features disclosed herein) can be used to implement features of LVS  102 , server system  106  and/or filling station  108 . For example, in some embodiments, filling station  108  may function not only as a data filling station as described herein, but also functions as a device that enables a user to shop for items in the same manner as described above with respect to LVS  102 . Additionally, in some embodiments, filling station  108  has the capabilities to perform many of or all of the same functions as server system  106 . 
     While various embodiments/variations of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. 
     Additionally, while the processes described above and illustrated in the drawings are shown as a sequence of steps, this was done solely for the sake of illustration. Accordingly, it is contemplated that some steps may be added, some steps may be omitted, the order of the steps may be re-arranged, and some steps may be performed simultaneously.