Abstract:
Systems and methods of managing access to digital content are described. In one aspect, a novel digital content access management system enables users to register previously owned digital content and, subsequently, allows users to access the registered content using any electronic device that is connected to the system. Digital content may be pushed or pulled from any electronic system that is connected to a network—no matter where it is located—to any other electronic system that is connected to a network. A novel business model, as well as a system and a method for implementing this model, also are described. In accordance with this business model, payments are made to content providers upon registration of the previously owned digital content. In this way, the monetary interests of content providers may be protected (even when a user registers borrowed digital content, for example), while enhancing the ability of users to interact with their licensed digital content.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to systems and methods for managing access to digital content. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Various kinds of information may be presented in a digital content format, including audio, video, text, images and multimedia information. Digital content may be rendered by hardware playback devices and by computer systems operating software playback programs. Hardware playback devices typically are small, lightweight devices having a special purpose processor that renders the digital content stored in memory into audio output or visual output, or both. Software playback programs typically control the output functionality of a computer system to render digital content. 
     The convergence of technological advances in the compression, storage and transmission of digital data has resulted in a global communications network that allows digital content to be distributed rapidly to a large number of potential customers. At the same time, this technological convergence has enabled unprecedented quantities of digital content to be copied flawlessly and distributed to a large number of people. For example, users easily may exchange unprotected digital files by electronic mail or by direct file transfer over the Internet. Users also may access and download digital content posted on a web page using a conventional web browser application program executing on a computer system. 
     Digital content owners understandably are concerned about the potential theft and loss of control over the distribution of their works by and between unlicensed users. Cryptographic techniques have been developed to control the distribution of digital content. For example, digital content may be encrypted, and the encrypted content and a decryption key may be transmitted to licensed users. Licensed users may use the decryption key to access the encrypted digital content. External devices (e.g., tokens or dongles) also have been used to control the distribution of digital content. For example, a token or dongle may be required to be connected to a computer or other playback device before a licensed user may access the protected digital content. Still other systems and methods for controlling the distribution of digital content have been developed. 
     SUMMARY 
     The invention features a novel digital content access management system that enables users to register previously owned digital content and, subsequently, allows users to access the registered content using any electronic device that is connected to the system. Digital content may be pushed or pulled from any electronic system that is connected to a network—no matter where it is located—to any other electronic system that is connected to a network. In addition, the invention features a novel business model in accordance with which payments are made to content providers upon registration of the previously owned digital content. In this way, the monetary interests of content providers may be protected (even when a user registers borrowed digital content, for example), while enhancing the ability of users to interact with their licensed digital content. 
     In one aspect, the invention features a system for managing access to digital content that includes a rights manager residing on a server computer and configured to maintain for a user residing at a network node remote from the server computer a user profile containing selected user information, including a user license index identifying digital content licensed by the user. 
     Embodiments in accordance with this aspect of the invention may include one or more of the following features. 
     The rights manager preferably is configured to enable a user to register a license for digital content previously purchased by the user. The license may be registered based upon a content identifier associated with the purchased digital content. For example, the content identifier may be obtained from a recording medium on which the purchased digital content is stored. The rights manager also may be configured to maintain content usage information in the user profile. 
     The system also preferably includes an access manager that is configured to manage user access to digital content identified in the user license index. The access manager may be configured to provide access to digital content stored on a network node remote from the server computer and the user network node. For example, the access manager may be configured to provide access to remote digital content based upon a digital content index identifying remote network node addresses at which the remote digital content is stored. The access manager also may be configured to enable digital content to be formatted in accordance with a format designation received from the user. For example, the access manager may be configured to enable the digital content to be transmitted as a complete file or in a streaming file format. The access manager may be configured to enable transmission of digital content to a network node address that is different from the user network node in accordance with a destination node address received from the user. 
     The system also preferably includes a royalty manager that is configured to authorize payment to a digital content provider. The royalty payment manager may be configured to authorize payment in response to a digital content registration confirmation that is received from the rights manager. The authorized payment may correspond to a prescribed royalty fee schedule. 
     Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, including the drawings and the claims. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view of a system for managing access to digital content. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of a global communication network including a voice network, a computer network and a wireless network. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a content manager that is configured to provide user access to digital content that is stored on a remote content provider server. 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram of a method of registering a user, maintaining a user profile, and authorizing payment to a digital content provider. 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram of a method of providing user access to digital content that is stored on a remote content provider server. 
         FIG. 6  is a block diagram of a server computer. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, like reference numbers are used to identify like elements. Furthermore, the drawings are intended to illustrate major features of exemplary embodiments in a diagrammatic manner. The drawings are not intended to depict every feature of actual embodiments nor relative dimensions of the depicted elements;, and are not drawn to scale. 
     As used herein, “digital content”(or “digital work”) refers broadly to any type of electronic content, including text, graphics, data, audio, and video content, and encompasses electronic information that may or may not be subject to copyright or other legal protection. In addition, the term “content provider” refers broadly to any digital content supplier that is entitled to receive a royalty payment for supplying digital content, including digital content owners, digital content aggregators, and digital content broadcasters. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, a content management node  10  includes a content manager  11  that is configured to provide digital content access to an electronic playback device operating at a user node  12 , which is connected to content management node  10  by a global communication network  14 . In particular, content manager  11  is configured to maintain a user profile containing selected information about the user, including a user license index identifying digital content licensed by the user. The user license index may include digital content identifiers corresponding to digital content previously purchased by the user. The user profile also may include identifiers for non-purchased digital content, including royalty free commercial digital content and amateur digital content produced or compiled by users. 
     In response to a user request for access to a particular digital content, content manager  11  queries the user license index to determine if the user currently is licensed to access the requested digital content. If the user is licensed, content manager  11  enables the user to access the requested digital content. The digital content may be stored at content management node  10  or at a remote content provider node  16 . In some embodiments, digital content may be compressed using a compression format that is selected based upon the digital content type (e.g., an MP3 or a WMA compression format for audio works, and an MPEG or an AVI compression format for audio/video works). The requested digital content may be formatted in accordance with a user-specified transmission format. For example, the requested digital content may be transmitted to the user in a format that is suitable for rendering by a computer, a wireless device, or a voice device. In addition, the requested digital content may be transmitted to the user as a complete file or in a streaming file format. The digital content may be transmitted to user node  12  or to an alternative destination node  18  in accordance with a destination node address received from user node  12 . If the user is not previously licensed, content manager  11  may invite the user to purchase a license. 
     Transmissions between content manager  11 , the users, and the content providers are conducted in accordance with one or more conventional secure transmission protocols. For example, each digital work transmission may involve packaging the digital work and any associated meta-data into an encrypted transfer file that may be transmitted securely from one participating entity to another. 
     In addition to providing user access to registered digital content, content manager  11  is configured to protect the financial interests of the content providers by transmitting a royalty fee payment to a content provider each time one of the content provider&#39;s works is registered. The royalty fee payments may be based upon a pre-negotiated royalty fee schedule. Funds needed to cover the royalty fees may be obtained directly from the user, or from subscription or advertising fees. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , global communication network  14  may include a number of different computing platforms and transport facilities, including a voice network  20 , a wireless network  22  and a computer network  24 . The digital content management services mentioned above may be provided through a content management server computer  26 . Digital content access requests may be made, and requested digital content may be presented in a number of different media formats, such as voice, Internet, e-mail and wireless formats. In this way, content management server computer  26  enables a wide variety of different electronic playback devices to access digital content over global communication network  14 . For example, in one illustrative implementation, a wireless device  28  (e.g., a wireless personal digital assistant (PDA)) may connect to server computer  26  over wireless network  22 . Communications from wireless device  28  may be in accordance with the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP). A wireless gateway  30  converts the WAP communications into HTTP messages that may be processed by server computer  26 . In another illustrative implementation, a voice device  32  (e.g., a conventional telephone) may connect to server computer  26  over voice network  20 . Communications from voice device  32  may be in the form of conventional analog or digital audio signals, or they may be formatted as VoxML messages. A voice gateway  34  may use speech-to-text technology to convert the audio signals into HTTP messages; VoxML messages may be converted to HTTP messages based upon an extensible style language (XSL) style specification. Voice gateway  34  also may be configured to receive from server  26  real time audio messages that may be passed directly to voice device  32 , or formatted messages (e.g., VoxML, XML, WML, e-mail) that must be converted to a real time audio format (e.g., using text-to-speech technology) before the messages may be passed to voice device  32 . In a third illustrative implementation, a playback software program operating at a client personal computer (PC)  36  may access the digital content management services of server computer  26  over the Internet  38 . 
     Thus, content manager  11  may provide access to digital content in a variety of different ways. In one embodiment, content manager  11  may operate an Internet web site that may be accessed by a conventional web browser application program executing, on a user&#39;s computer system. The web site may present a collection of previously licensed and un-licensed digital content that is indexed and categorized according to traditional criteria (e.g., genre, author, title, top-selling, recommended selections). The web site also may provide additional information relating to the available digital content, including user ratings and reviews. Users may playback previously licensed digital content on the fly using a playback software application program. In addition, users may download previously licensed digital content using a web browser application program and playback the digital content later using the same playback software application program. Users also may transfer the downloaded digital content to an appropriately configured portable media device (e.g., the portable media device described in pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/741,725 filed Dec. 19, 2000, by Gary D. Sasaki and Mathieu C. Hans, and entitled “DISTRIBUTING DIGITAL CONTENT”) that is configured to playback digital content stored in the device. In an alternative embodiment, a traditional brick-and-mortar retail establishment (e.g., a bookstore or a music store) may contain one or more kiosks (or content preview stations). The kiosks may be configured to communicate with content manager  11  (e.g., over a network communication channel) to provide user access to previously licensed digital content that may be rendered at the kiosk or transferred to a user&#39;s portable media device for later playback. A kiosk may include a computer system with a graphical user interface that enables users to navigate through a collection of previously licensed and un-licensed digital content that is stored locally at the retail establishment or that is stored remotely and is retrievable over a network communication channel. A kiosk also may include a cable port that a user may connect to a portable media device for downloading selected digital content. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , in one embodiment, content manager  11  may be implemented as a number of service modules that cooperate to provide user access to digital content. In particular, content manager  11  includes a rights manager  40 , an access manager  42 , and a royalty manager  44 . Rights manager  40  is configured to maintain a user profile  46  for each user that is registered with content manager  11 . Each user profile  42  contains selected user information (e.g., user name, password, e-mail address, billing information), including a user license index identifying digital content previously purchased by the user and registered with content manager  11 . Access manager  42  is configured to enable transmission of digital content that is requested by a user and is identified in the user&#39;s personal profile  46 . As mentioned above, the requested digital content may be retrieved from a content library that is stored at content management node  10  or the requested digital content may be transmitted from a remote content provider. With respect to digital content stored at content management node  10 , access manager  42  is configured to format the requested digital content in accordance with a format designation received from the user. In particular, access manager  42  includes a format manager  50  that is configured to convert the requested digital content into a format that is suitable for rendering by, for example, a computer, a portable media player, a wireless device, or a voice device. In addition, format manager  50  is configured to transmit the requested digital content as a complete file or in a streaming file format. With respect to digital content stored at a remote content provider, access manager  42  may consult a digital content index  48  that identifies remote network node addresses at which the digital content is stored and authorize transmission of the requested digital content from the remote network node to the user. The content provider may be configured to format the digital content in accordance with a user-specified format that is received from access manager  42 . The content provider also may include meta data (e.g., a watermark or other identifier) with the transmitted digital content. Royalty manager  44  is configured to authorize payment to a digital content provider in response to a digital content registration confirmation received from rights manager  40 . As explained above, the amount of the authorized payment may be determined from a pre-negotiated royalty fee schedule. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in one embodiment, content manager  11  may register a user, maintain a user profile and authorize payment to a digital content provider, as follow. If the user is not registered (step  60 ), rights manager  40  registers the user by requesting selected user registration information (step  62 ). After the user has registered, the user is invited to upload one or more content identifiers corresponding to digital content previously purchased by the user (step  64 ). The content identifiers may be obtained from, for example, a recording medium on which the purchased digital content is stored. For example, the content identifiers may be unique album keys that typically are stored on commercial music compact discs (CDs). Each content identifier typically corresponds to only several bytes of data. Thus, because a user is not required to transmit the actual digital content to content manager  11 , the user easily may register an entire library of digital content in a relatively short time. In addition, because relatively little storage space is required for each content identifier, there is essentially no limit to the quantity of digital content that may be accessed through content manager  11 . After the user has registered his or her previously purchased digital content (step  64 ), rights manager  40  compiles a personal profile  46  for the user (step  66 ). In addition, rights manager  40  sends to royalty manager  44  a digital content registration confirmation for each digital work that is registered by the user (step  68 ). Royalty manager  44  queries an appropriate royalty fee schedule to determine if a royalty fee is required for each registered work and, if so, to determine the amount of the required royalty fee (step  70 ). If royalty fees are required (step  72 ), royalty manager  44  authorizes payment of the prescribed royalty fees to the appropriate content providers (step  74 ). 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in one embodiment, content manager  11  may enable a user to access digital content stored on a remote content provider server, as follows. If the user is not registered (step  80 ), rights manager  40  registers the user as described above (step  82 ). After the user is registered, rights manager  40  queries the personal profile  46  that is associated with the user to determine whether the user is licensed to access a requested digital work (step  84 ). If the user is not licensed (step  86 ), rights manager  40  may invite the user to purchase a license (step  88 ). If the user purchases a license (step  90 ), rights manager  40  updates the user&#39;s personal profile  46  with the content identifier associated with the licensed digital work (step  92 ); otherwise, the user is denied access to the requested digital content (step  94 ). If the user is licensed to access the requested digital content (step  86 ), access manager  42  queries the content provider index  48  for the network node address at which the requested digital work is stored (step  96 ). Access manager  42  authorizes transmission of the requested digital content from the remote node address to the user node (step  98 ). As explained above, the content provider may format the requested digital content in accordance with a user-specified format designation received from access manager  42 . The content provider then transmits the formatted digital content (along with any additional meta data) to a destination node address specified by the user. The destination node address may correspond to the user&#39;s network node address in a pull mode of operation, or the destination node address may correspond to a different network node address in a push mode of operation. In some embodiments, rights manager  40  may update the user&#39;s personal profile  46  with information relating to the user&#39;s content usage patterns (e.g., the digital content accessed, the number of times particular works are accessed, the digital content genres accessed) (step  100 ). This information may be accessed by the user or, with the user&#39;s permission, may be shared with third parties (e.g., content providers) in exchange for one or more incentives (e.g., discounts on future purchases). 
     The systems and methods described herein are not limited to any particular hardware, firmware or software configuration, but rather they may be implemented in any computing or processing environment. The digital content management service processes described above may be implemented in a high-level procedural or object oriented programming language, or in assembly or machine language; in any case, the programming language may be a compiled or interpreted language. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , in one embodiment, content manager  11 , the user playback devices, and the content providers may communicate and pass digital content over a conventional distribution network infrastructure (e.g., the Internet or a proprietary bulletin board service infrastructure). Accordingly, in this embodiment, each of these entities may be implemented as one or more respective software modules operating on a respective server computer  110  that is connected to a conventional telephone or cable network. Server computer  110  includes a processing unit  114 , a system memory  116 , and a system bus  118  that couples processing unit  114  to the various components of server computer  110 . Processing unit  114  may include one or more processors, each of which may be in the form of any one of various commercially available processors. System memory  116  includes a read only memory (ROM)  120  that stores a basic input/output system (BIOS) containing start-up routines for server computer  110 , and a random access memory (RAM)  122 . System bus  118  may be a memory bus, a peripheral bus or a local bus, and may be compatible with any of a variety of bus protocols, including PCI, VESA, Microchannel, ISA, and EISA. Server computer  110  also includes a hard drive  124 , a floppy drive  126 , and CD ROM drive  128  that are connected to system bus  118  by respective interfaces  130 ,  132 ,  134 . Hard drive  124 , floppy drive  126 , and CD ROM drive  128  contain respective computer-readable media disks  136 ,  138 ,  140  that provide non-volatile or persistent storage for data, data structures and computer-executable instructions. Other computer-readable storage devices (e.g., magnetic tape drives, flash memory devices, and digital video disks) also may be used with server computer  110 . A user may interact (e.g., enter commands or data) with server computer  110  using a keyboard  142  and a mouse  144 . Other input devices (e.g., a microphone, joystick, or touch pad) also may be provided. Information may be displayed to the user on a monitor  146 . Server computer  110  also may include peripheral output devices, such as speakers and a printer. One or more remote computers  148  may be connected to server computer  110  over a local area network (LAN)  152 , and one or more remote computers  150  may be connected to server computer  110  over a wide area network (WAN)  154  (e.g., the Internet  38 ). 
     Other embodiments are within the scope of the claims. 
     In addition to formatting digital content, content manager  11  may be configured to provide a number of other value-added services to enhance a user&#39;s ability to interact with digital content. For example, content manager  11  may be configured to allow a user to create playlists or otherwise organize the digital content that is registered with content manager  11 . Content manager  11  also may be configured to provide other services, including pay-per-listen, try-before-you-buy, personalized broadcasting, integration with live content, alerting of new content or events, purchasing live content, CD burning, and downloading to solid state portable players. 
     Still other embodiments are within the scope of the claims.