Patent Publication Number: US-2010114726-A1

Title: Social discovery of digital content

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Digital content such as music, movies, podcasts, and games can be made available for sale, rent, subscription and various other modes of consumption. However, there is a vast amount of digital content available for consumption. As a result, it can be difficult for a shopper to efficiently identify content that is of interest to the shopper, and even once identified, it can be difficult for the shopper to acquire such digital content. 
     SUMMARY 
     Social discovery and connection while a shopper is browsing his/her local digital content and shopping for digital content is described herein. Shopping for digital content may be facilitated by offering to the shopper a plurality of digital content items available for acquisition via a network-accessible virtual storefront. Further, for a digital content item selected within the network-accessible virtual storefront, one or more shopper-confirmed friends having a usage history with the selected digital content item may be identified. 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  schematically shows an example digital content management system. 
         FIG. 2  shows an example screen of a graphical user interface displaying a user&#39;s digital content library. 
         FIG. 3  shows an example screen of a graphical user interface displaying a network-accessible virtual storefront including mini virtual-identity cards for user-confirmed friends and other unconfirmed users. 
         FIG. 4  shows an example screen of a graphical user interface displaying the network-accessible virtual storefront including a virtual-identity card for a user-confirmed friend. 
         FIG. 5  shows an example screen of a graphical user interface of the network-accessible virtual storefront. 
         FIG. 6  shows an example method of selling or renting digital content to a shopper. 
         FIG. 7  shows an example method of selling or renting digital content to a shopper. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Social discovery and connection while browsing local digital content and shopping for digital content is provided. An example method of selling or renting digital content to a shopper may include offering to the shopper a plurality of digital content items available for acquisition via a network-accessible virtual storefront. Further, the method may include identifying, for a digital content item selected within the network-accessible virtual storefront, one or more shopper-confirmed friends having a usage history with that selected digital content item. 
       FIG. 1  schematically shows a digital content management system  100 . The digital content management system  100  may include a digital content library  102 , a network-accessible virtual storefront  104 , a network-accessible social directory  106 , and an identification verification module  108 . 
     The digital content library  102  may include (i.e., provide access to) a plurality of locally-saved digital content items  110  previously acquired by a user (e.g., a shopper). For example, the user may have downloaded songs and podcasts from the Internet, ripped music from a CD, and/or uploaded video from a camcorder and stored such audio and video files as digital content items  110  in one or more media storage devices (e.g., hard drive in personal computer, network-accessible storage, etc.), such digital content items  110  being catalogued and made accessible via the digital content library  102 . 
     The network-accessible virtual storefront  104  may include a plurality of digital content items  112  available for acquisition by the user. For example, the network-accessible virtual storefront  104  may offer audio files, video files, and other products and services for sale, rent, preview, and/or subscription. If the user purchases a file from the network-accessible virtual storefront  104 , it can be added to the digital content library  102  as one of the digital content items  110 . 
     Further, the digital content management system  100  may include a network-accessible social directory  106  including a plurality of user-confirmed friends  114 . For example, the network-accessible social directory  106  may allow the user to invite other users and accept invitations from other users to be friends. As will be described herein, user-confirmed friends may help the user to socially discover music, videos, and other products or services that the user may be interested in previewing and/or purchasing. 
     As illustrated, the digital content management system  100  may further include an identification verification module  108  that commonly limits acquisition access to the network-accessible virtual storefront  104  and directory access to the network-accessible social directory  106 . Limits imposed by the identification verification module  108  may be contingent on verification of a common credential. In one example, this credential may include a username and password. Thus, when a user wants to purchase a file, for example, from the network-accessible virtual storefront  104 , that user may be asked to login with a username and password. The same username and password may be used to gain access to the directory of user-confirmed friends  114  in the network-accessible social directory  106 . In other words, by logging on a single time with the same username and password, a user may have full access to both the network-accessible virtual storefront  104  and the network-accessible social directory  106 . The network-accessible social directory  106  and the network-accessible virtual storefront  104  are protected by a shared identity-verification module  108 . 
     The digital content library  102 , the network-accessible virtual storefront  104 , and the network-accessible social directory  106  may be accessible via a same locally executed set of instructions, such as a software package, configured to present a shared graphical user interface. As some examples, the user may download the software package to a local device, operate the software remotely from another device accessible via a local area network, and/or run the software as a network service. 
     Schematic views of example screens of the graphical user interface are illustrated in  FIGS. 2-5 . For example, in  FIG. 2 , an example screen  200  including a navigation pane  202  for navigating between different screens of a shared graphical user interface is illustrated. For example, a collection button  204 , a marketplace button  206 , and a social button  208  may be selected to navigate between different screens of the shared graphical user interface. In one example, if a selection of the collection button  204  is received, a digital content management system may present a screen of a user&#39;s digital content library. In another example, if a selection of the marketplace button  206  is received, a digital content management system may present a screen of a network-accessible virtual storefront. In yet another example, if a selection of the social button  208  is received, a digital content management system may present a screen of a network-accessible social directory. In the example screens depicted in  FIGS. 2-5 , the selected button of the example screen is indicated by bold letters. Thus, the bold letters indicate whether the example screen is displaying a user&#39;s digital content library, a network-accessible virtual storefront, or a network-accessible social directory. 
       FIG. 2  thus shows a non-limiting example screen  200  of a graphical user interface displaying a user&#39;s digital content library. In this example, a plurality of digital content items (e.g., audio files, video files, etc.) previously acquired may be presented to the user. A digital content library may be sorted by artist, genre, album name, and/or song name, as some examples. The screen  200  may be designed to receive user input such that, in one example, if a selection of a song selection link  210 , associated with the digital content item titled “Song #6” by the artist indicated at an artist selection link  212  (e.g., “Artist #10) is received, a digital content management system may identify one or more user-confirmed friends having a usage history with the digital content item associated with the selected song selection link  210 . As used herein, a usage history may include a user playing a digital content item within a threshold duration or above a threshold number of times, marking a digital content item as a favorite, purchasing a digital content item, recommending a digital content item, including a digital content item in a playlist or other selected set of digital content items, and/or otherwise demonstrating an interest in the digital content item. 
     User-confirmed friends may be identified as described above upon selection of a song, artist, album, and/or virtually any other category for which user-confirmed friends have a usage history. Further, a friend link  214  may be presented to provide access to virtual-identity cards for such user-confirmed friends. As used herein, virtual identity cards may be visual representations of one or more aspects of a user-confirmed friend or an unconfirmed user. Virtual identity cards may include a username, real name, photograph, avatar, identification information, content recommendations, information regarding recently played content for that user, links to more complete user profiles, and/or other information relating to that user. 
     In another example, if a selection of an artist selection link  212  is received, a digital content management system may identify one or more user-confirmed friends having a usage history with digital content items associated with the artist indicated at artist selection link  212  (e.g., “Artist #10). Further, a friend link  214  may be presented to provide access to virtual-identity cards for such user-confirmed friends. A usage history may include having listened to an artist (e.g., Artist # 10 ) a predetermined number of times, having listened to an artist in a predetermined period of time (e.g., in the last week), and/or having indicated an artist as a favorite artist, as some examples. 
     If selection of the friend link  214  is received, a screen of a graphical user interface, such as screen  300  illustrated in  FIG. 3 , may be presented to the user. The screen  300  may display mini virtual identity-cards of one or more user-confirmed friends (e.g., mini virtual-identity card  302  and mini virtual-identity card  304 ) and mini virtual-identity cards of one or more unconfirmed users (e.g., mini virtual-identity card  306 , mini virtual-identity card  308 , and mini virtual-identity card  310 ). In some embodiments, unconfirmed users with top usage histories (e.g., highest play-count for selected song or artist) will be presented. 
     The user-confirmed friends indicated in the mini virtual-identity cards (e.g., mini virtual-identity card  302  and mini virtual-identity card  304 ) may be included in a network-accessible social directory for the user. Further, for each user-confirmed friend, one or more other digital content items with which the user-confirmed friend has a usage history may be identified. For example, as in  FIG. 3 , User # 1 &#39;s mini virtual-identity card  302  may display one or more album covers of artists to which User # 1  has recently listened. In the illustrated embodiment, two album covers are shown. 
     Further, for each such digital content item associated with a user-confirmed friend, the digital content item may be available for acquisition via a network-accessible virtual storefront, for example by purchase, download, and/or subscription. Thus, it may be appreciated that, in one example, the user may be presented with the screen  300  of a network-accessible virtual storefront, such as that illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Such tight integration between a network-accessible virtual storefront, a network-accessible social directory, and a digital content library is thought to greatly enhance the user experience and facilitate the browsing and shopping experiences for a user. 
     Further still, the selection of a user-confirmed friend&#39;s mini virtual-identity card (e.g., virtual-identity card  302 ) may direct the user to a screen of a graphical user interface including a more detailed virtual-identity card of the user-confirmed friend, as is described with respect to  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a non-limiting example screen  400  of a graphical user interface displaying the virtual-identity card for one of a user&#39;s user-confirmed friends. In one example, this may be presented as a screen illustrating a network-accessible social directory. In one example, the screen  400  including the virtual-identity card for a user-confirmed friend may include one or more acquisition links (e.g., acquisition link  402  and acquisition link  404 ) that provide purchase access to one or more digital content items with which that user-confirmed friend has a usage history. For example, if selection of the acquisition link  402  associated with the digital content item titled “Song #1” by “Artist #1” is received, the user may be offered the option to complete purchase of the song. This interface may also be used to present virtual-identity cards for unconfirmed profiles. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , another example of a screen  500  of a graphical user interface illustrating a network-accessible virtual storefront may be presented when a search-word indicating a particular artist name (e.g., “Artist #10”) is received in the search pane  502 . The screen  500  illustrating a network-accessible virtual storefront may offer a plurality of digital content items available for acquisition. In one example, the screen  500  may offer a plurality of digital content items (e.g., albums, songs) related to Artist # 10  for sale or for rent, as some examples. A network-accessible virtual storefront may sell, rent, offer subscription and/or preview a digital content item to a user. 
     Further, a network-accessible virtual storefront may identify one or more user-confirmed friends and/or unconfirmed users having a usage history (including a top usage history) with digital content items related to the search-word entered in the search pane  502  and/or digital content items found when browsing artists, genres, or the like. For example, if the search-word is “Artist #10”, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , a network-accessible virtual storefront may identify, as in this example, two user-confirmed friends. In another example, a selection of the song link  504  titled “Song #1” may be received and a network-accessible virtual storefront may identify one or more user-confirmed friends and/or unconfirmed users having a usage history (including a top usage history) with the digital content item titled “Song #1”. In some embodiments, this may be enabled for one or more of artists, albums, songs, playlists, and virtually any other category. 
     Upon identification of user-confirmed friends and/or unconfirmed users, a network-accessible virtual storefront may present friend picture links (e.g., friend picture link  506  and friend picture link  508 ) to the virtual-identity cards for the user-confirmed friends. The friend picture link  506  and friend picture link  508  may further include purchase access to one or more of the digital content items with which the user-confirmed friend has a usage history. That is, in one example, if the friend picture link  506  is selected, a screen displaying the user-confirmed friend&#39;s virtual-identity card (e.g., screen  400  in  FIG. 4 ) may be presented. Here, the option to purchase digital content items of the user-confirmed friend&#39;s digital content library from a network-accessible virtual storefront may be presented. 
     It may be appreciated that the exemplary screens of a graphical user interface described herein may present any of a digital content library, a network-accessible virtual storefront, and a network-accessible social directory of the software package. Further, the example integrations between these components as explained above are provided as non-limiting examples. Because the digital content library, network-accessible virtual storefront, and network-accessible social directory are tightly integrated into a common software package and/or network service, integrations between the various components can be customized as desired. 
       FIG. 6  shows an example method  600  of selling or renting digital content to a shopper. At  602 , the method  600  includes offering to the shopper a plurality of digital content items available for acquisition via a network-accessible virtual storefront. At  604 , the method  600  further includes identifying, for a digital content item selected within a network-accessible virtual storefront, one or more shopper-confirmed friends having a usage history with the selected digital content item. The scenarios described above with reference to  FIGS. 2-5  provide non-limiting examples of how method  600  may be implemented. 
     For example, several Artist # 10  albums may be offered in a network-accessible virtual storefront from which one album selection may be received. Further, in one example, a digital content management system may identify one or more user-confirmed friends with a usage history of the selected Artist # 10  album, and thus may present options such that the user may directly access and/or acquire further digital content related to the user-confirmed friends. 
       FIG. 7  shows an example method  700  of selling or renting digital content to a shopper. At  702 , the method  700  includes presenting to the shopper a digital content library including a plurality of digital content items previously acquired. At  704 , the method  700  further includes identifying, for a digital content item selected within a digital content library, one or more shopper-confirmed friends having a usage history with the selected digital content item. At  706 , the method  700  includes offering to the shopper one or more other digital content items with which a shopper-confirmed friend has a usage history, each such other digital content item available for acquisition via a network-accessible virtual storefront. The scenarios described above with reference to  FIGS. 2-5  provide non-limiting examples of how method  700  may be implemented. 
     For example, the user may be presented with a digital content library including several songs and albums. If the user selects a song selection link associated with a digital content item within a digital content library, for example a song “Song #1” by an artist “Artist #1”, a digital content management system may identify, in one example, user-confirmed friends with usage history of the digital content item. For example, the digital content item may include the song “Song #1” and/or digital content items associated with the artist “Artist #1”. Further, digital content items with which the user-confirmed friends have usage history may be offered to the user and these items may be available for acquisition via a network-accessible virtual storefront. For example, if a user-confirmed friend has usage history with a digital content item such as a song titled “Song #3” by “Artist #3”, the digital content item including “Song #3” and/or digital content items associated with “Artist #3” may be offered to the user for acquisition. 
     It is to be understood that the configurations and/or approaches described herein are exemplary in nature, and that these specific embodiments or examples are not to be considered in a limiting sense, because numerous variations are possible. The specific routines or methods described herein may represent one or more of any number of processing strategies. As such, various acts illustrated may be performed in the sequence illustrated, in other sequences, in parallel, or in some cases omitted. Likewise, the order of the above-described processes may be changed. 
     The subject matter of the present disclosure includes all novel and nonobvious combinations and subcombinations of the various processes, systems and configurations, and other features, functions, acts, and/or properties disclosed herein, as well as any and all equivalents thereof.