Patent Publication Number: US-2009240593-A1

Title: Method and system for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices

Description:
The present invention relates generally to information and commerce distribution and, more particularly, to a method and system for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices. 
     Many information providers are available on-line for providing downloadable content for purchase by users. These on-line content providers typically require users to access them on-line in order to purchase the content. Thus, if a user wishes to purchase a content as a gift for someone else, conventional systems require the donor to access the content provider on-line along with the receiver in order to provide the payment information and allow the receiver to download the content. Therefore, these systems fail to provide the satisfaction of physically giving a gift to the receiver, such as presenting the receiver with a compact disc or other physical embodiment of the content. 
     In accordance with the present invention, a method and system for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices are provided that substantially eliminate or reduce disadvantages and problems associated with conventional systems and methods. 
     According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices is provided. The method includes selecting one or more gift contents from a content provider. At least a subset of the selected gift contents is purchased from the content provider. The selected gift contents are received from the content provider. The received gift contents are stored on a donor mobile storage device. At least a subset of the stored gift contents is transferred from the donor mobile storage device to a receiver mobile storage device. The transferred gift contents correspond to the purchased gift contents. 
     According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices is provided that includes establishing a network between a donor mobile storage device and a receiver mobile storage device. At least one content is received from the donor mobile storage device on the receiver mobile storage device. The received content is stored as an accessible content on the receiver mobile storage device. 
     According to yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices is provided that includes receiving a selection of a plurality of gift contents. Payment is received for a subset of the selected gift contents. The selected gift contents are provided to a donor. 
     According to still another embodiment of the present invention, a mobile storage device is provided that includes a content memory and a content controller. The content memory is operable to store a plurality of accessible contents and a plurality of gift contents. The content controller is operable to convert the gift contents into accessible contents. 
     Technical advantages of one or more embodiments of the present invention include providing a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices. In a particular embodiment, a content provider allows a donor to purchase one or more contents for giving as a gift to a receiver. The purchased gift contents are stored on the donor&#39;s mobile storage device. Later, the donor may establish a network between the donor&#39;s mobile storage device and the receiver&#39;s mobile storage device. At that time, the gift contents are transferred from the donor&#39;s mobile storage device to the receiver&#39;s mobile storage device and deleted from the donor&#39;s mobile storage device. Accordingly, the donor is permitted to purchase the contents and later give the contents as a gift to the receiver. In addition, the physical act of giving a gift is maintained for the donor. 
     Other technical advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, description, and claims. 
     Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words and phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms “include” and “comprise,” as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term “or,” is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases “associated with” and “associated therewith,” as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term “controller” means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, such a device may be implemented in hardware, firmware or software, or some combination of at least two of the same. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. In particular, a controller may comprise one or more data processors, and associated input/output devices and memory, that execute one or more application programs and/or an operating system program. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that in many, if not most instances, such definitions apply to prior, as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases. 
    
    
     
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention and its advantages, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a system operable to permit gift exchanges between mobile storage devices in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating one of the mobile storage devices of  FIG. 1  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices from the perspective of the donor in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices from the perspective of the receiver in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices from the perspective of the content provider of  FIG. 1  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
       FIGS. 1 through 5 , discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present invention may be implemented in any suitably arranged system for providing contents to mobile storage devices. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a system  100  operable to permit gift exchanges between mobile storage devices  102  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The system  100  comprises a plurality of mobile storage devices  102 , a plurality of network access providers  104  for providing access to a network  106  for the mobile storage devices  102 , at least one content provider  108  for providing contents to the mobile storage devices  102 , and the network  106 , which provides communication between (i) the mobile storage devices  102  and the network access providers  104  and (ii) the content provider  108 . It will be understood that the system  100  may comprise any other suitable components, such as servers coupled to the network  106 , without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     Each mobile storage device  102  may comprise a hard disk-based consumer electronic product, such as an HDD100 or an HDD60 manufactured by Philips or an iPod manufactured by Apple, a laptop computer, or any other suitable device capable of receiving contents from the content provider  108  through the network  106  and a network access provider  104  and storing those contents. As used herein, “each” means every one of at least a subset of the identified items, and “content” means video data, audio data and/or other suitable data that is operable to be executed, displayed, or otherwise operated on a mobile storage device  102 . For example, contents may include songs, videos, e-books and the like. 
     Each mobile storage device  102  may be operable to communicate with other mobile storage devices  102  over a wireless interface  118 . In addition, for some embodiments, the mobile storage devices  102  may be operable to communicate with a network access provider  104  and/or the network  106  over the wireless interface  118 . The wireless interface  118  may comprise communication channels defined upon radio links, such as an Enhanced Data for GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) Evolution interface, a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access interface, a WiFi interface, an Ultra Wide Band interface, or any other suitable interface. 
     As described in more detail below in connection with  FIG. 2 , the mobile storage devices  102  are operable to exchange contents as gifts from one to another. For example, the mobile storage device  102   a  may act as a donor mobile storage device in order to give one or more contents to the mobile storage device  102   b , which represents a receiver mobile storage device. In addition, the mobile storage device  102   a  may also become a receiver mobile storage device in order to receive one or more contents from the mobile storage device  102   b , which would then represent a donor mobile storage device. For simplicity, however, the mobile storage device  102   a  will be referred to as the donor mobile storage device and the mobile storage device  102   b  will be referred to as the receiver mobile storage device in the following description. 
     Each mobile storage device  102  comprises a content controller (not illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) for controlling contents in the device  102  and a content memory (not illustrated in  FIG. 1 ) for storing contents, including gift contents, in the device  102 . As described in more detail below in connection with  FIG. 2 , the content controller is operable to manage the contents stored in the content memory and to synchronize the mobile storage device  102  with a network access provider  104  or any other suitable device. 
     The network access providers  104  may each comprise a personal computer, an e-hub or any other suitable component that is operable to communicate with a mobile storage device  102  and to provide a physical connection for a mobile storage device  102  to communicate with the network  106 . Each of the network access providers  104  may comprise a device to which the mobile storage device  102  may be directly coupled or to which the mobile storage device  102  may be indirectly coupled, such as through a cable or over a wireless interface  118 . In addition, each of the network access providers  104  is coupled to the network  106 . Thus, the mobile storage devices  102  are operable to communicate with the network  106  through the network access providers  104 . 
     Although the illustrated embodiment comprises two mobile storage devices  102   a - b  and two corresponding network access providers  104   a - b , it will be understood that the system  100  may comprise any suitable number of mobile storage devices  102  and corresponding network access providers  104  without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     The content provider  108  is coupled to the network  106  and is operable to provide contents to the mobile storage devices  102 . The content provider  108  comprises a content database  114  that is operable to store a plurality of contents that may be purchased by users and downloaded to the mobile storage devices  102 . As described in more detail below, the content provider  108  is operable to provide one or more of the contents stored in the content database  114  to the mobile storage devices  102  through the network  106 . One or more of these contents may be provided to a donor mobile storage device  102   a  as gift contents to be given to a receiver mobile storage device  102   b . The system  100  may comprise any suitable number of content providers  108 , each of which may be operable to provide contents for one or more business entities. 
     In one embodiment, the network  106  comprises a packet data network, such as the Internet, or other suitable network. However, the network  106  may also comprise any interconnection found on any computer network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any other communications and data exchange systems created by connecting two or more computers. 
     Each network access provider  104  and the content provider  108  are operable to communicate with the network  106  over communication lines  130 , which may be any type of communication link capable of supporting data transfer. In one embodiment, the communication lines  130  may comprise, alone or in combination, Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), T1 or T3 communication lines, hardwire lines, or telephone links. It will be understood that the communication lines  130  may comprise other suitable types of data communication links. The communication lines  130  may also connect to a plurality of intermediate servers between (i) the network  106  and (ii) the network access providers  104  and the content provider  108 . 
     In operation according to one embodiment, a user of a donor mobile storage device  102   a  accesses the content provider  108  through the network  106 . The content provider  108  then presents a plurality of content identifiers, each of which is operable to identify a content stored in the content database  114 , for selection by the user. The content provider  108  may also provide any suitable features, such as the ability to search the contents in the content database  114  based on keywords, subject matter and/or any other suitable searching options. 
     After the user selects one or more contents for purchase as gifts and provides the content provider  108  with payment information, such as credit card or other suitable information, the content provider  108  allows the user to download the purchased gift contents to the network access provider  104   a , from which the gift contents may be downloaded onto the donor mobile storage device  102   a . As described in more detail below, the user of the donor mobile storage device  102   a  may be allowed to download more contents than were purchased in order to allow a delayed selection of which contents will be given to the user of the receiver mobile storage device  102   b.    
     The gift contents downloaded into the network access provider  104   a  and the donor mobile storage device  102   a  may be inaccessible by the user of the network access provider  104   a  and the donor mobile storage device  102   a . For this embodiment, the gift contents may be encrypted or stored in any other inaccessible manner. Alternatively, the gift contents downloaded into the network access provider  104   a  and the donor mobile storage device  102   a  may be accessible to a limited degree. For example, the network access provider  104   a  and the donor mobile storage device  102   a  may be able to provide the user with access to a specified portion of each of the gift contents, such as a specified amount of time, a specified amount of text, or any other suitable portion. For this embodiment, the remainder of each of the gift contents may be encrypted or stored in any other inaccessible manner. As yet another alternative, the gift contents may be accessible by the user. 
     When the user of the donor mobile storage device  102   a  is ready to give the gift contents to the user of the receiver mobile storage device  102   b , the two mobile storage devices  102   a  and  102   b  are coupled together by way of an ad hoc wireless peer-to-peer network, through a physical connection such as a cable, or in any other suitable manner. The gift contents are then transferred from the donor mobile storage device  102   a  to the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  and deleted from the donor mobile storage device  102   a.    
     When the donor mobile storage device  102   a  later synchronizes with the network access provider  104   a , the gift contents are also deleted from the network access provider  104   a . Similarly, when the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  synchronizes with the network access provider  104   b , the gift contents are copied from the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  to the network access provider  104   b.    
       FIG. 2  is a block diagram illustrating one of the mobile storage devices  102  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The mobile storage device  102  comprises a content controller  120  and a content memory  122 . The content memory  122  is operable to store a plurality of accessible contents  202  and a plurality of gift contents  204 . The content memory  122  may also be operable to store a wish list  206 , in addition to any other suitable data. It will be understood that the mobile storage device  102  may comprise any other suitable components in order to store and provide the contents to the user, such as a speaker, a video screen and/or other suitable components. 
     The content controller  120  is operable to manage the contents  202  and  204  and the wish list  206  stored in the content memory  122  and to synchronize the mobile storage device  102  with another device, such as a network access device  104  and/or any other suitable device. 
     The accessible contents  202  comprise contents that have been purchased and are available to the user. For example, for an embodiment in which the mobile storage device  102  comprises an audio jukebox, the accessible contents  202  comprise songs for which the user has paid and, thus, that may be played by the mobile storage device  102  for the user at any time and any number of times. 
     The gift contents  204  comprise contents that have been selected by the user, as a donor, to be given to another user, as a receiver. After a gift content  204  is transferred from the donor mobile storage device  102   a  to the receiver mobile storage device  102   b , the gift content  204  is stored as an accessible content  202  on the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  and is deleted from the gift contents  204  of the donor mobile storage device  102   a.    
     According to one embodiment, the gift contents  204  have been purchased by the donor. However, according to another embodiment described in more detail below, the donor may have the option of storing several contents and/or sets of contents as gift contents  204  when only a subset of those gift contents  204  have been purchased. For example, for this embodiment, the donor may select three contents as possible gifts for the receiver, while purchasing only one content. All three of the selected contents are stored as gift contents  204  in the donor mobile storage device  102   a . The donor may then decide later which of the three contents to give as a gift. Once the content is transferred to the receiver mobile storage device  102   b , all three of the selected contents are deleted from the content memory  122  of the donor mobile storage device  102   a.    
     For one embodiment, the gift contents  204  are inaccessible by the user of the donor mobile storage device  102   a  or accessible to a limited degree. For this embodiment, the gift contents  204  are made available to the user of the donor mobile storage device  102   a  with additional restrictions as compared to accessible contents  202 . For example, contents stored as accessible contents  202  may have some restrictions with regard to copying or other suitable restrictions. However, gift contents  204  may be subject to additional restrictions. 
     Thus, for the embodiment in which the mobile storage device  102  comprises an audio jukebox, the donor mobile storage device  102   a  may not play the gift contents  204 , may play the gift contents  204  only a specified number of times, may play only a specified portion of the gift contents  204  and/or may restrict the accessibility of the gift contents  204  in any other suitable manner. For example, for one embodiment, the gift contents  204  or a portion of each of the gift contents  204  may be encrypted until they are transferred to a receiver mobile storage device  102   b , at which time the content controller  120  of either the donor or the receiver mobile storage device  102  is operable to decrypt the contents for storage as accessible contents  202  on the receiver mobile storage device  102   b.    
     Though shown separately, the contents  202  and  204  may be implemented together in the content memory  122 . For one embodiment, the address of the content may simply be identified as belonging to an accessible or a gift content  202 ,  204 . Alternatively, a Digital Rights Management (DRM) system can be used to indicate the rights the user has to the content, in particular whether the content is directly accessible or in the case of a gift, for example, access to the content is restricted. Furthermore, the DRM system can specify exactly what the restricted access rights to the gift content are for the donor user. It will be understood that the contents  202  and  204  may be otherwise suitably identified as accessible or gift contents  202 ,  204  without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     The optional wish list  206  comprises a list of contents that have been identified by the user as contents that he or she may want to purchase at a later time or may want to be given as a gift. It will be understood that the wish list  206  may also be stored in the content provider  108  in addition to or instead of the mobile storage device  102 . The wish list  206  may also comprise a priority for types of contents that the user desires in addition to or instead of a list of specific contents. For example, for the embodiment in which the mobile storage device  102  comprises an audio jukebox, the wish list  206  may comprise a priority in the form of a list of song genres in the order in which the user prefers those types of genres, such as rock, classical and jazz. 
     As described in more detail below, when the user is being given a gift content  204  that may be selected from multiple gift contents  204 , the wish list  206  may be used by the content controller  120  in selecting which of the gift contents  204  to be transferred from the donor mobile storage device  102   a  to the user&#39;s receiver mobile storage device  102   b .  FIG. 3  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices  102  from the perspective of the donor in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The method begins at step  300  where the donor accesses the content provider  108  through the network access provider  104   a.    
     At step  302 , the donor selects at least one gift content from the content database  114 . Although the following description refers to a single gift content, it will be understood that the donor may select any combination of gift contents and/or sets of gift contents for giving to the receiver (or to more than one receiver) without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, as described in more detail below, the donor may select more than one option for giving to the receiver and then give only a subset of the options to the receiver. For example, for the embodiment in which the mobile storage devices  102  comprise audio jukeboxes, the donor may select five songs as options, while planning to give only two of the songs to the receiver. 
     At step  304 , the donor purchases the selected gift content. For example, the donor may provide payment information, such as credit card or other suitable information, to the content provider  108 . If the donor has selected more options than will be given to the receiver, the donor only purchases the number of gift contents that will actually be given to the receiver. 
     At decisional step  306 , the donor may be provided with the option of personalizing the gift content. If the donor decides to personalize the gift content, the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  306  to step  308 . At step  308 , the donor provides the personalization information to the content provider  108 . For example, the donor may provide a text, audio and/or video message, a photograph, clip art and/or any other suitable information that may be used to personalize the gift content. It will be understood that, instead of or in addition to being provided by the donor, the personalization information may also be selected from choices provided by the content provider  108 . 
     Returning to decisional step  306 , if the donor decides not to personalize the gift content or if the personalization option is not provided for the donor, the method follows the No branch from decisional step  306  to step  310 . In addition, from step  308 , the method continues to step  310 . 
     At step  310 , the donor receives the selected gift content on the donor&#39;s network access provider (NAP)  104   a . At step  312 , the donor synchronizes the donor mobile storage device (DMSD)  102   a  with the donor&#39;s network access provider  104   a . At step  314 , the donor receives the gift content  204  on the donor mobile storage device  102   a.    
     At decisional step  316 , the donor may decide to return the gift content  204  instead of giving the gift content  204  to the receiver. If the donor does decide to return the gift content  204 , the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  316  to step  318 . 
     At step  318 , the donor accesses the content provider  108  through the network access provider  104   a . At step  320 , the donor selects a “gift return” option and the donor receives a refund or credit from the content provider  108 . At step  322 , the gift content is deleted from the library in the donor&#39;s network access provider  104   a . At step  324 , the donor synchronizes the donor mobile storage device  102   a  with the donor&#39;s network access provider  104   a . At step  326 , the gift content  204  is deleted from the donor mobile storage device  102   a , at which point the method comes to an end. 
     Returning to decisional step  316 , if the donor decides not to return the gift content  204 , the method follows the No branch from decisional step  316  to decisional step  328 . At decisional step  328 , the donor may decide to keep the gift content  204  instead of giving the gift content  204  to the receiver. If the donor does decide to keep the gift content  204 , the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  328  to optional step  330 . 
     At optional step  330 , the donor synchronizes the donor mobile storage device  102   a  with the donor&#39;s network access provider  104   a . At step  332 , the donor selects a “keep gift” option. It will be understood that if the content controller  120  is operable to provide the donor with the “keep gift” option, the donor mobile storage device  102   a  does not need to be synchronized with the donor&#39;s network access provider  104   a  before the donor selects the “keep gift” option. In addition, as another alternative, the content provider  108  may provide the “keep gift” option, in which case the donor accesses the content provider  108  before selecting the “keep gift” option. At step  334 , the content controller  120  converts the gift content  204  into an accessible content  202 , at which point the method comes to an end. 
     Returning to decisional step  328 , if the donor does not decide to keep the gift content  204 , the method follows the No branch from decisional step  328  to step  336 . At step  336 , the donor mobile storage device  102   a  and the receiver mobile storage device (RMSD)  102   b  establish a network with each other. The network may comprise an ad hoc wireless peer-to-peer network. However, it will be understood that a network may be established through a physical connection, such as a cable, or in any other suitable manner. 
     At decisional step  338 , a determination is made regarding whether or not there are multiple options for the gift content  204  that is to be provided to the receiver. If there are not multiple options from which to choose the gift content  204 , the method follows the No branch from decisional step  338  to step  340 . 
     At step  340 , the gift content  204  is transferred from the donor mobile storage device  102   a  to the receiver mobile storage device  102   b . As used herein, “transferred” means that the gift content  204  is copied from the content memory  122  of the donor mobile storage device  102   a  and stored in the content memory  122  of the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  as an accessible content  202 . For one embodiment, the content controller  120  of the donor mobile storage device  102   a  converts the gift content  204  into an accessible content  202  before copying the content to the receiver mobile storage device  102   b . For another embodiment, the content controller  120  of the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  converts the gift content  204  received from the donor mobile storage device  102   a  into an accessible content  202 . At step  342 , the transferred gift content  204  is deleted from the content memory  122  of the donor mobile storage device  102   a.    
     Returning to decisional step  338 , if there are multiple options from which to choose the gift content  204 , the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  338  to step  344 . At step  344 , any options that are already stored as accessible contents  202  in the content memory  122  of the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  may be removed as possible options for the gift. 
     At decisional step  346 , a determination is made regarding whether or not a user is to make the selection as to which option will be given as a gift. If a user is to make the selection, the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  346  to step  348 . At step  348 , the donor mobile storage device  102   a  receives the user selection from either the donor or the receiver. 
     Returning to decisional step  346 , if the selection is not to be made by a user, the method follows the No branch from decisional step  346  to decisional step  350 . At decisional step  350 , a determination is made regarding whether or not the donor mobile storage device  102   a  is to make the selection as to which option will be given as a gift. If the donor mobile storage device  102   a  is not to make the selection, the method follows the No branch from decisional step  350  to step  352 . At step  352 , the content controller  120  for the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  selects the gift content  204  to be received based on the wish list  206  for the receiver. 
     Returning to decisional step  350 , if the donor mobile storage device  102   a  is to make the selection, the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  350  to step  354 . At step  354 , the content controller  120  for the donor mobile storage device  102   a  selects the gift content  204  to be received based on a priority selected by the donor. The priority selected by the donor may comprise a list of the gift contents  204  in a particular order, a list of types of gift contents  204  in a particular order and/or any other suitable priority defined by the donor. 
     From steps  348 ,  352  and  354 , the method continues to step  356 . It will be understood that if no match is found on a wish list  206  in step  352  or based on a priority defined by the donor in step  354 , the content controller  120  of the donor mobile storage device  102   a  may prompt the donor or the receiver to provide a selection before the method continues to step  356 . 
     At step  356 , the selected gift content  204  is transferred from the donor mobile storage device  102   a  to the receiver mobile storage device  102   b . At step  358 , the transferred gift content  204  and the remaining options that were not selected to be given to the receiver are deleted from the content memory  122  of the donor mobile storage device  102   a.    
     From steps  342  and  358 , the method continues to step  360 . At step  360 , the donor synchronizes the donor mobile storage device  102   a  with the donor&#39;s network access provider  104   a . At step  362 , the donor&#39;s network access provider  104   a  determines that the gift content  204  has been transferred to the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  and deletes the gift content from the library in the donor&#39;s network access provider  104   a , at which point the method comes to an end. 
       FIG. 4  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices  102  from the perspective of the receiver in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The method begins at step  400  where the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  and the donor mobile storage device  102   a  establish a network with each other. The network may comprise an ad hoc wireless peer-to-peer network. However, it will be understood that a network may be established through a physical connection, such as a cable, or in any other suitable manner. 
     At step  402 , the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  receives a gift content  204  from the donor mobile storage device  102   a . Although the following description refers to a single gift content  204 , it will be understood that the receiver may receive any combination of gift contents and/or sets of gift contents from the donor without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     At step  404 , the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  stores the gift content  204  as an accessible content  202  in the content memory  122  of the receiver mobile storage device  102   b . For one embodiment, the content controller  120  of the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  converts the gift content  204  received from the donor mobile storage device  102   a  into an accessible content  202 . For another embodiment, the content controller  120  of the donor mobile storage device  102   a  converts the gift content  204  into an accessible content  202  before copying the content to the receiver mobile storage device  102   b.    
     At decisional step  406 , a determination is made regarding whether or not the accessible content  202  received as a gift has been personalized. If the content is personalized, the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  406  to decisional step  408 . 
     At decisional step  408 , a determination is made regarding whether or not the receiver is able to and wants to delete the personalization of the content. For example, according to one embodiment, the receiver may be unable to delete the personalization. For other embodiments, the receiver may be able to delete the personalization at any time or may be able to delete the personalization only after a specified period of time has passed and/or the content has been accessed a specified number of times. If the receiver is able to and wants to delete the personalization, the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  408  to step  410 . At step  410 , the personalization of the content is deleted and the method continues to step  412 . 
     Returning to decisional step  408 , if the receiver is unable to or does not want to delete the personalization, the method follows the No branch from decisional step  408  to step  412 . Also, returning to decisional step  406 , if the content is not personalized, the method follows the No branch from decisional step  406  to step  412 . 
     At step  412 , the receiver synchronizes the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  with the receiver&#39;s network access provider  104   b . At step  414 , the receiver&#39;s network access provider  104   b  determines that the content memory  122  of the receiver mobile storage device  102   b  has a new accessible content  202  and stores that content in the library in the receiver&#39;s network access provider  104   b . At optional step  416 , the receiver&#39;s network access provider  104   b  may notify the content provider  108  that the receiver has received the content, at which point the method comes to an end. 
       FIG. 5  is a flow diagram illustrating a method for permitting a gift exchange between mobile storage devices  102  from the perspective of the content provider  108  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The method begins at step  500  where the content provider  108  receives a selection of a gift content from a donor. 
     At decisional step  502 , the content provider  108  determines whether or not the donor has selected multiple options for the gift content. If the donor has not selected multiple options for the gift content, the method follows the No branch from decisional step  502  to step  504 . At step  504 , the content provider  108  receives payment information from the donor for the gift content. 
     Returning to decisional step  502 , if the donor has selected multiple options for the gift content, the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  502  to step  506 . At step  506 , the content provider  108  receives payment information from the donor for a subset of the selected gift contents. 
     From steps  504  and  506 , the method continues to decisional step  508 . At decisional step  508 , the content provider  108  makes a determination regarding whether or not the gift content is to be personalized. If the gift content is to be personalized, the method follows the Yes branch from decisional step  508  to step  510 . 
     At step  510 , the content provider  108  receives the personalization information from the donor. For example, the content provider  108  may receive from the donor a text, audio and/or video message, a photograph, clip art and/or any other suitable information that may be used to personalize the gift content. It will be understood that, instead of or in addition to being received from the donor, the personalization information may also be provided by the content provider  108  as choices for the donor to select. At step  512 , the content provider  108  adds the personalization information to the gift content and the method continues to step  514 . It will be understood that the personalization may be done independently of the content provider  108 . For example, a CD cover may be replaced with a card including a handwritten element, a handwritten comment may be placed on top of a CD cover, or other suitable personalization may be done in any other suitable manner. 
     Returning to decisional step  508 , if the donor does not wish to personalize the gift content or if the donor does not have the option of personalizing the gift content, the method follows the No branch from decisional step  508  to step  514 . 
     At step  514 , the content provider  108  copies the gift content to the donor&#39;s network access provider  104   a , at which point the method comes to an end. 
     It will be understood that, although the methods described above are one example of a particular embodiment, other embodiments may be implemented. For one other embodiment, for example, the donor may give to a receiver one or more of his or her accessible contents  202  that were not purchased as a gift in addition to or instead of being able to purchase contents originally intended as gifts. For this embodiment, the donor may be restricted to giving accessible contents  202  that were purchased from the content provider  108  in order to ensure that the contents  202  have suitable copy protection. 
     Although the present invention has been described with several embodiments, various changes and modifications may be suggested to one skilled in the art. It is intended that the present invention encompass such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.