Patent ID: 8037500

Claim:
A portable media device for presenting selected viewing content, comprising: a communication interface for receiving viewing content streamed from a vehicle information system installed aboard a passenger vehicle; a user interface for providing a content selection instruction and a content presentation instruction; an audio system for audibly presenting an audio portion of the selected viewing content; a video system for visually presenting a video portion of the selected viewing content; a control system for selecting the selected viewing content from among a catalogue of viewing content available from the vehicle information system in accordance with the content selection instruction and for controlling the audio and video presentation of the selected viewing content in accordance with the content presentation instruction; an identification memory system for storing device identification data including device status information and transactional information for a device user; and a device identification system for providing the device identification data for said portable media device, wherein a device management database system for maintaining a historical record for said portable media device updates the historical record in accordance with the device identification data and provides device configuration instructions for configuring said portable media device for future use, and wherein a device management interface system provides the device identification data received from said portable media device to said device management database system and updates the device status information stored by said device identification system in accordance with the device configuration instructions provided by said device management database system.