Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    The subject matter of the present application is related to that of our U.S. application Ser. No. ______ [NCR Docket No. 10-196] filed ______ [on even date herewith], assigned to the assignee of the present application, entitled Secure Digital Download Storage Device, and incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention is related generally to improved digital media kiosks, and more particularly to such kiosks which advantageously dispense a USB flash drive as discussed further below. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Solid state storage cards such as SD, XD and compact flash cards, hereafter collectively referred to as flash cards for brevity, are a convenient media for storing large amounts of data in a small form factor. However, inserting and removing such cards can be tricky, and it is possible to insert them in an incorrect orientation. In addition, although they are widely used in products such as cameras and mobile phones, they are usually used to expand the memory of such a device. A common usage is to insert the flash card into the device, and then leave it inside the device and access the card via the device often by means of a USB lead plugged into a USB port of the device, such as a camera, on one end and into a second device, such as a laptop or television, on the other. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The above identified related application describes a new device that is packaged like a standard USB flash drive, but which can be addressed as if it were a secure digital (SD) card. The present application addresses how such a secure USB flash drive can be advantageously used in a kiosk offering digital media, such as movies, music, books or games. 
         [0005]    Among its several aspects, a kiosk according to the present invention can store movies, music, books and computer games on a single familiar device which can be recycled at the kiosk. Kiosks utilizing such devices may advantageously have the flexibility to readily adjust inventory by copying from titles already in stock. Inventory can thus be adjusted for holidays, to account for better than expected demand for new releases, to refresh stock, and the like. Writing can be done offline. Promotions, trailers, local advertising, cross-selling, and other campaigns can be advantageously implemented with offline writing during night hours and the like. Multiple formats (Std Def, Hi Def) May be included on the same device. A potential for additional revenue by means of advertising, cross-selling and the like is presented. Advertising, games, audio books, links to web-based services, time based media such as newspaper headlines may be readily included. In some embodiments, a customer does not need to use a credit card, and can simply use a debit card as systems can be employed not requiring anything to be returned. Age verification can be implemented by requiring a consumer to suitably establish age using a client media player, or an interface with a set top box and employing a PIN number. The invention may further be employed to offer the ability to pre-order and preapprove via other channels such as the web or a mobile, with fulfilment supported through a kiosk. 
         [0006]    One aspect of the invention addresses a kiosk employing a secure universal serial bus (USB) flash drive comprising: a selection mechanism for selecting a title of digital media stored on a secure USB flash drive; a payment mechanism for making payment for the selected title; storage for storing secure USB flash drives storing prerecorded digital media; and a retrieval mechanism adapted for retrieving the selected title and dispensing the selected title. 
         [0007]    A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following Detailed Description and the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  illustrates a secure USB flash drive and its utilization with a standard USB port in accordance with a presently preferred embodiment of the invention; 
           [0009]      FIGS. 2A and 2B  illustrate aspects of a kiosk for rental or purchase of prerecorded digital media in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  3 C illustrate aspects of a hybrid kiosk for delivery of digital media prerecorded on DVDs, as well as, digital media and prerecorded on secure USB flash drives in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0011]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate aspects of a kiosk for reading and writing digital media on secure USB flash drives in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  illustrates aspects of an exemplary control circuit for the kiosk of  FIGS. 4A and 4B ; and 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  illustrates a process of operating a kiosk in accordance with the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    According to one aspect of the present invention, a secure USB flash drive is used in conjunction with a kiosk as further herein described.  FIG. 1  shows a secure USB flash drive for utilization in conjunction with a standard USB port  120 . Further details are found in our U.S. application Ser. No. ______ [NCR Docket No. 10-196] filed entitled “Secure Digital Download Storage Device” and are incorporated by reference herein. 
         [0015]    The use of a secure USB flash drive for storing digital multimedia content such as movies, music, books and games has a wide variety of potential advantages. This format has the usability and familiarity advantages of using standard USB ports rather than SD and microSD connectors and adapters while keeping the digital rights management (DRM) and security advantages of SD. This approach eliminates the need for CPRM capable SD card slots on target devices with which it is desired to employ the media. Further, a kiosk can copy content in periods of low or non-usage, such as at night. Media such as movies, games and the like can be copied offline. The approach supports the ability to offer multiple formats, for example, standard definition or high definition movies can be offered in a cost-efficient manner. Consumer throughput at kiosk may be improved as download or write times are less relevant. Returned drives can be wiped, validated, and then reprogrammed, thus preventing security issues. 
         [0016]    In one aspect of the invention, the secure USB flash drive is populated with the most popular multimedia content before a customer arrives and is dispensed by a kiosk, such as pedestal kiosk  200  of  FIGS. 2A and 2B . In  FIGS. 2A and 2B , the content is prerecorded, but it will be recognized that as discussed further below in connection with  FIGS. 4A and 4B , that content can also advantageously be written to secure flash drives at the kiosk. 
         [0017]    Pedestal kiosk  200  may suitably operate as follows. A customer approaches kiosk  200 , selects a movie, music, videogame, or other desired digital content using touch panel screens  210 . The customer pays for a transaction by inserting a magnetic stripe card such as a credit card, a debit card, a prepaid gift card or the like into a card reader slot  220 . Alternatively, other payment mechanisms may be employed, such as smart cards, contactless cards, or the like. A card reader  225  (shown in  FIG. 2B ) reads the card and a control processor authorizes the transaction. A picker or transport mechanism  250  described in connection with  FIG. 2B  below retrieves the selected digital content stored on a secure USB flash drive and delivers it to a drop area  232  ( FIG. 2B ) where it is released and then falls under the influence of gravity to the customer at dispense port  230 . If the transaction is a rental, the returned content may be suitably returned to return slot  235  where it passes to return storage  236  ( FIG. 2B ). A receipt printer  242  ( FIG. 2B ) prints a receipt delivered through receipt slot  240 . 
         [0018]    Turning to  FIG. 2B , the dispense mechanism may make use of existing XY transports in current DVD vending kiosks, or may use some alternative retrieval mechanism. In general, it will be recognized the teachings of the present invention may be readily adapted to the operation of a wide array of existing DVD kiosks, as well as, digital download kiosks. For example, kiosk  200  or other kiosks described herein may suitably employ any of the details shown in  FIGS. 28-35  and described by paragraphs [0130]-[0140] of U.S. Patent Application Publication no. 2007/0169132 published Jul. 19, 2007 which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Such operation is advantageously modified as discussed further below to take advantage of the secure USB flash drive format. 
         [0019]    As illustrated in  FIG. 2B , the physical footprint of the secure USB flash drive is well suited to stacking of the drives in bins  215  in which secure USB flash drives with different prerecorded digital content are simply stacked one on top of another. With such an approach, the use of existing vacuum picking technology to pick up and transport the selected secure USB flash drive to drop area  232  and the port  230  ( FIG. 2A ) is a highly suitable approach to transport. In such an approach, a vacuum picker mechanism  250  travels in x- and y-directions above the bins  215  to select the appropriate secure USB flash drive to be dispensed. Once above the correct drive, picker  250  is lowered, a predetermined vacuum is applied and the top drive is sucked up. The picker  250  is then raised and moved to a point above the drop area  232  where the vacuum is released and the drive is dropped. The sturdy design of the secure USB flash drive is well suited to a simple gravity drop arrangement as described herein. Further details of vacuum pickers suitably for use herein are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,786,355; 6,840,399; 6,868,983; 6,942,122; 7,044,330, for example, all of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. The small size and durable design of the secure USB flash drive employed herein advantageously lends itself to reduced size, lost cost kiosks. 
         [0020]    Unlike  FIGS. 2A and 2B  which show a kiosk, kiosk  200 , exclusively for use with prerecorded secure USB flash drives,  FIGS. 3A ,  3 B and  3 C illustrate an exemplary kiosk  300  for delivery of digital content utilizing both DVDs and secure USB flash drives. 
         [0021]    In  FIG. 3A , kiosk  300  is mounted on a wall  306 . Kiosk  300  includes plural media title push buttons  310 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 3A , twelve push buttons or selection switches  310  are shown although it will be recognized a larger or smaller number may be employed for purposes of making a selection of a desired title by a customer or that a touch panel display, like touch panel display  210  of  FIG. 2A , or another selection mechanism may be suitably employed. Each switch  310  may be embodied as a large clear plastic actuator having a product literature insert holder for holding an advertisement for the movie corresponding to the switch. Example dimensions for the kiosk  300  are approximately 30 inches high, 23 inches wide and 6 inches deep for a unit capable of dispensing nine different titles of DVDs which have a thickness of approximately 1.2 mm as described further herein and three different titles prerecorded on secure USB flash drives. With a six inch depth, the kiosk  100  can hold 33 copies of each of nine titles for a total of 297 discs, as well as, a large number of secure USB flash drives. With dimensions such as those described herein, kiosk  300  can be mounted low enough on the wall  306  that it is readily accessible to customers in wheel chairs and the like. It is noted that a standard DVD disc weighs about 0.58 oz. so that 300 discs weigh about eleven and a quarter pounds. Similarly, the large number of secure USB flash drives will also be relatively light. With the proper selection of housing material and thickness, as well as other components, a light and highly portable kiosk results. 
         [0022]    Kiosk  300  further comprises a sheet metal case  320 , a hinged front panel  330 , an LCD display  350 , a disc output  360 , a secure USB flash drive output  365 , a receipt dispensing slot  370  for dispensing a customer receipt, and a credit card reader slot  380  for inserting a credit or other payment card to pay for a rental or purchase. 
         [0023]    While it is presently preferred to record or rent securely recorded content, it will also be recognized that the familiarity of the standard USB flash drive coupled with its low cost lends itself to the recording of nonsecure material, such as movie trailers, other promotional material and the like. With any of the kiosks described herein, secure content can be readily supplemented with nonsecure content as the form factors of the two different devices can be exactly the same. The potential opportunities are nearly endless, but several examples are provided as illustrative. 
         [0024]    In a grocery store environment, the store owner may be introducing a new self-checkout terminal arrangement and want a ready mechanism to provide customers with a tutorial for its use to facilitate its adoption. A short video illustrating techniques for usage may be recorded on a standard USB flash drive along with some free music, some coupons, a ring tone or some other promotion which the customer can access only upon reviewing the video or completing a tutorial. 
         [0025]    A retailer, such as Wal-Mart, may have an exclusive distribution agreement with a rock band, and to promote a new album, both the band and the retailer may give out free USB flash drives with a song and a video to fuel interest. The recorded content can also direct customers to an online site for the store or for the band or both. 
         [0026]    Where the kiosk is exclusively a movie kiosk, a free USB flash drive might be loaded with free movie trailers available for rental, might have links to an online site for downloading older releases, or might contain trailers provided by the movie studios for coming attractions at the theaters to promote new movies. 
         [0027]    Free content could be available to all or utilized as a promotion which is part of a loyalty program, such as those managed by stores, radio stations, movie theaters, and the like. It is possible to mix media, with both DRM protected media and DRM free content on the same flash drive. 
         [0028]      FIG. 3B  shows kiosk  300  with the hinged front panel  330  open to illustrate further internal details of the kiosk  300 . As seen in  FIG. 3B , a plastic disc and secure USB drive drop guide mechanism  332  is supported by the interior surface of hinged front panel  330  above disc output  360  ( FIG. 3A ) and secure USB flash drive output  365  ( FIG. 3A ). For ease of maintenance and repair, a simple snap on and snap off mounting arrangement may be employed for guide mechanism  332 . As described in further detail below, drop guide mechanism  332  guides a disc selected from the discs  390  on threaded shafts  395  and dropped therefrom in response to selection utilizing a respective one of the pushbuttons  310  by a customer, or a secure USB drive  367  is delivered from a stack held in one of the storage columns,  396 ,  397  or  398  as discussed further below in connection with  FIG. 3C . 
         [0029]    At the bottom of drop guide mechanism  332 , a funnel  333  aligns and feeds the disc into a set of mechanized rollers  334 . Rollers  334  slow and trap the dropped disc so it is presented to the customer at the disc output  360  in a similar manner to the rollers in a car CD player. 
         [0030]    Alternatively, rollers  334  can drop the disc slowly into a drop bin for collection by the customer. Similarly, the secure USB flash drive  367  is guided by a funnel  336  to flash drive output  365  ( FIG. 3A ). Because of the rugged construction and design of the secure USB flash drive  367 , it can fall under the influence of gravity as guided by the funnel  336  without harm facilitating a simple and low cost dispense mechanism. 
         [0031]      FIG. 3C  illustrates exemplary details of one columnar storage mechanism  396 . As illustrated by  FIG. 3C , secure USB flash drives are stacked in a column with a bottom secure USB flash  366  supported by a bottom support  372 . A pusher  376  which selectively pushes the bottom drive  366  through a slot  374  at the bottom front of storage mechanism  396 . The drive  366  then falls under the influence of gravity and is guided by funnel  336  to port  365 . Pusher  376  may be suitably driven by a solenoid. After the secure USB flash drive  366  has been pushed out of storage mechanism  396  and pusher  376  is retracted, the next secure USB flash drive drops onto bottom support  372  and is ready to be dispensed. 
         [0032]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  illustrate aspects of a digital media kiosk  400  in accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention in which content from secure USB flash drives can be read and copied within the kiosk  400  as discussed further below. 
         [0033]    Thus, secure USB flash drives may suitably store media preprogrammed by the kiosk  400 . The ability to use USB drives as additional storage can reduce the storage need of a server in or by a kiosk so long as the kiosk ensures that at least one copy of each title is stored on a secure USB flash drive maintained therein, then any such titles can be readily copied to make additional copies. 
         [0034]    As seen in  FIG. 4A , the kiosk  400  is suitable for countertop display, can be mounted on a pedestal as in  FIG. 2A , wall mounting as in  FIG. 3A  or piggybacked as shown in  FIG. 8  of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/908.213, filed Oct. 20, 2010, the details of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. It will be further noted that such mountings are illustrative and others may be suitably devised. Kiosk  400  has a housing, a touch panel display  410  for selecting content, such as a movie title, music, a computer game, a digital kiosk or the like, recorded on secure USB flash drive  465  delivered at a deliver port  430 . A customer pays for a rental or purchase by inserting a payment card into a card reader slot  420  where the card is read by a card reader (not shown). A customer receipt is generated by a receipt printer (not shown) and delivered to the customer through receipt slot  440 . For a rental transaction, the secure USB flash drive may be returned through return slot  435 . 
         [0035]    Turning to  FIG. 4B , within the kiosk  400  there is a bank, array or matrix of USB sockets  470 , which in use hold a number of secure USB flash drives (not shown). The kiosk  400  can advantageously erase and write content to multiple USB drives in order to reconfigure the inventory held in the kiosk. 
         [0036]      FIG. 4B  illustrates schematically a matrix  470  of USB port in columns  1 - 4  and rows a-h with the port in column  1  and row  1  being  471   a1  and the port in column  4  and row h being  471   h4 . To the left and right of the matrix  470  are columnar containers  496  and  498 , respectively of blank secure USB flash drives. 
         [0037]    In operation an articulated robotic picker or vacuum picker  450  can take a blank secure USB flash drive from container  496 , and move it to an empty USB port. Content from any recorded secure USB flash drive inserted in any of the other USB ports can be read and written to the blank flash drive. This approach supports an advantageous rebalancing of inventory to adapt to customer demand. 
         [0038]      FIG. 5  shows a control circuit  500  for controlling the digital media kiosk  400 . In  FIG. 5 , a suitably programmed processor  510  retrieves program instructions and data from, and stores data to a memory  520  including RAM and ROM. Processor  500  receives an input signal indicative of a customer selection as a result of selection of a switch icon on a touch panel, such as touch panel  410  of  FIG. 4A  by a customer to select a movie. The processor  500  also drives the touch panel display  410  to provide customer instructions such as “INSERT CARD SELECT MOVIE”. 
         [0039]    When a customer inserts a credit, debit, movie rental card, or the like into slot  420  of  FIG. 4A , card reader  585  reads this card and provides appropriate output to the processor  510 . Upon validating the acceptability of the customer&#39;s card for payment and its acceptance, processor  510  controls picker  450  to move to the appropriate USB port of the ports  471   a1 - 471   h4  (collectively  470 ) corresponding to the customer&#39;s selector. The selected media may be transported to a drop area, such as drop area  232  of  FIG. 2B , and dropped. A secure USB flash drive drop sensor  550  senses that the drop has occurred and provides an output to processor  510 . Once the drive drop is sensed, a record for the customer is stored in the memory  520  and a receipt printer  575  may be driven by the processor  510  to prepare a receipt. 
         [0040]    Optionally, the processor  510  can also communicate through a communication interface with another kiosk or kiosks, a control network, or with another device such as self-checkout terminal, a checkout terminal, or the like. In the case of a rental, at the time of return of the drive by the customer, the customer inserts the drive into the return slot  435  of  FIG. 4A . A drive reader  545  reads identifying indicia from the drive, provides read data to the processor  510 , and the processor  510  closes out the transaction. The receipt printer  575  is driven by the processor  510  to printout a final receipt which is delivered to the customer through receipt slot  440  of  FIG. 4A . In the event of a problem, for example, the customer returns a flash drive owned by the customer rather than the previously rented secure USB flash drive, the processor may print information such as “see a customer service person on site”, “call a service person” at a number printed on the receipt, “email a service person” or the like. 
         [0041]    To replenish inventory, the processor  510  of kiosk  400  advantageously can read any secure USB flash drive from the matrix  470  utilizing column selector  535  and row selector  545 . Processor  510  can then overwrite any drive in the matrix or retrieve a blank drive from container  496  or  498  utilizing picker  450 . This approach makes kiosk  400  particularly flexible regarding how inventory is handled and adapted to meet customer demand. 
         [0042]      FIG. 6  shows a process  600  of kiosk operation in accordance with the present invention. In step  602 , a selection of digital content recorded on a secure USB flash drive is made utilizing a kiosk, such as kiosk  200 ,  300  or  400 , for example. In step  604 , payment is made, for example, by inserting a customer card, such as a credit card into a card reader such as slot  220 ,  380  or  440 , for example. In step  606 , the selected digital content is delivered to the customer. In step  608 , if the transaction was a rental, the customer returns the secure USB flash drive by inserting it into a return slot, such as return slot  235  or  435 . In step  610 , a receipt printer, such as printer  242  or  575 , prints out a transaction receipt, and the process  600  continues by looping back up to step  602 . 
         [0043]    As the process  600  continues, a control processor, such as processor  510 , preferably tracks the inventory of the kiosk, and this tracking is illustrated by inventory tracking step  612 . inventory tracking. In step  614 , if the processor determines that inventory of a particular title of digital content is low, content may be downloaded or a service person can be notified that inventory is needed. Alternatively and preferably, in step  616 , if the processor determines that the title is already in stock, then in a kiosk like kiosk  400 , for example, the processor controls the reading of content from one secure USB flash drive and its storage onto a second secure USB flash drive. 
         [0044]    While the present invention has been disclosed in the context of various aspects of presently preferred embodiments, it will be recognized that the invention may be suitably applied to other environments consistent with the claims which follow.

Technology Category: 3