GB2503210A

GB2503210A - Content distribution on an airplane or a gas station

Info

Publication number: GB2503210A
Application number: GB1209920.6A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Steve Epstein; Hillel Solow; Arnold Zucker; Shabtai Atlow; Avraham Poupko; Yossi Tsuria
Original assignee: NDS Ltd
Current assignee: Synamedia Ltd
Priority date: 2012-06-05
Filing date: 2012-06-05
Publication date: 2013-12-25
Also published as: WO2013183012A1; GB201209920D0

Abstract

A method for off-line delivery of content (e.g. audio, video, virtual newspaper (gratis) on an airplane or a gas station) to a device 210 (smart phone, tablet computer, e-reader etc.) comprises sending a device ID to a first local server (e.g. airport server 230), receiving a unique number (e.g. virtual coupon, voucher 260) from the first local server 230, providing the unique number 260 to a device based application 220, establishing a communication session between the device based application 220 and a second local server (e.g. airline server 240), the second local server 240 not being in on-line communication with the first local server 230, sending a request for encrypted content from the second local server 240, the sending the request including sending the unique number 260, receiving the encrypted content from the second local server 240 at the device based application 220, decrypting the received encrypted content by the device based application with the unique number 260 as a decryption key, and displaying the decrypted content on a device display. In an alternative embodiment there is disclosed a method for on-line delivery of content to a device which includes broadcasting device presence to a local server.

Description

OFF-LThE CONTENT DELIVERY

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to method and systems for content distribution, and more particularly to method and systems for off-line content distribution.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Often gas station attendants will give a complimentary newspaper to a driver who fills up their car with a tank of gas. Similarly, airlines often give fliers a free newspaper for their flight.

At present, virtual content appears to be overtaking hard copy. The embodiments of the present invention described herein describe methods and systems for providing client devices with virtual content, while at the same dine tracking which client devices receive which content.

The following patents and patent applications are believed to reflect the state of the art: KR 20060026302 of Park Jong Do; TR200902029 of Mehmet and Orhan; US 7,403,924 to Sakainura, et al.; US 2004/0002359 of Deas et al.; and US 2009/0049556 of Vrielink et al.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in certain embodiments thereof, seeks to provide an improved method for delivering content.

There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention a method for off-line deliveiy of content to a device, the method including sending a device ID to a first local server, receiving a unique number from the first local server, providing the unique number to a device based application, establishing a communication session between the device based application and a second local server the second local server not being in on-line communication with the first local server, sending a request for encrypted content from the second local server, the sending the request including sending the unique number, receiving the encrypted content from the second local server at the device based application, decrypting the received encrypted content by the device based application with the unique number as a decryption key, and displaying the decrypted content on a device display.

Further in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, sending to a remote server the device ID and thc unique number by thc first local server, and a list of all requests made for encrypted content which include the unique number by the second local server.

There is also provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention a n1ethod for on-line delivery of content to a device, the method including broadcasting device presence to a local server, establishing a communication session with the local server, receiving a unique number from the local server, providing the unique number to a device based application, requesting content from a remote server for the device based application, receiving the content from the remote server, the received content being received as encrypted content, decrypting the received encrypted content by the device based application with the unique number as a decryption key, and displaying the decrypted content on a device display.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more filly from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: Fig. IA is a simplified pictorial illustration of a person at an airline check in counter, the person being entitled to receive a virtual coupon for content to be downloaded to a device once the person is on an airplane; Fig. lB is a simplified pictorial illustration of a person at a gas station, the person being entitled to receive a virtual coupon for content to be downloaded to a device; Fig. 2 is a simplified block diagram of a first embodiment of a system for off-line content delivery within the system of Figs. IA and 1B; Fig. 3 is a simplified block diagram of a second embodiment of a system for off-line content delivery within the system of Figs. IA and IB; Fig. 4 is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary device to which content may be downloaded in the system of Figs. 1A and 1B; and Figs. 5 and 6 are simplified flowchart diagrams of methods of operation of the system of Fig. L

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

Reference is now made to Fig. A, which is a simplified pictorial illustration of a person 110 at an airline check in counter 120, the person 110 being entitled to receive a virtual coupon for content to be downloaded to a device once the person is on an airplane. Reference is additionally made to Fig. 1B, which is a simplified pictorial illustration of a person 140 at a gas station 150, the person 140 being entitled to receive a virtual coupon for content to be downloaded to a device.

Both the person 110 at the airline check in counter 120 and the person 140 at the gas station 150 are holding hand held devices 180. The hand held devices 180 are depicted as hand held telephone devices; however, the hand held devices 180 may be mobile telephones, tablet computer devices, c-reader devices, or any other such appropriate device on which a user, such as the person 110, 140 might wish to consume some item of consumable content.

Consumable content items are understood to include content items which are consumable on widely differing platforms, but not necessarily be limited to: video-media files, for example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, as AVI, DIY, MP4, MPEG, MPG, WMV, and RM files, as well as streaming video files; audio-media files, for example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, MP3, M4A, MID!, and WAY files, as well as streaming audio files; and text-based media files, for example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, HTML, XML, DOC, and PDF files.

A typical situation in the "paper-newspaper / bricks-and-mortar store" environment is that the person 110, being a preferred customer of an airline, receives a coupon or a voucher for a free newspaper to be read on the person's 110 flight. The person 110 then redeems the coupon or voucher at a newspaper stand or bookstore on the way to the boarding gate for their flight.

Likcwisc, it is often the case that a pcrson 140 who has purchascd a full tank of gas is given a free newspaper by the gas station.

In an electronic environment, where the paper-newspaper / bricks-and-mortar store are becoming passé, a means for providing the person 110, 140 with a virtual newspaper (or any other appropriate content item) is needed.

Such a means should, at least, limit the person to a single gratis content item. Additionally, the means would ensure that the airline or gas station (or other agency which is providing the person with the coupon) is charged for the purchase of the content.

Referring now additionally to Fig. 2, which is a simplified block diagram of a first embodiment of a system for off-line content delivery within the system of Figs. IA and lB. The discussion of Fig. 2 is particularly relevant, but not limited to, to the embodiment depicted in Figs. lA. The person 110 is holding device ISO (Fig. IA, IB), which is depicted in Fig. 2 as user device 210. User device 210 is described below in greater detail, with reference to Fig. 4. User device 210 comprises an application 220 which is operative to be in communication with at least one of an airport server 230 or an airplane server 240.

It is appreciated that the airport server 230 is typically connected to the Internet.

The airport server 230 may be alternatively described as a first local server.

The user device 210 application 220 sends a device ID 250 to the airport server 230. The device ID 250 is pically an identifier which is unique to the device 210. The airport server 230, in return, sends the user device 210 application 220 a virtual coupon 260. The coupon 260 may comprise a unique number. Alternatively, where all user devices 210 associated with a plurality of users on a single flight are entitled to consume the same content item (by way of example, a daily newspaper) then the coupon 260 may not be unique. The application 220 stores the coupon 260 for later use, for example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, when the user is on the airplane.

The airport server 230 stores the device ID 250 with the virtual coupon 260 (i.e. the number which comprises the coupon) in a record in a first database 270 (i.e. a local database associated with the airport server 230).

At a later time, when the person 110 is on the airplane, their device 210 is no longer in communication with the airport server 230, but rather is now in communication with the airplane server 240. Typically, by contrast to the airport server 230, the airplane server 240 is off-line, i.e. not connected to the Internet (although not necessarily). Typically, the content items made available to the person 110 on the airplane, such as the newspaper in the example given above are cached on the airplane server 240. The airplane server 240 may be alternatively described as a second local server. Similarly, the cache might include movies, books, music, music video clips, and so forth.

The application 220 establishes a communication session with the airplane server 240. The application 220 provides the stored coupon 260 to the airplane server 240. In rcsponsc, the airplane server 240 sends thc application 220 a content item 275. It is appreciated that the device 210 might present the user 110 with a menu of choices of available content items. The content item 275 may be provided to the appropriate content displaying application on the device 210. For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the content item 275 is an AVI file, a media player capable of displaying AVI files plays the movie.

Likewise, if the content item 275 is a virtual newspaper which is a PDF file, a PDF file reader displays the PDF file, and so forth.

The airplane server 240 stores a record of the coupon 260 (i.e. the number which comprises the coupon 260) and an identifier indicating which content item is the provided content item 275 in a second database 280 (i.e. a local database associated with the airplane server 240). The identifier indicating which content item is the provided content item 275 may be a unique number identifying the content item 275, as is known in the art.

At some point in time, the record from the first database 270, which comprises the device ID 250 and the virtual coupon 260 (i.e. the number which comprises the coupon 260) is sent to a remoter server 290. Similarly, the record stored in the second database 280, which comprises the coupon 260 (i.e. the number which comprises the coupon 260) and the identifier indicating which content item is the provided content item 275 is also sent to the remote server 290.

The remote server 290 is able to store the records received from the first database 270 and the second database 280 in a remote database 295. By matching the stored records to find out which coupon 260 is associated with which device ID 250 and which content item 275 has been sent to a device which has submitted coupon 260, it is possible to determine that coupon 260 has been redeemed. Therefore a financial reconciliation between a content provider and the owner of the airline server is possible. Similarly, the system can be audited to ensure that the coupon 260 associated with a particular user device 210 was in fact redeemed by the particular user device 210 to the exclusion of no other user device. Persons of skill in the art will appreciate that other uses of the data in the remote database 295 can be used for other purposes.

It is appreciated that the coupon only remains valid for the duration of the flight. This may be enforced by having the content item 275 be encrypted to a key which is the number in the coupon 260. The encryption key will no longer be used to encrypt content at the airplane server 240 after the flight has ended.

Reference is now additionally made to Fig. 3, which is a simplified block diagram of a second embodiment of a system for off-line content delivery within the system of Figs. IA and lB. Fig. 3 is particularly relevant, but not limited to, to the embodiment depicted in Figs. lB.

The person 110 is holding device 180 (Fig. 1A, 1B), which is depicted in Fig. 3 as user device 310. User device 310 is described below in greater detail, with reference to Fig. 4. User device 310 comprises an application 320 which is operative to be in communication with a device 190 operated by a gas station aftendant 195. The attendant's device 190 comprises a serialized and registered application. The application on the attendant's device 190 detects beacons (for example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing UPS, RFID, or WiFi signals) emitted by various user devices in the gas station and its environs, and selects beacon emitted by the user device 180, 310 of the user who is purchasing gas from the gas station. A communications session is established between the application on the attendant's device 190 and the application 320 on the user device 310.

The application on the attendant's device 190 sends a virtual coupon 330 the application 320 on the user device 310. The virtual coupon 330 typically comprises a unique number.

An exemplary method of transferring the coupon 330 entails the attendant's device 190, which, as noted above, comprises a serialized and registered application which is serialized with a remote server 340. The remote server 340 provides a plurality of cryptographic keys 350 over a secure channel 360 to the attendant's device 190. In such a case, the cryptographic keys 350 comprise the coupons 330 to be distributed, as noted below.

The coupon 330 is sent from the application 320 on the user device 310 to the remote server 340. The remote server 340 sends the content iteni 370 to the application 320 on the user device 310, such as the free newspaper. It is appreciated that any appropriate content item may be the content item 370. For example, and without limiting the gcncrality of thc foregoing, the content item 370 may be a video clip of a news magazine; a book; the newspaper; or a music file. If the coupon 330 is one of the plurality of cryptographic keys 350 (as described above), then the content item 370 may arrive at the user device 370 encrypted according to the coupon 330. The coupon 330 is then utilized by a device crypto engine (see Fig. 4, crypto engine 435, below) to decrypt the encrypted content item 370.

It is appreciated that the remote server 340 might present the user with a menu of choices of available content items. The content item 370 may be provided to the appropriate content displaying application on the device 3 0.

For example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, if the content item 370 is an AVI file, a media player capable of displaying AVI files plays the movie. Likewise, if the content item 370 is a virtual newspaper which is a PDF file, a PDF file reader displays the PDF file, and so forth.

In another embodiment, the person 110 may manually enter the coupon 330 number on the user device 310. for example, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the electronic communication between the attendant's device 190 and the application 320 on the user device 310 may not work properly, and thus the person 110 manually enters the coupon 330 number on the user device 310. In such a case, the number which comprises the coupon 330 is used as an encryption key to establish a secure channel between the remote server 340 and the user device 310. The content item 370 is transferred over the secure channel.

Alternatively, if the content item 370 is transferred over the Internet by the remote server 340 to the user device 310, the content item 370 may be encrypted using the number which comprises the coupon 330 as the encryption key.

Once the application 320 on the user device 310 acknowledges receipt of the content item 370 to the remote server 340, the coupon is marked as used by the remote server 340, and will not be accepted again by the remote server 340 to enable a further download of content.

Reference is now made to Fig. 4, which is a simplified block diagram of an exemplary device to which content may be downloaded in the system of Figs. IA and lB. The user device 180 typically comprises a device processor 410. The device processor 410 is operatively connected, as is known in the art, with device storage 415, which stores files (such as, but not limited to, files for reading or viewing on the user device 180, operating system files, program files, etc.). The device processor 410 outputs digital versions of text, video, and so forth, to a graphic digital to analog converter 420, which in turn, outputs analog images on the user device 180 display screen 425. The device processor 410 is further operative to receive and process input from a user interface 428, such as manually actuated controls (not depicted) or the reading screen 425, in cases where the reading screen 425 comprises a touch screen which is operative to serve as user interface 428.

The user device 180 further comprises an encryption key management system 430 and a crypto-enginc 435. The device encryption key management system 430 and a crypto-engine 435 are in communication with each other and the device processor 410. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the crypto-engine 435 may be comprised within the device processor 410.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that communication between components described herein typically occurs over a communication bus (not depicted) comprised in the device.

The device processor 410 typically outputs communications a communication module 440, which is operatively connected to an antenna 445.

Depending on protocol and other conccrns, such as deciding with which type of marker system (e.g. GPS, RFID, etc.) to communicate, the communication module 440 may intermediate communications signals between an RFID tag 450, the OPS system, or other marker which can identify and track an object and the device processor 410. The coniniunication module 440 and the RFID tag 450 are typically associated with at least one antenna 445. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that decisions concerning with which type of marker system to communicate, may involve load balancing, as some communication channels may be busier than others.

Additionally, the user device 10 typically comprises a battery 453, which is at least partially controlled andior monitored by the device processor 410, in order to apply, where needed, power saving and power-monitoring applications.

In addition to the components mentions above and depicted in Fig. 4, the user device 180, the user device 180 typically also comprises on chip memory 460. Additionally, the following components which are not depicted and other components may also optionally be comprised in the user device 180 a gaze tracking system, a face tracker, a microphone, an accelerometer, an audio controller operative to control audio output to a speaker.

Reference is now made to Figs. 5 and 6, which arc simplified flowchart diagrams of preferred methods of operation of the system of Fig. I. The methods of Figs. 5 -6 are believed to be self-explanatory in light of the above discussion.

It is appreciated that software components of the present invention may, if desired, be implemented in RUM (read only memory) form. The software components may, generally, be implemented in hardware, if desired, using conventional techniques. It is ftrther appreciated that the software components may be instantiated, for example: as a computer program product; on a tangible medium; or as a signal interpretable by an appropriate computer.

It is appreciated that various features of the invention which are, for clarity, described in the contexts of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment may also be provided separately or in any suitable subconibination.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described l0 hereinabove. Rather the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and equiva]en thereof:

II

Claims

CLAIMS1. A method for off-line delivery of content to a device, the method comprising: sending a device ID to a first local server; receiving a unique number from the first local server; providing the unique number to a device based application; establishing a communication session between the device based application and a second local server the second local server not being in on-line communication with the first local serveç sending a request for encrypted content from the second local sewer, the sending the request including sending the unique number; receiving the encrypted content from the second local server at the device based application decrypting the received encrypted content by the device based application with the unique number as a decryption key; and displaying the decrypted content on a device display.
2. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising scnding to a remote server the device ID and the unique number by the first local server; and a list of all requests made for encrypted content which include the unique number by the second local server.
3. A method for on-line delivery of content to a device, the method comprising: broadcasting device presence to a local server; establishing a communication session with the oca1 sewer; receiving a unique number from the local server; providing the unique number to a device based. application; requesting content from a remote server for the device based application; receiving the content from the remote server, the received content being received as encrypted content; decrypting the received encrypted content by the device based application with the unique number as a decryption key; and displaying the decrypted content on a device display.Respectfully submitted,