WO2001080472A2 - Downloaded media protocol integration system and method - Google Patents

Downloaded media protocol integration system and method Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2001080472A2
WO2001080472A2 PCT/US2001/012765 US0112765W WO0180472A2 WO 2001080472 A2 WO2001080472 A2 WO 2001080472A2 US 0112765 W US0112765 W US 0112765W WO 0180472 A2 WO0180472 A2 WO 0180472A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
media
protocol
player
piece
downloaded
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2001/012765
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2001080472A3 (en
Inventor
John H. Mallard, Iii
Sanjeev Kumar
Original Assignee
Portalplayer, Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Portalplayer, Inc. filed Critical Portalplayer, Inc.
Priority to AU2001255497A priority Critical patent/AU2001255497A1/en
Priority to EP01928664A priority patent/EP1234247A2/en
Priority to CA002377006A priority patent/CA2377006A1/en
Publication of WO2001080472A2 publication Critical patent/WO2001080472A2/en
Publication of WO2001080472A3 publication Critical patent/WO2001080472A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L63/00—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security
    • H04L63/10—Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security for controlling access to devices or network resources
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F21/00—Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
    • G06F21/10—Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material ; Digital rights management [DRM]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
    • H04L67/01—Protocols
    • H04L67/06—Protocols specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
    • H04L67/34—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications involving the movement of software or configuration parameters 
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
    • H04L69/18—Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/81—Monomedia components thereof
    • H04N21/8166—Monomedia components thereof involving executable data, e.g. software
    • H04N21/8193—Monomedia components thereof involving executable data, e.g. software dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
    • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
    • H04N21/83—Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
    • H04N21/835—Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04L2463/00—Additional details relating to network architectures or network communication protocols for network security covered by H04L63/00
    • H04L2463/101—Additional details relating to network architectures or network communication protocols for network security covered by H04L63/00 applying security measures for digital rights management

Definitions

  • This invention relates generally to a downloaded media protocol integration system and method and in particular to a system and method for permitting any media player to play media having different protocols.
  • DRMs digital rights managers
  • CODECs encoders/decoders
  • different protocols different protocols
  • MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 protocols video typically
  • MP3 protocol for audio music
  • CODECs and DRMs a single media player may not be able to play all of the different types of media since any single player does not have the necessary DRMs and or CODECs to play all of the different types of media.
  • an MP3 audio player is only able to play media encoded using the MP3 protocol, but may not be able to play media encoded using the MPEG-4 protocol or any other protocol. Therefore, each current media player has a limited usefulness and a limited amount of media that can be played on the media player.
  • protocol integration system that permits any typical media player to play media having a variety of different DRMs and CODECs.
  • the protocol integration system in accordance with the invention would make each media player more useful since each media player would not longer be limited to only playing media that is designed specifically for the particular media player. Thus, it is desirable
  • the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention overcomes the problem that there are typically various different digital rights managers (DRMs) and encoders/decoders (CODECs) associated with different downloadable media. Therefore, with the variety of different CODECs and DRMs, a single media player may not be able to play all of the different media. For example, an MP3 player may be able to play media encoded using the MP3 protocol, but may not be able to play media encoded using MPEG-4.
  • the protocol integration system in accordance with the invention may, when downloading media to a player, determine the CODECs/DRMs (collectively "protocols") currently supported by the particular player.
  • any media player may play any type of media regardless of the CODEC or DRM being used.
  • a typical computer may interrogate a player connected to it to ensure the appropriate CODEC and DRM are available on the player.
  • a mini- component system may go to a particular web site to download the appropriate CODEC and DRM.
  • a system for playing different media on a player wherein each piece of media has an associated protocol.
  • the system downloads a piece of media having a particular protocol to the player and determines if the particular protocol is supported by the player when a piece of media Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
  • the system then downloads the particular protocol to the player while downloading the piece of media so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
  • a method for playing different media on a player wherein each piece of media having an associated protocol.
  • a request is received to download a piece of media having a particular protocol to the player and it is determined if the particular protocol is supported by the player before the piece of media is downloaded to the player. If the protocol is not supported, the particular protocol is downloaded to the player while downloading the piece of media so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
  • a server for managing one or more different pieces of media having different protocols receives a request to download a piece of media having a particular protocol to a player. Prior to downloading the media, the server determines if the particular protocol is supported by the player and, if the protocol for the media is not supported, downloads the particular protocol to the player while downloading the piece of media so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
  • Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a downloadable media system that may include a first embodiment of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention; Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating more details of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention.
  • FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for downloaded media protocol integration in accordance with the invention.
  • Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a mini-component media system that may include a second embodiment of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention.
  • the invention is particularly applicable to downloading audio media and the protocols associated with the audio media and it is in this context that the invention will be described. It will be appreciated, however, that the system and method in accordance with the invention has greater utility, such as to various different types of media and to various different protocols applicable to the various different types of media, such as video media.
  • the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention overcomes the problem that there are typically various different digital rights managers (DRMs) and encoders/decoders (CODECs) associated with different downloadable media. Therefore, with the current variety of different CODECs and DRMs, a single media player may not be able to play all of the different media. For example, an MP3 player may be able to play media encoded using the MP3 protocol, but may not be able to play media encoded using MPEG-4.
  • the protocol integration system in accordance with the invention may, when downloading media to a player, determine the CODECs/DRMs currently supported by the particular player. Then, if the player does not support the particular CODEC/DRM for the Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
  • the CODEC/DRM for that media is also downloaded to the player at the same time as the media.
  • any media player may play any type of media regardless of the CODEC or DRM being used.
  • a typical computer may interrogate a player connected to it to ensure the appropriate CODEC and DRM are available on the player.
  • a mini- component system may go to a particular web site to download the appropriate CODEC and DRM.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a downloadable media system 10 that may include a first embodiment of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention.
  • the system 10 may include a computer 12, such as a stand-alone personal computer or any other type of computer including a server, and a media player 14 connected to the computer 12 over a communications link or computer network 16 that may be a wire-based link or a wireless link.
  • the computer 12 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 18, a memory 20, a download manager 22 and one or more input/output devices that permit a user to interact with the computer such as a keyboard 24 and a mouse 26 as shown.
  • the download manager 22 may be a software application stored in the memory 20 and executed by the CPU 18.
  • the CPU 18 controls the operation of the computer including the memory and the download manager.
  • the memory 20 may store, among other things, one or more pieces of media (Media #1 - Media #N) and one or more different protocols (Protocol #1 - Protocol #N) wherein the protocols may include different DRMs and/or different CODECs.
  • the computer may also Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
  • a persistent storage device such as a hard disk drive, an optical disk drive, a CD-ROM or a tape drive, for permanently storing the one or more pieces of media, the one or more different protocols and the software used to implement the protocol integration system.
  • the media player 14 may include a CPU 30, a memory 32, a decompressor 34 and an output device 36, such as a speaker or headphone jack that permits the user of the media player to listen to the downloaded media.
  • the CPU 30 controls the operation of the media player and the decompressor decompresses the downloaded media using the appropriate protocol (e.g., CODEC or DRM) and outputs the decompressed media to the output device 36.
  • the media player permits media to be downloaded from the computer and then played on the media player.
  • the memory may store one or more pieces of media and the protocol that permits the media to be decompressed and played.
  • the memory 32 of the media player 14 may include one or more pieces of media 40 along with the protocol software 42 for each piece of media.
  • the protocol may include the CODEC and/or DRM necessary to decrypt/decode the media and play it over the output device 36.
  • the media player 14 may download the required protocol from the computer 12 as needed as will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 3. Now, more details of the downloaded media protocol integration system will be described.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating more details of the downloaded media protocol integration system 22 in accordance with the invention.
  • the integration system 22 further comprises a downloader module 50 and a protocol determiner module 52 that operate to achieve the functions of the protocol integration system in accordance with the invention.
  • the downloader 50 may, based on a request from the player 14 for a piece of media, download the media or the media Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
  • the protocol determiner 52 may, either during the initial download of the media or later, determine whether the player 14 has the proper protocol in order to decrypt and decode the media. If the player has the appropriate protocol, the protocol determiner does not take any further action. If the player 14 does not have the appropriate protocol for the media, the protocol determiner may retrieve the appropriate protocol from the memory 20 and download it to the player 14 along with the media so that the player 14 may decode and decrypt the media and play it.
  • FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method 60 for downloaded media protocol integration in accordance with the invention.
  • the player may request a piece of media from the computer.
  • the computer may issue a protocol determination request to the player so that the computer can determine if the player supports the appropriate protocol to play the downloaded media as shown in step 66. If the player has the appropriate protocol for the piece of media to be downloaded, then the media is downloaded in step 68. If the player does not have the appropriate protocol to play the media, then in step 70, the computer downloads the media with the protocol to the player so that the player is able to play the media with the newly downloaded protocol.
  • the computer determines if there are any more media requests in step 72 and loops back to step 64 to handle any more media requests. If there are no more media requests, then the method ends.
  • the protocol integration system permits a single player to play many different types of media with many different types of protocols instead of having to use Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
  • FIG 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a mini-component media system 80 that may include a second embodiment of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention.
  • the system 80 may include a mini- component player 82 connected by a computer network or communications link 86, such as the Internet, to a server 84.
  • the player 82 may further include a CPU 88, a memory 90, a decompressor 92, an output device 94, such as an audio speaker, and a download manager 96.
  • the download manager 96 may control the download of media to the player 82.
  • the memory 90 may store one or more pieces of media.
  • the server 84 may determine the protocols resident in the memory of the player as described above and then, if the appropriate protocol is not present, download the protocol along with the media to the player over the computer network.
  • the server 84 may include a CPU 100, a protocol manager 102 and a storage device 104 that may contain one more pieces of media and one or more associated protocols.
  • the protocol manager 102 may perform the function to determining if the player has the appropriate protocol to play the requested media and then download the protocol with the media if necessary. In accordance with the invention, however, the player 82 may determine that it cannot play the piece of media and then request the necessary protocol from the server 84.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
  • Software Systems (AREA)
  • Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Technology Law (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
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  • Signal Processing For Digital Recording And Reproducing (AREA)
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Abstract

A protocol integration system and method are described wherein a downloadable media system (10) may include a computer (12) and a media player (14) that may be used to play one or more different pieces of media using different protocols downloaded from a computer as needed. In which the media player is connected to the computer over a communications link or computer network (16) that may be a wire-based link or a wireless link. The protocols may include different CODECS and different rights managers.

Description

Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
DOWNLOADED MEDIA PROTOCOL INTEGRATION SYSTEM AND METHOD
Background of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a downloaded media protocol integration system and method and in particular to a system and method for permitting any media player to play media having different protocols.
Currently, there are typically various different digital rights managers (DRMs) that control the access to a piece of media and different encoders/decoders (CODECs) (collectively known as different protocols) associated with different downloadable media. For example, for different types of media there may be the MPEG 2 and MPEG 4 protocols (video typically) and the MP3 protocol (for audio music). Therefore, with the current variety of different CODECs and DRMs, a single media player may not be able to play all of the different types of media since any single player does not have the necessary DRMs and or CODECs to play all of the different types of media. In addition, it may be difficult for a user of a player to easily locate the necessary DRM or CODEC for a particular piece of media. Thus, for example, an MP3 audio player is only able to play media encoded using the MP3 protocol, but may not be able to play media encoded using the MPEG-4 protocol or any other protocol. Therefore, each current media player has a limited usefulness and a limited amount of media that can be played on the media player.
It is desirable to provide a protocol integration system that permits any typical media player to play media having a variety of different DRMs and CODECs. The protocol integration system in accordance with the invention would make each media player more useful since each media player would not longer be limited to only playing media that is designed specifically for the particular media player. Thus, it is desirable
I Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
to provide a downloaded media protocol integration system and method and it is to this end that the present invention is directed.
Summary of the Invention
In general, the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention overcomes the problem that there are typically various different digital rights managers (DRMs) and encoders/decoders (CODECs) associated with different downloadable media. Therefore, with the variety of different CODECs and DRMs, a single media player may not be able to play all of the different media. For example, an MP3 player may be able to play media encoded using the MP3 protocol, but may not be able to play media encoded using MPEG-4. The protocol integration system in accordance with the invention may, when downloading media to a player, determine the CODECs/DRMs (collectively "protocols") currently supported by the particular player. Then, if the player does not support the particular CODEC/DRM for the particular media being downloaded, the CODEC/DRM for that media is also downloaded to the player at the same time as the media. Thus, using the protocol integration system in accordance with the invention, any media player may play any type of media regardless of the CODEC or DRM being used. In one embodiment, a typical computer may interrogate a player connected to it to ensure the appropriate CODEC and DRM are available on the player. In another embodiment, a mini- component system may go to a particular web site to download the appropriate CODEC and DRM.
Thus, in accordance with the invention, a system for playing different media on a player is provided wherein each piece of media has an associated protocol. The system downloads a piece of media having a particular protocol to the player and determines if the particular protocol is supported by the player when a piece of media Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
is downloaded to the player. If the protocol for the media is not supported, the system then downloads the particular protocol to the player while downloading the piece of media so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method for playing different media on a player is provided wherein each piece of media having an associated protocol. First, a request is received to download a piece of media having a particular protocol to the player and it is determined if the particular protocol is supported by the player before the piece of media is downloaded to the player. If the protocol is not supported, the particular protocol is downloaded to the player while downloading the piece of media so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a server for managing one or more different pieces of media having different protocols is provided. The server receives a request to download a piece of media having a particular protocol to a player. Prior to downloading the media, the server determines if the particular protocol is supported by the player and, if the protocol for the media is not supported, downloads the particular protocol to the player while downloading the piece of media so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a downloadable media system that may include a first embodiment of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention; Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating more details of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention;
Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method for downloaded media protocol integration in accordance with the invention; and
Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a mini-component media system that may include a second embodiment of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention.
Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment
The invention is particularly applicable to downloading audio media and the protocols associated with the audio media and it is in this context that the invention will be described. It will be appreciated, however, that the system and method in accordance with the invention has greater utility, such as to various different types of media and to various different protocols applicable to the various different types of media, such as video media.
In general, the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention overcomes the problem that there are typically various different digital rights managers (DRMs) and encoders/decoders (CODECs) associated with different downloadable media. Therefore, with the current variety of different CODECs and DRMs, a single media player may not be able to play all of the different media. For example, an MP3 player may be able to play media encoded using the MP3 protocol, but may not be able to play media encoded using MPEG-4. The protocol integration system in accordance with the invention may, when downloading media to a player, determine the CODECs/DRMs currently supported by the particular player. Then, if the player does not support the particular CODEC/DRM for the Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
particular media being downloaded, the CODEC/DRM for that media is also downloaded to the player at the same time as the media. Thus, using the protocol integration system in accordance with the invention, any media player may play any type of media regardless of the CODEC or DRM being used. In one embodiment, a typical computer may interrogate a player connected to it to ensure the appropriate CODEC and DRM are available on the player. In another embodiment, a mini- component system may go to a particular web site to download the appropriate CODEC and DRM. Now, the first embodiment of the protocol integration system in accordance with the invention will be described in more detail.
Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a downloadable media system 10 that may include a first embodiment of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention. In particular, the system 10 may include a computer 12, such as a stand-alone personal computer or any other type of computer including a server, and a media player 14 connected to the computer 12 over a communications link or computer network 16 that may be a wire-based link or a wireless link. The media player 14, which may be portable or a stand-alone unit, permits a user to play media that is downloaded from the computer.
The computer 12 may include a central processing unit (CPU) 18, a memory 20, a download manager 22 and one or more input/output devices that permit a user to interact with the computer such as a keyboard 24 and a mouse 26 as shown. The download manager 22 may be a software application stored in the memory 20 and executed by the CPU 18. The CPU 18 controls the operation of the computer including the memory and the download manager. In this example, the memory 20 may store, among other things, one or more pieces of media (Media #1 - Media #N) and one or more different protocols (Protocol #1 - Protocol #N) wherein the protocols may include different DRMs and/or different CODECs. The computer may also Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
include a persistent storage device, such as a hard disk drive, an optical disk drive, a CD-ROM or a tape drive, for permanently storing the one or more pieces of media, the one or more different protocols and the software used to implement the protocol integration system.
The media player 14 may include a CPU 30, a memory 32, a decompressor 34 and an output device 36, such as a speaker or headphone jack that permits the user of the media player to listen to the downloaded media. The CPU 30 controls the operation of the media player and the decompressor decompresses the downloaded media using the appropriate protocol (e.g., CODEC or DRM) and outputs the decompressed media to the output device 36. The media player permits media to be downloaded from the computer and then played on the media player. With a typical media player, the memory may store one or more pieces of media and the protocol that permits the media to be decompressed and played. In accordance with the invention, the memory 32 of the media player 14 may include one or more pieces of media 40 along with the protocol software 42 for each piece of media. The protocol may include the CODEC and/or DRM necessary to decrypt/decode the media and play it over the output device 36. In the alternative, the media player 14 may download the required protocol from the computer 12 as needed as will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 3. Now, more details of the downloaded media protocol integration system will be described.
Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating more details of the downloaded media protocol integration system 22 in accordance with the invention. In particular, the integration system 22 further comprises a downloader module 50 and a protocol determiner module 52 that operate to achieve the functions of the protocol integration system in accordance with the invention. In particular, the downloader 50 may, based on a request from the player 14 for a piece of media, download the media or the media Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
and associated protocol to the player from the memory 20 where one or more pieces of media and one or more CODECs and/or one or more DRMs are stored. The protocol determiner 52 may, either during the initial download of the media or later, determine whether the player 14 has the proper protocol in order to decrypt and decode the media. If the player has the appropriate protocol, the protocol determiner does not take any further action. If the player 14 does not have the appropriate protocol for the media, the protocol determiner may retrieve the appropriate protocol from the memory 20 and download it to the player 14 along with the media so that the player 14 may decode and decrypt the media and play it. Now, an example of a method for protocol integration in accordance with the invention will be described.
Figure 3 is a flowchart illustrating a method 60 for downloaded media protocol integration in accordance with the invention. In particular, in step 62, the player may request a piece of media from the computer. In step 64, the computer may issue a protocol determination request to the player so that the computer can determine if the player supports the appropriate protocol to play the downloaded media as shown in step 66. If the player has the appropriate protocol for the piece of media to be downloaded, then the media is downloaded in step 68. If the player does not have the appropriate protocol to play the media, then in step 70, the computer downloads the media with the protocol to the player so that the player is able to play the media with the newly downloaded protocol. After the media or the media and protocol are downloaded to the player, the computer determines if there are any more media requests in step 72 and loops back to step 64 to handle any more media requests. If there are no more media requests, then the method ends. In accordance with the invention, the protocol integration system permits a single player to play many different types of media with many different types of protocols instead of having to use Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
a different player for each different type of protocol. Now, another embodiment of the protocol integration system in accordance with the invention will be described.
Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a mini-component media system 80 that may include a second embodiment of the downloaded media protocol integration system in accordance with the invention. In this figure, elements having the same name as shown in Figure 1 have the same functionality and will not be described here unless the functionality is different. The system 80 may include a mini- component player 82 connected by a computer network or communications link 86, such as the Internet, to a server 84. The player 82 may further include a CPU 88, a memory 90, a decompressor 92, an output device 94, such as an audio speaker, and a download manager 96. The download manager 96 may control the download of media to the player 82. The memory 90 may store one or more pieces of media. When the player is downloading a piece of media or at some later time, the server 84 may determine the protocols resident in the memory of the player as described above and then, if the appropriate protocol is not present, download the protocol along with the media to the player over the computer network.
The server 84 may include a CPU 100, a protocol manager 102 and a storage device 104 that may contain one more pieces of media and one or more associated protocols. The protocol manager 102 may perform the function to determining if the player has the appropriate protocol to play the requested media and then download the protocol with the media if necessary. In accordance with the invention, however, the player 82 may determine that it cannot play the piece of media and then request the necessary protocol from the server 84.
While the foregoing has been with reference to a particular embodiment of the invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes in this Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
embodiment may be made without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210Claims:
1. A system for playing different media on a player, each piece of media having an associated protocol, the system comprising:
means for downloading a piece of media having a particular protocol to the player;
means for determining if the particular protocol is supported by the player when a piece of media is downloaded to the player; and
means, if the protocol for the media is not supported, for downloading the particular protocol to the player while downloading the piece of media so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
2. The system of Claim 1, wherein the protocol further comprises a particular CODECs selected from a group of CODECs.
3. The system of Claim 2, wherein the protocol further comprises a particular digital rights manage selected from a group of digital rights managers.
4. A method for playing different media on a player, each piece of media having an associated protocol, the method comprising:
receiving a request to download a piece of media having a particular protocol to the player;
determining if the particular protocol is supported by the player before the piece of media is downloaded to the player; and Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
downloading the particular protocol to the player while downloading the piece of media so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
5. The system of Claim 4, wherein the protocol further comprises a particular CODECs selected from a group of CODECs.
6. The system of Claim 5, wherein the protocol further comprises a particular digital rights manage selected from a group of digital rights managers.
7. A server for managing one or more different pieces of media having different protocols, the server comprising:
means for receiving a request to download a piece of media having a particular protocol to a player;
means for determining if the particular protocol is supported by the player when a piece of media is downloaded to the player; and
means, if the protocol for the media is not supported, for downloading the particular protocol to the player while downloading the piece of media so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
8. The system of Claim 7, wherein the protocol further comprises a particular CODECs selected from a group of CODECs.
9. The system of Claim 8, wherein the protocol further comprises a particular digital rights manage selected from a group of digital rights managers.
10. A media player for playing different media, each piece of media having an associated protocol, the player comprising: Attorney Docket No. 2100653-995210
means for requesting a piece of media from a computer;
means for communicating the supported protocols to the computer; and
means, if the protocol for the media is not supported, for receiving the particular protocol and the requested media from the computer so that the player plays the downloaded piece of media using the downloaded protocol.
11. The system of Claim 10, wherein the protocol further comprises a particular CODECs selected from a group of CODECs.
12. The system of Claim 11, wherein the protocol further comprises a particular digital rights manage selected from a group of digital rights managers.
PCT/US2001/012765 2000-04-18 2001-04-18 Downloaded media protocol integration system and method WO2001080472A2 (en)

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CA002377006A CA2377006A1 (en) 2000-04-18 2001-04-18 Downloaded media protocol integration system and method

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WO2001080472A3 (en) 2002-03-21
CA2377006A1 (en) 2001-10-25
EP1234247A2 (en) 2002-08-28

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