WO2001086480A2

WO2001086480A2 - Network library service

Info

Publication number: WO2001086480A2
Application number: PCT/US2001/014114
Authority: WO
Inventors: Christopher Baker; Charles Merriam
Original assignee: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Priority date: 2000-05-11
Filing date: 2001-05-01
Publication date: 2001-11-15
Also published as: WO2001086480A3; AU5935201A; EP1295457A2

Abstract

A novel network library service is provided for enabling a user to assemble his own personal and private collection of digital media which are electronically deliverable to him over a communications network such as the Internat. Any item in the library may be selected at any time by the library owner and sent to the owner at any location. This network library service includes a user access mechanism for coupling to a network for communicating with a user, for receiving user requests and for delivering requested items to the user. The library service also includes a list storage mechanism coupled to the user access mechanism for storing a list of digital media which the list owner has included in his personal library collection. The library service further includes a validation mechanism for comparing a request from the list owner with his stored personal list of digital media for providing an indication of which requested items are listed. The library service also includes a delivery mechanism responsive to the validation mechanism for delivering listed requested items to the user access mechanism for electronic delivery to the list owner. The network library service further includes an authentication mechanism for receiving and examining user authentication information and denying access to the requested items if authentication fails. This network library service provides a full library service for creation, management and access to a varied private collection of virtual possessions.

Description

NETWORK LIBRARY SERVICE

DESCRIPTION

Technical Field

This invention relates to services provided over communications networks

such as, for example, the Internet communications network.

Background Of The Invention

A variety of different services are currently provided over the Internet.

Some examples are banking services, automobile purchasing services, book

buying services, stock market services, music buying services, auction services,

grocery shopping, travel reservations, real estate services, mortgage services, and

so on and so on. These services are intended to make the life of consumers easier

and more effortless.

The numbers and types of services provided over the Internet are growing

rapidly and no doubt will continue to grow. Nevertheless, there remains numerous

areas that have not been fully exploited by the Internet. And some that have been

exploited leave room for improvement in their manner of organization and

performance. Summary Of The Invention

The present invention provides a novel network library service for enabling

a user to assemble his own personal and private collection of digital media which

are electronically deliverable to him over a communications network such as the

Internet. Typical digital media which may be included by the user in his network

library are musical selections, movies, still pictures, multimedia materials, video

games, books, periodicals, textual data, and the like. Any item in the library may

be selected at any time by the library owner and sent to him wherever he is

located. All that is needed by the owner is an appropriate device for accessing the

Internet and an appropriate mechanism for reproducing the item delivered from the

library. For the case of a musical selection, for example, the access device may be

a wireless telephone and the reproduction mechanism may be an audio amplifier

and loudspeaker system. If desired, all of these elements may be combined in a

single unit.

The present invention provides a full library service for secure creation,

management and access to a varied private collection of virtual possessions .

The present invention comprises a network library service for providing a

user with a personal collection of digital media which are electronically

deliverable to the user over a network. This library service includes a user access

mechanism for coupling to a network for communicating with a user for receiving

user requests and delivering requested materials. The library service also includes

a list storage mechanism coupled to the user access mechanism and storing a list of digital media which a user has included in his personal library collection. The

library service further includes a validation mechanism for comparing a request

from the user with his stored personal list of digital media for providing an

indication of which requested items are listed. The library service also includes a

delivery mechanism responsive to the validation mechanism for delivering listed

requested items to the user access mechanism for delivery to the user.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and

further advantages and features thereof, reference is made to the following

description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the scope of the

invention being pointed out in the appended claims.

Brief Description Of The Drawings

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a network system including a library

service constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing in greater detail the construction of a

representative embodiment of a library service constructed in accordance with the

present invention;

FIG. 3 shows in greater detail a representative form of construction for the

list control mechanism of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 shows an example of digital media data stored in the list storage

mechanism of FIG. 2; and FIGS. 5A-5C show examples of customized playlists that may be stored in

the list storage mechanism of FIG. 2.

Detailed Description Of The Illustrated Embodiment

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a representative embodiment of a

network environment in which the present invention is used. The present

invention is represented by library service 10 which is linked to a communications

network 11. Network 11 may be, for example, the widely used Internet

communications network. Linked to the network 11 are various user mechanisms

represented, for example, by a computer 12, a user token mechanism 13, an audio

player 14, and a video player 15. These mechanisms are coupled to network 11 by

a network access terminal 16. Also linked to network 11 are a number of provider

mechanisms represented, for example, by music provider 17, video provider 18,

video game provider 19, and text provider 20.

Computer 12 may be, for example, either a desktop or a laptop type of

personal computer. User token mechanism 13 may be, for example, a key pad for

entering a personal identification number, a Smart Card and a Smart Card reader or

some form of biometric identification device. The purpose of the user token

mechanism 13 is to identify the user with as high a degree of reliability as possible.

Access terminal 16 establishes a connection between the user mechanisms 12-15

and the communication network 11 for enabling the user mechanisms to

communicate with network 11 and vice versa. Access terminal 16 may take the form of, for example, a communication modem, a personal computer or a wireless

digital telephone.

Providers 17-20 are connected to the network 11 and supply to the network

various types of digital media, such as music, movies, video games, text materials,

etc. Such digital media may include, for example, textual data (books, magazines,

etc.), encoded or encrypted sound materials, still or motion pictures, computer-

generated multi-media items (for example, video games), and subscriptions to

various media services (for example, customized news feeds, stock market ticker

tapes and so forth).

Library service 10 provides management of the flow of materials from the

different providers to the particular user devices being used. In particular, library

service 10 maintains a list of the particular digital media which are available in the

personal library of each particular user. Each user is responsible for the contents

of his particular library list. He picks and chooses the items that are listed as part

of his library. Items can also be deleted when desired. Library service 10 makes

any one or more of the listed items available to the owner of the library upon his

request. Library service 10 includes an authentication mechanism for establishing

the identity of the library owner with a high degree of accuracy before allowing

access to his library of materials. As such, only the library owner or his authorized

representative will be allowed access to his particular library of media materials.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown in greater detail a representative form of

construction for the library service 10 of FIG. 1. This library service 10 provides a user with a personal collection of digital media which are electronically

deliverable to the user over the network 11. The representative embodiment of

FIG. 2 includes a user access mechanism 21 coupled to network 11 by link 22a for

communicating with a user for receiving user requests and delivering requested

digital media materials to the user. The library service 10 of FIG. 2 also includes a

list storage mechanism 23 which is coupled to the user access mechanism 21 (by

way of an authentication mechanism 26). For each authorized library service

subscriber, the list storage mechanism 23 stores a list of digital media which the

subscriber has selected for inclusion in his personal library. Library service 10 of

FIG. 2 further includes a validation mechanism 24 coupled to both the user access

mechanism 21 (by way of an authentication mechanism 26) and the list storage

mechanism 23 for comparing a request from a user with his stored personal list of

digital media stored in list storage mechanism 23 for providing an indication of

which requested items are listed on his stored list. Signals identifying the

requested and listed items are supplied by the validation mechanism 24 to a

delivery mechanism 25 which delivers the listed requested items to the user access

mechanism 21 for delivery to the predetermined user, namely the owner of the

library list in question.

Library service 10 also includes an authentication mechanism 26 coupled to

the user access mechanism 21 for examining identification authentication

information received from a user for authenticating the identity of the user seeking

to access a personal list of digital media. If the identity of the user is not authenticated, the user is advised of this fact and no access is allowed to the sought

after list of digital media. In this event, the user request is not submitted to either

the validation mechanism 24 or the list storage mechanism 23 and no digital media

is delivered to the requester.

The identification information needed by the authentication mechanism 26

is provided by the user token mechanism 13 of FIG. 1 and is supplied by way of

access terminal 16, network 11 and user access mechanism 21 to the authentication

mechanism 26. This authentication information can be any unique identifier in the

possession of the user. The token mechanism 13 may take various forms. It may

be, for example, a key pad for enabling entry of an appropriate identification code.

Or it may take the form of a Smart Card having the necessary information

encoded thereon and a Smart Card reader for entering the information into the

system. As a further alternative, the token mechanism 13 may be a biometric

device for scanning a fingerprint, the retinal features, or other physical feature of

the user. In any event, a sample of the necessary identification information would

be preloaded into the authentication mechanism 26 for purposes of comparison

with the information submitted by the user.

The library service 10 of FIG. 2 further includes a provider access

mechanism 27 coupled to the network 11 by way of link 22b and responsive to the

validation mechanism 24 for communicating with a digital media provider for

causing such provider to supply (a listed) requested item to the delivery

mechanism 25 for delivery to the authorized user. Typical digital media providers are represented by music provider 17, video provider 18, video game provider 19,

and text provider 20 in FIG. 1.

Library service 10 also includes a media storage mechanism 28 for storing

some of the digital media which a user is allowed to access. This media storage

mechanism 28 is responsive to the request signals produced by the validation

mechanism 24 for supplying the requested items to the delivery mechanism 25 for

delivery to the user. If a requested item is available in the media storage 28, it

would be obtained from such location. Otherwise, it would be obtained from a

remote media provider via the provider access mechanism 27. If desired, items

obtained from the remote media provider may also be stored in the media storage

mechanism 28 for later reuse.

As a further feature, the user may load into the media storage 28 digital

media currently in his possession. This is accomplished by way of user access

mechanism 21 and bus 29. The stored library list is updated by way of the list

control mechanism 32 and the update mechanism 31. This user provided media is

then available from the library service for later reuse by the user. This is

convenient for cases where the user wishes to reuse the media at a different

location or no longer has the media in his immediate possession.

Library service 10 also includes a new item order mechanism 30 which is

coupled to the user access mechanism 21 via the authentication mechanism 26 for

receiving a new item purchase request from the user and producing a purchase

order for the new item. This purchase order is then supplied by way of provider access mechanism 27 and network 11 to a network-connected digital media

provider, for example, an appropriate one of providers 17-20, for causing such

provider to supply the new item to the delivery mechanism 25 for delivery to the

user. The media provider also supplies the necessary cataloging information to a

storage update mechanism 31 for adding the particulars regarding the new item to

the user's personal list of library items contained in the list storage mechanism 23.

New item order mechanism 30 provides the appropriate billing and payment

functions for new items for which payment is required.

When the validation mechanism 24 determines that a requested item is not

included on the list of digital media stored in his library, the user is informed of

such fact and is given the option of ordering such item via the new item order

mechanism 30.

Library service 10 further includes a list control mechanism 32 for enabling

a user to access his digital media list which is stored in list storage mechanism 23

and to perform certain functions with respect to the list. A representative form of

construction for the list control mechanism 32 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3.

The list control mechanism 32 is coupled to the storage mechanism 23 by way of

a bus 33a and receives user instructions from an authenticated user from the

authentication mechanism 26 by way of a bus 33b. The list control mechanism 32

includes a list access mechanism 34 for enabling the authenticated user to access

and display at least part of his stored personal list of digital media. List access

mechanism 34 accesses the stored list by way of bus 33a and supplies the requested information to the user by way of bus 33c and user access mechanism

21. The user can display such information on an appropriate monitor which may

be, for example, part of computer 12. In this way, the user can review all or part of

his digital media list which is stored in the list storage mechanism 23.

List control mechanism 32 also includes a search mechanism 35 for

enabling the user to have a search performed on his stored list of digital media for

purposes of locating the entry for a desired item and reviewing the catalog

information for such item. If the desired item is not found on the list, the user is

advised of such fact.

List control mechanism 32 further includes a category selection mechanism

36 for enabling a user to select a desired category of items from his stored personal

list of digital media. The information with respect to all of the items in the desired

category is supplied back to the user by way of bus 33c and the user access

mechanism 21. By way of example only, the user can select all items of music

belonging to a particular genre or all items of music performed by a particular

artist.

The list control mechanism 32 also includes a playlist creation mechanism

37 coupled to the list storage mechanism 23 for enabling a user to create from his

stored personal list of digital media a customized playlist of selected titles. The

user supplies by way of bus 33b the name for the playlist and the listing of items to

include on the playlist. The playlist creation mechanism 37 then supplies the

necessary information to the storage update mechanism 31 via bus 33d to create the playlist as one of the listed items on the user's digital media list. Thereafter,

the user need only request the particular playlist without having to individually

request the different items included on such playlist.

FIG. 4 shows an example of digital media data that may be stored in the list

storage mechanism 23 of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 shows five major types of digital media

that may be listed, namely: music, video (movies), games (video games), books

and periodicals (magazines, newspapers, journals, etc.). For each type of item,

there is shown a typical list of the different catalog information that may be

included in the list storage mechanism 23 for each individual item. Thus, for the

case of music, for example, there is included for each musical selection an item

number, a genre, the name of the artist performing the song, the title of the song,

the name of the album, the album track number for the song and the name of the

recording company that recorded the album. Other types of digital media not

shown in FIG. 4 which may be listed in the list storage mechanism include still

pictures, reproduction of works of art, multimedia materials, maps, graphs, various

types of textual data and anything else the user might like to look at from time to

time. The library service of this invention is intended to provide a person with his

own personal library on the Internet.

FIG. 5A-5C show examples of customized playlists that may be stored in

the list storage mechanism 23 of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 A shows a music playlist which

includes all of the songs recorded by the Beatles group and which are listed in the

digital media list stored in the list storage mechanism 23. The category selection mechanism 36 of FIG. 3 can be used to locate and identify the different listed

songs recorded by the Beatles.

FIG. 5B shows an example of a music playlist which includes all the

Reggae type music included in the library owner's list of digital media.

FIG. 5C shows a music playlist entitled "My Favorites" and includes

various selections which are individually selected by the library owner. Once

created, a playlist is stored in the list storage mechanism 23 and treated as another

singular entry on the media list. Thus, instead of requesting individual items, the

library owner may request a particular playlist and he will be provided with all of

the selections listed on the playlist.

The service provided by the present invention makes it possible for a person

to create, access and manage a wide ranging catalog of media types. One simple

example of this is that a person could buy a collection of audio recordings without

having to own the physical media. Playback is achieved on a multi-media capable

device, once access rights have been confirmed using the authentication

information contained in the user token.

While there has been described what is at present considered to be a

preferred embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art

that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing

from the invention and it is, therefore, intended to cover all such changes and

modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A network library service for providing a user with a personal collection of

digital media which are electronically deliverable to the user over a network, such

library service comprising:

a user access mechanism for coupling to a network for communicating with

a user for receiving a request from a user and delivering requested information;

a list storage mechanism coupled to the user access mechanism, for storing

a list of digital media which the user has included in the user's personal library

collection;

a validation mechanism for comparing the user request with the user's

stored list of digital media and for providing an indication of which requested

items are listed; and

a delivery mechanism, responsive to the validation mechanism, for

delivering listed requested items to the user access mechanism for delivery to the

user.

2. A network library service in accordance with Claim 1 and including an

authentication mechanism, coupled to the user access mechanism, for receiving

and examining user authentication information from a user for authenticating the identity of an entity seeking to access said user's list of digital media and denying

access if such authentication fails.

3. A network library service in accordance with Claim 2 wherein the

authentication information received from the user is provided by a Smart Card and

Smart Card reader.

4. A network library service in accordance with Claim 2 wherein the

authentication information received from the user is provided by a biometric

device.

5. A network library service in accordance with Claim 1 and including a

provider access mechanism coupled to the network and responsive to the

validation mechanism for communicating with a digital media provider for causing

such provider to supply a listed requested item to the delivery mechanism for

delivery to the user.

6. A network library service in accordance with Claim 1 and including a

digital media storage mechanism for storing digital media which the user has

included in his personal library collection, such digital media storage mechanism

being responsive to the validation mechanism for supplying a requested item to the

delivery mechanism for delivery to the user.

7. A network library service in accordance with Claim 1 and including:

a new item order mechanism coupled to the user access mechanism for

receiving a new item purchase request from the user and producing a purchase

order for the new item;

a provider access mechanism coupled to the network and responsive to a

purchase order for a new item for communicating with a digital media provider for

causing such provider to supply the new item to the delivery mechanism for

delivery to the user;

and a list storage update mechanism for adding the new item to the user's

personal list of digital media.

8. A network library service in accordance with Claim 1 and including a

list access mechanism coupled to the user access mechanism and to the list storage

mechanism for enabling a user to access and display at least part of his stored

personal list of digital media.

9. A network library service in accordance with Claim 1 and including a

mechanism for enabling a user to select a desired category of items from his stored

personal list of digital media.

10. A network library service in accordance with Claim 1 and including a

playlist creation mechanism coupled to the user access and to the list storage

mechanism for enabling a user to create from his stored personal list of digital

media a customized playlist of selected titles.

11. A virtual library comprising:

a storage mechanism for storing a collection of digital media items;

an Internet access mechanism for accessing digital media providers on the

Internet and transferring copies of selected digital media items to the storage

mechanism;

and an authentication mechanism for enabling an authorized user to transfer

copies of selected digital media items to the storage mechanism to assemble his

own personal and private collection of digital media items and for enabling the

authorized user to thereafter effect the playback of selected items from this

personal library collection.