# US 2014/0207602 A1 · System, method and device for subscribing to content > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0207602 A1 - Document ID: US20140207602A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/223,769 - Filed: 2014-03-24 - Published: 2014-07-24 - Earliest claimed: 2005-05-18 - Assignees: ACK Ventures Holdings, LLC - Applicants: ACK Ventures Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Joshua A. STRICKON; Peter S. NG; Clayton D. Hill; Harry B. Kargman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140207602A1 ## CPC - H04W 4/24: Accounting or billing - G06Q 10/0875: Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing - G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping] - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A method includes (a) receiving periodic subscription fees from subscribers of a content subscription service, (b) updating an electronically maintained account of the subscriber to reflect an additional amount of scrip corresponding to each subscription fee, and (c) enabling the subscriber to obtain items of content in amounts and at times determined arbitrarily by the subscriber in exchange for amounts of scrip in the subscriber's account. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computing device-implemented system for content subscription management, comprising: a subscription database containing a subscription account for a subscriber of a commercial service, the subscription account indicating a current balance of scrip associated with the subscription account, the subscription account having periodic time intervals; and a subscription server configured to: increase the balance of the scrip for the subscription account based on a subscription fee received for each time interval, update the balance of scrip by adding an additional amount of scrip corresponding to a purchase of scrip received from the subscriber, the updating based on an exchange rate of scrip to negotiable currency, the exchange rate varying based on at least one of a current time or date; enable the subscriber to use an amount of scrip belonging to the balance to acquire digital content from a provider of content, the digital content having an associated value in units of scrip, the associated value in scrip not expressly set to a monetary value, and reduce the balance by the amount of scrip used to acquire the digital content, wherein the subscription account does not require the subscriber to acquire any particular amount of digital content within any time interval. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the subscription server is further configured to: enable a subscriber to supplement scrip with money when acquiring digital content. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the digital content is at least one of wall paper images or ring tones. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 in which the digital content is video content. ### Claim 5 A computing device-implemented method for content subscription management comprising: maintain a subscription account for a subscriber of a commercial service, the subscription account indicating a current balance of scrip associated with the subscription account, the subscription account having periodic time intervals; increase the balance of the scrip for the subscription account based on a subscription fee received for each time interval; update the balance of scrip by adding an additional amount of scrip corresponding to a purchase of scrip received from the subscriber, the updating based on an exchange rate of scrip to negotiable currency, the exchange rate varying based on at least one of a current time or date; enable the subscriber to use an amount of scrip belonging to the balance to acquire digital content from a provider of content, the digital content having an associated value in units of scrip, the associated value in scrip not expressly set to a monetary value, and reduce the balance by the amount of scrip used to acquire the digital content, wherein the subscription account does not require the subscriber to acquire any particular amount of digital content within any time interval. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising: enabling a subscriber to supplement scrip with money when acquiring digital content. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 in which the digital content is at least one of wall paper images or ring tones. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5 in which the digital content is video content. ### Claim 9 A computing device-implemented method for content subscription management comprising: maintaining a subscription account for a subscriber of a commercial service, the subscription account indicating a current balance of scrip associated with the subscription account, the subscription account having periodic time intervals; increasing the balance of the scrip for the subscription account based on a subscription fee received for each time interval; updating the balance of scrip by adding an additional amount of scrip corresponding to a purchase of scrip received from the subscriber; enabling the subscriber to use an amount of scrip belonging to the balance to acquire digital content from a provider of content, the digital content having an associated value in units of scrip, an exchange rate of scrip to negotiable currency used for the acquiring varying based on whether an amount of scrip in the subscription account of the subscriber exceeds a pre-determined threshold; and reducing the balance by the amount of scrip used to acquire the digital content. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 in which the digital content is at least one of wall paper images or ring tones. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9 in which the digital content is video content.