US 7,827,110 B1Granted

Marketing compositions by using a customized sequence of compositions

OwnerJames W. Wiederinventor

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Abstract

A method and apparatus for marketing an un-owned composition to a user and acquiring an un-owned composition for a user's collection of compositions. A customized sequence of compositions is generated for a user. The customized sequence may be based upon the user's history or other compositions familiar to the user or other compositions in the user's collection. Portions of one or more compositions that are un-owned by the user may be interleaved for free and/or for multiple times in the sequence, in-order to interest the user in acquiring the composition. While an un-owned composition is active or playing, the user may take action to acquire the composition or add the composition to the user's collection. Usage-rights for an acquired composition may be stored at a network repository and may be automatically usable at one or more user-devices, whenever the user is active at such a user-device.

Claims39

Dependent claims

An apparatus-implemented method for marketing a composition to a user, the method comprising:

playing, by a user-device, an entertainment sequence that is customized for a user;
wherein said entertainment sequence comprises a plurality of compositions or pieces that were selected for said user based on information and/or history about said user;
wherein when a composition or piece has finished being played-back, or when the rest of a composition or piece has been forwarded past, a following composition or piece is automatically started without needing user action;
playing, automatically by the user-device, at least one marketed composition or subset portion of a marketed composition, as part of said entertainment sequence;
wherein the marketed composition was selected for said user, without needing user action, based on a profile and history of said user, and on feedback or history of other users;
while a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition is playing in said entertainment sequence, detecting at the user-device whether an authorization to acquire usage-rights for said marketed composition is indicated by said user;
when said authorization is provided by said user, causing usage-rights for a said authorized marketed composition to be acquired for said user;
wherein a digital representation of at least a subset of the user's usage-rights for the acquired composition, is transmitted across a network for use at one or more user-devices;
and
wherein usage-rights for a composition are acquired for the user, without the user searching a catalog, database or listing of compositions.

7 more elements

A Music or Entertainment System for marketing a composition to a user, comprising one or more processors programmed to:

play an entertainment sequence that is customized for a user;
wherein said entertainment sequence comprises compositions or pieces that were selected for said user based on information and/or history about said user;
wherein when a composition or piece has finished, or when the rest of a composition or piece has been forwarded past, a following composition or piece is started without needing user action;
play at least one, marketed composition or subset of a marketed composition, as part of said entertainment sequence;
wherein the marketed composition was selected for said user, without needing user action, based on a profile and history of said user, and on feedback or history of other users;
while a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition is playing in said entertainment sequence, detect whether an authorization to acquire usage-rights for said marketed composition is indicated by said user;
when said authorization is provided by said user, cause usage-rights for a said authorized marketed composition to be acquired for said user;
wherein a digital representation of at least a subset of the user's usage-rights for the acquired composition, is transmitted across a network for use at one or more user-devices;
and
wherein usage-rights for a composition are acquired for the user, without the user:
searching a catalog, database or listing of compositions.

8 more elements

One or more computer-readable memories or storage media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processors, implement the method of:

playing an entertainment sequence that is customized for a user;
wherein said entertainment sequence comprises a plurality of compositions or pieces that were selected for said user based on information and/or history about said user;
wherein when a composition or piece has finished being played-back, a following composition or piece is automatically started without needing user action;
playing at least one, marketed composition or subset of a marketed composition, as part of said entertainment sequence;
wherein the marketed composition was selected for said user, without needing user action, based on a profile and history of said user, and on feedback or history of other users;
while a said marketed composition or a said subset of a marketed composition is playing in said entertainment sequence, detecting whether an authorization to acquire usage-rights for said marketed composition is indicated by said user;
when said authorization is provided by said user, causing usage-rights for a said authorized marketed composition to be acquired for said user;
wherein a digital representation of at least a subset of the user's usage-rights for the acquired composition, is transmitted across a network for use at one or more user-devices;
and
wherein usage-rights for a composition are acquired for the user, without the user searching a catalog, database or listing of compositions.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/162,763Filed 21 Sep 2005 · division
Priority: 3 Nov 2003
Granted: 2 Nov 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

G06Q 30/02
Commerce: marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
H04L 63/0807
For authentication of entities: using tickets, e.g. Kerberos
H04L 67/306
Profiles: user profiles
G06F 21/1014
By binding digital rights to specific entities: to tokens

Family

Application10/605,879Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 3 Nov 2003
Application11/161,710Parent of this division · filed 12 Aug 2005
Application11/161,710Parent of this continuation-in-part
US 7,884,274 B1Related patent
US 8,001,612 B1Related patent
US 7,827,110 B1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.