U.S. patent application number 10/688213 was filed with the patent office on 2004-10-28 for method and system for network-based allowance control.
This patent application is currently assigned to Apple Computer, Inc.. Invention is credited to Burkholder, Thomas, Gautier, Patrice, Mirrashidi, Payam.
Application Number | 20040215534 10/688213 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36840964 |
Filed Date | 2004-10-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040215534 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gautier, Patrice ; et
al. |
October 28, 2004 |
Method and system for network-based allowance control
Abstract
Methods and systems for network-based allowance control are
disclosed. A user creates an allowance in association with a
recipient account such that funds are available in the recipient
account for use by a recipient for the purchase of goods over a
network (e.g., Internet). Specifically, by creating an allowance, a
user initiates a periodic (recurring) transfer (i.e., credit) of an
amount of money (i.e., funds) to the recipient account. This money
may then be used by the recipient for the purchase of goods over
the network. The recipient account may be related to a parent
account as a sub-account, enabling the user of the parent account
to monitor purchases made by the recipient, as well as limit the
items that can be purchased by the recipient.
Inventors: |
Gautier, Patrice; (San
Francisco, CA) ; Burkholder, Thomas; (North
Vancouver, CA) ; Mirrashidi, Payam; (San Francisco,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BEYER WEAVER & THOMAS LLP
P.O. BOX 778
BERKELEY
CA
94704-0778
US
|
Assignee: |
Apple Computer, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
36840964 |
Appl. No.: |
10/688213 |
Filed: |
October 15, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60465410 |
Apr 25, 2003 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/30 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/06 20130101;
G06Q 20/42 20130101; H04L 69/329 20130101; G06Q 40/12 20131203;
G06Q 20/04 20130101; H04L 67/322 20130101; G06Q 20/123 20130101;
G06Q 20/1235 20130101; G06Q 20/12 20130101; G06Q 30/0601 20130101;
G06Q 20/227 20130101; G06Q 20/24 20130101; G06Q 20/2295 20200501;
H04L 29/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/030 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method for transferring an amount of money to a recipient
account associated with a recipient, the amount of money being
available for use by the recipient for purchase of goods over a
network, said method comprising: (a) receiving an allowance request
from a user indicating a request to set up an allowance for a
recipient, the allowance representing an amount of money being made
available by the user to the recipient for purchase of one or more
items over the network; and (b) receiving an allowance increment or
selection of an allowance increment, the allowance increment
indicating an amount of money to be transferred to the recipient
account on a periodic basis.
2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the allowance is a
monthly allowance, and the allowance increment is to be transferred
to the recipient account on a monthly basis.
3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein when the allowance
request is received after a specific date in the month, the
allowance increment is to be transferred to the recipient account
at the beginning of the next month.
4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: receiving,
over the network, a selection of a period of time after expiration
of which the allowance increment is to be transferred to the
recipient account, wherein the allowance increment is to be
transferred to the recipient account each time the period of time
expires.
5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising: modifying
the period of time, thereby updating the allowance that has
previously been set up for the recipient.
6. The method as recited in claim 4, wherein the period of time is
a week or a month.
7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the allowance
increment is to be transferred from a user account associated with
the user to the recipient account on a periodic basis.
8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the allowance
increment is to be transferred from a credit card associated with
the user to the recipient account on a periodic basis.
9. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein credit card
information associated with the credit card is established in
association with a user account of the user.
10. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising: crediting
the recipient account with the allowance increment; and charging
the credit card associated with the user.
11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein credit card
information of the recipient is not stored in association with the
recipient account.
12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a username and
password are stored in association with the recipient account.
13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein an address of the
recipient is not stored in association with the recipient
account.
14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the recipient account
is identified by a username or email address.
15. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: receiving
an identifier associated with the recipient account.
16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the identifier is a
username or email address.
17. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: receiving
an identifier associated with the recipient account or creating the
recipient account.
18. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: creating
the recipient account.
19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein creating the
recipient account comprises: receiving an email address of the
recipient; and receiving a temporary password of the recipient.
20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein creating the
recipient account further comprises: receiving a name of the
recipient.
21. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the user has a user
account associated therewith, wherein the user account is separate
from the recipient account.
22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the user is a first
individual and the recipient is a second individual.
23. The method as recited in claim 22, wherein the user is a parent
and the recipient is a child of the recipient.
24. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the user account is
a parent account and the recipient account is a sub-account of the
parent account.
25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the recipient can
view information associated with the sub-account, but cannot view
information associated with the parent account.
26. The method as recited in claim 25, wherein the information is a
purchase history.
27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the items that can
be purchased by the recipient using the allowance are limited by
the user.
28. The method as recited in claim 27, wherein the allowance can be
used to purchase one or more items from a subset of items available
for purchase via a web site.
29. The method as recited in claim 28, wherein the items are media
items.
30. The method as recited in claim 29, wherein the media items
include albums and songs.
31. The method as recited in claim 30, wherein the subset of media
items available for purchase by the recipient include albums and
songs that do not include explicit lyrics or have a parental
advisory associated therewith.
32. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the user can view a
purchase history of each sub-account associated with the parent
account.
33. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: receiving
a set of text to be provided in a message to the recipient
indicating that an allowance has been set up for the recipient.
34. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: sending a
confirmation message to the user indicating that the allowance has
been set up for the recipient.
35. The method as recited in claim 34, the confirmation message
indicating that the allowance is being transferred to the recipient
account in one or more allowance increments on a periodic
basis.
36. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
transmitting a message to the user indicating that the allowance
increment has been transferred to the recipient account.
37. The method as recited in claim 36, the message being received
on a periodic basis by the user when the allowance increment is
transferred to the recipient account.
38. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the allowance request
is initiated via an allowance hypertext link.
39. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the allowance can be
used to purchase one or more items available for purchase via a web
site.
40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein the items are media
items.
41. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein the media items
include albums and songs.
42. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
transferring an amount of money equal to the allowance increment to
the recipient account.
43. The method as recited in claim 42, further comprising:
automatically repeating the transferring step on a period
basis.
44. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising: receiving
a request to update the allowance for the recipient.
45. The method as recited in claim 44, further comprising:
receiving a request to discontinue the allowance for the
recipient.
46. The method as recited in claim 44, further comprising:
receiving a request to modify the allowance for the recipient.
47. The method as recited in claim 46, wherein modifying the
allowance comprises: receiving a request to modify the allowance
increment to a second allowance increment.
48. The method as recited in claim 44, further comprising:
transmitting a message to the user indicating that the user can
update the allowance for the recipient.
49. The method as recited in claim 48, wherein the message to the
user indicates that the user needs to log in to update the
allowance for the recipient.
50. A method for transferring an amount of money to a recipient
account associated with a recipient, the amount of money being
available for use by the recipient for purchase of goods over a
network, said method comprising: transmitting an allowance message
to the recipient, the allowance message indicating that an
allowance is being made available by a user in a recipient account
associated with the recipient, the allowance representing an amount
of money being made available to the recipient for purchase of one
or more items over the network, the allowance being transferred to
the recipient account in one or more allowance increments, each of
the allowance increments being an increment of money to be
transferred on a periodic basis; and receiving a request to
purchase one or more items over the network using the allowance
established in the recipient account.
51. The method as recited in claim 50, wherein receiving the
request to purchase one or more items comprises: receiving the
request via a web site over the network.
52. The method as recited in claim 50, wherein the allowance is a
monthly allowance, and the allowance increment is to be transferred
to the recipient account on a monthly basis.
53. The method as recited in claim 50, wherein each of the
allowance increments is to be transferred from a user account
associated with the user to the recipient account on a periodic
basis.
54. The method as recited in claim 50, wherein each of the
allowance increments is to be transferred from a credit card
associated with the user to the recipient account on a periodic
basis.
55. The method as recited in claim 50, further comprising:
providing a balance associated with the recipient account.
56. A method for facilitating the transfer of money to one or more
recipient accounts associated with one or more recipients, the
money being made available for use by the recipients for purchase
of goods over a network, comprising: maintaining a list of one or
more recipient accounts, each of the recipient accounts having an
associated allowance increment indicating an amount of money to be
transferred to the recipient account on a periodic basis; and
automatically transferring the allowance increment associated with
each of the recipient accounts to the corresponding recipient
account on a periodic basis.
57. A graphical user interface for use in facilitating the transfer
of money to a recipient account associated with a recipient, the
money being available for use by the recipient for purchase of
goods over a network, comprising: a recipient identifier field
identifying a recipient of an allowance or identifying the
recipient account, the allowance representing an amount of money
being made available by a user for use by the recipient for
purchase of one or more items over the network; and an allowance
field enabling input or selection of an allowance increment, the
allowance increment indicating an amount of money to be transferred
to the recipient account on a periodic basis.
58. The method as recited in claim 57, wherein the recipient
identifier field is adapted for receiving a recipient username or
recipient name.
59. A method of implementing two or more related accounts, each of
the related accounts being capable of performing one or more
transactions via a web site over the Internet, the method
comprising: creating one or more sub-accounts, a user associated
with each of the sub-accounts being capable of purchasing one or
more items from the web site over the Internet; and associating the
one or more sub-accounts with a parent account such that a user
associated with the parent account is capable of monitoring
transactions performed by each of the sub-accounts and capable of
limiting the transactions performed by each of the sub-accounts;
wherein a user associated with each of the sub-accounts can view
information associated with the corresponding sub-account, but
cannot view information associated with the parent account.
60. The method as recited in claim 59, wherein a user associated
with the parent account can limit the items that can be purchased
by a purchaser associated with each of the sub-accounts.
61. A system adapted for implementing two or more related accounts,
each of the related accounts being capable of performing one or
more transactions via a web site over the Internet, the system
comprising: a parent account; and one or more sub-accounts; wherein
a user associated with the parent account has authority to view a
transaction history of each of the sub-accounts and authority to
limit transactions that can be performed by each of the
sub-accounts; wherein a user associated with each of the
sub-accounts can view information associated with the corresponding
sub-account, but cannot view information associated with the parent
account.
62. A computer readable media including computer program code for
transferring an amount of money to a recipient account associated
with a recipient, the amount of money being available for use by
the recipient for purchase of goods over a network, said computer
readable medium comprising: computer program code for receiving an
allowance request from a user indicating a request to set up an
allowance for a recipient, the allowance representing an amount of
money being made available by the user to the recipient for
purchase of one or more items over the network; and computer
program code for receiving an allowance increment or selection of
an allowance increment, the allowance increment indicating an
amount of money to be transferred to the recipient account on a
periodic basis.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Patent Application No. 60/465,410, filed Apr. 25, 2003, and
entitled "METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SECURE NETWORK-BASED DISTRIBUTION
OF MEDIA", and which is hereby incorporated by reference
herein.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to allowance control and, more
particularly, to allowance control in a client-server
environment.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Traditionally, music has been purchased at music stores or
music departments of larger stores. A consumer will visit the music
store or department and manually browse for albums or compact discs
(CDs) of interest. Often, the music in the music store or
department is categorized by genre, and then indexed by artist. For
example, genre can include rock, country, pop, soul, jazz, etc.
After the consumer selects an album or CD of interest, the consumer
proceeds to a check-out register to pay for the album or CD being
purchased.
[0006] In recent years music delivery or distribution over the
Internet has become popular. Due to the advances in efficient file
formats, such as MP3 and MPEG4, the size of media files have become
small enough to make their download via the Internet practical.
Also, technological advances have led to higher-speed Internet
connections and lower cost of memory. The combination of these
advances make downloading media files, such as for music and
videos, manageable and not too time consuming.
[0007] One popular approach to music distribution is mp3.com which
uses a centralized server for storage of the numerous songs that
are available for download. Another popular approach to music
distribution was Napster in which peer-to-peer sharing was
utilized. With peer-to-peer sharing, the numerous songs reside on
the user machines of the many users, not on a centralized
server.
[0008] Various Internet web sites have made it possible to purchase
goods through the use of a credit card. In order to purchase goods,
the purchaser must typically enter his or her credit card
information for each purchase. Some web sites have made it possible
for repeat customers to simplify this process by storing the user's
credit card information so that this information need not be
re-entered for each purchase. However, it is impossible for the
purchaser to track the amount that is purchased from each web site.
In fact, the purchaser may not be aware of how much he or she is
spending until the credit card bill is received at the end of the
month. As a result, there is a need for a mechanism to enable a
user to monitor or limit his or her purchases made via a particular
web site.
[0009] A purchaser may also wish to give a gift to a recipient for
the purchase of goods at a specific web site. Some Internet web
sites enable such a purchaser to purchase a gift certificate which
may be redeemed by the recipient. However, such gift certificates
must often be mailed to the recipient in order for them to receive
the gift certificate. As a result, there is a risk that the gift
certificates will not be received, either due to mistakes made at
the post office or as a result of being stolen from the recipient's
mail box. Moreover, gift certificates may easily be lost by the
recipient, and therefore are inappropriate for certain individuals
such as young children. It is also important to note that a gift
certificate is typically purchased in instances such as holidays or
birthdays when a one-time gift is intended. However, in many
instances an individual may wish to give a repeated gift over a
period of time to another individual.
[0010] For example, a parent may give his or her child a specified
sum of money on a weekly basis. If a parent wished to limit the
child's use of the money to a particular web site, the parent would
have to give a gift certificate to the child, either for a single
week's allowance, or for a larger sum intended to cover multiple
weeks. Unfortunately, if the parent wished to give the child a
larger sum, the child would either receive the gift certificate
prior to the end of the total period of time, or the child would
have to wait until the total time had expired. As a result, the
child would not learn to budget his or her money as the parent had
intended.
[0011] Some parents have chosen to let children borrow their credit
cards for specific purchases. However, fearing unlimited access to
the Internet, a parent may be hesitant to give his or her credit
card to a child without supervision. In view of the above, there is
a need for a more secure mechanism for issuing a gift of a sum of
money for use by an individual for redemption at a particular web
site. Moreover, it would be beneficial if such a gift could be
issued repeatedly over a period of time, rather than be limited to
a one-time purchase.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The present invention pertains to methods and apparatus for
creating an allowance. Specifically, a user may transfer (i.e.,
credit) an amount of money (i.e., funds) to a recipient account
associated with a recipient. This money may then be used by the
recipient for the purchase of goods over a network (e.g.,
Internet). The disclosed embodiments may be implemented in
association with a web site supporting the recipient's account,
thereby enabling the recipient to purchase goods via the web site
using the money transferred to the recipient's account.
[0013] In the following description, the money (i.e., funds) that
is transferred to the recipient account on a recurring basis will
be referred to as an "allowance." The allowance is transferred to
the recipient account on a periodic basis. Thus, the amount of
money that is transferred periodically will be referred to as an
"allowance increment."
[0014] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, methods and
apparatus for transferring an amount of money to a recipient
account associated with a recipient are disclosed, where the amount
of money is available for use by the recipient for the purchase of
goods over a network. An allowance request is received from a user
indicating a request to set up an allowance for a recipient. The
allowance represents an amount of money being made available by the
user to the recipient for purchase of one or more items over the
network. In addition, an allowance increment or selection of an
allowance increment is received The allowance increment indicates
an amount of money to be transferred to the recipient account on a
periodic basis.
[0015] In accordance with another aspect of the invention, methods
and apparatus for transferring an amount of money to a recipient
account associated with a recipient include transmitting an
allowance message to the recipient, the allowance message
indicating that an allowance is being made available by a user in a
recipient account associated with the recipient. As described
above, the allowance represents an amount of money being made
available to the recipient for purchase of one or more items over
the network, and the allowance is transferred to the recipient
account in one or more allowance increments on a periodic basis. A
request to purchase one or more items over the network using the
allowance established in the recipient account may then be received
from the recipient.
[0016] In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention,
methods and apparatus for facilitating the transfer of money to one
or more recipient accounts associated with one or more recipients,
where the money is made available for use by the recipients for
purchase of goods over a network, are disclosed. Specifically, a
list of one or more recipient accounts is maintained, where each of
the recipient accounts has an associated allowance increment
indicating an amount of money to be transferred to the recipient
account on a periodic basis. The allowance increment associated
with each of the recipient accounts is automatically transferred to
the corresponding recipient account on a periodic basis. In this
manner, a server may maintain the information pertinent to
maintaining and updating recipient accounts in association with
established allowances.
[0017] The invention also relates to graphical user interfaces that
assist users in creating an allowance, as well as those that notify
both the user and recipient that the allowance has been
established. For instance, a graphical user interface for use in
facilitating the transfer of money to a recipient account
associated with a recipient is disclosed. A recipient identifier
field identifies a recipient of an allowance and/or recipient
account. In addition, an allowance field enables input or selection
of an allowance increment. The allowance increment indicates an
amount of money to be transferred to the recipient account on a
periodic basis.
[0018] Another aspect of the invention pertains to methods and
apparatus for implementing two or more related accounts, the user
of each of the related accounts being capable of performing one or
more transactions via a web site over the Internet. One or more
sub-accounts are created, the user associated with each of the
sub-accounts being capable of purchasing one or more items from the
web site over the Internet. The one or more sub-accounts are
associated with a parent account such that the user associated with
the parent account is capable of monitoring transactions performed
by each of the sub-accounts. In addition, the user associated with
the parent account is capable of limiting the transactions
performed by each of the sub-accounts. For instance, a recipient of
an allowance may be prevented from purchasing songs with explicit
lyrics or albums that have a parental warning associated therewith.
Moreover, the user of the parent account may be able to monitor the
purchase transactions associated with each sub-account. With
respect to each of the sub-accounts, information associated with
the corresponding sub-account can be viewed by the user associated
with the sub-account, but information associated with the parent
account cannot be viewed. For instance, the purchase history of the
sub-account can be viewed, but the purchase history of the parent
account cannot be viewed.
[0019] In accordance with yet another aspect of the invention, a
system adapted for implementing two or more related accounts, each
of the related accounts being capable of performing one or more
transactions via a web site over the Internet, and the related
accounts including a parent account and one or more sub-accounts.
The user associated with the parent account has the authority to
view a transaction history of each of the sub-accounts and the
authority to limit the transactions that can be performed by each
of the sub-accounts. The user/recipient associated with each of the
sub-accounts can view information associated with the corresponding
sub-account, but cannot view information associated with the parent
account.
[0020] The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including
as a method, system, device, apparatus, graphical user interface,
or computer readable medium. Other aspects and advantages of the
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings
which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] The invention will be readily understood by the following
detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
wherein like reference numerals designate like structural elements,
and in which:
[0022] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a media purchase system
according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0023] FIGS. 2A and 2B are screen shots illustrating explicit
content notification features according to one embodiment of the
invention.
[0024] FIG. 3 is a screen shot of an application program window
according to one embodiment of the invention.
[0025] FIG. 4A is a process flow diagram illustrating a method of
creating an allowance account in accordance with one embodiment of
the invention.
[0026] FIG. 4B is a process flow diagram illustrating a specific
method of creating an allowance account in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention.
[0027] FIG. 5 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface
enabling an allowance to be set up in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention.
[0028] FIG. 6 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface
enabling a "lite" account to be set up for the recipient of the
allowance in accordance with one embodiment of the invention.
[0029] FIG. 7 is a screen shot of a window presented to the
purchaser of the allowance in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
[0030] FIG. 8 is an exemplary message presented to the recipient of
the allowance in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Embodiments of various aspects of the invention are
discussed below with reference to FIGS. 1-8 However, those skilled
in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description
given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory
purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited
embodiments.
[0032] One aspect of the invention pertains to a system and method
for creating an allowance. In the following description, the money
(i.e., funds) that is transferred to the recipient account on a
recurring basis will be referred to as an "allowance." The amount
of money that is transferred periodically will be referred to as an
"allowance increment." In this manner, a user may transfer (i.e.,
credit) an amount of money (i.e., funds) to a recipient account
associated with a recipient. This money may then be used by the
recipient for the purchase of goods over a network (e.g.,
Internet). Specifically, the disclosed embodiments may be
implemented in association with a web site supporting the
recipient's account, thereby enabling the recipient to purchase
goods via the web site using the money transferred to the
recipient's account.
[0033] Another aspect of the invention pertains to a system and
method for purchasing items such as media items over a network
using the allowance that has been established. A potential
purchaser can search and browse through numerous media items
on-line that are available for purchase. The potential purchaser
can thereafter purchase one or more media items on-line with great
ease. Upon purchasing a media item, the content for the media item
can be downloaded over the network to the purchaser. The content
for the media item is then encrypted for the purchaser's use and
stored on the purchaser's machine. Thereafter, the purchaser can
make use of the media item (e.g., play the media item).
[0034] Still another aspect of the invention pertains to a
graphical user interface suitable for assisting users in creating
an allowance, as well as those that notify both the user and
recipient that the allowance has been established. For instance, a
graphical user interface for use in facilitating the transfer of
money to a recipient account associated with a recipient is
provided. A recipient identifier field identifies a recipient of an
allowance and/or recipient account. In addition, an allowance field
enables input or selection of an allowance increment. The allowance
increment indicates an amount of money to be transferred to the
recipient account on a periodic basis.
[0035] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a media purchase system 100
according to one embodiment of the invention. The media purchase
system 100 includes a media commerce server 102. The media commerce
server 102 coordinates review and/or purchase of media items
through on-line transactions. On-line transactions to purchase
media items is also referred to as electronic commerce
(e-commerce). The media purchase system 100 also includes a client
104. Typically, the media purchase system 100 would include a
plurality of different clients 104. Each client 104 includes a
media player 108. The media player 108 is an application program
(e.g., software application) that operates on the client 104, which
is a computing device. The client 104 is coupled to the media
commerce server 102 through a data network 106. Hence, any of the
clients 104 can interact with the media commerce server 102 to
review and/or purchase media items. In one embodiment, the data
network 106 includes at least a portion of the Internet. The
clients 104 can vary with application but generally are computing
devices that have memory storage. Often, the clients 104 are
personal computers or other computing devices that are capable of
storing and presenting media to their users.
[0036] The media purchase system 100 also includes a media store
110. The media store 112 provides mass storage of the numerous
media items that are available for purchase via the media purchase
system 100. Once purchased, the media items can be accessed from
the media store 112 over the data network 106 by way of the media
commerce server 110.
[0037] More particularly, the media purchase system 100 allows a
user of the client 104 to utilize the media player 108 to browse,
search or sort through a plurality of media items that can be
purchased from the media commerce server 102. The media player 108
may also allow the user to preview a media clip of the media items.
In the event that the user of the media player 108 desires to
purchase a particular media item, the user (via the media player
108) and the media commerce server 102 engage in an on-line
commerce transaction in which the user pays for access rights to
the particular media item. In one embodiment, a credit card
associated with the user is credited for the purchase amount of the
particular media item.
[0038] In the media purchase system 100, the media items are stored
in the media store 112 and retrieved via the media commerce server
102. However, a separate media storage server could additionally be
provided and coupled between the data network 106 and the media
store 110. The benefit of such a media storage server would be that
the media commerce server 102 need not burden its resources to
deliver any of the media items that may be purchased to the client
104. Instead, on purchasing a particular media item, the media
commerce server 102 sends download information to the media player
108 on the client 104. The download information can then be used by
the media player 108 (and the client 104) to retrieve the media
content for the particular media item by interacting with the media
storage server through the data network 106. In this regard, the
media storage server obtains the media content corresponding to the
particular media item from the media store 112 and downloads such
content through the data network 106 to the client 104. The
downloaded media content can then be stored on the client 104. In
one embodiment, the downloaded media content is encrypted as
received at the client 104 but is decrypted and then re-encrypted
before persistent storage on the client 104. Thereafter, the media
player 108 can present (e.g., play) the media content at the client
104. In addition, media search processing/browsing may be performed
by an application program operating on a client. The application
program is, for example, the media player 108 illustrated in FIG.
1.
[0039] Here, in one example, the media commerce server 102
illustrated in FIG. 1 can also serve as the media storage server.
However, it is important to note that these functions may be
implemented in separate servers. The search request is a request to
the remote media server to perform a search in accordance with the
search criteria for a particular song or album. Here, the media
commerce server 102 includes at least information (e.g., metadata)
for a large number of media items that are available to be
purchased from the media commerce server 102, though the content of
the media items that are purchased may be acquired at the client
via download with respect to another remote server, such as the
media storage server.
[0040] As will be described in further detail below, an allowance
may be established by a user for a recipient via the media commerce
server 102. For each allowance that is established for a recipient,
the media commerce server 102 transfers an amount of money equal to
the allowance increment to the recipient account on a periodic
basis. Thus, the server 102 automatically transfers each allowance
increment on a periodic basis to each recipient account. As a
result, the server 102 maintains a list of allowances that need to
be periodically processed. For instance, this list may include
recipient account identifiers and allowance increments. The list
may also include, or be linked to, billing information such as the
credit card information of the user who established the allowance
for the recipient.
[0041] The connections through the data network 106 between the
media commerce server 102, the client 104 and the media storage
server can be through secure connections, such as Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL). Further, the media content is re-encrypted prior to
storage at the client 104 such that downloaded media content is not
stored in the clear, but is instead stored in an encrypted
manner.
[0042] As discussed in greater detail below, the media player 108
can utilize an improved graphical user interface. More
particularly, in one embodiment, a window presented on a display
device of the client 104, when executing the media player 108,
includes an upper window that displays content provided by the
media commerce server 102 in a browser-like manner, and a lower
window displays content provided by the media commerce server 102
in a typical media player-like manner. In another embodiment, a
window presented on a display device of the client 104, when
executing the media player 108, includes an upper window that
displays a multi-tier browse interface that implements a browse
function with respect to the media items through interaction with
the media commerce server 102.
[0043] Still another aspect of the invention pertains to informing
the users about explicit content that may be present in songs or
albums. FIGS. 2A and 2B are screen shots illustrating explicit
content notification features according to one embodiment of the
invention.
[0044] FIG. 2A is a screen shot of an application program window
1400 according to one embodiment of the invention. The application
program window 1400 includes a first sub-window 1402, a second
sub-window 1404, and a third sub-window 1406. The first sub-window
1402 includes a Top Albums region 1402-1, a Top Songs region
1402-2, and a Top Artists region 1402-3. The Top Albums region
1402-1 contains those albums that match search criteria. For
example, in this example, the search criteria was "trina" and the
Top Albums regions 1402-1 depicts four separate albums that were
identified by searching the music database with respect to the
search criteria "trina". The Top Songs region 1402-2 includes a
list of top songs with respect to any of the albums listed in the
Top Albums regions 1402-1. The Top Artists region 1402-3 can
represent the top artists with respect to the albums within the Top
Albums region 1402-1. Alternatively, the Top Songs region 1402-2 in
the top artists region 1402-3 could be top songs for the larger
categories of genre, time period, or overall. Additionally, the
second sub-window 1404 displays those songs that are associated
with the albums within the Top Albums region 1402-1. In other
words, the songs listed within the second sub-window 1404 are those
songs that somehow relate to the search criteria.
[0045] It should also be noted that the application program window
1400 further includes explicit content indicators 1408 and clean
content indicators 1410. In this regard, it is known that songs or
albums can contain offensive language (e.g., expletives or other
foul language) that is not appropriate for all audiences. Hence,
albums or songs can be indicated as containing such explicit
content through use of the explicit content indicator 1408. As
shown in FIG. 2A, the explicit content indicator 1408 can be
associated with an album, such as shown in the first sub-window
1402, and/or can be associated with individual songs, such as shown
in the second sub-window 1404.
[0046] Further, in the case in which an album or song has explicit
content, another version of the same album or song can be provided
and thus made available for purchase with modifications to remove
the explicit and potentially offending material. These types of
songs or albums are indicated by the clean content indicator
1410.
[0047] If desired, a user can select one of the albums within the
Top Albums region 1402-1 or through selection of one of the "go to"
buttons 1414 for album information within the second sub-window
1404. If the user does select either the image 1412 or the "go to"
button 1414, an application program window 1450 as shown in FIG. 2B
would be produced according to one embodiment of the invention. In
other words, the user selection was to select the album "The Great
Depression" by DMX, namely, the explicit content version. As such,
the first sub-window 1402 displays an image 1452 associated with
the selected album, information 1454 pertaining to the album, and a
"buy album" button 1456. Additionally, since the selected album has
explicit content, the first sub-window 1402 can also display a
parental advisory warning indication 1457 to alert potential
purchasers that the selected album contains explicit content. The
first sub-window 1402 can further include top downloads information
1458 and related song purchases information 1460. The second
sub-window region 1404 can list those songs on the selected album.
As shown in FIG. 2B, the selected album, "The Great Depression"
contains seventeen songs or tracks, each of which is identified by
an explicit content indicator 1408, thereby indicating that each of
the songs or tracks contains explicit content.
[0048] Another aspect of the invention pertains to modification of
media descriptors that contain offensive language. For example,
media descriptors are often provided as titles to media items, such
as albums, songs, videos or pictures. Occasionally, these media
descriptors can contain offensive language. Hence, when media items
are provided to a media store (or media database) to be stored and
thus available for subsequent purchase, these media items can be
reviewed to determine whether any offensive language is present
within their media descriptors. Alternatively, the review for
offensive language in the media descriptors can be done dynamically
as these media items are requested by various media players. In
either case, the offending portion of the media descriptors can be
altered to remove the offensive language.
[0049] In one embodiment, each word within each of the media
descriptors can be compared with a list of identified offending
words stored in a file or database. For each offending word found
with a media descriptor, a portion of the offensive word in the
media descriptor can be altered through use of replacement
characters. As an example, as shown in FIG. 2A, one of the song
names (e.g., media descriptors) on the selected album is "Nasty
Bitch". However, the song name is displayed as shown in FIG. 14A
with a modified media designator 1416, namely, "Nasty B***h".
Hence, in this embodiment, the internal characters of the offending
word "bitch" were altered and thus replaced with an asterisk. The
user knows how many characters were replaced by the number of
asterisks and thus is provided with some context for the word even
after it has been modified. However, once modified, the offending
word is no longer offensive.
[0050] As shown, an allowance balance 1480 associated with a
recipient account may be displayed. Each time the recipient
purchases an item using the allowance, the balance of the allowance
is decremented accordingly. In addition, upon each periodic
transfer to the recipient account, the balance is updated. It is
important to note that the user may also wish to purchase items via
a credit card or other source. Thus, the allowance balance 1480
need not be decremented for each purchase made by a recipient.
[0051] FIG. 3 is a screen shot of an application program window
1550 according to one embodiment of the invention. The application
program window 1550, although produced by an application program,
is presented in a network browser style, and thus looks like a web
page in many respects. The application program window 1550, among
other things, includes a first sub-window 1552, a second sub-window
1554, a third sub-window 1556, and a fourth sub-window 1558. Each
of the sub-windows 1552-1558 displays four media items. More
particularly, for each media item within each of the sub-windows
1552-1558, media information for each of the four media items is
displayed. In one embodiment, for each media item being displayed
within one of the sub-windows 1552-1558, the media item information
being presented includes an album title 1560, an artist 1562, and
album artwork 1564. The different sub-windows 1552-1558 represent
different groupings or categories that the albums can be arranged
in. In FIG. 3, the exemplary groupings or categories are New
Releases, Just Added, Staff Favorites, and Compilations. In one
embodiment, each of the sub-windows 1552-1558 pertains to a frame.
For example, a frame boundary 1559 surrounds the sub-window
1552.
[0052] Hence, the user can simultaneously view the basic
information on four media items (e.g., albums) within each of the
sub-windows 1552-1558. However, when the user desires to view other
albums within one of the groups or categories, then the user can
select one of the next controls 1566 and 1568. For example, with
respect to the first sub-window 1552, the user is able to
transition to the left using the next control 1566, or transition
to the right using the next control 1568. The other sub-windows
1554-1558 similarly have next controls. Upon the user's selection
of the next control 1568, a next set of four albums would be
requested from the remote server, and then when received, would be
displayed within the first sub-window 1552, thereby replacing the
four media items previously displayed therein. The transition from
the former set of media items to a next set of media items can be
performed with an animated transition such that the user is shown
the effect of the transition or scroll to the next set.
[0053] Additionally, the application program window 1550 shown in
FIG. 3 includes a top song downloads region 1570 and a top albums
download region 1572. The top song downloads region 1570 includes a
list of the top songs that have been downloaded from the music
store that is offering the various media items for purchase. The
top albums download region 1572 displays a list of top albums that
have been downloaded by users of the music store.
[0054] In one embodiment, the set of media data for the associated
sub-window is provided in a markup language format. In one example,
the markup language format is eXtensible Markup Language (XML)
based. In the case where the media items are albums, such as shown
in FIG. 3, the artwork images are thumbnail sized so that the
amount of data associated with a set of media data is relatively
small and thus easily transmitted over a network from the remote
server.
[0055] In order to create an allowance, the user submits an
allowance request. As shown in FIG. 3, according to one embodiment,
an allowance request can be initiated by a user selection. In
particular, the allowance request can be initiated via an allowance
hypertext link 1580 (allowance link). In processing the allowance
request, the appropriate windows are generated in order to obtain
the appropriate information from the user, as will be described in
further detail below. For instance, the recipient name and/or
recipient account, as well as the desired allowance increment, can
be obtained. This information can be then stored upon creation of
the allowance, thereby enabling a server to automatically process
the periodic transfer of funds.
[0056] FIG. 4A is a process flow diagram illustrating a method of
creating an allowance in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention. As shown at block 402, an allowance request is received
from a user that identifies at least a recipient and associated
recipient account. In order to set up an allowance, the user can
also specify or select an allowance increment at block 404. When
the allowance has been set up in association with a recipient
account,.the recipient's account may then be periodically credited
at block 406. For instance, the recipient's account may be updated
every month, with the first month's allowance being credited when
the allowance is established.
[0057] In order to notify the recipient that the allowance is
available for his or her use, a notification message is provided to
the recipient at block 408. For instance, the notification message
may be implemented as a window or an email. In addition, this
notification message may also include information enabling the
recipient to access and use the allowance. As one example, the
notification message may include the recipient's username (e.g.,
email address) as well as a temporary password. An exemplary
notification message provided to the recipient will be described in
further detail below with reference to FIG. 8.
[0058] A confirmation message may also be provided to the user who
established the allowance to confirm that the allowance has been
successfully established at block 410. This confirmation message
may be provided in the form of a window or an email. An exemplary
confirmation message provided to the user will be described in
further detail below with reference to FIG. 7.
[0059] FIG. 4B is a process flow diagram illustrating a specific
method of creating an allowance account in accordance with another
embodiment of the invention. As described above with reference to
FIG. 3, the user may select (e.g., click on) the allowance link in
order to establish an allowance for a recipient as shown at block
412. Thus, by clicking the allowance link, the user submits a
request to set up an allowance for a recipient. An optional screen
may then ask whether the user wants to create a recurring allowance
at block 414. If the user does not want to create a recurring
allowance, the user may purchase a gift certificate at 416.
[0060] If the user wants to create a recurring allowance, the user
establishes the allowance at block 418. In other embodiments, when
the user clicks on the allowance link, the user is presented with a
screen that enables the user to set up the allowance at block 418
(rather than being given the option of purchasing a gift
certificate). For instance, the user may request that a specific
amount (e.g., 25 dollars) be transferred to the recipient account
every month (e.g., on the 1.sup.st of each month). In addition to
specifying the amount (i.e., allowance increment), the user may be
permitted to specify the period of time (e.g., month or week) upon
expiration of which the allowance increment is to be transferred to
the recipient account. The process of creating an allowance for a
recipient will be described in further detail below with reference
to FIG. 5.
[0061] Next, it is determined whether the recipient already has an
account (e.g., recipient account) with the web site (e.g., iTunes
Music Store account) at block 420. If the recipient already has an
account, the user enters the recipient account identifier (e.g.,
username or email address) at block 422, as will be described in
further detail below with reference to FIG. 5. If the recipient
does not have an account with the web site, the user creates a
recipient account at block 424. Since the recipient account need
only be capable of receiving funds from another individual or
account, credit card information need not be stored in association
with the recipient account. Such an account will be referred to as
a "lite" account. The process of creating a recipient account will
be described in further detail below with reference to FIG. 6.
[0062] Upon creation of the recipient account, the allowance
increment will be transferred on a periodic basis. The first
allowance increment may be transferred immediately when the
allowance has been created, or on a specific day, such as the first
day of the month. In those embodiments in which the first allowance
increment is transferred upon receipt of the allowance request, the
crediting of the recipient account occurs. Specifically, each time
the allowance increment is transferred at block 426, the
recipient's account will be credited. Of course, if the allowance
request is received after a specific date in the month, the
crediting of the recipient account may skip the month or occur on
some other predetermined day of the month, such as the first or
last day of the month.
[0063] In addition, a notification message (e.g., email) may be
sent to the recipient, either upon creation of the allowance and/or
transferring funds to the recipient account. Such a message will be
described in further detail below with reference to FIG. 8.
[0064] In addition to sending a notification message (e.g., email)
to the recipient, a confirmation email may also be sent to the user
at block 428. Specifically, the confirmation email may be sent to
the user upon creation of the allowance and/or transferring funds
to the recipient account. In addition, the email may inform the
user that it is possible to update the allowance by logging in to
the user's web site account. Such a confirmation email that is sent
to the user will be described in further detail below with
reference to FIG. 7.
[0065] As described above, the user may submit a request to update
or modify a previously established allowance. For instance, the
user may wish to modify the period of time upon expiration of which
an allowance increment is transferred. As another example, the user
may wish to modify the allowance increment to a second allowance
increment. Moreover, the user may wish, to discontinue the
allowance for the recipient.
[0066] The user may wish to establish another allowance, either for
the same or a different recipient. The user may simply click on the
allowance link in order to establish another allowance. In
addition, the user may be asked whether another allowance is
desired at block 430. When another allowance is to be set up, the
process returns to block 414 to being creating another allowance.
Otherwise, the user may return to the web site home page (e.g.,
iTunes Music Store home page) at block 432.
[0067] The transfer of funds to a recipient account may be
performed in a variety of ways. Specifically, the funds that are
transferred by a user to a recipient account may be obtained from
any source. For instance, the user may wish to use money from a
gift certificate received by the user. More commonly, the user may
wish to transfer funds from a user account to the recipient
account, or to charge his or her credit card. In accordance with
one embodiment, credit card information of the user is obtained in
association with a user account of the user. Thus, in order to
create or update an allowance, the user must log into this user
account.
[0068] The user account is preferably separate from the recipient
account. While the user and recipient may be the same individual,
they will in most cases be two different individuals. These
individuals may be unrelated. For instance, the individuals may be
two friends or coworkers. Alternatively, the two individuals may be
related (e.g., parent and child). Thus, in some circumstances, it
may be desirable to create a related account in order for the user
(e.g., parent) to be able to monitor and/or control the use of the
funds by the recipient (e.g., child). For those accounts that are
related, the user account may be referred to as a "parent account"
and the recipient account may be referred to as a "sub-account" of
the parent account. It is important to note that the user may
create one or more recipient accounts, each of which may be related
or unrelated to the parent account as a sub-account. Moreover, the
sub-accounts are preferably unrelated to one another, and therefore
each recipient's activities may not be monitored or controlled by
another recipient.
[0069] In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the
user may control as well as monitor the activities of the
recipient. Specifically, the user can view information associated
with the recipient account. As one example, the user can view a
purchase history of each sub-account associated with the parent
account. While the user has access to the purchase history of the
recipient account, the recipient does not have the same access to
the parent account. Specifically, the recipient only view
information such as a purchase history associated with the
sub-account, but cannot view information associated with the parent
account.
[0070] In addition to monitoring the activities of the recipient,
the user can also control the activities of the recipient.
Specifically, the items that can be purchased by the recipient
using the allowance may be limited by the user to a subset of items
available for purchase via a web site. For example, those items
that are available for purchase from the web site may be media
items such as albums or songs. In this example, the user may wish
to prevent the recipient from purchasing songs and albums that
include explicit lyrics or that have a parental advisory associated
therewith.
[0071] FIG. 5 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface
enabling an allowance to be set up in accordance with one
embodiment of the invention. In accordance with one embodiment of
the invention, the user must have an established user account with
the web site in order to set up an allowance for a recipient. The
user account must, at minimum, have a username (e.g., email
address), password, and billing information associated therewith.
The billing information typically includes credit card information
such as credit card number and expiration date, billing address,
and first and last name of the user.
[0072] Assuming that the user has an established user account with
the web site, the user then sets up the allowance for the
recipient. In this example shown in FIG. 5, the user may enter his
or her name, as well as the recipient's name. This information can
be used to enable a notification email to be generated and sent to
the recipient. In this manner, the recipient will be notified of
the person responsible for creating the allowance for his or her
benefit. In some embodiments, the user may also select from or
enter additional text to be provided in the confirmation email sent
to the recipient.
[0073] In order to set up an allowance, the user selects an
allowance increment. In this example shown in FIG. 5, the allowance
increment may be selected (e.g., in increments of $10). In other
embodiments, the user may enter any specified amount. In addition,
in this example, the allowance is a monthly allowance. However, the
period (e.g., month, week) may also be modified in other
embodiments, as well as selected by the user.
[0074] The user may use a recipient's existing account, which may
be accomplished by entering a username (e.g., email address)
associated with the recipient account. Alternatively, the user may
create an account for the recipient. This may be necessary if the
recipient does not already have a recipient account. Alternatively,
the user may wish to create another recipient account. This may be
desirable, for example, to create accounts that are related. In
this manner, the user may monitor and/or control the purchases that
the recipient makes with the allowance that has been set up for him
or her.
[0075] If the recipient's account identifier (e.g., email address)
cannot be found within the system, or the user does not know the
recipient's account identifier, the user may create a new recipient
account. While a credit card of the user or other means for
crediting the user's funds is necessary, very little information is
needed in order to create the recipient's account. Thus, this
account is referred to as a "lite" account. Should the recipient
later wish to increase the amount that he or she can purchase
beyond the funds transferred as an allowance, the recipient may add
his or her credit card information to complete the account.
[0076] FIG. 6 is a screen shot of a graphical user interface
enabling a "lite" account to be set up for the recipient of the
allowance in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. It is
important to note that credit card information of the recipient is
not needed since funds will be transferred from the user's account
or associated credit card. For instance a credit card of the
recipient or a billing address of the recipient is not required.
Thus, in order to create the recipient account, the user merely
enters the username (e.g., email address) of the recipient. In
addition, the user may also enter the recipient's first and
last-name, as well as a temporary password.
[0077] In order for the recipient to use the funds in the recipient
account to purchase goods from the web site, the recipient must
provide this username and password to log on to the web site. The
recipient may then change the temporary password in order to secure
entry to his or her recipient account. In addition, the recipient
may choose to update the recipient account with credit card
information should the recipient wish to purchase goods with funds
that exceed the allowance.
[0078] FIG. 7 is a screen shot of a window presented to the
purchaser of the allowance in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention. In this example, the message is presented to the user in
the form of a window. In other embodiments, an email message may be
transmitted to the user. In addition, the message may be sent each
time money is transferred to the recipient account, rather than or
in addition to providing such a message when then allowance is set
up. This message indicates the allowance increment that will be
deposited and the recipient (e.g., recipient identifier or
username) of the recipient account. In addition, the message
indicates that the allowance is being transferred to the recipient
account in one or more allowance increments (e.g., 10 dollars) on a
periodic basis (e.g., monthly). In this example, the funds are
deposited on the first of each month. In this embodiment, the funds
are deposited on the same day each month or period. However, it is
also possible to deposit or transfer funds on other days of the
month/period, such as the same day that the user creates the
account. Alternatively, the user may select the time of the month
or period during which the funds are to be deposited. For instance,
the user may want the funds to be transferred in the middle of the
month rather than at the beginning of the month.
[0079] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary message presented to the
recipient of the allowance in accordance with one embodiment of the
invention. In this example, the message is provided in an email to
the recipient. Such a message may be sent when the allowance is
created and/or when funds are transferred to the recipient account.
In this example, the email is sent when the allowance is set up and
indicates that an allowance has been set up for the recipient in a
recipient account. As shown, the recipient email includes the
username and password, thereby enabling the recipient to access the
recipient account and the allowance that has been established. In
addition, the allowance increment (10 dollars) and period (monthly)
the expiration of which triggers the transfer or the allowance
increment to the recipient account are specified in the recipient
email. The user's name and recipient's name are provided as a means
of personalizing the recipient email. In addition, the user may
wish to provide additional text in order to explain the purpose or
reason for the allowance. For instance, a parent may wish to
congratulate and reward a child for his or her efforts in
completing chores, homework, or for receiving exceptional
grades.
[0080] In addition, the message sent to the recipient may include a
link to a web site (e.g., iTunes Music Store) via which the
recipient can access the recipient account. Software enabling the
recipient to access the web site may be required to be installed on
the recipient's computer, in accordance with various embodiments of
the invention. Thus, the message sent to the recipient may also
include a link enabling the recipient to download software enabling
the recipient to access the web site via which the recipient can
access the recipient account.
[0081] The various aspects, features, embodiments or
implementations of the invention described above can be used alone
or in various combinations. In addition, the media items can
pertain to audio items (e.g., audio files or songs, such as for
music), video items (e.g., video files or movies), or image items
(e.g., photos).
[0082] The invention is preferably implemented by software, but can
also be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and
software. The invention can also be embodied as computer readable
code on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium is
any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be
read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium
include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, DVDs,
magnetic tape, optical data storage devices, and carrier waves. The
computer readable medium can also be distributed over
network-coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code
is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.
[0083] The advantages of the invention are numerous. Different
embodiments or implementations may, but need not, yield one or more
of the disclosed advantages. As set forth above, one advantage of
the invention is that a user may create a recurring allowance for a
recipient. Another advantage of the invention is that media items
having offensive content or descriptors can be distinguishably
displayed and/or altered to signal the presence of or remove of the
offensive matter. Thus, the user may limit the use of the allowance
by the recipient to the purchase of a limited set of items
available for purchase at a specific web site. Similarly, the user
may monitor the activities of the recipient account, and therefore
the use of the allowance by the recipient.
[0084] The many features and advantages of the present invention
are apparent from the written description and, thus, it is intended
by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of
the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes
will readily occur to those skilled in the art, the invention
should not be limited to the exact construction and operation as
illustrated and described. Hence, all suitable modifications and
equivalents may be resorted to as falling within the scope of the
invention.
* * * * *