Digital content vending, delivery, and maintenance system
View Patent ↗A digital content vending machine, DCVM ( 10 ), in which a client ( 12 ) on a personal computer, PC ( 14 ), contains an infrastructure ( 16 ) and an inventory ( 18 ). The infrastructure ( 16 ) and inventory ( 18 ) may both be stored in a hard drive ( 20 ), or the inventory ( 18 ) may instead be stored on a removable media ( 24 ), such as a CD ( 16 ), DVD ( 28 ), or tape ( 30 ). The infrastructure ( 16 ) presents a graphical user interface on the client ( 12 ) which metaphorically resembles a village ( 46 ) containing a plurality of stores ( 44 ) operated by vendors ( 42 ). Customers ( 40 ) shop in the stores ( 44 ) by selecting assets ( 22 ), constituting the inventory ( 18 ), and sending money ( 52 ) and an identifier ( 54 ) to a clearing house ( 50 ) via a communications system such as telephone ( 118 ), private network ( 120 ), or the Internet ( 122 ). The clearing house ( 50 ) returns a key ( 58 ) used to at least partially remove a digital wrapper ( 60 ) protecting the asset ( 22 ) from unauthorized use. A master server ( 48 ) may also be provided to update the infrastructure ( 16 ) and inventory ( 18 ), and to provide additional keys ( 58 ) used to remove the digital wrappers ( 60 ).
1. A method for marketing digital content, comprising:
a) storing an inventory of assets in a hard drive of a personal computer prior to delivery of said personal computer to a user, wherein said assets are instances of the digital content and are protected from unauthorized use by a digital wrapper requiring at least one key for unwrapping;
b) subsequent to said delivery of said personal computer to said user, displaying on the personal computer information about said inventory;
c) accepting a selection representing a particular said asset from said user;
d) transmitting money representing payment for said selection and an identifier associated with said selection from the personal computer to a clearing house, via a communications system;
e) receiving at the personal computer a first key, associated with said selection, from said clearing house;
f) transmitting from the personal computer the received first key to a master server, via said communications system;
g) receiving back at the personal computer a second key from said master server; and
h) unwrapping said digital wrapper protecting said selection using the received second key required for unwrapping said selection.
2. The method claim 1 , wherein said (b) through said (f) are performed using a graphical user interface that presents said assets metaphorically as merchandise and units of service in aisles of stores.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said graphical user interface further presents said stores metaphorically as a member of the set consisting of villages, town squares, shopping centers, and malls.