Granted Patent B2

US 8,122,100 · App. 10/901,893 · Granted Feb 21, 2012

Abstract

Claims (71)

1. A system for downloading a plurality of content objects from the Internet, the system comprising:

a first web page for selecting the plurality of content objects;

a second web page with a link to an application, wherein:

the application correlates the plurality of content objects to the application,

the application is configured to be user-executable, and

the application is unique to each user;

a database that stores the plurality of content objects;

a media server that composes the application that includes embedded information, wherein:

at least a portion of the embedded information comprises authentication information,

the authentication information is unique to the application and correlates the application to:

a user,

a transaction session identifier,

a computer of the user, and

the plurality of content objects,

the user downloads the application to a computer,

the plurality of content objects are selected from the first webpage by the user using the computer of the user during a session associated with the transaction session identifier, and

the media server:

allows download of the plurality of content objects after:

receiving the embedded information from the computer of the user,

confirming that the authentication information unique to the application matches authentication information in the received embedded information, and

confirming that the authentication information unique to the application correlates the application to the user, the transaction session identifier, the computer of the user and the plurality of content objects.

2. The system for downloading the plurality of content objects from the Internet as recited in claim 1 , wherein the embedded information is transported over a network in encrypted format.

3. The system for downloading the plurality of content objects from the Internet as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media server prevents download of the plurality of content objects if an attempt to authenticate at least one of the user, the computer, the embedded information, and the application should fail.

4. The system for downloading the plurality of content objects from the Internet as recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of content objects are selected from the group consisting of audio files and video files.

5. The system for downloading the plurality of content objects from the Internet as recited in claim 1 , wherein the media server allows download of the plurality of content objects on a plurality of occasions.

6. A method for enabling download of a plurality of objects from the Internet, the method comprising steps of:

determining a plurality of objects associated with a transaction on a web site, wherein:

a user orders the plurality of objects in the transaction, and

the transaction is associated with a transaction session identifier;

determining information to reference the plurality of objects;

generating an user-executable application wherein:

the user-executable application is unique to each user,

the user-executable application includes the information that references the plurality of objects, and

the user-executable application further includes authentication information, wherein the authentication information:

is unique to the executable user-application and

correlates the user-executable application to the user, the transaction session identifier and the plurality of objects; and

sending the user-executable application to the user associated with the transaction, wherein activation of the user-executable application:

sends the authentication information to a media server, and

initiates download of at least some of the plurality of objects upon the media server verifying that the authentication information:

sent to the media server matches the authentication information unique to the user-executable application, and

correlates the user-executable application to the user, the transaction session identifier and the plurality of objects.

7. The method for enabling download of the plurality of objects from the Internet as recited in claim 6 , wherein the plurality of objects are selected from the group consisting of audio files and video files.

8. The method for enabling download of the plurality of objects from the Internet as recited in claim 6 , wherein the information is encrypted within the user-executable application.

9. The method for enabling download of the plurality of objects from the Internet as recited in claim 6 , further comprising steps of:

receiving the authentication information after the sending step; and

sending the plurality of objects to the user.

10. The method for enabling download of the plurality of objects from the Internet as recited in claim 6 , further comprising an authorizing step that determines if the user is allowed to download the plurality of objects, wherein the sending step is not performed if the authorizing step fails.

11. The method for enabling download of the plurality of objects from the Internet as recited in claim 6 , further comprising a step of determining if the user exceeds one of the following thresholds and preventing the sending step if any threshold is exceeded:

exceeding a total number of downloads of the plurality of objects;

exceeding a periodic limit on downloads of the plurality of objects; and

exceeding a number of computers the plurality of objects are downloaded to.

12. The method for enabling download of the plurality of objects from the Internet as recited in claim 6 , further comprising steps of:

receiving the authentication information after the sending step a first time;

sending the plurality of objects to the user in response to the immediately-preceding receiving step;

receiving the authentication information after the sending step a second time; and

sending the plurality of objects to the user in response to the immediately-preceding receiving step.

13. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for enabling download of the plurality of objects from the Internet of claim 6 .

14. A computer system configured to perform the computer-implementable method for enabling download of the plurality of objects from the Internet of claim 6 , wherein the computer system comprises the media server where the authentication information is sent.

15. A method for downloading of a plurality of objects from a network, the method comprising steps of:

running an executable application received from a remote web site, wherein:

the executable application is unique to a user, and

the executable application is executable upon activation by the user;

extracting information embedded within the executable application that references a plurality of objects selected by the user in a transaction on the remote web site, wherein the transaction is associated with a transaction session identifier; extracting authentication information, wherein the authentication information is unique to the executable application and correlates the executable application to the user, the transaction session identifier, a computer of the user, and the plurality of objects;

sending the extracted authentication information to the remote web site; and

receiving the plurality of objects after the remote website verifies that the authentication information sent to the remote website:

matches the authentication information unique to the executable application, and

correlates the executable application to the user and the plurality of objects.

16. The method for downloading of the plurality of objects from the network as recited in claim 15 , wherein the network includes the Internet.

17. The method for downloading of the plurality of objects from the network as recited in claim 15 , wherein the executable application includes a code that is used to determine tampering with the executable application.

18. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the computer-implementable method for enabling downloading of the plurality of objects from the network of claim 15 .

19. A computer system configured to perform the computer-implementable method for downloading of the plurality of objects from the network of claim 15 , wherein the computer system comprises a server hosting the remote website.

Assignments (7)