Patent Application

App. No. 11/648,412

Abstract

Claims (58)

1 . A method for selling music via a telecommunications network the method comprising:

storing a plurality of songs as digitized audio data compressed at least in part according to a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) compression standard;

making the plurality of songs available for purchase;

receiving a purchase request for a requested song via a telecommunications network, wherein the purchase request is transmitted from a portable sound reproducing device capable of reproducing digitized audio data in an audible format;

transmitting the requested song to the portable sound reproducing device via the telecommunications network;

wherein the portable sound reproducing device includes a transmitter/receiver capable of transmitting the purchase request via the telecommunications network;

wherein the portable sound reproducing device includes one or more memory chips for storing the requested song; and

wherein the requested song is one of the plurality of songs available for purchase.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing the titles of the plurality of songs; and

transmitting the title of the requested song to the portable sound reproducing device via the telecommunications network.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

storing the plurality of songs as digitized audio data compressed at least in part according to a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) compression standard in a database; and

connecting the database to the telecommunications network.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request from the portable sound reproducing device via the telecommunications network to view the plurality of songs available for purchase; and

transmitting to the portable sound reproducing device the titles of one or more of the plurality of songs available for purchase.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

upon receipt by the portable sound reproducing device of the requested song, storing the requested song in the one or more memory chips.

6 . A method for selling music via a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of selections of music and titles of the selections of music in a data base, wherein the selections of music are stored as digitized audio data compressed according to a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) compression standard;

connecting the data base to a telecommunications network;

making the plurality of selections of music available for purchase via the telecommunications network;

receiving a purchase request for a requested selection of music via the telecommunications network, said purchase request transmitted from a portable audio player capable of reproducing said selections of music stored as digitized audio data in an audible format and said portable audio player including a transmitter capable of communicating via the telecommunications network; and

in exchange for consideration, transmitting the requested selection of music and the title of the requested selection of music to the portable audio player via the telecommunications network.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

transmitting to the portable audio player the titles of one or more of the plurality of selections of music available for purchase.

8 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

upon receipt of the requested selection of music by the portable audio player, storing the requested selection of music in the one or more memory chips.

9 . A method for transmitting music stored as MPEG encoded data via a telecommunications network the method comprising:

storing a plurality of selections of music as digitized audio data compressed at least in part according to a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) compression standard;

making the plurality of selections of music available for transmission;

receiving a request for a requested selection of music via a telecommunications network, wherein the request is transmitted from a portable sound reproducing device capable of reproducing digitized audio data in an audible format, wherein the portable sound reproducing device includes a transmitter capable of transmitting the purchase request via the telecommunications network, and wherein the portable sound reproducing device includes one or more memory chips for storing the requested selection of music; and

transmitting the requested selection of music to the portable sound reproducing device via the telecommunications network.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

transmitting the titles of the requested selection of music to the portable sound reproducing device via the telecommunications network.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

storing the plurality of selections of music as digitized audio data compressed at least in part according to a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) compression standard.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

transmitting to the portable sound reproducing device the titles of one or more of the plurality of selections of music available for purchase.

13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

upon receipt of the requested selection of music by the portable sound reproducing device, storing the requested selection of music in the one or more memory chips.

14 . A data vending machine for selling music stored as MPEG encoded data comprising:

one or more databases for storing a plurality of songs, said songs being stored as digitized audio data compressed at least in part according to a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) compression standard;

one or more processors to receive via a telecommunications network a request to purchase one or more of the plurality of songs, and to arrange for payment of the one or more of the plurality of songs; and

a transmitter/receiver to transmit the one or more of the plurality of songs via the telecommunications network to a user.

15 . The data vending machine of claim 14 , wherein the user is associated with a portable audio sound reproducing device.

16 . A method for distributing music stored as MPEG encoded data to a handheld portable sound reproducing device via a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of selections of music as digitized audio data compressed at least in part according to a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) compression standard;

making the plurality of selections of music available for purchase via a telecommunications network;

receiving a purchase request to purchase a selected song from a personal computer connected to the telecommunications network, said selected song being one of the plurality of selections of music available for purchase;

transmitting the selected song to the personal computer via the telecommunications network;

connecting the personal computer to a portable sound reproducing device, said portable sound reproducing device having memory capable of storing digitized audio data compressed at least in part according to a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) compression standard; and

downloading the selected song from the personal computer to the portable sound reproducing device for storage at the memory.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

storing the titles of the plurality of selections of music;

transmitting the title of the selected song to the personal computer via the telecommunications network; and

downloading the title of the selected song from the personal computer to the portable sound reproducing device.

Assignments (13)