Granted Patent B2

US 9,529,979 · App. 14/612,848 · Granted Dec 27, 2016

Abstract

Claims (70)

1. A system for providing content items to users, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising at least one hardware processor and operatively associated data storage, wherein the computer system is programmed to:

provide to a first user an indication of a plurality of available content items, wherein the providing comprises:

receiving an indication of content items that a content provider service is authorized to transmit to users;

receiving an indication that an additional content item that the content provider service is not authorized to transmit to users is available from at least one alternate source, wherein the plurality of available content items comprises the content items that the content provider service is authorized to transmit to users and the content item that the content provider service is not authorized to transmit to users;

after receiving the indication that the additional content item is available from the at least one alternate source, generating an interface comprising a representation of the content items that the content provider service is authorized to transmit to users and the additional content item, wherein the plurality of available content items comprises the content items that the content provider service is authorized to transmit to users and the additional content item; and

transmitting the interface to the first user;

receive from the first user an indication of a first content item selected from the plurality of content items;

determine that the content provider service is not authorized to transmit the first content item to the first user;

identify a first alternate source for the first content item selected from the at least one alternate source; and

initiate playback of the first content item to the first user from the first alternate source.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first alternate source for the first content item comprises a first user device associated with the first user, and wherein initiating playback of the first content item comprises initiating playback of the first content item from the first user device.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first alternate source for the first content item comprises a content service storing a plurality of content items to which the first user has playback rights.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein initiating playback of the first content item comprises sending a request that the content service transmit the first content item to the first user.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein initiating playback of the first content item comprises:

downloading the first content item from the content service;

storing the content item to a portion of the data storage associated with the first user; and

transmitting the first content item to the first user from the data storage.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first alternate source for the first content item comprises a content store, and wherein initiating playback of the first content item comprises purchasing a copy of the first content item from the content store.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein initiating playback of the first content item further comprises:

storing the content item to a portion of the data storage associated with the first user; and

transmitting the first content item to the first user from the data storage.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein initiating playback of the first content item further comprises:

pushing the first content item to a first user device associated with the first user; and

initiating playback of the first content item from the first user device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein identifying the first alternate source for the first content item comprises:

determining whether the first content item is available at a first user device associated with the user;

determining whether the first content item is available from at least one content service associated with the first user;

determining whether the first content item is available from at least one content store; and

selecting at least one source selected from the group consisting of the first user device, the at least one content service and the at least one content store.

10. A computer-implemented method for providing content items to users, the method comprising:

providing, by a computer system and to a first user, an indication of a plurality of available content items, wherein the computer system comprises at least one hardware processor and operatively associated memory, and wherein the providing comprises:

receiving an indication of content items that a content provider service is authorized to transmit to users;

receiving an indication that an additional content item that the content provider service is not authorized to transmit to users is available from at least one alternate source, wherein the plurality of available content items comprises the content items that the content provider service is authorized to transmit to users and the content item that the content provider service is not authorized to transmit to users;

after receiving the indication that the additional content item is available from the at least one alternate source, generating an interface comprising a representation of the content items that the content provider service is authorized to transmit to users and the additional content item, wherein the plurality of available content items comprises the content items that the content provider service is authorized to transmit to users and the additional content item; and

transmitting the interface to the first user;

receiving, by the computer system and from the first user, an indication of a first content item selected from the plurality of content items;

determining, by the computer system, that the content provider service is not authorized to transmit the first content item to the first user;

identifying, by the computer system, a first alternate source for the first content item selected from the at least one alternate source; and

initiating, by the computer system, playback of the first content item to the first user from the first alternate source.

11. A system for providing content items to users, the system comprising:

a computer system comprising at least one hardware processor and operatively associated data storage, wherein the computer system is programmed to:

provide to a first user, an indication of a plurality of available content items, wherein the providing comprises:

receiving an indication of content items in a digital library of a content provider service;

receiving an indication that an additional content item that is not in the digital library is available from at least one alternate source, wherein the plurality of available content items comprises the content items in the digital library and the content item that is not in the digital library;

after receiving the indication that the additional content item is available from the at least one alternate source, generating an interface comprising a representation of the content items in the digital library and the additional content item, wherein the plurality of available content items comprises the content items in the digital library and the additional content item; and

transmitting the interface to the first user;

receive from the first user, an indication of a first content item selected from the plurality of content items;

determine that the first content item is not in the digital library;

identify a first alternate source for the first content item selected from the at least one alternate source; and

initiate playback of the first content item to the first user from the first alternate source.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first alternate source for the first content item comprises a first user device associated with the first user, and wherein initiating playback of the first content item comprises initiating playback of the first content item from the first user device.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first alternate source for the first content item comprises a content service storing a plurality of content items to which the first user has playback rights.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein initiating playback of the first content item comprises sending a request that the content service transmit the first content item to the first user.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein initiating playback of the first content item comprises:

downloading the first content item from the content service;

storing the content item to a portion of the data storage associated with the first user; and

transmitting the first content item to the first user from the data storage.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first alternate source for the first content item comprises a content store, and wherein initiating playback of the first content item comprises purchasing a copy of the first content item from the content store.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein initiating playback of the first content item further comprises:

storing the content item to a portion of the data storage associated with the first user; and

transmitting the first content item to the first user from the data storage.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein initiating playback of the first content item further comprises:

pushing the first content item to a first user device associated with the first user; and

initiating playback of the first content item from the first user device.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein identifying the first alternate source for the first content item comprises:

determining whether the first content item is available at a first user device associated with the user;

determining whether the first content item is available from at least one content service associated with the first user;

determining whether the first content item is available from at least one content store; and

selecting at least one source selected from the group consisting of the first user device, the at least one content service and the at least one content store.

Assignments (11)