System and method for renting or purchasing digital media

Abstract

A system and method for allowing a customer to rent or purchase a video on an optically readable medium is disclosed. In a preferred embodiment, the invention consists of a kiosk at which a customer makes a video selection and the video is written to the optically readable medium, such as a DVD, within the kiosk. By applying an opaquing layer that becomes opaque with exposure to light and/or air or due to the passage of time, the rented video becomes unreadable and the customer need not return the rented video to a video rental store. Because the video kiosk writes the video content to the DVD, the video kiosk is only limited to the number of stored blank DVDs rather than a fixed number of copies of a video as is a video rental store.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for providing a rented video on an optically readable medium, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request for the rented video;    at a point of sale, writing video content on the optically readable medium;    at the point of sale, treating the optically readable medium with an opaquing layer, the opaquing layer designed to render the optically readable medium unreadable after a period of time; and    at the point of sale, providing the rented video on the optically readable medium to a customer.    
     
     
         2 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the request for the rented video is received at the point of sale.  
     
     
         3 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the request for the rented video is received from a remote location different from the point of sale.  
     
     
         4 . A method in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the request for the rented video is received over the Internet.  
     
     
         5 . A method in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein the request for the rented video is received over the telephone.  
     
     
         6 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising, before receiving the request for the rented video, storing video content on a local video content server at the point of sale.  
     
     
         7 . A method in accordance with  claim 6 , further comprising, before storing video content on the local video content server at the point of sale, receiving the video content from a remote location.  
     
     
         8 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising, after receiving the request for the rented video, receiving the video content from a remote location.  
     
     
         9 . A method in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising after receiving the request for the rented video, providing an estimated time for providing the rented video to the customer at the point of sale.  
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for providing a rented video on an optically readable medium, the apparatus comprising: 
 an electronic device to receive a request for the rented video;    an optically readable medium writer coupled to the electronic device, the optically readable medium writer for writing video content on the optically readable medium;    a coater coupled to receive the optically readable medium from the optically readable medium writer and to treat the optically readable medium with an opaquing layer, the opaquing layer designed to render the optically readable medium unreadable after a period of time;    a dispenser disposed to receive the optically readable medium with the opaquing layer, the dispenser providing the rented video on the optically readable medium to a customer; and    an input device for receiving information from the customer, wherein the dispenser provides the optically readable medium to the customer only upon authentication of the received information.    
     
     
         11 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a touch screen, a keyboard, a pointing device, and combinations thereof.  
     
     
         12 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the electronic device receives the request for the rented video from a remote location, the remote location remote relative to a location of the apparatus.  
     
     
         13 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the request for the rented video is received over the Internet.  
     
     
         14 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the request for the rented video is received over a telephone.  
     
     
         15 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 10 , further comprising a local video content server for storing video content.  
     
     
         16 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 15 , further comprising an input port coupled to a remote video content server, wherein video content is received from the remote video content server and stored on the local video content server.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the video content is received from the remote video content server after the request is received at the electronic device.  
     
     
         18 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the video content is received from the remote video content server before the request is received at the electronic device.  
     
     
         19 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the electronic device, the optically readable medium writer, and the coater are disposed within a housing, the apparatus further comprising a display coupled to the housing and viewable by the customer.  
     
     
         20 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein the display displays advertisements.  
     
     
         21 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 10 , further comprising a gift card dispenser.  
     
     
         22 . A method for allowing a customer to either purchase or rent a video on an optically readable medium, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request for the video;    receiving payment information;    at a point of sale, writing video content on the optically readable medium;    at the point of sale, writing sales information on the optically readable medium; and    at the point of sale, providing the video on the optically readable medium to the customer.    
     
     
         23 . A method in accordance with  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 receiving the optically readable medium from the customer; and    providing the customer with a payment credit.    
     
     
         24 . A method in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein the sales information comprises date and time information and wherein the payment credit is determined in part by the sales information.  
     
     
         25 . A method in accordance with  claim 24 , wherein the payment credit is provided to the customer by crediting a customer credit or debit card.  
     
     
         26 . A method in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein the sales information comprises date and time information.  
     
     
         27 . A method in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein receiving payment information comprises receiving credit card information.  
     
     
         28 . A method in accordance with  claim 27 , wherein the sales information includes the credit card information.  
     
     
         29 . A method in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein the step of receiving payment information comprises receiving denomination information from a currency detector.  
     
     
         30 . A method in accordance with  claim 22 , wherein the sales information comprises timing information corresponding to the time and date of providing the video on the optically readable medium to the customer.  
     
     
         31 . A method in accordance with  claim 23 , further comprising determining return timing information based on when the optically readable medium is received from the customer, wherein the payment credit is based on a difference between the return timing information and rented timing information, the rented timing information being determined from the sales information.  
     
     
         32 . A method of providing digital content to a customer, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request from the customer, the request including an indication of digital content and a point of sale;    receiving payment information;    at the point of sale, writing digital content on a readable medium;    at the point of sale, writing sales information on the medium, the sales information including timing information corresponding to the time and date of providing the digital content on the medium to the customer, the sales information also including the payment information;    at the point of sale, providing the medium to the customer;    receiving the medium from the customer; and    providing the customer with a payment credit, the payment credit being determined at least in part by the sales information.    
     
     
         33 . A method in accordance with  claim 32 , further comprising receiving the digital content at the point of sale from a remote location, the digital content being received at the point of sale after receiving the request from the customer.  
     
     
         34 . A method in accordance with  claim 32:   wherein the digital content comprises video content; and    wherein the medium comprises an optically readable medium.    
     
     
         35 . A method in accordance with  claim 34 , wherein the medium comprises a digital versatile disc.  
     
     
         36 . An apparatus allowing a customer to either purchase or rent a video on an optically readable medium, the apparatus comprising: 
 a housing;    means for receiving a request for the video, the means for receiving a request disposed within the housing;    means for receiving payment information, the means for receiving payment information disposed within the housing;    means for writing video content on the optically readable medium, the means for writing video content disposed within the housing;    means for writing sales information on the optically readable medium, the means for writing sales information disposed within the housing; and    means for providing the video on the optically readable medium to the customer, the means for providing disposed within the housing.    
     
     
         37 . An apparatus in accordance with  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 means for receiving the optically readable medium from the customer; and    means for providing the customer with a payment credit.    
     
     
         38 . A method for allowing a customer to either purchase or rent entertainment content on an optically readable medium, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request for the entertainment content;    receiving payment information;    writing entertainment content on the optically readable medium at a point of sale;    writing time and date information on the optically readable medium at the point of sale;    providing the entertainment content on the optically readable medium to the customer at the point of sale; and    providing the customer with a partial payment credit if the customer returns the entertainment content on the optically readable medium to the point of sale.    
     
     
         39 . A method in accordance with  claim 38 , wherein the entertainment content is selected from the group consisting of audio content, video content and gaming content.