Method for sharing content with several devices

Abstract

A portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system and method for selecting, requesting, downloading, and playing audio and/or video data content files from an Internet-based database server. The wireless link is preferably implemented in accordance with the WiFi protocol, which allows connectivity to the Internet by being in proximity with a local base station or WiFi hotspot (i.e., publicly available local wireless access hub connected to the Internet). The portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system preferably include a security means for monitoring and blocking unauthorized use of the player apparatus and system. The player apparatus further preferably has the capability to communicate with other neighboring player apparatus for the purpose of exchanging content data files, playlists and personal messages.

1 . A method for sharing digital media content, the method comprising:
 identifying, by a first user, digital media of interest contained in a collection of digital media possessed by a second user;   determining when access to the collection of digital media possessed by the second user is available;   transmitting a request for the digital media content of interest; and   retrieving digital media content of interest.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said first user has access to a content source and wherein said digital media of interest is retrieved from said content source. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said request is sent to said second user and said digital media of interest is retrieved from said second user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  where the step of identifying comprises accessing a catalog of the second user on a centralized database. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  where the centralized database includes a ranking of digital media based on published charts from widely circulated publications. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4  where the centralized database includes a ranking of digital media based on one of user ratings, human expert opinion, expert software recommendations and statistical algorithms. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  where the centralized database user rankings are clustered based on geographic location. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4  where the centralized database includes a ranking based on human experts. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5  where the centralized database includes a ranking based on one of recommendation technologies and statistical algorithms. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4  where the step of identifying comprises directly accessing the at least one second user's database. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of identifying includes determining the digital media that the second user is currently accessing. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein several user devices have access to a common network, further comprising generating lists of individual contents for each user device and publishing at least some of the said user lists to some of the user devices. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein at least some of the user devices are assigned to a predetermined category and wherein user devices in the predetermined category receive some content lists not available to user devices not in the predetermined category. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising caching the user lists and updating in the presence of a predetermined event. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising caching said user lists in a server and controlling the user lists distribution by the server. 
     
     
         16 . A method for sharing digital media content, the method comprising:
 detecting, by a first device, of at least one other device;   establishing a connection to said one other device;   receiving identifiers from said one other device;   displaying the received identifiers on a user interface on the first device;   accepting a user's selection of at least one of the identifiers using the user interface on the first device;   receiving a list of available media files from the at least one selected device;   displaying at least a portion of the list of available media files on the user interface on the first device;   accepting the user's selection of at least one media file from the list of available media files;   receiving the at least one media file from one of the at least one selected devices; and   verifying that said first device has sufficient rights to play each of the received media files.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  where the network is one of a wired and wireless network. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  where said network is a wireless network using an IEEE 802.X protocol. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  where an ad-hoc WiFi network is used to connect a device to at least one other device. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  where said list of available media files includes one of a music file, an image file, a video file and a playlist. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein user devices are connected to the internet and at least one server is used to handle the connections between the devices and execute transfers of media files. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  wherein at least one server is used to store one of lists and identifiers for later presentation so that the users do not need to be on line and connected simultaneously. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the user uploads user-generated content to the server from a PC. 
     
     
         24 . In a system having a plurality of networked devices, a method of sharing digital media content between the devices comprising:
 providing a plurality of lists of content segments, each list being associated with content on one of said networked devices;   providing access to said lists by at least some of said networked devices; and   sharing said lists and said content segments between said networked devices using one of a one-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-many or many-to-one protocol.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising identifying, by a first user, digital media of interest contained in a collection of digital media possessed by a second user;
 determining when access to the collection of digital media possessed by the second user is available;   transmitting a request for the digital media content of interest; and   retrieving digital media content of interest.