Wireless device for group access and management

Abstract

A system and method for establishing a group of wireless devices having shared media stored thereupon associates each group member device of the group of wireless devices, communicates with at least some of the group member devices of the group of wireless devices to identify shared media and upon receiving a request transmitted by a group member device of the group of wireless devices, supports access to shared media. The shared media may be stored on a different group member device, upon a managing server computer, or a media server. Upon a successful validation, the group member device that made the request is notified to facilitate the access to the shared media. The notification includes access information.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A handheld device supporting access by at least one media player device to a media element, the media element being provided by a media source, the handheld device comprising:
 at least one wireless communication interface configured to support communication with both the media source and the at least one media player device;   a processing circuitry configured to interact with the media source via the at least one wireless communication interface to gather digital rights management data relating to the media element, the gathering being performed in anticipation of a potential future request for playback by the at least one media player device.   
     
     
         3 . The handheld device of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to manage playback for the at least one media player device using the digital rights management data. 
     
     
         4 . The handheld device of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to manage local storage of the media element using the digital rights management data. 
     
     
         5 . The handheld device of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to limit a number of playbacks of the media element using the digital rights management data. 
     
     
         6 . The handheld device of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 access the media element from the media source; and   relay the media element to the at least one media player device for the playback.   
     
     
         7 . The handheld device of  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to manage local storage of the media element prior to and during the playback. 
     
     
         8 . The handheld device of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to limit playback of the media element to the at least one media player device based upon communication proximity of the at least one media player device. 
     
     
         9 . The handheld device of  claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 initiate playback of the media element to a first media player device of the at least one media player device based upon the digital rights management data; and   subsequently initiate playback of the media element to a second media player device of the at least one media player device based upon the digital rights management data.   
     
     
         10 . A user device supporting access by a plurality of media player devices to a media element, the user device and the plurality of media player devices being co-located, the media element being provided by a remote media source, the user device comprising:
 a communication interface configured to support communication with the remote media source; and   processing circuitry, wherein the processing circuitry and communication interface are configured to:
 interact with the remote media source on behalf of the plurality of media player devices in a first digital rights management stage, the first digital rights management stage including delivery of digital rights management data from the remote media source; and 
 respond to a subsequent request by a first of the plurality of media player devices in a second digital rights management stage to determine whether to permit access by the first of the plurality of media player devices to the media element based upon the digital rights management data. 
   
     
     
         11 . The user device of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to manage playback for at least two of the plurality of media player devices using the digital rights management data. 
     
     
         12 . The user device of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to manage local storage of the media element using the digital rights management data. 
     
     
         13 . The user device of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to limit a number of playbacks of the media element using the digital rights management data. 
     
     
         14 . The user device of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 access the media element from the media source; and   relay the media element to the first of the plurality of media player devices for the playback.   
     
     
         15 . The user device of  claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to manage local storage of the media element prior to and during the playback. 
     
     
         16 . The user device of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to limit playback of the media element to the first one of the plurality of media player devices based upon communication proximity of the first one of the plurality of media player devices. 
     
     
         17 . The user device of  claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 initiate playback of the media element to a first media player device of the plurality of media player devices based upon the digital rights management data; and   subsequently initiate playback of the media element to a second media player device of the plurality of media player devices based upon the digital rights management data.   
     
     
         18 . A method performed by a user device to support access by a plurality of media player devices to a media element, the user device and the plurality of media player devices being co-located, the media element being provided by a remote media source, the method comprising:
 supporting communications with the remote media source using a communication interface;   interacting with the remote media source on behalf of the plurality of media player devices in a first digital rights management stage, the first digital rights management stage including delivery of digital rights management data from the remote media source; and   responding to a subsequent request by a first of the plurality of media player devices in a second digital rights management stage to determine whether to permit access by the first of the plurality of media player devices to the media element based upon the digital rights management data.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising managing playback for at least two of the plurality of media player devices using the digital rights management data. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising managing local storage of the media element using the digital rights management data. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising limiting a number of playbacks of the media element using the digital rights management data.