Data Storage and Access Systems

Abstract

Data storage and access systems enable downloading and paying for data such as audio and video data, text, software, games and other types of data. A portable data carrier has an interface for sending and receiving data, data memory for storing received content data, and payment validation memory for providing payment validation data to an external device. The carrier may also store a record of access made to the stored content, and content use rules for controlling access to the stored content. Embodiments store further access control data and supplementary data such as hot links to web sites and/or advertising data. A complementary data access terminal, data supply computer system, and data access device are also described. The combination of payment data and stored content data and use rule data helps reduce the risk of unauthorized access to data such as compressed music and video data, especially over the Internet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A content data supply server for providing an item of multimedia content to a handheld multimedia terminal, the content data supply server comprising:
 a network interface capable of communicating with a network to enable communication with the handheld multimedia terminal;
 a program store storing code implementable by a processor; 
   a processor coupled to the network interface, to the program store and to a data store configured to store identifier data identifying one or more items of multimedia content available for downloading to the handheld multimedia terminal,   the code comprising:   code to receive a request from the handheld multimedia terminal for said identifier data identifying said one or more items of multimedia content available to said handheld multimedia terminal;   code to retrieve said identifier data from said data store;   code to transmit said identifier data via said network interface to said handheld multimedia terminal;   code to receive payment validation data validating a user purchase of an item of said multimedia content; and   code responsive to said payment validation data validating said user purchase to retrieve the purchased item of multimedia content data from a multimedia content store and transmit said purchased item of multimedia content via said network interface to said handheld multimedia terminal.   
     
     
         2 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said content data supply server comprises said data store configured to store said identifier data. 
     
     
         3 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said processor is coupled to said data store via said network interface or another network interface. 
     
     
         4 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising code to receive payment record data indicating a payment made by a user for said item of multimedia content. 
     
     
         5 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 4 , further comprising code responsive to receiving the payment record data to request said payment validation data. 
     
     
         6 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the code to request the payment validation data comprises code to transmit at least a portion of said payment record data. 
     
     
         7 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said content data supply server comprises said multimedia content store. 
     
     
         8 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 code to receive a request from said handheld multimedia terminal for content information pertaining to at least one of the items of multimedia content identified by said identifier data, wherein said content information comprises one or more of description data and cost data;   code to retrieve said content information from said data store; and   code to transmit said content information to said handheld multimedia terminal.   
     
     
         9 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said item of multimedia content comprises one or more of music, films, TV programs, text, software, or games software. 
     
     
         10 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said item of multimedia content comprises additional content for games software. 
     
     
         11 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising
 code responsive to said payment validation data validating said user purchase to transmit at least one access rule to said handheld multimedia terminal,   wherein said at least one access rule specifies at least one condition for accessing said retrieved and purchased item of multimedia content data.   
     
     
         12 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said data store or multimedia content store further stores said at least one access rule, and further comprising code to read said at least one access rule from said data store or multimedia content store. 
     
     
         13 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said network interface comprises a wireless interface. 
     
     
         14 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising code to transmit supplementary data via said network interface to said handheld multimedia terminal. 
     
     
         15 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein said supplementary data comprises advertising data. 
     
     
         16 . A method of providing an item of multimedia content to a handheld multimedia terminal, the method comprising:
 receiving a request from said handheld multimedia terminal for identifier data identifying one or more items of multimedia content data available to said handheld multimedia terminal;   retrieving said identifier data from a data store;   transmitting said identifier data to said handheld multimedia terminal;   receiving payment validation data validating a user purchase of an item of multimedia content; and   responsive to said payment validation data validating said user purchase, retrieving said purchased item of multimedia content data from a multimedia content store and transmitting said purchased item of multimedia content to said handheld multimedia terminal.   
     
     
         17 . A method as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising receiving payment record data indicating a payment made by a user for said item of multimedia content. 
     
     
         18 . A method as claimed in  claim 17 , further comprising requesting said payment validation data responsive to receiving said payment record data. 
     
     
         19 . A method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said requesting said payment validation data comprises transmitting at least a portion of said payment record data. 
     
     
         20 . A method as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving a request from said handheld multimedia terminal for content information pertaining to at least one of said items of multimedia content identified by said identifier data, wherein said content information comprises one or more of description data and cost data;   retrieving said content information from said data store; and   transmitting said content information to said handheld multimedia terminal.   
     
     
         21 . A method as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said item of multimedia content comprises one or more of music, films, TV programs, text, software, or games software. 
     
     
         22 . A method as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said item of multimedia content comprises additional content for games software. 
     
     
         23 . A method as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising
 responsive to said payment validation data validating said user purchase, transmitting at least one access rule to said handheld multimedia terminal,   wherein said at least one access rule specifies at least one condition for accessing said retrieved and purchased item of multimedia content data.   
     
     
         24 . A method as claimed in  claim 23 , further comprising reading said at least one access rule from said data store or multimedia content store. 
     
     
         25 . A method as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising transmitting supplementary data to said handheld multimedia terminal. 
     
     
         26 . A method as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein said supplementary data comprises advertising data. 
     
     
         27 . A computer system for providing multimedia data items to a handheld multimedia terminal, the system comprising:
 a network interface;   a data store for storing records of multimedia data items available from the system, each record comprising a data item description and a pointer to a data provider for the data item;   a program store storing code implementable by a processor;   a processor coupled to the network interface, to said data store, and to said program store for implementing the stored code, the code comprising:   code to receive a request for a multimedia data item from said handheld multimedia terminal;   code to receive from said network interface payment validation data comprising data confirming payment for said requested multimedia data item;   code responsive to said request and to said received payment validation data, to read said requested multimedia data item from a content provider; and   code to transmit said read multimedia data item to said handheld multimedia terminal over said network interface.   
     
     
         28 . A computer system as claimed in  claim 27 , further comprising code to receive payment record data indicating a payment made by a user for said item of multimedia content. 
     
     
         29 . A computer system in  claim 28 , further comprising code responsive to said receiving said payment record data to request said payment validation data. 
     
     
         30 . A computer system as claimed in  claim 27 , further comprising
 code responsive to said request for said multimedia data item and to said received payment validation data, to transmit at least one access rule to said handheld multimedia terminal,   wherein said at least one access rule specifies at least one condition for accessing said retrieved and purchased item of multimedia content data.   
     
     
         31 . A computer system as claimed in  claim 27 , wherein said network interface comprises a wireless interface. 
     
     
         32 . A computer system as claimed in  claim 27 , further comprising code to transmit supplementary data via said network interface to said handheld multimedia terminal. 
     
     
         33 . A content data supply server as claimed in  claim 32  wherein said supplementary data comprises advertising data. 
     
     
         34 . A method of providing an item of multimedia content to a handheld multimedia terminal, the method comprising:
 sending a request for identifier data from said handheld multimedia terminal to a content data supply server, wherein said identifier data identifies one or more items of multimedia content data available for downloading to the handheld multimedia terminal;   responsive to said request for identifier data, communicating said identifier data from said content data supply server to said handheld multimedia terminal;   receiving, at said handheld multimedia terminal, said identifier data identifying said one or more items of multimedia content available for downloading to said handheld multimedia terminal;   sending a request for content information from said handheld multimedia terminal to a server, wherein said content information comprises one or more of description data and cost data pertaining to said one or more items of multimedia content identified by said identifier data;   responsive to said request for content information, communicating said content information pertaining to said one or more items of multimedia content from said server to said handheld multimedia terminal;   receiving, at said handheld multimedia terminal, said content information;   presenting said content information pertaining to said one or more items of multimedia content on a display of said handheld multimedia terminal;   responsive to a user selection of one or more of said items of multimedia content, transmitting payment data for said selected one or more items of multimedia content to a payment system;   processing said payment data and generating payment validation data defining if said request for payment has been validated;   receiving, at said handheld multimedia terminal, payment validation data defining if said payment data has been validated;   responsive to said payment validation data confirming said payment data has been validated, requesting said selected one or more items of multimedia content from a content data supply server;   receiving, at a content data supply server, a request for said selected one or more items of multimedia content; and   responsive to said request for said selected one or more items of multimedia content, receiving said one or more items of multimedia content from a multimedia content store and providing said one or more items of multimedia content to said handheld multimedia terminal.   
     
     
         35 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 ,
 wherein said receiving and providing said one or more items of multimedia content is further responsive to confirming, at said content data supply terminal, validation of said payment data for said one or more items of multimedia content.   
     
     
         36 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein said payment data comprises a request for payment. 
     
     
         37 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein said payment data comprises user data identifying a user of said handheld multimedia terminal. 
     
     
         38 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , wherein said payment data comprises a user password. 
     
     
         39 . A method as claimed in  claim 34 , further comprising communicating supplementary data to said handheld multimedia terminal. 
     
     
         40 . A method as claimed in  claim 39 , wherein said supplementary data comprises advertising data.