System and method for receiving broadcast audio/video works and for enabling a consumer to purchase the received audio/video works

Abstract

A system and method for purchasing broadcast audio and/or video (audio/video) works. According to one embodiment, the system includes a data stream processor that receives a broadcast audio/video data stream and produces from the broadcast audio/video data stream a first audio/video output data stream and a second audio/video output data stream, wherein the broadcast audio/video data stream contains information corresponding to an audio/video work and the first audio/video output stream is in a format that can be recognized and processed by conventional audio/video reproducing equipment; a storage device that stores data included in the second audio/video output data stream, wherein the data corresponds to the audio/video work; and a user interface that enables a user of the system to input to the system an indication that the user desires to purchase the audio/video work.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for enabling a consumer to purchase a broadcast audio/video work, comprising: 
 a data stream processor that receives a broadcast audio/video data stream and produces from said broadcast audio/video data stream a first audio/video output data stream and a second audio/video output data stream, wherein said broadcast audio/video data stream contains information corresponding to an audio/video work and said first audio/video output stream is in a format that can be recognized and processed by conventional audio/video reproducing equipment;    a storage device that stores data included in said second audio/video output data stream, wherein said data corresponds to said audio/video work; and    a user interface that enables a user of the system to input to the system an indication that said user desires to purchase said audio/video work.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a processing unit that receives said indication, wherein after receiving said indication, said processing unit determines whether said user is authorized to purchase said work.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein if said processing unit determines that said user is authorized to purchase said work, said data stored in said storage device that corresponds to said work is stored in a second storage device.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein said first storage device is a volatile storage device and said second storage device is a persistent storage device.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein said first storage device is a random access memory and said second storage device is a hard disk.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a protection means for copy and/or use protecting said data included in said second audio/video output data stream prior to said data being stored on said storage device.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein said storage device is a persistent storage device.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein upon receiving said indication that said user desires to purchase said audio/video work, the system determines whether said user is authorized to purchase said work.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein if the system determines that said user is authorized to purchase said work, the system disables the copy and/or use protection that protects the data that corresponds to said work and that is stored in said storage device.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein upon receiving said indication that said user desires to purchase said audio/video work, the system copy and/or use protects said data that corresponds to said audio/video work and stores said protected data in a second storage device.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein said first storage device is a volatile storage device and said second storage device is a persistent storage device.  
     
     
         12 . A method for enabling a user to obtain a copy of a broadcast audio/video work, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a broadcast data stream comprising the audio/video work;    storing the audio/video work in a storage device local to the user regardless of whether the user has indicated a desire to have the audio/video work stored in said storage device;    receiving an indication from the user that indicates that the user desires to purchase a copy of the audio/video work; and    processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device in response to the user indicating said desire to obtain the audio/video work.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said storage device is volatile storage device.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said storage device is random access memory.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work comprises the step of storing the audio/video work onto a persistent storage device.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of compressing the audio/video work prior to storing it on said persistent storage device.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the audio/video work consists entirely of audio information and the audio/video work is compressed according an audio compression scheme.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said audio compression scheme is one of the Windows Media, MP3, or Real Audio compression scheme.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of copy and/or use protecting the audio/video work prior to or shortly after storing it on said persistent storage device.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work comprises the step of verifying that the user is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of copying the audio/video work from said storage device to a persistent storage device if the user is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of compressing the audio/video prior to storing it in said storage device.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of copy and/or use protecting the audio/video work prior to or shortly after storing it onto said storage device.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said storage device is a persistent storage device.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work comprises the step of determining that the user is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of disabling the copy and/or use protection if the user is determined to be authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.  
     
     
         27 . A system for enabling a consumer to purchase a broadcast audio/video work, comprising: 
 means for receiving a first audio/video stream and a second audio/video stream, wherein said first audio/video stream comprises the broadcast audio/video work formatted according to a first encoding scheme and said second audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work formatted according to a second encoding scheme, wherein said first encoding scheme is different from said second encoding scheme;    storage means for storing the audio/video work formatted according to said second encoding scheme; and    user interface means for enabling the consumer to indicate that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.    
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein said means for receiving said first audio/video stream and said second audio/video stream comprises a first tuner for receiving said first audio/video stream and a second tuner for receiving said second audio/video stream.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein said means for receiving said first audio/video stream and said second audio/video stream comprises one tuner for receiving both of said first and said second audio/video streams.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising a processing unit that communicates with an authorization system for determining whether the consumer is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work, wherein said processing unit communicates with said authorization system in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein said processing unit processes the audio/video work stored in said storage means in response to receiving from said authorization system an indication that the consumer is authorized to obtain the audio/video work.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein said processing unit stores onto a persistent storage device a copy of the audio/video work stored in said storage means in response to receiving from said authorization system said indication.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein said storage means is a volatile storage is device.  
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein said volatile storage device comprises random access memory.  
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 27 , further comprising a processing unit that processes the audio/video work stored in said storage means in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.  
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 35 , wherein said processing unit stores onto a persistent storage device a copy and/or use protected copy of the audio/video work stored in said storage means in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.  
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the audio/video work stored in said storage means is copy and/or use protected.  
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein said storage means is a persistent storage device.  
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 38 , wherein said persistent storage device is a hard disk.  
     
     
         40 . A method for enabling a consumer to purchase a broadcast audio/video work, comprising: 
 receiving a first audio/video stream and a second audio/video stream, wherein said first audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work formatted according to a first encoding scheme and said second audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work formatted according to a second encoding scheme, wherein said first encoding scheme is different from said second encoding scheme;    storing the audio/video work formatted according to said second encoding scheme in a storage device; and    enabling the consumer to indicate that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said first audio/video stream is received by a first tuner and said second audio/video stream is received by a second tuner.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein a single tuner receives both of said first audio/video stream and said second audio/video stream.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising the step of determining whether the consumer is authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , further comprising the step of processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device in response a determination that the consumer is authorized to obtain the audio/video work.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device comprises the step of storing onto a persistent storage device a copy of the audio/video work stored in said storage device.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein said storage device is a volatile storage device.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein said volatile storage device comprises random access memory.  
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising means the step of processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to obtain a copy of the audio/video work.  
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device comprises the step of storing onto a persistent storage device a copy and/or use protected copy of the audio/video work stored in said storage device.  
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 40 , further comprising the step of copy and/or use protecting the audio/video work prior to storing it in said storage device.  
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein said storage device is a persistent storage device.  
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein said persistent storage device is a hard disk.  
     
     
         53 . A method for enabling a user to purchase a copy of a broadcast audio/video work, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a broadcast data stream comprising the audio/video work;    storing the audio/video work in a storage device local to the user regardless of whether the user has indicated a desire to have the audio/video work stored;    providing a user interface for enabling a user to indicate that the user desires to purchase an audio/video work stored on said local storage device; and    in response to the user indicating said desire to purchase an audio/video work, presenting to the user a list of un-purchased audio/video works that are stored on said local storage device; and    enabling the user to select on or more of said listed un-purchased audio/video works.    
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising the step of copy and/or use protecting the audio/video work prior to storing the audio/video work in said storage device.  
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 54 , further comprising the step of determining an un-purchased audio-video work selected by the user and verifying that the user is authorized to purchase said selected audio/video work.  
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , further comprising the step of decrypting said selected audio/video work if the user is determined to be authorized to purchase said selected audio/video work.  
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising the step of compressing the audio/video work prior to storing the audio/video work in said storage device.  
     
     
         58 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising the step of creating an output data stream from said broadcast data stream and providing said output data stream to conventional audio/video reproducing equipment.