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

1 . A method for enabling a user to obtain a copy of an audio/video work, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a data stream comprising the audio/video work;   determining whether the received audio/video work matches a profile associated with the user;   in response to determining that the received audio/video work matches the profile, storing the received audio/video work in a storage device local to the user regardless of whether at the time the audio/video work was received the user indicated a desire to have the audio/video work stored in said storage device and adding to a list of unpurchased works stored in the storage device an identifier identifying the work;   receiving a first indication from the user that indicates that the user desires to view the list of unpurchased audio/video works stored in the storage device;   displaying the list in response to the user indicating said desire to view the list; and   after displaying the list or while the list is displayed, receiving a second indication from the user that indicates that the user desires to obtain a copy of or use the audio/video work.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device after receiving the second indication from the user, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work comprises processing the audio/video work so that at least some of a copy and/or use protection is removed. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, after receiving the data stream, copy and/or use protecting the received audio/video work. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said step of copy and/or use protecting the received audio/video work occurs after the step of storing the audio/video work in the storage device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising playing the audio/video work as it is being received. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising copy and/or use protecting the received audio/video work, wherein said step of copy and/or use protecting the received audio/video work occurs after the step of playing the audio/video work. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of compressing the audio/video prior to storing it in said storage device. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said storage device is a persistent storage device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device after receiving the second indication from the user, 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. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of disabling at least some of a copy and/or use protection if the user is determined to be authorized to obtain a copy of the audio/video work. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device after receiving the second indication from the user, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work further comprises the step of creating a compressed version of an audio portion of said audio/video work stored in the storage device using an audio compression scheme. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said audio compression scheme is one of the Windows Media, MP3, or Real Audio compression scheme. 
     
     
         13 . A method for enabling a user to obtain a copy of an audio/video work, comprising the steps of:
 receiving two audio/video streams substantially simultaneously: (1) a first audio/video stream and (2) a second audio/video stream, wherein said first audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work and said second audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work;   determining whether the audio/video work matches a profile associate with the user;   in response to determining that the received audio/video work matches the profile, storing the received audio/video work in a storage device local to the user regardless of whether at the time the audio/video work was received the user indicated a desire to have the audio/video work stored in said storage device and adding to a list of unpurchased works stored in the storage device an identifier identifying the work;   receiving a first indication from the user that indicates that the user desires to view the list of unpurchased audio/video works stored in the storage device;   displaying the list in response to the user indicating said desire to view the list; and   receiving a second indication from the user that indicates that the user desires to obtain a copy of or use the audio/video work.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 processing the audio/video work stored in said storage device after receiving the second indication from the user, wherein said step of processing the audio/video work comprises processing the audio/video work so that at least some of a copy and/or use protection is removed.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising playing the audio/video work as it is being received. 
     
     
         16 . A system for enabling a consumer to us an audio/video work, comprising:
 a stream processor configured to receive from a remote system two audio/video streams substantially simultaneously: (1) a first audio/video stream and (2) a second audio/video stream, wherein said first audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work and said second audio/video stream comprises the audio/video work;   a data storage unit operable to store the audio/video work; and   a user interface for enabling the consumer to indicate that the consumer desires to use the audio/video work.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said stream processor comprises a first tuner for receiving said first audio/video stream and a second tuner for receiving said second audio/video stream. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein said stream processor comprises one tuner for receiving both of said first and said second audio/video streams. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a processing unit that is configured to communicate with an authorization system for determining whether the consumer is authorized to use the audio/video work in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to use the audio/video work. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein said processing unit processes the audio/video work stored in said data storage unit in response to receiving from said authorization system an indication that the consumer is authorized to use the audio/video work. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 16 , further comprising a processing unit that is configured to process the audio/video work stored in said data storage unit in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to use the audio/video work. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein said processing unit is configured to store onto a persistent storage device a copy and/or use protected copy of the audio/video work stored in said data storage unit in response to the consumer indicating that the consumer desires to use the audio/video work. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 16 , 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.