Access to media bites

Abstract

Accessing media data in bites, including: receiving a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored; determining an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client; updating the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client; valuating the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and providing access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client.

1 . A method of accessing media data in bites, the method comprising:
 receiving a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored;   determining an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client;   updating the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client;   valuating the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and   providing access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein combining the address with the identification number comprises
 appending the identification number to the end of the address.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 presenting a media access menu to the client to determine whether the request to access a media item is to access it in pieces or as a whole.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein presenting a media access menu comprises
 presenting overviews of the pieces to the client.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the overviews of the pieces are presented to the client in at least one of thumbnails, snippets, or other summaries of the pieces. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein valuating the piece of the media item comprises:
 setting a first price for accessing each piece of the media item; and   setting a second price for accessing all pieces of the media item,   wherein the second price is adjusted depending on a number of the pieces of the media item which has been purchased each at the first price.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising
 offering remaining pieces of the media item to the client at a discount when a total price for the number of the pieces of the media item is equal to or greater than the second price.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein valuating the piece of the media item comprises
 offering the pieces of the media item at a discount to the client participating in a subscription service or loyalty program.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein providing access to the requested media item comprises:
 delivering the entire media item;   tracking a playback progress through the media item; and   charging only for the pieces of the media item which have been played.   
     
     
         10 . A media access controller, comprising:
 a media access map to receive a media access request for a media item from a client device, and to output an address for the requested media item;   a processor to receive the address of the media item and generate a media access menu which is presented to the client device to enable the client device to select a piece of the media item to access;   a combiner to update the address of the media item by combining the address with a selection of the piece of the media item from the client device;   a valuator to valuate the piece of the media item selected by the client, and to send a valuated price to the client device; and   an access interface to provide access to the requested piece of the media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client device.   
     
     
         11 . The media access controller of  claim 10 , wherein the media access menu comprises
 a series of inquiries to determine whether the media access request is to access the media item in pieces or as a whole.   
     
     
         12 . The media access controller of  claim 10 , wherein the media access menu comprises
 an overview presentation to present overviews of the pieces of the media item to the client device.   
     
     
         13 . The media access controller of  claim 12 , wherein the overviews of the pieces of the media item are presented to the client device in at least one of thumbnails, snippets, or other summaries of the pieces. 
     
     
         14 . The media access controller of  claim 10 , wherein the access interface comprises
 a tracking unit configured to deliver the entire media item to the client device, track a playback progress through the media item, and charge only for the pieces of the media item which have been played.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory tangible storage medium storing a computer program for accessing media data in bites, the computer program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:
 receive a request from a client to access a media item, and determining an address of the requested media item, wherein the address indicates a location where the media item is stored;   determine an identification number of a piece of the media item selected by the client;   update the address of the media item by combining the address with the identification number of the piece of the media item selected by the client;   valuate the piece of the media item selected by the client, and sending a valuated price to the client; and   provide access to the requested media item using the updated address of the media item when a payment for the valuated price is received from the client.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory tangible storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein executable instructions that cause a computer to combine the address with the identification number comprise executable instructions that cause a computer to
 append the identification number to the end of the address.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory tangible storage medium of  claim 15 , further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to
 present a media access menu to the client to determine whether the request to access a media item is to access it in pieces or as a whole.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory tangible storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein executable instructions that cause a computer to present a media access menu to the client comprise executable instructions that cause a computer to
 present overviews of the pieces to the client.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory tangible storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the overviews of the pieces are presented to the client in at least one of thumbnails, snippets, or other summaries of the pieces. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory tangible storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein executable instructions that cause a computer to provide access to the requested media item comprise executable instructions that cause a computer to
 deliver the entire media item;   track a playback progress through the media item; and   charge only for the pieces of the media item which have been played.