Re-download management of previously acquired digital media assets

Abstract

Improved techniques that enable users to download digital media assets are disclosed. According to one aspect, digital media assets that a user has acquired from a remote media repository can be authorized for download multiple times. This, for example, allows a user to subsequently re-downloaded digital media assets that the user previously acquired. In one embodiment, digital media assets that a user previously downloaded to a user client device from a remote media repository can be made available to the user for subsequent re-download. Advantageously, a remote media repository can, in effect, provide users with a remote backup for previously acquired digital media assets.

1 . A method for downloading digital media assets from a network-based storage device to a client device via a network, said method comprising:
 presenting a graphical user interface on a display associated with the client device, the graphical user interface presenting information at the client device regarding re-download availability of a plurality of digital media assets, the information regarding the re-download availability being presented including, for each of the digital media assets, an indicator of a number of available downloads for such digital media asset;   receiving a re-download request for an identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets having re-download availability; and   processing the re-download request such that the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets are made available to be downloaded from the network-based storage device to the client device.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said processing of the download request comprises:
 retrieving a re-download allotment for the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets; and   reducing the re-download allotment based on the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets being re-downloaded.   
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said processing of the download request further comprises:
 downloading the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets from the network-based storage device to the client device.   
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said downloading the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets stores the identified one or more of the digital media assets on the client device. 
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets comprises one or more movies or one or more televisions shows. 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said processing of the download request comprises:
 offering an opportunity to acquire additional assignable re-download allotments.   
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said processing of the download request comprises:
 acquiring one or more additional assignable re-download allotments; and   allocating at least one of the assignable re-download allotments to the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets.   
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said processing of the download request comprises:
 acquiring one or more additional assignable re-download allotments; and   allocating at least one of the assignable re-download allotments to the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets.   
     
     
         9 . A method for re-downloading a digital media asset from a remote media repository to a client device via a network, said method comprising:
 receiving a re-download information request from a requestor via the client device;   determining those one or more digital media assets previously acquired by the requestor that are eligible for re-download by the requestor;   sending information to the client device for presentation of information to the requestor regarding the determined one or more digital media assets that are eligible for re-download by the requestor;   receiving a re-download request for a media asset selected from the one or more digital media assets that are eligible for re-download by the requestor; and   processing the re-download request for the selected media asset.   
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said processing of the re-download request comprises:
 processing the re-download request such that the selected media asset is re-downloaded from the remote media repository to the client device;   reducing a re-download allotment for the selected media asset based on the identified media asset being re-downloaded.   
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said processing of the re-download request comprises:
 storing the selected media asset that has been re-downloaded to the client device.   
     
     
         12 . A system for managing re-download of digital media assets, said system comprising:
 user accounts established for a plurality of account holders;   a media storage device configured to store a plurality of digital media assets;   a server device for providing online access to browse or acquire one or more of the digital media assets; and   a re-download manager configured to manage availability of re-downloads for qualifying ones of the digital media assets in accordance with said user accounts with respect to a particular account holders, wherein said re-download manager is configured to at least (i) access re-download allocation information for at least a plurality of the digital media assets, the re-download allocation information being dependent on the particular account holder, and (ii) determine the ones of the digital media assets that qualify for one or more re-downloads to the particular account holder based on the re-download allocation information.   
     
     
         13 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the quantity of re-downloads available for each of the qualifying ones of the digital media assets is limited. 
     
     
         14 . A system as recited in  claim 12 , wherein, for at least one of the particular account holders, said re-download manager is further configured to at least:
 facilitate presentation of information to the particular account holder regarding re-download availability of one or more media assets;   receive a re-download request for an identified one or more of the digital media assets that qualify for one or more re-downloads; and   process the re-download request such that the identified one or more of the media assets are made available to be downloaded from said media storage device to a client device associated with the particular user account.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including at least computer program code stored thereon that can be used by a computer to download digital media assets from a network-based storage device to a client device via a network, said computer readable medium comprising:
 computer program code for presenting a graphical user interface on a display associated with the client device, the graphical user interface presenting information at the client device regarding re-download availability of a plurality of digital media assets, the information regarding the re-download availability being presented including, for each of the digital media assets, an indicator of a number of available downloads for such digital media asset;   computer program code for receiving a re-download request for an identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets having re-download availability; and   computer program code for processing the re-download request such that the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets are made available to be downloaded from the network-based storage device to the client device.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said computer program code for processing of the download request comprises:
 computer program code for acquiring one or more additional assignable re-download allotments; and   computer program code for allocating at least one of the assignable re-download allotments to the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in  claim 15 , wherein said computer program code for processing of the download request comprises:
 computer program code for retrieving a re-download allotment for the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets; and   computer program code for reducing the re-download allotment based on the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets being re-downloaded.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in  claim 17 , wherein said computer program code for processing of the download request further comprises:
 computer program code for downloading the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets from the network-based storage device to the client device.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in  claim 18 , wherein said computer program code for downloading the identified one of the plurality of the digital media assets stores the identified one or more of the digital media assets on the client device. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including at least computer program code stored thereon for re-downloading a digital media asset from a remote media repository to a client device via a network, said computer readable storage medium comprising:
 computer program code for receiving a re-download information request from a requestor via the client device;   computer program code for determining those one or more digital media assets previously acquired by the requestor that are eligible for re-download by the requestor;   computer program code for sending information to the client device for presentation of information to the requestor regarding the determined one or more digital media assets that are eligible for re-download by the requestor;   computer program code for receiving a re-download request for a media asset selected from the one or more digital media assets that are eligible for re-download by the requestor; and   computer program code for processing the re-download request for the selected media asset.   
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in  claim 20 , wherein said computer program code for processing of the re-download request comprises:
 computer program code for processing the re-download request such that the selected media asset is re-downloaded from the remote media repository to the client device;   computer program code for reducing a re-download allotment for the selected media asset based on the identified media asset being re-downloaded.   
     
     
         22 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium as recited in  claim 21 , wherein said computer program code for processing of the re-download request comprises:
 computer program code for storing the selected media asset that has been re-downloaded to the client device.