Digital Content Vending, Delivery, And Maintenance System

Abstract

A digital content vending machine in which a client on a personal computer, contains an infrastructure and an inventory. The infrastructure and inventory may both be stored in a hard drive, or the inventory may instead be stored on a removable media The infrastructure presents a graphical user interface on the client which metaphorically resembles a village containing a plurality of stores operated by vendors. Customers shop in the stores by selecting assets, constituting the inventory, and sending money and an identifier to a clearing house via a communications system such as telephone, private network, or the Internet. The clearing house returns a key used to at least partially remove a digital wrapper protecting the asset from unauthorized use. A master server may also be provided to update the infrastructure and inventory, and to provide additional keys used to remove the digital wrappers.

1 . A system for marketing digital content on a personal computer, comprising:
 communications means for communicating over a communications medium;   client means for:
 storing at the personal computer an inventory of assets which are instances of the digital content, wherein each said asset is protected from unauthorized use by a digital wrapper requiring at least one key for unwrapping, 
 displaying on the personal computer information about said inventory, 
 accepting from a user of the personal computer a selection representing a particular said asset, 
 transmitting money representing payment for said selection and an identifier associated with said selection, via said communications means, 
 receiving all said keys required for unwrapping said selection, via said communications means, and 
 unwrapping said digital wrapper protecting said selection; and 
   clearing house means for:
 receiving said money and said identifier from the personal computer, via said communications means, and 
 transmitting one said key associated with said selection back to the personal computer. 
   
     
     
         2 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A system for marketing digital content to a user on a personal computer, comprising:
 a hard drive installed in the personal computer, wherein an inventory of assets are stored in said hard drive, said assets are instances of the digital content, and said assets are protected from unauthorized use by a digital wrapper;   a logic in the personal computer to:
 display information about said inventory to the user; 
 accept a selection by the user of a particular said asset; 
 transmit money representing payment for said selection and an identifier associated with said selection to a clearing house; 
   receive a first key from said clearing house;   transmit said first key to a master server;   receive a second key from said master server; and   with said second key unwrap said digital wrapper protecting said selection.   
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26 , wherein said hard drive is installed by a manufacturer of the personal computer with said inventory already pre-stored therein. 
     
     
         28 . A unit for use in marketing digital content to a user of a personal computer, comprising:
 a hard drive for installation into the personal computer, wherein:
 an inventory of assets are stored in said hard drive; 
 said assets are instances of the digital content, wherein at least one said asset is an executable software that is pre-configured to run from said hard drive once it is installed in the personal computer; and 
 said assets are protected from unauthorized use by a digital wrapper; and wherein said hard drive includes a client logic that is installable into the personal computer to: 
 display information about said inventory to the user; 
 accept a selection by the user of a particular said asset; 
 transmit money representing payment for said selection and an identifier associated with said selection to a clearing house; 
 receive a first key from said clearing house; 
 transmit said first key to a master server; 
 receive a second key from said master server; and 
 with said second key unwrap said digital wrapper protecting said selection.