Method and system of preserving purchased on-demand transportation entertainment services across different journey segments or separate trips

Abstract

A method and system for allowing the purchaser of an on-demand entertainment session of predetermined time duration to reaccess that portion of the session not used. On-demand passenger entertainment services in airline flights often offer services, such as movies, of a predetermined time duration which time is longer than the time of flight. The method and system disclosed allows purchasers to gain access on another flight to the unused portion of the services, such as, the unseen portion of a movie, terminated at the end of the initial flight.

1 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A method of preserving unused time in on-demand services provided to user terminals through a local server computer programmed to provide such services in a server network, said local server computer further programmed to carry out the steps of:
 authorizing purchase of an on-demand service session of predetermined time duration from said local server computer through a user terminal using a credit card number and password;   linking said session purchased with said credit card number and password in a purchaser file in said local server computer;   commencing play of said session of predetermined time duration from said local server computer to said terminal;   terminating play of said session of predetermined time duration to said terminal from said local server computer before the end of said session of predetermined time duration;   identifying the point in time in said session of predetermined time duration when said session is terminated in said local server computer;   determining the amount of session time remaining in said session of predetermined time duration using the said predetermined time duration of said session and the point in time in said session when said session is terminated; and   storing the said amount of session time remaining in said purchaser file in said local server computer.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein a central server is updated from said local server with information in said purchaser file including said amount of session time remaining in the said purchaser file. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein another local server is updated from said central server with said information in said purchaser file including said amount of session time remaining in said purchaser file. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein said purchaser file is accessed in said another local server to continue play of the said session time remaining in said purchaser file. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein said purchaser file is accessed in said another local server by said purchaser credit card number and password. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said local server is on an aircraft of a first airline flight and the second local server is on an aircraft of another airline flight. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said central server is ground-based and said central server is updated with said information in said purchaser file from said local server when said first airline flight ends. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said another server is updated with the said information in said purchaser file from said central server before said another airline flight begins. 
     
     
         16 - 25 . (canceled)