Method and Apparatus for Obtaining Digital Objects in a Communication Network

Abstract

Techniques for obtaining digital objects (such as songs or video clips) from information providers in data communication networks (such as the Internet) are disclosed. The digital objects are sent through channels (such as Internet radio channels or Internet TV channels) or otherwise made available. The end-user gains several advantages over the known art. For example, end-users may easily locate desired digital objects in a certain desired format/quality and receive associated information of the objects, need not be connected during object capture, can be connected through a low speed connection, does not have to have a high capacity computer, can quickly scan a vast number of digital object sent earlier or navigate through a multitude of digital object channels, need not have the required storage space available during object capture, can legally obtain digital objects at no cost, and can prove that the digital objects were actually obtained legally.

1 . A computer-implemented method of presenting requested content, gathered by a network-based server, to a remote user device, comprising:
 receiving, by a network-based server and from a remote user device connected to a network, a request for a media object;   monitoring, by the network-based server, at least one digital object channel provided by one or more information providers in search of the requested media object, without directly initiating a dedicated stream containing the requested media object from the one or more information providers;   locating, by the network-based server and based on one or more descriptors of media content transmitted in the at least one digital object channel, at least one undedicated media stream transmitting the requested media object via the at least one digital object channel;   recording, by the network-based server, a copy of the requested media object while the media object is being transmitted in the at least one undedicated media stream; and   making the copy of the media object available, by the network-based server, to the remote user device;   wherein the remote user device is not required to stay connected to the network or the network-based server while the network-based server is locating or recording the requested media object.   
     
     
         2 . A system for presenting requested content, comprising:
 at least one processor;   at least one storage medium; and   at least one communication interface,   wherein the system is configured to perform at least the following:
 receiving, from a remote user device via the at least one communication interface, a request for a media object; 
 monitoring at least one digital object channel provided by one or more information providers in search of the requested media object, without directly initiating a dedicated stream containing the requested media object from the one or more information providers; 
 locating, based on one or more descriptors of media content transmitted in the at least one digital object channel, at least one undedicated media stream transmitting the requested media object via the at least one digital object channel; 
 recording, in the at least one storage medium, a copy of the requested media object while the media object is being transmitted in the at least one undedicated media stream; and 
 making the copy of the media object available to the remote user device; 
 wherein the remote user device is not required to stay connected to the system while the system is locating or recording the requested media object. 
   
     
     
         3 . A computer readable medium comprising code for presenting requested content, the code being executable by at least one processor to perform at least the following:
 receiving, from a remote user device, a request for a media object;   monitoring at least one digital object channel provided by one or more information providers in search of the requested media object, without directly initiating a dedicated stream containing the requested media object from the one or more information providers;   locating, based on one or more descriptors of media content transmitted in the at least one digital object channel, at least one undedicated media stream transmitting the requested media object via the at least one digital object channel;   recording a copy of the requested media object while the media object is being transmitted in the at least one undedicated media stream; and   making the copy of the media object available to the remote user device;   wherein the remote user device is not required to stay connected to the at least one processor while it is locating or recording the requested media object.