Patent Application
20110314033
This is the first application filed for this invention.
This invention relates in general to the discovery of artistic works, and in particular to a computer system and method of introducing a consumer to derivative works likely to be of interest to the consumer.
Many different systems and methods for searching music sources and recommending music purchases are known. Examples include systems and methods that recommend music purchases based on consumer mood, perceived need, purchase history, presented sound samples, and so on.
However, none of the known systems are directed at assisting a consumer to discover derivative works likely to be of interest to them based on their possession of one or more source art works used to create a derivative work.
There therefore exists a need for derivative work discovery system and method.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a derivative work discovery system and method.
The invention therefore provides a method of facilitating the discovery of derivative works by a consumer, comprising: compiling a list of digital sources available to a computer system operated by the consumer; uploading the list of digital sources to a derivative work service server; using the list of digital sources to search a derivative works database to find an identifier of each derivative work created using at least one of the digital sources; compiling a derivative work discovery file containing the identifier of each of the derivative works found by the search; performing a descending sort of the derivative work discovery file using ratio of a number of digital sources used to create the derivative work in the list of digital sources to a total number of digital sources used to create the derivative work; and presenting the sorted derivative work discovery file to the consumer.
The invention further provides a system for facilitating the discovery of derivative works by a consumer, comprising: a derivative work service server having a non-volatile memory, the derivative work service server being connected to a public network in such a way that it can be accessed by the consumer operating a computer system, the non-volatile memory storing machine-executable code that permits the consumer to log on to the derivative work service server and further permits the consumer to request the discovery of derivative works, the machine-executable code being adapted to use a list of information about digital sources found on the consumer's computer system to search a derivative works database to find an identifier of each derivative work that was created using at least one of the digital sources, and further adapted to compile a derivative work discovery file containing a record for each identifier of a derivative work found during the search; and a consumer app stored on the non-volatile memory and available for download by the consumer, the consumer app comprising machine-executable code that executes on a consumer computer system and compiles the list of information about the digital sources available on the consumer computer system and to upload the list to the derivative work service server.
The invention yet further provides a derivative work discovery file comprising at least one record containing an identifier that identifies a derivative work, an identity of each digital source used to create the derivative work, and a flag that indicates whether each of the digital sources is in a list of digital sources possessed by a consumer that initiated a derivative work discovery process to create the derivative work discovery file.
The embodiments of the present invention will now be described by reference to the following drawings, in which identical reference numerals in different figures indicate identical elements, and in which:
The present invention provides a derivative work discovery system and method. The derivative work discovery system facilitates discovery of derivative works by consumers who request the service from a derivative work service server. The derivative work service server uses information about digital sources available on a computer system operated by the consumer to find derivative works that are created, in whole or in part, using those digital sources. The derivative works found during the search are compiled into a derivative work discovery file. Records in the derivative work discovery file are presented to the consumer in a descending order of a ratio of a number of digital sources in the possession of the consumer that are that are equivalent to digital sources used to create the derivative work to a total number of digital sources used to create the derivative work.
As used herein, “source art work” means any audio work, video work, photographic work or mixed-media work in human-cognizable form which can be uniquely identified by title, artist, version, etc.
As used herein, “digital source” means a digital encoding of a source art work stored in any machine-readable format. There can be any number of digital sources for a given source art work. Each digital source inherits from the source art work it encodes all identifiers associated with that source art work (i.e., title, artist, version, etc.).
As used herein, “derivative work” means any audio work, video work, photographic work or mixed-media work derived in whole or in part from one or more digital sources.
As used herein, an “artist” means any person or combination of persons who, directly or indirectly, creates a derivative work.
As used herein, “consumer” means any person or entity that requests derivative work discovery using a consumer computer system.
As used herein, “derivative work service” means a publically accessible internet service that maintains a derivative works database and operates using machine-executable programme code to provide a derivative work discovery service to consumers.
As used herein, “Consumer app” means machine-executable programme code that permits a consumer to request derivative work discovery from the derivative work service and view derivative work discovery results.
As used herein, “derivative works database” means a collection of identifiers of derivative works and identifiers associated with each digital source used to create the respectively identified derivative works, the derivative works database being searchable using one or more of the identifiers associated with the digital sources. The derivative works database also stores a link (Universal Resource Locator) for each digital source identifier that points to a supplier of the digital source, to permit a consumer to access a worldwide web site operated by the supplier in order to purchase the digital source.
Consumers 50, only one of which is shown, uses a consumer's computer system 52, a personal computer for example, having a non-volatile memory 54 to purchase, download and play or view derivative works and the digital sources used to create those derivative works in a manner well known in the art. The consumer 50 also uses the consumer's system 52 to download and execute the consumer app 26, which permits the consumer 50 to request the derivative work discovery service as described below with reference to
After the consumer app 26 has compiled the digital source information list, the consumer app 26 uploads (110) the digital source information list to the derivative work service server 22. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the digital source information list is encrypted before it is uploaded to the derivative work service server 22. Once the digital source information list has been uploaded to the derivative work service server 22, the derivative work service server 22 decrypts and/or extracts the digital source information from the digital source information list and uses the digital source information associated with each digital source identified in the digital source information list to search (112) the derivative works database 30.
As explained above, the derivative works database 30 contains an identity of each of the digital sources used to create each of the respective derivative works identified by the derivative work identifiers stored in the derivative works database 30. If the digital source information matches one of the digital sources used by an artist to create one of the derivative works, the identifiers associated with that derivative work are used to create a new record in a derivative work discovery file created by the derivative works discovery process, as will be described below in more detail with reference to
After the search of the derivative works database 30 is completed (i.e., an identifier of each digital source identified in the digital source information list has been used as a key to search the derivative works database 30), the derivative work service server 22 determines (114) if the derivative work discovery file is empty. If so, a null result is displayed (116) to the consumer and the process ends. In one embodiment of the invention, the derivative work service server 22 then computes a per-record ratio of the number of digital sources identified in each record of the derivative work discovery file that are in possession of the consumer to the total number of digital sources used to create the derivative work. After the ratio is computed for each record in the derivative works discovery file, the derivative work service server 22 sorts (120) the derivative work discovery file using the ratio as a primary descending sort criteria. Any secondary or tertiary sort criteria can also be used, such as artist name/derivative work title, etc. Thus, the derivative work discovery file is sorted in a primary order in which the records are presented in accordance with a proportion of the digital sources in possession of the consumer that are the same as those digital sources used to create the respective derivative work over the total number of digital sources used to create the derivative work. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the derivative work service server 22 thereafter formats (122) the sorted derivative work discovery file records for presentation to the consumer 50 by, for example, appending to the respective sorted derivative work discovery file records: any available cover graphics; mix artist name(s); play duration and, optionally, a link (URL) to a supplier to permit the consumer 50 to purchase the derivative work and any of the digital source(s) required to decrypt one of the derivative works, as described in Applicant's co-pending United States patent application identified above. The derivative work service server 22 then displays (124) the formatted derivative works discovery file records for perusal by the consumer 50.
It should be noted that the consumer 50 can initiate the derivative works discovery process at any time and as often as desired.
It should be understood that the information associated with each derivative work identified by the derivative work discovery file records is a matter of design choice, as is the order and format for presenting that information. It should also be understood that a separate formatting step is not required and the derivative work discovery file records may be created with all information that is to be presented to the consumer. Alternatively, those records may be created with pointers to the desired information, in accordance with methods known to those skilled in the art.
The embodiments described above are therefore exemplary only of the system and method in accordance with the invention and the scope of the invention is limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.
