Data storage and access systems

摘要

Data storage and access systems enable downloading and paying for data such as audio and video data, text, software, games and other types of data. A portable data carrier has an interface for sending and receiving data, data memory for storing received content data, and payment validation memory for providing payment validation data to an external device. The carrier may also store a record of access made to the stored content, and content use rules for controlling access to the stored content. Embodiments store further access control data and supplementary data such as hot links to web sites and/or advertising data. A complementary data access terminal, data supply computer system, and data access device are also described. The combination of payment data and stored content data and use rule data helps reduce the risk of unauthorized access to data such as compressed music and video data, especially over the Internet.

主权项

1. A method of providing an item of multimedia content data to a handheld multimedia terminal, the method comprising:
sending a request for identifier data from said handheld multimedia terminal to a content data supply server, wherein said identifier data identifies one or more items of multimedia content data available for downloading to the handheld multimedia terminal; responsive to said request for identifier data, communicating said identifier data from said content data supply server to said handheld multimedia terminal; receiving, at said handheld multimedia terminal, said identifier data identifying said one or more items of multimedia content data available for downloading to said handheld multimedia terminal; sending a request for content information from said handheld multimedia terminal to a server, wherein said content information comprises one or more of description data and cost data pertaining to said one or more items of multimedia content data identified by said identifier data; responsive to said request for content information, communicating said content information pertaining to said one or more items of multimedia content data from said server to said handheld multimedia terminal; receiving, at said handheld multimedia terminal, said content information; presenting said content information pertaining to said one or more items of multimedia content data on a display of said handheld multimedia terminal; responsive to a user selection of one or more of said items of multimedia content data, transmitting payment data for said selected one or more items of multimedia content data to a payment system; processing said payment data and generating payment validation data defining if said payment data has been validated; receiving, at said handheld multimedia terminal, said payment validation data defining if said payment data has been validated; responsive to said payment validation data confirming said payment data has been validated, requesting said selected one or more items of multimedia content data from a content data supply server; receiving, at a content data supply server, a request for said selected one or more items of multimedia content data; and responsive to said request for said selected one or more items of multimedia content data, receiving said selected one or more items of multimedia content data from a multimedia content store and providing said selected one or more items of multimedia content data to said handheld multimedia terminal.