Offline content distribution networks

摘要

Approaches, techniques, and mechanisms are disclosed for the secure distribution of media content to devices having minimal or no Internet connectivity. Computing devices referred to herein as “local servers” are strategically deployed at various locations, such as stores and other public locations. Packages of media contents are stored on the local servers, and may be updated using various online and/or offline data transfer techniques. Portable devices may directly connect to the local servers via various types of proximity-based connections, such as by wireless local area networks, by wired connections over Universal Serial Bus cables, or by sharing of removable media such as Secure Digital cards. The local servers may copy their media contents to authorized devices when such connections are established. The contents on a device may be automatically be updated the next time the device connects to one of the local servers, so as to include newly selected and/or available content.

主权项

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause performance of:
sending copies of media content items from a central media server over a wide area network to certain mobile devices of a plurality of mobile devices; storing copies of the media content items at a plurality of local media servers that are separate from the central media server; establishing local connections between particular local servers of the local media servers and particular mobile devices of the plurality of mobile devices; responsive to requests to the particular local servers for particular content items of which copies are stored at the particular local servers, the particular local servers transmitting copies of the particular content items to the particular mobile devices over the local connections; receiving, at a digital rights management server, requests to unlock access for specific mobile devices, of the plurality of mobile devices, to specific content items of the media content items; sending, from the digital rights management server, responses comprising rights information for the specific mobile devices to unlock access to the specific content items, the specific mobile devices configured to utilize the rights information to determine whether the specific mobile devices are permitted to play the specific content items.