Digital Content Throttling via Location Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital content distribution systems fail to effectively limit the amount of free digital content that can be downloaded or streamed to a customer's portable device to the immediate vicinity of a retail store or location, based on the duration and frequency of access.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a digital data content control server, which monitors and throttles the provision of digital content to a wireless device via a secure connection, limiting access by portion and time, using throttling criteria such as the amount of data and access time, ensuring content is only accessible within the authorized location.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If digital content is made freely accessible to customers at retail stores, then customer satisfaction and engagement improve, but unauthorized access and content piracy increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments digital content into multiple portions that are delivered sequentially rather than all at once. The content is divided into chapters or sections, with each portion requiring authentication and throttling control. This segmentation prevents unauthorized users from obtaining complete content while still allowing legitimate customers to access content progressively within the store premises.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary authentication and authorization actions before delivering content portions. The server verifies customer credentials, device legitimacy, and location validity in advance of each content delivery. This preliminary action ensures that only authorized customers within the store can access content, preventing piracy while maintaining ease of access for legitimate users.
2Productivity
If digital content is provided without charge, then customer traffic and store engagement increase, but revenue loss from content sales occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic throttling of content delivery based on time duration and portion sequences. Customers can access content portions periodically while in the store, but the system controls the rate and timing of delivery. This periodic action allows customers to engage with content during store visits while preventing them from obtaining complete content for free, thus maintaining revenue opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors and tracks content access patterns, customer location, time duration, and portion delivery status. This feedback mechanism allows the server to dynamically control content delivery, adjusting throttling parameters based on customer behavior. The feedback ensures that while customers receive value during store visits, the system prevents excessive free access that would lead to revenue loss.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If content delivery is restricted to store vicinity only, then content piracy is reduced, but customer convenience is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces wireless location verification technology as an intermediary between the customer device and the content delivery system. The system uses wireless signals (WiFi, Bluetooth) to verify that the customer device is within the store premises without requiring physical checkpoints or manual verification. This intermediary mechanism maintains customer convenience by enabling automatic location-based access control while effectively restricting content delivery to the store vicinity.
4Loss of energy
If content is delivered in limited portions with time restrictions, then revenue protection is improved, but customer access speed is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-authenticating customers and pre-loading metadata about available content portions before actual content delivery begins. When a customer enters the store and authenticates, the system prepares the delivery framework in advance, so that subsequent content portions can be delivered quickly without repeated authentication overhead. This preliminary action balances revenue protection through throttling with maintaining acceptable access speed for legitimate customers.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for providing digital data content to a wireless device. Although a fee is typically charged for access to the digital data content, e.g., electronic books, the system and the method provides controlled access to this content for free while the wireless device is accessing the content in a specified location, e.g., a retail location. A content control server receives a request from the wireless device requesting access to the digital data content. The request is received over a secure connection, preferably a virtual private network (VPN). The content control server monitors how much of the digital data content has been provided to the wireless device, and/or an amount of time the wireless device has been accessing the digital data content. This content control server uses this monitored data to control, throttle, the provision of the digital data content to the wireless device.