Sony Electronics Inc

Sony Corporation

Other

Sony Corpotation

Brian M Siegel

Gregory David Gudorf

Philip Michael Abram

Marc Beckwitt

Brian Raymond

Kazuaki Iso

Christopher M Tobin

Greg D Gudorf

Thomas Marchesello

A method an apparatus is provided for providing selected media files, which are chosen from among a plurality of media files, to a user over a packet-switched network such as the Internet. The method begins by receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content. Next, a user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a database. The user profile reflects user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network. The plurality of media files are ranked based at least in part on the user profile. At least one highly ranked media file is selected from among the ranked plurality of media files. At least one of the highly ranked media files is forwarded to the user over the packet-switched network.

Method and apparatus for providing customized selection of audio content over the internet using declared and behavior profile information

Method and apparatus for forwarding media content interspersed with an advertisement

Method and apparatus for providing a customized selection of audio content over the internet

A system, method, and user device for restricting access to the content of media over a network. Biometric information is collected and compared against pre-stored biometric information of a user to authenticate the identity of the user. The user then requests access to the content of a medium. Access is permitted to the requested content if the content is identified as content, or indicia identifying the content, that the user previously uploaded to the server. Access is denied to the requested content if the content is not identified as content, or indicia identifying the content, that the user previously uploaded to the server.

Method and system for restricted biometric access to content of packaged media

A method and system of associating product codes with product characteristics, and using those product codes to send and receive information about those characteristics to destinations on a network when the values of those characteristics change.

Method and system for distributing product information

A system and method for authenticating users based on personal information. The personal information may include age-related data where the users are interested in receiving age-restricted content. The personal information may include an address and a permission request is sent to the address. Biometric information may also be associated with the personal information.

Method and system for user information verification

A method and apparatus is provided for providing selected media files, which are chosen from among a plurality of media files, to a user over a packet-switched network such as the Internet. The method begins by receiving over the packet-switched network a request from the user to receive media content. Next, a user profile associated with the user is retrieved from a database. The user profile reflects user preferences in media content to be received over the packet-switched network. The plurality of media files are ranked based at least in part on the user profile. At least one highly ranked media file is selected from among the ranked plurality of media files. At least one of the highly ranked media files is forwarded to the user over the packet-switched network.

A bar code scanning and information retrieval system is integrated into a consumer electronic device that has an otherwise main and different function or purpose. Location determining technology, or a user interface through which location-specific information is provided, may be added to the bar code scanning and information retrieval system. A user may readily obtain information regarding the vendor at the location where the product is scanned and other vendors of the scanned product in the vicinity of the scanning device. Information can be provided to the user concerning nearby vendor location, maps to these vendors and product pricing and availability at these vendors, for example. Scanning and memory capability can be provided in connection with a non-Internet-ready portable consumer good and that scanned information can be subsequently transferred to an Internet-ready device by means of removable memory. Scanned information pertaining to a primary product may be used to obtain information from a web site regarding secondary consumer products that are related the to primary consumer product. Scanning a product code may automatically link a user to a web site or other location on a computer network, such as the Internet, which provides information related to the product whose product code was scanned. Thus, scanning the bar code acts as an instruction to a web browser to access a web site associated with the scanned bar code.

Method and system for performing electronic retailing

An apparatus, program product and method personalize an on-line interface by identifying and tracking a computing environment of a user so that on-line content is tailored to the subjective preferences of the user. In addition, the computing environment advantageously includes objectively distinguishable factors such as one or more of preference settings, cookies (i.e., previously viewed web sites), time/date, location, navigation click stream, autonomic reaction to viewed on-line content and type of computer platform. Thus, one or more usage profile records for each user may be maintained, each tailored for the computing environment and user's subjective preferences when in that computing environment.

Personalized interface with adaptive content presentation

A method and apparatus for tracking transactions made over the Internet. A sidecar application detects entry of a credit card number. The application auto-populates a web page associated with the transaction and updates a database that tracks the transaction. Third parties can be given access to the database to process loyalty points or make bill payments.

Method to electronically track personal credit information

A method and system of associating product codes with product characteristics, and using those product codes to send and recieve information about those characteristics to destinations on a network.

A method of obtaining, from a remote location, topic-specific information regarding a product includes: electronically receiving one of a plurality of machine-readable codes electronically navigating to an information resource at a remote location; and displaying the information resource's topic-specific information about the product on an electronic display device. In further detail, each of the machine-readable codes is associated with an information topic relating to a product, with at least one machine-readable code having an associated information topic which is different from that of the other machine-readable code or codes. Also, each of the machine-readable codes encodes an identifier which is associated with a corresponding information resource at a remote location. At least one corresponding information resource includes topic-specific information about the product which is different from that of the other corresponding information resource or resources. In the electronic-navigation step, the corresponding information resource at the remote location is the resource associated with the identifier encoded by the machine-readable code.

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Washingtonville, NY, United States of America

Brian M Siegel