Ratings-based digital media distribution and reproduction for a wireless network

Abstract

A digital media distribution system has a wireless network serving a plurality of wireless subscribers wherein the wireless network supports digital media file transfer. A content server is coupled to the wireless network for distributing media items to wireless subscribers upon request. The media items each comprises a plurality of rated versions, wherein the rated versions of each particular media item depict the same media content customized to meet a respective rating from a plurality of ratings. The content server offers each media item for downloading as a single unit containing the plurality of rated versions. A subscriber terminal selects and downloads selected media items as respective single units to be stored in the subscriber terminal. The subscriber terminal includes a trigger stored in the subscriber terminal. The trigger has a value for identifying one of the plurality of ratings to be used by the subscriber terminal for accessing the downloaded media items. A media application on the subscriber terminal activates a downloaded media item according to the rated version specified by the trigger value for the subscriber terminal and ignoring the other rated versions.