US 2,006,008,256 · Filed 2004-09-29

The 2004 Patent for Downloading Music Over WiFi Before the iPhone

Back in 2004, someone patented the idea of a portable device that could connect to the internet via WiFi and download songs or videos to play later. It also included security features to prevent unauthorized use and let nearby devices share playlists and messages with each other — basically a blueprint for what smartphones would eventually do.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The patent covers a portable wireless device that connects to the internet through WiFi hotspots, downloads audio and video files from online servers, and plays them back locally. What's specifically protected is the combination of this wireless connectivity method, the downloading mechanism, security controls to block unauthorized playback, and the peer-to-peer file and playlist sharing between nearby devices. Anyone making a consumer gadget with this exact system of features would potentially infringe on these claims.

Why it matters

This patent was filed in 2004, several years before the iPhone and the modern app-based music streaming era took off. It captures an early vision of how portable devices would fetch and store entertainment content over wireless networks — a foundational idea for how digital media consumption would work. The patent's security provisions and peer-to-peer sharing concepts were ahead of their time, touching on issues around digital rights and social sharing that remain relevant today.

Real-world use

When you open Spotify on your phone, connect to a WiFi network, and download a playlist to listen to offline later, you're using the same core concept this patent described.

Original USPTO abstract

A portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system and method for selecting, requesting, downloading, and playing audio and/or video data content files from an Internet-based database server. The wireless link is preferably implemented in accordance with the WiFi protocol, which allows connectivity to the Internet by being in proximity with a local base station or WiFi hotspot (i.e., publicly available local wireless access hub connected to the Internet). The portable wireless communications subscriber audio and/or video player apparatus and system preferably include a security means for monitoring and blocking unauthorized use of the player apparatus and system. The player apparatus further preferably has the capability to communicate with other neighboring player apparatus for the purpose of exchanging content data files, playlists and personal messages.

Patent details

Publication number: US 2,006,008,256
Filing date: 2004-09-29
Grant date: Application — not yet granted
Assignee: Khedouri Robert K / Axelrod Jonathan N / Price Harold E
Inventor(s): KHEDOURI ROBERT K., AXELROD JONATHAN N., PRICE HAROLD E.
CPC class: G06F16/48

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