1. Field of Art
The disclosure generally relates to the field of digital content access, and more particularly to remote storing of digital content.
2. Background of the Invention
Large volumes of digital video content are readily available through the Internet. Search engines like GOOGLE™ and video hosting services like YOUTUBE™ make it easy to find and access this content. However, it is not always convenient for users to watch video content that they find interesting, and some users would prefer to watch such content at a later time, or on another device. For example, a user may find an interesting video while using their smartphone, and desire to watch the video later on using their home computer. Typically, a user would bookmark the content through the host site or send himself an email with a link to the content in order to access the content on the home computer.
At the home computer, the user must return to the host site and retrieve the bookmarked item, or access the item by first going to an email account. Thus, the user is restricted to accessing the content through a given host site or service. Furthermore, when the user later accesses the content, the user is further restricted to viewing the content on a specific set of devices. For web based videos, they would be restricted to watching the video on a device that has a web browser. In either case, the process is haphazard and entirely dependent on the user's initiative and skill.
Additionally, content that the user wishes to view may contain digital rights management (DRM) restrictions that limit the number or type of device that it can play on. For example, a user may freely view a video on their mobile device, but the video's DRM restrictions prevent playback on computers.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds