With iTunes slated to take over the entire digital world of entertainment, a new Apple patent (number 2012101944) shows the company wants to make it even easier for you to “gift” people with items from the store.
Per the patent — for a system and method for processing media gifts — various techniques are provided for the gifting between multiple electronic devices of media content provided by an online digital media provider. An offer and acceptance of a selected gift file is accomplished between a gifter device and a receiving giftee device using a near-field communication (NFC) connection.
If a connection to the online provider is available, the gifter device may transmit a gift request by which the gifter’s account is charged for the gift file. Thereafter, a gift file created using DRM keys associated with the giftee’s account may be downloaded to the giftee device. If a network connection is unavailable, the giftee device may transfer a locked gift file and a corresponding gift license to the giftee device using a peer-to-peer connection. The giftee device may authenticate the license and unlock the gift file once a connection to the online provider is available.
The inventors are Gloria Lin, Amir Mahmood, Taido Lantz Nakajima, Sean Anthony Mayo, Michael Rosenblatt and Andrew Hodge.