What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising:
providing at a retail store a first storage medium having a read-only portion and a writeable portion, the read-only portion having stored thereon content for a plurality of different versions of a first motion picture;
after a first customer has selected the first storage medium at the retail store, storing data to the writeable portion of the first storage medium to select a first version of the plurality of different versions of the first motion picture for playback by the first customer, said storing the data performed at the retail store; and
performing a transaction which permits the first storage medium to be removed from the retail store for playback of the first version of the first motion picture by the first customer.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction comprises a purchase of the first storage medium by the first customer.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction comprises a rental of the first storage medium by the first customer.
4. The method of claim 3 further comprising after the first storage medium has been returned to the retail store by the first customer:
providing the first storage medium at the retail store for a subsequent transaction;
after a second customer has selected the first storage medium at the retail store, storing data to the writeable portion of the first storage medium to select a second version of the plurality of different versions of the first motion picture for playback by the second customer, said storing the data performed at the retail store; and
performing a transaction which allows the first storage medium to be removed from the retail store for playback of the second version of the first motion picture by the second customer.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the data comprises a play list file.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of different versions of the first motion picture comprises versions having different ratings.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first storage medium comprises an optical disk.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first storage medium is provided within a container, wherein at least one of the first storage medium and the container visually indicates a title of the first motion picture.
9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing at the retail store a second storage medium having a read-only portion and a writeable portion, the read-only portion having stored thereon content for a plurality of different versions of the first motion picture;
after a second customer has selected the second storage medium at the retail store, storing data to the writeable portion of the second storage medium to select a second version of the plurality of different versions of the first motion picture for playback by the second customer, said storing the data performed at the retail store; and
performing a transaction which permits the second storage medium to be removed from the retail store for playback of the second version of the first motion picture by the second customer.
10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
providing at the retail store a second storage medium having a read-only portion and a writeable portion, the read-only portion having stored thereon content for a plurality of different versions of a second motion picture;
after a second customer has selected the second storage medium at the retail store, storing data to the writeable portion of the second storage medium to select a first version of the plurality of different versions of the second motion picture for playback by the second customer, said storing the data performed at the retail store; and
performing a transaction which permits the second storage medium to be removed from the retail store for playback of the first version of the second motion picture by the second customer.
11. A method comprising:
providing at a retail store a first optical disk having a read-only portion and a writeable portion, the read-only portion having stored thereon content for a plurality of differently-rated versions of a first motion picture, wherein the first optical disk is provided within a container, wherein at least one of the first optical disk and the container visually indicates a title of the first motion picture;
after a first customer has selected the first optical disk at the retail store, storing a first play list to the writeable portion of the first optical disk to select a first version of the plurality of different versions of the first motion picture for playback by the first customer, said storing the first play list performed at the retail store; and
performing a transaction which permits the first optical disk to be removed from the retail store for playback of the first version of the first motion picture by the first customer.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the transaction comprises a purchase of the first optical disk by the first customer.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the transaction comprises a rental of the first optical disk by the first customer.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising after the first optical disk has been returned to the retail store by the first customer:
providing the first optical disk at the retail store for a subsequent transaction;
after a second customer has selected the first optical disk at the retail store, storing a second play list to the writeable portion of the first optical disk to select a second version of the plurality of different versions of the first motion picture for playback by the second customer, said storing the second play list performed at the retail store, the second play list differing from the first play list; and
performing a transaction which allows the first optical disk to be removed from the retail store for playback of the second version of the first motion picture by the second customer.
15. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
providing at the retail store a second optical disk having a read-only portion and a writeable portion, the read-only portion having stored thereon content for a plurality of different versions of the first motion picture;
after a second customer has selected the second optical disk at the retail store, storing a second play list to the writeable portion of the second optical disk to select a second version of the plurality of different versions of the first motion picture for playback by the second customer, said storing the second play list performed at the retail store; and
performing a transaction which permits the second optical disk to be removed from the retail store for playback of the second version of the first motion picture by the second customer.
16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:
providing at the retail store a second optical disk having a read-only portion and a writeable portion, the read-only portion having stored thereon content for a plurality of different versions of a second optical disk;
after a second customer has selected the second optical disk at the retail store, storing a play list to the writeable portion of the second optical disk to select a first version of the plurality of different versions of the second motion picture for playback by the second customer, said storing the play list performed at the retail store; and
performing a transaction which permits the second optical disk to be removed from the retail store for playback of the first version of the second motion picture by the second customer.
17. An article comprising:
a storage medium having a read-only portion and a writeable portion, the read-only portion having stored thereon content for a plurality of different versions of a motion picture.
18. The article of claim 17 wherein the storage medium comprises an optical disk.
19. The article of claim 18 wherein the optical disk comprises a DVD.
20. The article of claim 18 wherein the optical disk has a plurality of read-only tracks in the read-only portion, and at most one writeable track in the writeable portion.
21. The article of claim 20 wherein the writeable portion consists of part of a single track.
22. The article of claim 21 wherein the part of the track is less than or equal to half of a track.
23. The article of claim 21 wherein the part of the track is less than or equal to a quarter of a track.
24. The article of claim 21 wherein the part of the track is less than or equal to an eighth of a track.
25. The article of claim 21 wherein a remainder of the single track excluding the part of the single track is part of the read-only portion.
26. The article of claim 21 wherein the single track is an inner-most track of the optical medium.
27. The article of claim 21 wherein the single track is an outer-most track of the optical medium.
28. The article of claim 21 wherein the single track is an interior track of the optical medium.
29. The article of claim 17 wherein the plurality of different versions of the motion picture comprises versions having different ratings.
30. The article of claim 17 wherein the storage medium visually indicates a title of the motion picture.
31. The article of claim 17 wherein the writeable portion is once-writeable.
32. The article of claim 17 wherein the writeable portion is re-writeable.
33. The article of claim 17 wherein the writeable portion is to store a play list written thereto.
34. An article comprising:
an optical disk having a plurality of tracks including a plurality of read-only tracks and a single track having a re-writeable part and a read-only part, the read-only tracks and the read-only part of the single track having stored thereon content for a plurality of different versions of a motion picture, the re-writeable part of the single track to store a play list written thereto.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a navigation module that provides a navigation process to generate flight-control signals for the UAV;
one or more supplies positioned on the UAV;
an alert device associated with the one or more supplies, wherein the alert device, when activated, draws sensory attention to the one or more supplies; and
a control system configured to cause the UAV to:
receive a transmission indicating a situation at a designated location;
determine an approximate target area associated with the designated location;
determine that the one or more supplies of the UAV are applicable to the situation;
in response to the determination that the one or more supplies are applicable to the situation, navigate from a launch site to the approximate target area associated with the designated location;
in response to a determination that the UAV is located within the approximate target area, deliver the one or more supplies to a ground level location within the approximate target area; and
in response to a determination that the one or more supplies are positioned at the ground level location, activate at least one alert on the alert device indicating the situation and the designated location of the situation.
2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the least one alert on the alert device comprises a visual alert.
3. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the at least one alert on the alert device comprises an audio alert.
4. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the at least one alert on the alert device comprises both a visual alert and an audio alert.
5. The UAV of claim 1, wherein a scene of the situation is known but is not immediately accessible by the UAV.
6. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the at least one alert on the alert device includes visually displayed instructions regarding how to handle the one or more supplies associated with the alert device.
7. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the one or more supplies associated with the alert device provide support for the situation.
8. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing system, a transmission indicating a situation at a designated location;
the computing system determining an approximate target area associated with the designated location;
the computing system making a determination that a fixed-location hardware is located within the approximate target area, wherein the fixed-location hardware is maintained in a stationary position at a particular location when not in use, and wherein an alert device is positioned on the fixed-location hardware;
the computing system making a determination that the fixed-location hardware is applicable to the situation; and
in response to the determination that the fixed-location hardware is applicable to the situation and located within the approximate target area, the computing system activating at least one alert on the alert device indicating the situation and the designated location of the situation.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:
providing for display one or more visual instructions, on a user interface on the alert device, regarding use of the fixed-location hardware associated with the alert device.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one alert on the alert device comprises a visual alert.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one alert on the alert device comprises an audio alert.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one alert on the alert device comprises both a visual alert and an audio alert.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one alert on the alert device includes audio instructions regarding how to handle the fixed-location hardware associated with the alert device.
14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that are executable to cause a computing device to perform functions comprising:
receiving a transmission indicating a situation at a designated location;
determining an approximate target area associated with the designated location;
making a determination that a fixed-location hardware is located within the approximate target area, wherein the fixed-location hardware is maintained in a stationary position at a particular location when not in use, and wherein an alert device is positioned on the fixed-location hardware;
making a determination that the fixed-location hardware is applicable to the situation; and
in response to the determination that the fixed-location hardware is applicable to the situation and located within the approximate target area, activating at least one alert on the alert device indicating the situation and the designated location of the situation.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium remotely controls the alert device.