Controlled environment secure media streaming system

• US 10,270,777 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2018
• Issued: 04/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Inventors: Hodge, Stephen Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Zaidi, Syed A
• Application Number:
  US15/891,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20180167395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 726 27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1064 Restricting content processing at operating system level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/26 Government or public services business processes related to the transportation industry G06Q50/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 applying security measure for protecting copyright
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A Controlled Environment Secure Media Streaming System manages the delivery of content to Secured Devices. Cloud Services provide content to Integration Hub. The Integration Hub interfaces with various cloud services providers and prepares content for consumption by a resident of a secured facility. Integration Hub utilizes Content Filter to inspect content received from cloud service providers for suitability for use in a secured environment. Once content is retrieved, filtered, formatted, and packaged by Integration Hub, the content is stored in Data Warehouse. Secured Devices request content from the Distribution Hub, the Distribution Hub retrieves the content from the Data Warehouse, and then Distribution Hub manages the transfer of content to the Secured Devices. In some embodiments, Distribution Hub utilizes Content Filter to determine whether or not a particular Secured Device can access particular content.

Claims

1. An integration hub within a secure media streaming system for a controlled environment including a plurality of secured facilities, the plurality of secured facilities including a plurality of secured devices, the integration hub comprising:

a first processor configured to execute a data formatter, the data formatter, when executed by the first processor, configuring the first processor to;

access a unit of content of a service provider in response to a request to access the unit of content from a secured device within a secured facility from among the plurality of secured devices, and

censor the unit of content for a first type of content that is not suitable for use in the secured facility to provide a facility-level-censored unit of content, the first type of content being associated with a first content access restriction for restricting access of the secured facility to the first type of content; and

a second processor configured to execute a data packager, the data packager, when executed by the second processor, configuring the second processor to package the facility-level-censored unit of content for consumption by the secured device,

wherein the facility-level-censored unit of content is censored for a second type of content that is not suitable to be accessed by the secured device to provide a device-level-censored unit of content, the second type of content being associated with a second content access restriction for restricting access of the secured device to the second type of content.

2. The integration hub of claim 1, wherein the facility-level-censored unit of content is censored for the second type of content before being consumed by the secured device.

3. The integration hub of claim 1, wherein the unit of content comprises:

music, a video, a television show, a movie, a digital book, a digital magazine, a game, or a software application.

4. The integration hub of claim 1, wherein the data formatter, when executed by the first processor, further configures the first processor to:

convert the unit of content from a first format incompatible with the secured device to a second format compatible with the secured device in accordance with a conversion algorithm from among a plurality of conversion algorithms.

5. The integration hub of claim 4, wherein the plurality of conversion algorithms comprises a list of acceptable formats supported by the plurality of secured devices.

6. The integration hub of claim 1, wherein the data formatter, when executed by the first processor, further configures the first processor to:

retrieve the unit of content utilizing an application programming interface provided from the service provider.

7. The integration hub of claim 1, wherein the data packager, when executed by the second processor, further configures the second processor to:

include a Digital Rights Management (DRM) layer to the facility-level-censored unit of content.

8. The integration hub of claim 1, wherein the data packager, when executed by the first processor, further configures the first processor to send the device-level-censored unit of content to a data warehouse for storage.

9. The integration hub of claim 1, wherein the controlled environment comprises:

an access controlled environment configured to provide a restriction on physical entry thereto or physical exit therefrom.

10. A method for operating a secure media streaming system for a controlled environment including a plurality of secured facilities, the plurality of secured facilities including a plurality of secured devices, the method comprising:

accessing, by a first processor executing a data formatter, a unit of content of a service provider in response to a request to access the unit of content from a secured device within a secured facility from among the plurality of secured devices;

censoring, by the first processor executing the data formatter, the unit of content for a first type of content that is not suitable for use in the secured facility to provide a facility-level-censored unit of content, the first type of content being associated with a first content access restriction for restricting access of the secured facility to the first type of content; and

packaging, by a second processor executing a data packager, the facility-level-censored unit of content for consumption by the secured device,

wherein the facility-level-censored unit of content is censored for a second type of content that is not suitable to be accessed by the secured device to provide a device-level-censored unit of content, the second type of content being associated with a second content access restriction for restricting access of the secured device to the second type of content.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the facility-level-censored unit of content is censored for the second type of content before being consumed by the secured device.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the unit of content comprises:

music, a video, a television show, a movie, a digital book, a digital magazine, a game, or a software application.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

converting, by the first processor executing the data formatter, the unit of content from a first format incompatible with the secured device to a second format compatible with the secured device in accordance with a conversion algorithm from among a plurality of conversion algorithms.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of conversion algorithms comprises a list of acceptable formats supported by the plurality of secured devices.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

retrieving, by the first processor executing the data formatter, the unit of content utilizing an application programming interface provided from the service provider.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

including, by the second processor executing the data packager, a Digital Rights Management (DRM) layer to the facility-level-censored unit of content.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

sending, by the second processor executing the data packager, the device-level-censored unit of content to a data warehouse for storage.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the controlled environment comprises:

an access controlled environment configured to provide a restriction on physical entry thereto or physical exit therefrom.

19. An integration hub within a secure media streaming system for a controlled environment including a plurality of secured facilities, the plurality of secured facilities including a plurality of secured devices, the integration hub comprising:

a first processor configured to execute a data formatter, the data formatter, when executed by the first processor, configuring the first processor to;

receive a request to access the unit of content, the request being generated by a secured device within a secured facility,

retrieve the unit of content from a service provider in response to the request, and

censor the unit of content for a first type of content that is not suitable for use in the secured facility to provide a facility-level-censored unit of content, the first type of content being associated with a first content access restriction for restricting access of the secured facility to the first type of content; and

a second processor configured to execute a data packager, the data packager, when executed by the second processor, configuring the second processor to send the facility-level-censored unit of content to the secured facility for consumption by the secured device,

wherein the facility-level-censored unit of content is censored for a second type of content that is not suitable to be accessed by the secured device to provide a device-level-censored unit of content, the second type of content being associated with a second content access restriction for restricting access of the secured device to the second type of content.

20. The integration hub of claim 19, wherein the facility-level-censored unit of content is censored for the second type of content before being consumed by the secured device.

21. The integration hub of claim 19, wherein the unit of content comprises:

music, a video, a television show, a movie, a digital book, a digital magazine, a game, or a software application.

22. The integration hub of claim 19, wherein the data formatter, when executed by the first processor, further configures the first processor to:

convert the unit of content from a first format incompatible with the secured device to a second format compatible with the secured device in accordance with a conversion algorithm from among a plurality of conversion algorithms.

23. The integration hub of claim 22, wherein the plurality of conversion algorithms comprises a list of acceptable formats supported by the plurality of secured devices.

24. The integration hub of claim 19, wherein the data formatter, when executed by the first processor, further configures the first processor to:

retrieve the unit of content utilizing an application programming interface provided from the service provider.

25. The integration hub of claim 19, wherein the data packager, when executed by the second processor, further configures the second processor to:

include a Digital Rights Management (DRM) layer to the facility-level-censored unit of content.

26. The integration hub of claim 19, wherein the data packager, when executed by the first processor, further configures the first processor to package the device-level-censored unit of content for consumption by the secured device.

27. The integration hub of claim 19, wherein the controlled environment comprises:

an access controlled environment configured to provide a restriction on physical entry thereto or physical exit therefrom.