Content purchases and rights storage and entitlements

• US 10,430,868 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nijim, Yousef Wasef, Gonzalez, Francisco, Lee, Terry Douglas, McLure, Charlotte Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US13/048,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20110314378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,122 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0645 Rental transactions; Leasing transactions

Abstract

Storing asset ID and entitlement data of purchased and rented media from various sources in a media contents account and allowing access to the stored asset ID and entitlement data from various devices is provided. A user may access a media contents account via a network-connected device to view his/her purchased and rented media. The network-connected device may be a device that has been registered with the account. A user may select a title of purchased or rented media to stream or download. Upon verification of entitlement rights, the media may be streamed or downloaded to the user.

Claims

1. A method for maintaining and allowing access to purchased and rented media content, the method comprising:

receiving a registration of one or more network-connected devices with a media contents account by automatically capturing a unique identification of the one or more network-connected devices upon accessing the media contents account;

receiving indications of purchases or rentals of media content over a first platform, the first platform accessing the media content via a first network;

associating the media content with the media contents account;

receiving asset identification and entitlement data associated with the media content, the entitlement data identifying the one or more network-connected devices that are authorized to access the media content associated with the asset identification;

storing the asset identification and entitlement data associated with the purchased or rented media content in the media contents account such that the media content previously purchased or rented over the first platform is available from a second platform, the second platform accessing the media content via a second network, the first network and the second network are each selected from a hybrid fiber-coaxial network or a wireless network, and the second network is different from the first network;

providing an on demand menu on the second platform, the on demand menu having media content available to view, purchase, or rent from a plurality of content providers;

determining whether any of the media content available in the on demand menu match any of the media content associated with the media contents account;

indicating the matched media content in the on demand menu as available over the second platform via the media contents account according to the stored asset identification and entitlement data; and

when the media content becomes no longer available in the on demand menu;

permitting continued access to the media content over the second platform by streaming the media content to an authorized device from which the request was sent according to the stored asset identification and entitlement data received as a result of having previously purchased or rented the media content over the first platform.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user interface displayed on a display of a registered network-connected device whereby a user may view purchased and rented media content whose asset identification and entitlement data are stored in the media contents account.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising allowing a user to select purchased and rented media content whose asset identification and entitlement data are stored in the media contents account via the user interface displayed on the display of the registered network-connected device.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving a selection of purchased or rented media content, verifying entitlement rights, and providing the media content to the registered network-connected device according to the entitlement rights.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the media content to the registered network-connected device according to the entitlement rights includes streaming media content to the registered network-connected device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the media content to the registered network-connected device according to the entitlement rights includes playing downloaded media content on the registered network-connected device.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing the media content to the registered network-connected device in a format suitable for the network-connected device.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein providing a user interface includes providing the On Demand menu including a listing of purchased and rented media content whose asset identification and entitlement data are stored in the media contents account.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein if purchased and rented media content whose asset identification and entitlement data are stored in the media contents account matches On Demand content displayed in the On Demand menu, providing the media content through the On Demand system to the user without additional charge to the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein registering one or more network-connected devices with a media contents account includes registering a computer, a set-top box, a mobile device, a gaming device, a television, a DVD player, or a BLU-RAY player with the media contents account.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a media provider account with the media contents account.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving an indication of a purchase or rental of media content from a media provider includes communication of content in a media provider account with the media contents account.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication to store media content on a storage medium and associating an asset identification and entitlement data of the media content with the media contents account.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication to purchase rented media content and providing a discount of a purchase price.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing the media content across the first platform and the second platform in real time, including storing a bookmark allowing access on the second platform to a portion of the media content paused on the first platform.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first platform and the second platform are each selected from a web, mobile, or STB type of platform, and the type of platform of the second platform is different from the type of platform of the first platform.

17. A system for maintaining and allowing access to purchased and rented media content, the system comprising:

a media provider server having a processing system, a network interface configured to communicate with a plurality of network-connected devices, and a memory for storing a plurality of media content, a media contents account, and instructions that, when executed by the processing system, cause the media provider server to;

register one or more network-connected devices with the media contents account by automatically capturing a unique identification of the one or more network connected devices upon accessing the media contents account;

receive a request to purchase or rent media content over a first platform, the first platform accessing the media content via a first network;

associate the media content with the media contents account;

provide asset identification and entitlement data associated with the media content, the entitlement data identifying the one or more network-connected devices that are authorized to access the media content associated with the asset identification;

store the asset identification and entitlement data associated with the purchased or rented media content in the media contents account such that the media content purchased or rented over the first platform is available from a second platform, the second platform accessing the media content via a second network, the first network and the second network are each selected from a hybrid fiber-coaxial network or a wireless network, and the second network is different from the first network;

manage network-connected device registration information, asset identification, and entitlement data to enable access to purchased and rented media content from a registered network-connected device;

provide an on demand menu on the second platform, the on demand menu having media content available to view, purchase, or rent from a plurality of content providers;

determine whether any of the media content available in the on demand menu match any of the media content associated with the media contents account;

indicate the matched media content in the on demand menu as available over the second platform via the media contents account according to the stored asset identification and entitlement data; and

when the media content becomes no longer available in the on demand menu;

permit continued access to the media content over the second platform by streaming the media content to an authorized device from which the request was sent according to the stored asset identification and entitlement data.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more network-connected devices comprise memory for storing downloaded media content.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the asset identification and entitlement data are provided by a digital rights management system.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the media contents account is integrated with a service provider billing system.

21. A computer-readable storage device including executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, perform a method for maintaining and allowing access to purchased and rented media content, the method comprising:

receiving a registration of one or more network-connected devices with a media contents account by automatically capturing a unique identification of the one or more network connected devices upon accessing the media contents account;

receiving indications of purchases or rentals of media content over a first platform on a first registered network-connected device, the first platform accessing the media content via a first network;

receiving asset identification and entitlement data associated with the media content, the entitlement data identifying the one or more network-connected devices that are authorized to access the media content associated with the asset identification;

associating the media content with the media contents account;

storing the asset identification and entitlement data associated with the purchased or rented media content in the media contents account such that the media content previously purchased or rented over the first platform is available from a second platform via the media contents account, the second platform accessing the media content via a second network, the first network and the second network are each selected from a hybrid fiber-coaxial network or a wireless network, and the second network is different from the first network;

providing a user interface on a display of a second registered network-connected device for accessing and viewing the purchased and rented media content on the second platform via the media contents account;

providing an on demand menu on the second platform, the on demand menu having media content available to view, purchase, or rent from a plurality of content providers;

determining whether any of the media content available in the on demand menu match any of the media content associated with the media contents account;

indicating the matched media content in the on demand menu as available over the second platform via the media contents account according to the stored asset identification and entitlement data; and

when the media content becomes no longer available in the on demand menu;

permitting continued access to the media content over the second platform by streaming the media content to an authorized device from which the request was sent according to the stored asset identification and entitlement data received as a result of having previously purchased or rented the media content over the first platform.