Methods and apparatus for controlling unauthorized streaming of content
First Claim
1. A method of controlling content streaming on a home network, the method comprising:
- receiving at a home network interface of a home network gateway, located at a customer premise, a first video on demand service request message from a first device coupled to the home network, said first video on demand service request message including a first source identifier identifying said first device as the source of said first video on demand service request message and a first content identifier identifying content requested by said first video on demand service request message, said home network gateway including, in addition to said home network interface, a second communication network interface that couples said home network gateway to an external communications network;
storing a portion of said first video on demand service request message including said first source identifier and said first content identifier in memory used for storing video on demand service request message information, said memory including, for individual request messages which request content, a request message source identifier and an identifier of the requested content, said memory being in said home network gateway;
receiving, at said home network interface of said home network gateway, a second message including a second source identifier identifying the source of said second message; and
operating a processor at the home network gateway to determine, based on whether said first source identifier stored in said memory matches said second source identifier included in the second received message, whether to provide said content that was requested by said first video on demand service request message to a sender of said second message.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods and apparatus relating to content streaming, e.g., in a home network, in a manner that reduces the chance of streaming of content to a device which is not authorized to receive the content. In an exemplary method of controlling content streaming on a home network in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the method involves receiving at a home network gateway a first video on demand service request message from a first device coupled to the home network, storing a portion of said first video on demand service request message in memory, receiving at said home network gateway a second message, and determining based on a portion of said second message and a portion of said stored first video on demand service request message whether to provide the requested video on demand service.
37 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of controlling content streaming on a home network, the method comprising:
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receiving at a home network interface of a home network gateway, located at a customer premise, a first video on demand service request message from a first device coupled to the home network, said first video on demand service request message including a first source identifier identifying said first device as the source of said first video on demand service request message and a first content identifier identifying content requested by said first video on demand service request message, said home network gateway including, in addition to said home network interface, a second communication network interface that couples said home network gateway to an external communications network; storing a portion of said first video on demand service request message including said first source identifier and said first content identifier in memory used for storing video on demand service request message information, said memory including, for individual request messages which request content, a request message source identifier and an identifier of the requested content, said memory being in said home network gateway; receiving, at said home network interface of said home network gateway, a second message including a second source identifier identifying the source of said second message; and operating a processor at the home network gateway to determine, based on whether said first source identifier stored in said memory matches said second source identifier included in the second received message, whether to provide said content that was requested by said first video on demand service request message to a sender of said second message. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A home network gateway for controlling content streaming on a home network, the home network gateway comprising:
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a home network interface, located at a customer premise, for communicating with devices coupled to said home network; a communication network interface, located at said customer premise, for communicating with a network node, located outside said customer premise, over a communication network; a first web server, located at said customer premise, configured to receive via said home network interface a first video on demand service request message from a first device coupled to the home network, said first video on demand service request message including a first source identifier identifying said first device as the source of said first video on demand service request message and a first content identifier identifying content requested by said first video on demand service request message; a memory used for storing video on demand service request message information, said memory including, for individual request messages which request content, a request message source identifier and an identifier of the requested content, said memory including a stored portion of said first video on demand service request message including said first source identifier and said first content; a second web server, located at said customer premise, configured to receive a second message addressed to said second web server, said second message including a second source identifier identifying the source of said second message via said home network interface, said second web server being different from said first web server; and a processor at the home network gateway being configured to determine based on whether said first source identifier stored in said memory matches said second source identifier included in the second received message, whether to provide the requested video on demand service to a sender of said second message. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having machine executable instructions stored thereon for controlling a processor in a home network gateway located at a customer premise, the non-transitory computer readable medium including:
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code for controlling the processor to receive at a home network interface of said home network gateway a first video on demand service request message from a first device coupled to the home network, said first video on demand service request message including a first source identifier identifying said first device as the source of said first video on demand service request message and a first content identifier identifying content requested by said first video on demand service request message, said home network gateway including, in addition to said home network interface, a second communication network interface that couples said home network gateway to an external communications network; code for controlling the processor to store a portion of said first video on demand service request message including said first source identifier and said first content identifier in memory used for storing video on demand server request message information, said memory including, for individual request messages which request content, a request message source identifier and an identifier of the requested content, said memory being located in said home network gateway; code for controlling the processor to receive at said home network interface of said home network gateway a second message, said second message including a second source identifier identifying the source of said second message and further including a different destination address than a destination address included in said first video on demand service request message; and code for controlling the processor to determine based on whether said first source identifier stored in said memory matches said second source identifier included in the second received message whether to provide the requested video on demand service to said sender of said second device.
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Specification