Method and apparatus for biometric identification of a user in a broadcast communication receiver

• US 10,687,101 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2020
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Inventors: Langille, Gary Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherwin, Ryan W
• Application Number:
  US16/749,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20200162775A1
• Time in Patent Office: 146 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2829 involving user profiles according to which the execution of a home appliance functionality is automatically triggered
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2542 for selling goods, e.g. TV shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In a method for identifying a user in a network of broadcast communication receivers, a physical characteristic of a user is analyzed in association with the user accessing a first of the receivers. First biometric information based on the characteristic as analyzed in association with the user accessing the first receiver is generated. Data associated with use of the first receiver by the user is also generated and associated with the first biometric information. The physical characteristic of the user is then analyzed in association with the user accessing a second receiver. Second biometric information based on the physical characteristic as analyzed in association with the user accessing the second receiver is generated. The first and second biometric information are then compared. If the first and second biometric information indicate the physical characteristic of the same user, the data is employed in conjunction with the user accessing the second receiver.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring first biometric information that is generated based on analyzing a first set of biometric information acquired for authorization of a user to be granted access via a first communication receiver, where the first set of biometric information corresponds to a physical characteristic of a user in association with the access by the user via the first communication receiver;

storing data associated with account information by a service provider system that authorizes the user to receive content from the service provider system, where the data is associated with the first biometric information;

acquiring second biometric information that is generated based on analyzing a second set of biometric information acquired for authorization of the user to be granted access via a second communication receiver, where the second set of biometric information corresponds to the physical characteristic of the user in association with access of the second communication receiver by the user;

based on analyzing biometric information acquired for authorization of the user to be granted the access via the first communication receiver;

comparing the second biometric information to the first biometric information;

determining that the second biometric information matches the first biometric information based on the comparing; and

consequent to the determining, authorizing content transmission to the second communication receiver based on the data associated with the account information stored by the service provider system,

where at least some of the content from the service provider system is transmitted to the second communication receiver consequent to the authorizing.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, where the second biometric information and the first biometric information are not identical and the determining that the second biometric information matches the first biometric information is based on the comparison of the second biometric information to the first biometric information satisfying a similarity threshold.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

consequent to the determining, granting a specified level of access to the second communication receiver, where the granting the specified level of access comprises the authorizing the content transmission.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, where the specified level of access granted to the second communication receiver is lower than a higher level of access granted to the user via the first communication receiver such that the specified level of access prohibits access to one or more of functions, services, and/or information that is accessible with the higher level of access.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, where the physical characteristic comprises one or more of a fingerprint of the user, an iris of the user, a retina of the user, a facial feature of the user, a bodily substance of the user, and/or a voice of the user.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, where the at least some of the content transmitted to the second communication receiver corresponds to at least one of a program, a channel, and/or product information to the user based upon the data, wherein the data includes information pertaining to one or more selections corresponding to the at least one of the program, the channel, and/or the product information via the first communication receiver.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, where one or both of the first communication receiver and the second communication receiver comprises one or more of a mobile communication device, a satellite television communication receiver, a satellite radio communication receiver, a cable television communication receiver, and/or a terrestrial television communication receiver.

8. A system comprising:

one or more processing devices; and

memory communicatively coupled with and readable by the one or more processing devices and having stored therein processor-readable instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising;

acquiring first biometric information that is generated based on analyzing a first set of biometric information acquired for authorization of a user to be granted access via a first communication receiver, where the first set of biometric information corresponds to a physical characteristic of the user in association with the access by the user via the first communication receiver;

storing data associated with account information by a service provider system that authorizes the user to receive content from the service provider system, where the data is associated with the first biometric information;

acquiring second biometric information that is generated based on analyzing a second set of biometric information acquired for authorization of the user to be granted access via a second communication receiver, where the second set of biometric information corresponds to the physical characteristic of the user in association with access of the second communication receiver by the user;

based on analyzing biometric information acquired for authorization of the user to be granted the access via the first communication receiver;

comparing the second biometric information to the first biometric information;

determining that the second biometric information matches the first biometric information based on the comparing; and

consequent to the determining, authorizing content transmission to the second communication receiver based on the data associated with the account information stored by the service provider system,

where at least some of the content from the service provider system is transmitted to the second communication receiver consequent to the authorizing.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, where the second biometric information and the first biometric information are not identical and the determining that the second biometric information matches the first biometric information is based on the comparison of the second biometric information to the first biometric information satisfying a similarity threshold.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, the operations further comprising:

consequent to the determining, granting a specified level of access to the second communication receiver, where the granting the specified level of access comprises the authorizing the content transmission.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, where the specified level of access granted to the second communication receiver is lower than a higher level of access granted to the user via the first communication receiver such that the specified level of access prohibits access to one or more of functions, services, and/or information that is accessible with the higher level of access.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, where the physical characteristic comprises one or more of a fingerprint of the user, an iris of the user, a retina of the user, a facial feature of the user, a bodily substance of the user, and/or a voice of the user.

13. The system as recited in claim 8, where the at least some of the content transmitted to the second communication receiver corresponds to at least one of a program, a channel, and/or product information to the user based upon the data, wherein the data includes information pertaining to one or more selections corresponding to the at least one of the program, the channel, and/or the product information via the first communication receiver.

14. The system as recited in claim 8, where one or both of the first communication receiver and the second communication receiver comprises one or more of a mobile communication device, a satellite television communication receiver, a satellite radio communication receiver, a cable television communication receiver, and/or a terrestrial television communication receiver.

15. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media having machine-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more processing devices, cause the one or more processing devices to perform:

acquiring first biometric information that is generated based on analyzing a first set of biometric information acquired for authorization of a user to be granted access via a first communication receiver, where the first set of biometric information corresponds to a physical characteristic of a user in association with the access by the user via the first communication receiver;

storing data associated with account information by a service provider system that authorizes the user to receive content from the service provider system, where the data is associated with the first biometric information;

acquiring second biometric information that is generated based on analyzing a second set of biometric information acquired for authorization of the user to be granted access via a second communication receiver, where the second set of biometric information corresponds to the physical characteristic of the user in association with access of the second communication receiver by the user;

based on analyzing biometric information acquired for authorization of the user to be granted the access via the first communication receiver

comparing the second biometric information to the first biometric information;

determining that the second biometric information matches the first biometric information based on the comparing; and

consequent to the determining, authorizing content transmission to the second communication receiver based on the data associated with the account information stored by the service provider system,

where at least some of the content from the service provider system is transmitted to the second communication receiver consequent to the authorizing.

16. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media as recited in claim 15, where the second biometric information and the first biometric information are not identical and the determining that the second biometric information matches the first biometric information is based on the comparison of the second biometric information to the first biometric information satisfying a similarity threshold.

17. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media as recited in claim 15, the one ore more processing devices further to perform:

consequent to the determining, granting a specified level of access to the second communication receiver, where the granting the specified level of access comprises the authorizing the content transmission.

18. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media as recited in claim 17, where the specified level of access granted to the second communication receiver is lower than a higher level of access granted to the user via the first communication receiver such that the specified level of access prohibits access to one or more of functions, services, and/or information that is accessible with the higher level of access.

19. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media as recited in claim 15, where the physical characteristic comprises one or more of a fingerprint of the user, an iris of the user, a retina of the user, a facial feature of the user, a bodily substance of the user, and/or a voice of the user.

20. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media as recited in claim 15, where the at least some of the content transmitted to the second communication receiver corresponds to at least one of a program, a channel, and/or product information to the user based upon the data, wherein the data includes information pertaining to one or more selections corresponding to the at least one of the program, the channel, and/or the product information via the first communication receiver.