Method and apparatus for entitlement based dynamic sampling

• US 20050044223A1
• Filed: 06/24/2004
• Published: 02/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Meyerson, Randy
• Application Number:
  US10/877,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044223A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus for entitlement based dynamic sampling includes receiving a request for a media resource, determining whether a requestor of the media resource is entitled to access the requested media resource, delivering the requested media resource in its entirety to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource, and dynamically generating a sample of the requested media resource and delivering the sample of the requested media resource to the requester if it is determined that the requestor is not entitled to access the requested media resource.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a media resource;

determining whether a requestor of the media resource is entitled to access the requested media resource;

delivering the requested media resource in its entirety to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource; and

dynamically generating a sample of the requested media resource and delivering the sample of the requested media resource to the requester if it is determined that the requester is not entitled to access the requested media resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request indicates at least a class of content to which the requested media resource belongs and an entitlement level associated with the requestor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining whether the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource further comprises determining whether the entitlement level associated with the requestor is equal to or is greater than an entitlement level associated with the class of content to which the requested media resource belongs.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein dynamically generating a sample comprises identifying a starting point and duration for the sample within the requested media resource based at least in part upon the class of content to which the requested media resource belongs.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating a token representation to associate the requestor with the request for the media resource, wherein the token includes a representation of the starting point and duration for the sample and one or more requestor-specific attributes; and

transmitting the token representation to a predetermined host of the requested media resource to facilitate streaming of the sample of the requested media resource to the requester.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sample of the requested media resource is streamed to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is not entitled to access the requested media resource.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an obfuscated token including a representation of a starting point and duration for the sample and one or more requestor-specific attributes; and

providing the token to a predetermined host of the requested media resource to facilitate streaming of the sample of the requested media resource to the requestor.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically determining, based upon one or more attributes included within the request, a starting point within the media resource and a duration for which to sample the requested media resource.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a media resource from a requester, the request indicating at least a content class to which the requested media resource belongs and one or more requestor attributes;

determining whether the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource based at least in part upon the content class and the requester attributes; and

identifying one or more sample attributes to facilitate delivery of a sample of the requested media resource to the requestor if it is determined that the requester is not entitled to access the requested media resource.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

facilitating delivery of the requested media resource in its entirety to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the requester is entitled to access the requested media resource further comprises determining whether the one or more requestor attributes represent an entitlement level that is equal to or greater than an entitlement level associated with the content class.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein identifying one or more sample attributes comprises identifying a starting point within the requested media resource and a duration for which the media resource is to be sampled based at least in part upon the class of content to which the requested media resource belongs.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a host of the requested media resource;

generating a token for the media resource, wherein the token represents the starting point and duration for the sample and at least a subset of the one or more requestor-specific attributes; and

returning the token and host identifying information to the requestor to facilitate streaming of the sample by the host to the requestor.

14. A method comprising:

receiving from a requestor, a request for a media resource, the request including a token representing one or more sample attributes to facilitate generation of a sample of the requested media resource, and one or more previously identified requestor characteristics;

authenticating the requestor based at least in part upon the one or more previously identified requestor characteristics;

dynamically generating a sample of the requested media resource based upon the one or more sample attributes; and

delivering the sample to the requestor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein authenticating the requestor further comprises:

dynamically identifying one or more characteristics of the requester;

determining if the dynamically-identified requestor characteristics are equivalent to the previously identified requestor characteristics; and

authenticating the requestor if the dynamically-identified requestor characteristics are determined to be equivalent to the previously identified requestor characteristics.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the sample of the requested media resource is streamed to the requestor.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the sample attributes comprise a sample starting point indicating a starting point within the requested media resource for the sample, and a sample duration time indicating the length of the sample.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the sample attributes comprise a sample starting point indicating a starting point within the requested media resource for the sample, and a sample size indicating a maximum storage size for the sample.

19. The method of claim 14, where in the one or more requestor-specific attributes represent at least one of a network address, a user-agent type, a user-agent version, and a globally unique identifier.

20. A recordable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, implement a method comprising:

receiving a request for a media resource;

determining whether a requester of the media resource is entitled to access the requested media resource;

dynamically generating a sample of the requested media resource and delivering the sample of the requested media resource to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is not entitled to access the requested media resource; and

delivering the requested media resource in its entirety to the requester if it is determined that the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource.

21. The recordable medium of claim 20, wherein the request indicates at least a class of content to which the requested media resource belongs and an entitlement level associated with the requester.

22. The recordable medium of claim 21, wherein instructions to determine whether the requester is entitled to access the requested media resource further comprise instructions to determine whether the entitlement level associated with the requestor is equal to or is greater than an entitlement level associated with the class of content to which the requested media resource belongs.

23. The recordable medium of claim 22, wherein instructions to dynamically generate a sample comprise instructions to identify a starting point and duration for the sample within the requested media resource based at least in part upon the class of content to which the requested media resource belongs.

24. The recordable medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

generating a token representation to associate the requestor with the request for the media resource, wherein the token includes a representation of the starting point and duration for the sample and one or more requestor-specific attributes; and

transmitting the token representation to a predetermined host of the requested media resource to facilitate streaming of the sample of the requested media resource to the requestor.

25. The recordable medium of claim 23, wherein the sample of the requested media resource is streamed to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is not entitled to access the requested media resource.

26. The recordable medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

generating an obfuscated token including a representation of a starting point and duration for the sample and one or more requestor-specific attributes; and

providing the token to a predetermined host of the requested media resource to facilitate streaming of the sample of the requested media resource to the requestor.

27. The recordable medium of claim 20, wherein the method further comprises:

dynamically determining, based upon one or more attributes included within the request, a starting point within the media resource and a duration for which to sample the requested media resource.

28. A recordable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, implement a method comprising:

receiving a request for a media resource from a requester, the request indicating at least a content class to which the requested media resource belongs and one or more requestor attributes;

determining whether the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource based at least in part upon the content class and the requestor attributes; and

identifying one or more sample attributes to facilitate delivery of a sample of the requested media resource to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is not entitled to access the requested media resource.

29. The recordable medium of claim 28, wherein the method further comprises:

facilitating delivery of the requested media resource in its entirety to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource.

30. The recordable medium of claim 28, wherein determining whether the requester is entitled to access the requested media resource further comprises determining whether the one or more requester attributes represent an entitlement level that is equal to or greater than an entitlement level associated with the content class.

31. The recordable medium of claim 30, wherein identifying one or more sample attributes comprises identifying a starting point within the requested media resource and a duration for which to sample the media resource based at least in part upon the class of content to which the requested media resource belongs.

32. The recordable medium of claim 31, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a host of the requested media resource;

generating a token for the media resource, wherein the token represents the starting point and duration for the sample and at least a subset of the one or more requestor-specific attributes; and

returning the token and host identifying information to the requester to facilitate streaming of the sample by the host to the requestor.

33. A recordable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed, implement a method comprising:

receiving from a requestor, a request for a media resource, the request including a token representing one or more sample attributes to facilitate generation of a sample of the requested media resource, and one or more previously identified requestor characteristics;

authenticating the requester based at least in part upon the one or more previously identified requestor characteristics;

dynamically generating a sample of the requested media resource based upon the one or more sample attributes; and

delivering the sample to the requester.

34. The recordable medium of claim 33, wherein authenticating the requestor further comprises:

dynamically identifying one or more characteristics of the requestor;

determining if the dynamically-identified requester characteristics are equivalent to the previously identified requester characteristics; and

authenticating the requester if the dynamically-identified requester characteristics are determined to be equivalent to the previously identified requestor characteristics.

35. The recordable medium of claim 33, wherein the sample of the requested media resource is streamed to the requestor.

36. The recordable medium of claim 33, wherein the sample attributes comprise a sample starting point indicating a starting point within the requested media resource for the sample, and a sample duration time indicating the length of the sample.

37. The recordable medium of claim 33, wherein the sample attributes comprise a sample starting point indicating a starting point within the requested media resource for the sample, and a sample size indicating a maximum storage size for the sample.

38. The recordable medium of claim 33, where in the one or more requestor-specific attributes represent at least one of a network address, a user-agent type, a user-agent version, and a globally unique identifier.

39. An apparatus comprising:

receiving logic operative to receive a request for a media resource and determine whether a requestor of the media resource is entitled to access the requested media resource;

sample generation logic operative to dynamically generate a sample of the requested media resource if it is determined that the requestor is not entitled to access the requested media resource; and

transmission logic operative to deliver the sample of the requested media resource to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is not entitled to access the requested media resource, the transmission logic further operative to deliver the requested media resource in its entirety to the requester if it is determined that the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, further comprising:

token generation logic operative to generate an obfuscated token including a representation of starting point and duration for the sample and one or more requestor-specific attributes, wherein the transmission logic further provides the obfuscated token to a predetermined host of the requested media resource to facilitate streaming of the sample of the requested media resource to the requester.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the sample generation logic is further operative to dynamically determine, based upon one or more attributes included within the request, a starting point within the media resource and a duration for which to sample the requested media resource.

42. An apparatus comprising:

receiving logic operative to receive a request for a media resource from a requestor, the request indicating at least a content class to which the requested media resource belongs and one or more requester attributes;

authorization logic operative to determine whether the requestor is entitled to access the requested media resource based at least in part upon the content class and the requestor attributes; and

sample generation logic operative to identify one or more sample attributes to facilitate delivery of a sample of the requested media resource to the requestor if it is determined that the requestor is not entitled to access the requested media resource.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the authentication logic is further operative to determine whether the one or more requestor attributes represent an entitlement level that is equal to or greater than an entitlement level associated with the content class.

44. The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising:

token generation logic operative to determine a host of the requested media resource, and generate a token for the media resource, wherein the token represents a starting point and a duration for the sample and at least a subset of the one or more requester attributes; and

delivery logic operative to return the token and host identifying information to the requestor to facilitate streaming of the sample by the host to the requestor.

45. An apparatus comprising:

receiving logic operative to receive a request for a media resource from a requestor, the request including a token representing one or more sample attributes to facilitate generation of a sample of the requested media resource, and one or more previously identified requester characteristics;

authenticating logic operative to authenticate the requestor based at least in part upon the one or more previously identified requestor characteristics;

sample generation logic operative to dynamically generating a sample of the requested media resource based upon the one or more sample attributes; and

delivery logic operative to deliver the sample to the requestor.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the authentication logic is further operative to:

dynamically identify one or more characteristics of the requestor;

determine if the dynamically-identified requestor characteristics are equivalent to the previously identified requestor characteristics; and

authenticate the requestor if the dynamically-identified requestor characteristics are determined to be equivalent to the previously identified requestor characteristics.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the sample attributes comprise a sample starting point indicating a starting point within the requested media resource for the sample, and a sample duration time indicating the length of the sample.