Transcoding and data rights management in a mobile video network with STB as a hub
First Claim
1. An entertainment system that manages presentation of a media program to viewers within a home, the entertainment system comprising:
- a first communication pathway;
a remote digital rights management server communicatively coupled to the first communication pathway;
a second communication pathway;
set top box (STB) circuitry communicatively coupled to the first and second communication pathways;
a media player communicatively coupled via the second communication pathway to the set top box circuitry; and
the set top box circuitry interacts with the remote digital rights management server and, based on such interaction, manages the presentation of the media program on the media player.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A home entertainment system that employs DRM (Data Rights Management) data protected multimedia programs and rights management component (RMC), with corresponding hardware and software systems incorporated in to home entertainment systems, to protect rights of the media program providers and the users. The system employs STB (Set Top Box) as a hub. The rights management component is incorporated in to the set top box (STB Circuitry), as well as some of the media devices. Three operational scenarios are envisaged regarding the home entertainment system. The first operational scenario involves a remote media source and the media device interaction via STB Circuitry; where as the STB Circuitry performs the duty of a mediator. The second operational scenario involves remote media source and the media device interaction via STB Circuitry, where as the STB Circuitry having rights to reissue licenses to media players. The third operational scenario involves local media sources incorporating the RMC and interacting with the STB Circuitry to decrypt and transcode the multimedia programs. Further, the STB Circuitry interacts with a remote billing server via the communication network regarding presentation rights, to interact with a user regarding the presentation rights, and to arrange for payment for the presentation rights.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. An entertainment system that manages presentation of a media program to viewers within a home, the entertainment system comprising:
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a first communication pathway;
a remote digital rights management server communicatively coupled to the first communication pathway;
a second communication pathway;
set top box (STB) circuitry communicatively coupled to the first and second communication pathways;
a media player communicatively coupled via the second communication pathway to the set top box circuitry; and
the set top box circuitry interacts with the remote digital rights management server and, based on such interaction, manages the presentation of the media program on the media player. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A set top box (STB), communicatively coupled to a media program provider'"'"'s server via a first communication pathway and to a media player via a second communication pathway comprising:
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a network interface, operable to interface with the media program provider'"'"'s servers via the first communication pathway;
a processor, operable to produce output signals by performing digital processing operations of rights management, video decryption, video transcoding, and video encryption on the media program;
a memory unit communicatively coupled to the processor, operable to store the media program;
interface control circuitry communicatively coupled to the processor and operable to enable a user to control the operations of the processor;
output circuitry operable to communicatively output the output signals to the media player via the second communication pathway; and
by interacting with the remote digital rights management server, the processor limits consumption of the media program by the media player. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for obtaining and redistributing encrypted media programs thereby protecting rights of the media provider:
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receiving a request for a media program from a user for presentation by a media player;
determining characteristics of the media player;
obtaining a license to download and present the media program;
downloading the media program in an encrypted format;
decrypting the media program;
transcoding the media program based upon the characteristics of the media player to produce a transcoded media program;
encrypting the transcoded media program to produce an encrypted transcoded media program; and
communicating the encrypted transcoded media program to the media player. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A method for obtaining and redistributing encrypted media programs, by a set-top-box rights management component, thereby protecting privileges of the video provider:
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receiving a request for a media program from a user and/or a media player;
registering with remote billing server, if being done for the first time;
downloading a plurality of encrypted media programs;
storing the plurality of encrypted media programs in storage device together with license information; and
delivering the media program in a format encrypted for the media player, to the media player. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A method performed by the media players incorporating rights management component, that use removable video source, for obtaining decryption information via a set-top-box rights management component, thereby protecting privileges of the video provider:
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receiving a media program via a removable video source;
interacting with digital rights management server to obtain decryption information, via STB circuitry;
decrypting the media program according to the decryption information, in STB circuitry;
encrypting the media program according to the video player, in STB circuitry;
decrypting the media program; and
presenting the media program via a media player. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification