System and method of providing media content

• US 20080222045A1
• Filed: 03/09/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scott, Charles, Mukerji, Ankur
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

A method of providing media content access is disclosed that includes providing a list of available media content to a display device and receiving a selection related to the list of available media content. The method further includes sending data related to the selection to a content source and to an access rule source and receiving media content from the content source based on the selection and an access rule related to the media content from the access rule source. The method also includes applying the access rule to the selected media content, where the access rule defines a restriction to limit access to the media content.

Claims

1. A method of providing media content access, the method comprising:

providing a list of available media content to a display device;

receiving a selection related to the list of available media content;

sending data related to the selection to a content management system;

receiving media content from a content source based on the selection and an access rule related to the media content from an access rule source; and

applying the access rule to the selected media content, wherein the access rule defines a restriction to limit access to the media content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing at least a portion of the media content to the display device based on the access rule.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the access rule comprises determining an accessible portion of the media content based on the access rule.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the access rule comprises prohibiting access to the media content except for associated text data, commentary data, review data, trailer data, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the access rule comprises permitting a pre-determined number of viewings of the media content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a charge authorization including an authorization to debit an account of the subscriber;

transmitting data related to the charge authorization to the access rule source;

receiving a second access rule from the access rule source; and

applying the second access rule to the media content, wherein the second access rule defines a second restriction for accessing the media content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access rule includes instructions to insert a detectable indicator into the media content at the display device to interfere with viewing of the media content.

8. A method of providing media content access, the method comprising:

receiving charge authorization data identifying a destination device, wherein the charge authorization data is related to a selection of media content from a list of available media content;

identifying an access rule associated with the selection based on the charge authorization data, wherein the associated access rule defines a restriction executable at the destination device to limit access to media content associated with the selection; and

providing the access rule to the destination device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the access rule further comprises:

identifying an access rule source that includes the access rule; and

providing address data associated with the access rule source to the destination device for retrieval of the access rule by the destination device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing the list of available media content to the destination device;

receiving data related to the selection from the list of available media content;

identifying a content source associated with the media content; and

providing address data associated with the content source to the destination device for retrieval of the media content by the destination device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the access rule is executable at the destination device to permit a predetermined number of viewings of the media content and to prevent additional viewings in excess of the predetermined number.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving charge authorization data related to the selection of the media content via a web site.

13. A set-top box device, comprising:

a processor and a memory accessible to the processor, wherein the memory comprises a media content access module executable by the processor to apply an access rule to selected media content to limit access to the selected media content;

a network interface to receive the selected media content from a content source and an associated access rule from an access rule source; and

a display interface to provide the selected media content to a display device based on the associated access rule.

14. The set-top box device of claim 13, wherein the access rule source comprises a second set-top box device.

15. The set-top box device of claim 13, wherein the content source comprises a second set-top box device.

16. The set-top box device of claim 13, wherein the associated access rule defines a restriction executable by the processor to limit access of the media content at the display device to a time-limited segment of the selected media content.

17. The set-top box device of claim 13, further comprising an input interface responsive to a remote control device to receive a selection related to a charge authorization, wherein the processor is adapted to process the selection and to provide charge authorization data to the access rule source to authorize a charge to a subscriber account that is related to the selected media content

18. The set-top box device of claim 13, further comprising an input interface responsive to a remote control device to receive a selection related to a charge authorization, wherein the processor is adapted to process the selection and to provide charge authorization data to a content management system to authorize a charge to a subscriber account that is related to the selected media content.

19. The set-top box device of claim 17, wherein the network interface receives a replacement access rule based on the charge authorization, and wherein the media content access module includes executable instructions to apply the replacement rule to the selected media content.

20. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the replacement access rule defines a restriction executable by the processor to limit a number of times the selected media content can be viewed at the display device.

21. A processor-readable medium having instructions to cause a processor to execute a method of providing media content access, the method comprising:

providing a list of available media content to a display device;

receiving a selection from the list of available media content;

sending data related to the selection to a content source and to an access rule source;

receiving media content from the content source based on the selection and an access rule related to the media content from the access rule source; and

applying the access rule to the selected media content, wherein the access rule defines a restriction for accessing the media content.

22. The processor-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the access rule permits viewing of a time-limited segment of the selected media content.

23. The processor-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the access rule permits viewing of the selected media content only during a pre-defined period of time.

24. The processor-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the access rule permits viewing of random excerpts from the media content.

25. A method of providing media content access, the method comprising:

authorizing transmission of a first access rule to a destination device to restrict access to selected media content;

receiving a charge authorization related to the selected media content from the destination device;

authorizing transmission of a second access rule to the destination device in response to receiving the charge authorization, wherein the second access rule permits access to the selected media content.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the first access rule permits access to a portion of the selected media content, and wherein the second access rule permits access to the media content.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the media content includes metadata comprising commentary data, a media content trailer, and ratings data associated with the media content, and wherein the first access rule permits access to the metadata.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the second access rule permits access to the media content for a pre-defined number of access instances.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein authorizing an execution of a second access rule comprises sending an authorization to an access rule source to authorize transmission of the second access rule to the destination device.