METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVISIONING MEDIA CONTENT IN A MULTI-USER ENVIRONMENT

• US 20080288996A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 11/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: PEARSON, LARRY B., WALTER, EDWARD, HOWCROFT, JERALD R.
• Application Number:
  US11/749,030
• Publication Number:
  US 20080288996A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34

Abstract

A method and apparatus for provisioning media content in a multi-user environment is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a Set-Top Box having a controller element to: receive multimedia content from a communication system; configure individual access to the multimedia content among a group of users in accordance with individual user profiles, wherein each of the individual user profiles has a separate service package provided by one or more broadband providers; and provision a delivery of the multimedia content to a media device in accordance with access settings defined at least in part in the individual user profiles. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium in a Set-Top Box (STB), comprising computer instructions for:

receiving multimedia content from one or more broadband providers;

configuring individual access to the multimedia content among a group of users based on access settings of individual user accounts, wherein each of the individual user accounts has a separate service package provided by the one or more broadband providers, and wherein the access settings are managed by a primary member of the group; and

provisioning the multimedia content in accordance with the access settings.

2. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the individual user accounts are separately billed.

3. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the primary member configures the individual user accounts with rights and permissions for accessing the multimedia content.

4. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the access settings are parental controls that individually limit a user'"'"'s access to the multimedia content.

5. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the multimedia content includes at least one among Internet, email, voicemail, television, movies, music, photos, and messages.

6. The storage medium of claim 1, wherein the one or more broadband providers provide at least one among satellite services, cable services, DSL services, and dial-up services.

7. The storage medium of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions for delivery of the multimedia content to one or more media devices comprising at least one among a television unit, a computer, a laptop, and a mobile device.

8. The storage medium of claim 1, further comprising computer instructions for communicating the access settings to another STB.

9. A Set-Top Box (STB), comprising a controller element to:

receive multimedia content from a communication system;

configure individual access to the multimedia content among a group of users in accordance with individual user profiles, wherein each of the individual user profiles has a separate service package provided by one or more broadband providers; and

provision a delivery of the multimedia content to a media device in accordance with access settings defined at least in part in the individual user profiles.

10. The STB of claim 9, wherein the individual user profiles are managed by a primary member of the group.

11. The STB of claim 9, wherein the group of users are separately billed for each separate service package.

12. The STB of claim 9, wherein the access settings grant rights or permissions comprising at least one among viewing, downloading, or sharing the multimedia content.

13. The STB of claim 9, wherein the access settings restrict or limit access to at least one among Internet, email, voice mail, television, movies, music, photos, and messages.

14. The STB of claim 9, wherein the media device is at least one among a television unit, a computer, a laptop, and a mobile device.

15. The STB of claim 9, wherein the controller element transmits account modification information to the primary member via at least one among an email message, a text message, and a voice mail.

16. The STB of claim 9, wherein the controller element receives configuration changes from the primary member over a remote connection, and modifies an individual user account in accordance with the configuration changes.

17. The STB of claim 9, wherein the controller element receives a message, directs the message to an individual user account of the group of users, and provides notice of the message to a user of the individual user account.

18. The STB of claim 17, wherein the controller element authenticates a user of the group of users with a personal identification number (PIN) to access the message.

19. The STB of claim 17, wherein the message is at least one among an email message, a voice mail message, and a text message that is displayed on the media device.

20. The STB of claim 9, wherein the multimedia content comprises broadcast and interactive media services of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV).

21. The STB of claim 9, wherein the controller element sends user account information to another STB that delivers other multimedia content and manages access to the other multimedia content based at least in part on the user account information.

22. A media device, comprising a controller element to receive media content from a Set-Top Box (STB), wherein access to the media content is provisioned for individual users in accordance with individual user account profiles managed by a primary member, and wherein the individual user account profiles have separate service packages provided by one or more broadband providers.

23. The media device of claim 22, wherein the media device includes at least one among a television, a multimedia system, and a computing device.

24. The media device of claim 22, wherein the individual user account profiles limit individual user access to at least one among Internet, email, voice mail, television, movies, music, photos, and messages.

25. A method, comprising provisioning a distribution of media content to a plurality of users sharing a set-top-box (STB) in accordance with access settings in user profiles managed by a primary member, wherein the user profiles have a separate service package provided by one or more broadband providers.

26. The method of claim 25, comprising directing an email message or a voice mail message to a user of the STB, and notifying the user that the email message or voice mail message is available at the STB.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of users are separately billed for each separate service package.