METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING PROGRAM GUIDE DATA FROM A CONTENT PROVIDER TO A USER DEVICE THROUGH A PARTNER SERVICE PROVIDER BASED UPON USER ATTRIBUTES

• US 20090165055A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Kapil
• Granted Patent: US 8,341,675 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/37 via a different channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/40 characterised in that additional data relating to the broadcast data are available via a different channel than the broadcast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and system for providing program guide data to a user network device associated with a user identifier includes a partner service provider in communication with the user network device and a primary service provider in communication with the partner service provider authenticating the user network device provider using the user identifier. The user network device generates a request for program guide data and communicates the user identifier and the request to the partner service provider. The partner service provider or the primary service provider communicates program guide data to the user network device based on the identifier data. The user network device displays the program guide data on a display device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

authenticating a user network device through a partner service provider using a user identifier,

generating a request for program guide data at the user network device;

communicating the user identifier and the request to a partner service provider;

communicating program guide data to the user network device based on the identifier data; and

displaying the program guide data on a display device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating comprises authenticating the user network device at a primary service provider.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating comprises authenticating the user network device at an authentication web service of a primary service provider.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating comprises authenticating the user network device through a partner service provider using the user identifier and a partner service provider identifier.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary service provider generates an encrypted token from the user identifier and a partner service provider identifier and wherein communicating the user identifier and the request to a partner service provider comprises communicating the user identifier, the request and the encrypted token to a partner service provider.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary service provider generates an encrypted token from the user identifier, a partner service provider identifier and an expiration time and wherein communicating the user identifier and the request to a partner service provider comprises communicating the user identifier, the request and the encrypted token to a partner service provider.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating a user network device comprises initiating an account set-up page from the partner service provider;

providing primary service account data from the user network device in response to the account setup page;

communicating the primary service account data to a primary service provider setup web service; and

validating the primary service account data at the set up web service.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining account attributes at the primary service provider.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein determining account attributes comprises determining subscribed services from the identifier.

10. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein determining account attributes comprises determining a user location.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the user identifier and the request to a partner service provider comprises communicating the user identifier and the request to the program guide web service through the partner service provider.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data to the user network device comprises communicating program guide data from the program guide web service to the user network device.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data to the user network device comprises communicating program guide data from the partner service provider to the user network device.

14. A method as recited in claim 13 further comprising communicating program guide data from the program guide web service through a virtual private network to the partner service provider prior to communicating program guide data from the partner service provider to the user network device.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating a channel object.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein communicating a channel object comprises communicating a content identifier.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating a schedule object.

18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein communicating a schedule object comprises communicating a schedule time.

19. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating a schedule object within the channel object.

20. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating a program object.

21. A method as recited in claim 20 wherein communicating a program object comprises communicating a program title.

22. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating a program object within a channel object.

23. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating a program object and a schedule object within a channel object.

24. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating non-linear guide data.

25. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating linear guide data.

26. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating linear guide data and non-linear guide data.

27. A system comprising:

a user network device associated with a user identifier;

a partner service provider in communication with the user network device;

a primary service provider in communication with the partner service provider authenticating the user network device provider using the user identifier,

said user network device generating a request for program guide data and communicating the user identifier and the request to the partner service provider,

said partner service provider or said primary service provider communicating program guide data to the user network device based on the identifier data; and

said user network device displaying the program guide data on a display device.

28. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the primary service provider authenticates the user network device using a user identifier and a partner service provider identifier.

29. A system as recited in claim 28 wherein the primary service provider generates an encrypted token from the user identifier and the partner service provider identifier.

30. A system as recited in claim 28 wherein the partner service identifier generates an encrypted token from the a user identifier, a partner service provider identifier and an expiration time and wherein communicating the user identifier and the request to a partner service provider comprises communicating the user identifier, the request and the encrypted token to a partner service provider.

31. A system as recited in claim 28 wherein said primary service provider determines account attributes of a user account.

32. A system as recited in claim 31 wherein the account attributes comprise subscribed services.

33. A system as recited in claim 31 wherein the account attributes comprise a user location.

34. A system as recited in claim 27 further comprising a virtual private network between the primary service provider and the partner service provider;

said virtual private network communicating program guide data from the partner service provider to the user network device.

35. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises a channel object.

36. A system as recited in claim 35 wherein the channel object comprises a content identifier.

37. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises a schedule object.

38. A system as recited in claim 37 wherein the schedule object comprises a schedule time.

39. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises a schedule object within a channel object.

40. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises a program object.

41. A system as recited in claim 40 wherein the program object comprises a program title.

42. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises a program object within a channel object.

43. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises a program object and a schedule object within a channel object.

44. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises non-linear guide data.

45. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises a linear guide data.

46. A system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises linear guide data and non-linear guide data.