METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN A USER DEVICE AND A USER DEVICE LOCATING MODULE TO ALLOW A PARTNER SERVICE TO BE PROVIDED TO A USER DEVICE

• US 20090165105A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• 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 8,789,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer

Abstract

A system and method for communicating between a user device locator module and a user receiving device includes forming a secure connection with the user device locator module. The user receiving device communicates user identifier data and port data to the user device locator module. An authentication module authenticates the user data from the user device locator module and generates an authentication signal. The user device locator module registers the port data at the user device locator module in response to the authentication signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

forming a secure connection between a user receiving device and a user device locator module;

communicating user identifier data to the user device locator module from the user receiving device;

communicating port data from the user receiving device to the user device locator module;

authenticating the user data from the user device locator module; and

after authenticating, registering the port data at the user device locator module.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising prior to forming a secure connection, configuring a port of a gateway device so that the user receiving device listens thereto.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein forming a secure connection between a user receiving device and a user device locator module comprises forming a secure sockets layer connection between a user receiving device and a user device locator module.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating user identifier data to the user device locator module from the user receiving device comprises communicating user identifier data to the user device locator module from a television receiving device.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating user identifier data to the user device locator module from the user receiving device comprises communicating user identifier data to the user device locator module from a satellite television receiving device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating comprises authenticating the user data by communicating between the user receiving device locator module and an authentication server of a primary service provider.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating port data comprises communicating an IP address.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating port data comprises communicating an IP address, forwarding port data and an access card identifier.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating port data comprises communicating an IP address, forwarding port data, an access card identifier and a receiver identifier.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating port data comprises communicating an IP address, forwarding port data, an access card identifier, a receiver identifier and a service description.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating comprises communicating a request for authentication from the user device locator module to an authentication server;

authenticating the user data at the authentication server and generating authentication data at the authentication server; and

communicating the authentication data to the user device locator module.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein communicating a request for authentication comprises communicating a user device identifier to the authentication server.

13. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein communicating a request for authentication comprises communicating a site identifier to the authentication server.

14. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein communicating a request for authentication comprises communicating a site identifier and a user device identifier to the authentication server.

15. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein communicating a request for authentication comprises communicating an encrypted token to the authentication server.

16. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein communicating a request for authentication comprises communicating an encrypted token, a site identifier and a user device identifier to the authentication server.

17. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating partner service data to the user receiving device and communicating primary service data to the user receiving device.

18. A system comprising:

a user device locator module;

a user receiving device forming a secure connection with the user device locator module and communicating user identifier data and port data to the user device locator module; and

an authentication module authenticating the user data from the user device locator module and generating an authentication signal;

said user device locator module registering the port data at the user device locator module in response to the authentication signal.

19. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the port data comprises an IP address.

20. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the port data comprises an IP address, forwarding port data and an access card identifier.

21. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the port data comprises an IP address, forwarding port data, an access card identifier and a receiver identifier.

22. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the port data comprises an IP address, forwarding port data, an access card identifier, a receiver identifier and a service description.

23. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the user device locator module communicates a request for authentication to the authentication server;

said authentication server authenticating the user data, generating authentication data and communicating the authentication data to the user device locator module.

24. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the request for authentication comprises a user device identifier.

25. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the request for authentication comprises a site identifier.

26. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the request for authentication comprises a site identifier and a user device identifier.

27. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the request for authentication comprises an encrypted token.

28. A system as recited in claim 23 wherein the request for authentication comprises an encrypted token, a site identifier and a user device identifier.

29. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the user receiving device comprises a television receiving device.

30. A system as recited in claim 18 wherein the user receiving device comprises a satellite television receiving device.

31. A system as recited in claim 18 further comprising a primary service provider communicating primary service data to the user receiving device.

32. A system as recited in claim 31 further comprising a partner service provider communicating partner service data to the user receiving device in response to the port data.