Control of Access to Content Received from a Multimedia Content Distribution Network

• US 20100050270A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.), General Magic, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pratt, James, Belz, Steven M., Sullivan, Marc
• Application Number:
  US12/195,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20100050270A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

A disclosed method for controlling access to content provided by a multimedia content delivery network includes detecting a remote control signal, determining identification information and action information in the remote control signal, generating a CPE code based on a combination of the identification and action information, and performing a content control action based on the CPE code. The identification information may indicate a setting of a switch of the remote control device or a user of the remote control device. Generating the CPE code may include generating a first CPE code when the identification information indicates a first user and generating a different CPE code when the identification information indicates a second user. Generating the CPE code may still further include accessing parental control restrictions associated with a user or user class indicated by the identification information and generating a CPE code in compliance with the parental control restrictions.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to content provided by a multimedia content delivery network, comprising:

responsive to detecting a remote control signal, identifying identification information and action information in the remote control signal;

generating a customer premises equipment (CPE) code based on a combination of the identification information and the action information; and

performing a content control action based on a value of the CPE code.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information is indicative of a setting of a remote control switch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information is indicative of a user of a remote control device generating the remote control signal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the content control action is selected from a group of actions including a null action and further wherein generating the CPE code comprises:

generating a CPE code corresponding to the action information when the identification information is indicative of a first user; and

performing the null action when the identification information is indicative of a second user.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the generating of a CPE code comprises:

generating a first CPE code when the identification information is indicative of a first user; and

generating a second CPE code, different than the first CPE code, when the identification information is indicative of a second user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of a CPE code comprises querying a database of CPE codes using the identification information and the action information as query parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of a CPE code includes:

accessing parental control restrictions associated with a user associated with the identification information; and

generating a CPE code in compliance with the parental control restrictions.

8. A customer premises equipment (CPE) device, comprising:

a processor;

a network interface to receive encoded multimedia content;

a multimedia decoder to decode the encoded multimedia content;

a remote control interface to receive and process a remote control signal transmitted by a remote control; and

storage media embedding processor executable instructions, the instructions comprising instructions to;

extract, from the remote control signal, identification information indicative of a remote control device setting;

extract, from the remote control signal, action information indicative of a requested action;

determine a CPE action based on the identification information and the action information; and

execute the CPE action.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to generate a CPE code corresponding to the CPE action.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the storage media further includes CPE code data, wherein the CPE code data is suitable for determining the CPE code corresponding to a CPE action, and further wherein the instructions to generate the CPE code comprise instructions to access the CPE code data structure using the CPE action.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the instructions to determine a CPE action include instructions to determine a null action as the CPE action when the identification information has a first value.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the identification information is indicative of an identity of the remote control device.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the identification information is indicative of a state of an N-state switchable control of the remote control device.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the identification information is indicative of a user category of a user of the remote control device.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the user category is selected from the group of user categories including an adult category and a child category.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the instructions to determine the CPE action include instructions to:

access parental control information when the user category is the child category; and

identify a CPE action complying with the parental control information.

17. A remote control device, comprising:

an N-state switchable control, wherein N is greater than 1;

an action control;

data generation logic configured to respond to an assertion of the action control, by generating remote control data based on the action control asserted and a state of the N-state switchable control; and

a transmitter operable to modulate the remote control data onto a remote control carrier signal and transmit the modulated remote control carrier signal.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the N-state switchable control is a physical switch.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the physical switch is recessed within a housing of the remote control device.

20. The device of claim 17, further comprising a sensing device operable to detect a biometric characteristic of a user of the remote control.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein a state of the N-state switchable control is responsive to the biometric characteristic detected by the sensing device.

22. The device of claim 17, wherein the remote control data includes a numeric action code based on the asserted action control and a numeric identification code based on a state of the N-state switchable control.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the modulated remote control carrier signal includes an action code portion indicative of the action code and an identification portion indicative of the identification code.