REMOTE ACCESS OF PROTECTED INTERNET PROTOCOL (IP)-BASED CONTENT OVER AN IP MULTIMEDIA SUBSYSTEM (IMS)-BASED NETWORK

• US 20100138900A1
• Filed: 12/02/2008
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rajagopal, Priya, Chintada, Suresh Kumar, Peterka, Petr
• Application Number:
  US12/326,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20100138900A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2836 Protocol conversion between an external network and a home network controlling appliance services of a home automation network from a device located outside the home and the home network H04L12/2818; protocol conversion H04L69/08; adaptation of digital video signals for transport over a specific home network H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1016 IP multimedia subsystem [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

A service control method, device and system for allowing secure, remote access of protected IP-based content delivered over an IMS-based network to one or more devices within a home network. The method involves a remote access device transmitting a remote access request to a service control application in the IMS-based network, the service control application authorizing the remote access request based on a number of criteria, and forwarding the remote access request to the home network. The forwarded remote access request includes information that allows protected content requested by the remote access request to be transmitted from a home network device in the home network to the remote access device upon appropriate verification of the remote access device by the home network device using home network device DRM schemes. Remote access of the protected content can be allowed by relaxing proximity restriction requirements of the home network.

Claims

1. A service control method for allowing remote access of protected content provided to at least one home network device within a home network from an IMS-based IPTV service provider network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a remote access request for remote access to at least a portion of the protected content from a remote access device registered with the home network, wherein the remote access request is received from a remote location outside of the home network;

authorizing remote access by the remote access device of the protected content provided to the home network device; and

forwarding the remote access request to the home network when the remote access request has been authorized,

wherein the remote access request includes instructions to allow protected content requested by the remote access request to be transmitted from a home network device in the home network to the remote access device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the instructions to allow protected content requested by the remote access request to be transmitted from the home network device include instructions for relaxing proximity authorization requirements of the home network in such a way that content can be transmitted from the home network device to the remote access device when the remote access device is located outside of the home network.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein authorization of the remote access request is based on at least one of the DRM rights associated with the content requested, the subscription rights of the subscriber associated with the home network device and the remote access device, the remote location of the remote access device, the capabilities of the remote access device, and that both the remote access device and the home network device belonging to the same subscriber account.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the authorizing step includes identifying the location of the remote access device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote access request includes instructions to allow key exchanges between the home network and the remote access device that permit the remote access device to decrypt content encrypted and transmitted from the home network device to the remote access device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of authorizing remote access by the remote access device is based on subscriber profile information associated with the subscriber.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the home network device includes a DRM scheme that is configured to verify that the remote access device is part of the same home network domain as the home network device, and that the remote access device is the same device that transmitted the remote access request to the service provider network.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the authorizing step includes delegating at least a portion of the authorization process in the authorizing step to at least one of the home network and the home network device.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the home network includes a residential gateway coupled between the IMS-based IPTV service provider network and the home network device, and wherein the forwarding step includes forwarding the remote access request to the residential gateway and the residential gateway relaying at least a portion of the remote access request to the home network device.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the remote access request can include at least one of information that identifies the protected content requested, information that identifies the remote access device, and information that identifies the home network.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the IMS-based IPTV service provider network includes a catalog server coupled to the home network and coupled to the remote access device that is configured to provide a list of content from which the protected content is selected.

12. A service control device for allowing remote access of protected content provided to at least one home network device within a home network from an IMS-based IPTV service provider network, the service control device comprising:

a controller configured to receive remote access request information from a remote access device located outside of the home network and registered with the home network, wherein the remote access request information includes a request for remote access to the protected content provided to the at least one home network device; and

a memory element coupled to the controller for storing at least a portion of the remote access request information received by the service control device,

wherein the controller is configured to authorize remote access of the protected content provided to at least one home network device by the remote access device,

wherein the controller is configured to forward at least a portion of the remote access request information to the home network when the remote access request has been authorized, and

wherein the remote access request information includes instructions to allow protected content requested by the remote access request to be transmitted from a home network device in the home network to the remote access device.

13. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the instructions to allow protected content requested by the remote access request to be transmitted from the home network device include instructions for relaxing proximity authorization requirements of the home network in such a way that content can be transmitted from the home network device to the remote access device when the remote access device is located outside of the home network.

14. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to authorize remote access of the protected content by the remote access device based on at least one of the DRM rights associated with the content requested, the subscription rights of the subscriber associated with the home network device and the remote access device, the remote location of the remote access device, the capabilities of the remote access device, and that both the remote access device and the home network device belonging to the same subscriber account.

15. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to identify the location of the remote access device, and wherein the controller is configured to authorize remote access of the protected content by the remote access device based on the location of the remote access device.

16. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to authorize remote access of the protected content by the remote access device based on subscriber profile information associated with the subscriber.

17. The device as recited in claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to delegate at least a portion of the authorization process to at least one of the home network and the home network device.

18. A computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out a method for allowing remote access of protected content provided to at least one home network device within a home network from an IMS-based IPTV service provider network, the computer readable medium comprising:

instructions for receiving a remote access request for remote access to at least a portion of the protected content from a remote access device registered with the home network, wherein the remote access request is received from a remote location outside of the home network;

instructions for authorizing remote access by the remote access device of the protected content provided to the home network device; and

instructions for forwarding the remote access request to the home network when the remote access request has been authorized,

wherein the remote access request includes instructions to allow protected content requested by the remote access request to be transmitted from a home network device in the home network to the remote access device, and

wherein the remote access request includes instructions to allow key exchanges between the home network and the remote access device that permit the remote access device to decrypt content encrypted and transmitted from the home network device to the remote access device.

19. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions to allow protected content requested by the remote access request to be transmitted from the home network device include instructions for relaxing proximity authorization requirements of the home network in such a way that content can be transmitted from the home network device to the remote access device when the remote access device is located outside of the home network.

20. The computer readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions for authorizing the remote access request is based on at least one of the DRM rights associated with the content requested, the subscription rights of the subscriber associated with the home network device and the remote access device, the remote location of the remote access device, the capabilities of the remote access device, and that both the remote access device and the home network device belonging to the same subscriber account.