SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A LICENSE FOR MEDIA CONTENT OVER A NETWORK

• US 20100169977A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: TANDBERG Television, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Rouse, Alan, Dasher, Charles Hammett
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,477 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/38 Arrangements for distribution where lower stations, e.g. receivers, interact with the broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/22 per use
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440245 the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, and apparatus for tagging a segment of media content. In various embodiments, a beginning location and an ending location indicating the segment are recorded and are used to retrieve the segment from the media content. Various embodiments provide systems and methods for communicating the segment with a user. In various embodiments, the user requests the segment and the position of the segment in the media content and the storage location of the media content are used to extract the segment from the media content. In addition, various embodiments provide systems and methods for providing a license to the user to observe the segment. In various embodiments, a request for the license includes a player identifier and a user identifier that are used to verified the player is associated with the user and the user has rights to observe the segment.

Claims

1. A system for providing a license over a network to a user to enable the user to observe a segment of media content comprising:

a computing device configured to;

receive a request for the license over the network from the user to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on a player device, wherein the request comprises a player identifier identifying the player device and a user identifier identifying the user;

verify that the player device is associated with the user;

send a message comprising the user identifier to a billing system to confirm the user has rights to observe the segment of media content; and

in response to verifying the player device is associated with the user and to receiving confirmation from the billing system that the user has rights to observe the segment of media content;

generate the license; and

deliver the license to the player device, wherein the license is used by the player device to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on the player device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the request further comprises a content identifier identifying the segment of media content, and the computing device is configured to send the message further comprising the content identifier to confirm the user has rights to observe the segment of media content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated license that can only be used within a predetermined period of time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the generated license is associated with the device identifier so that the user can only observe the segment of media content on the player device.

5. A system for providing a digital rights license over a network to a user to enable the user to observe a segment of media content comprising:

a computing device configured to;

receive a request for the license over the network from the user to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on a player device, wherein the request comprises a player identifier identifying the player device and a certificate that indicates the user has rights to observe the segment of media content;

verify that the player device is associated with the user;

confirm the authenticity of the certificate; and

in response to verifying the player device is associated with the user and to confirming the authenticity of the certificate;

generate the license; and

deliver the license to the player device, wherein the license is used by the player device to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on the player device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the generated license that can only be used within a predetermined period of time.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the generated license is associated with the device identifier so that the user can only observe the segment of media content on the player device.

8. A computer-implemented method for providing a license over a network to a user to enable the user to observe a segment of media content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the license over the network to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on a player device, wherein the request comprises a player identifier identifying the player device and a user identifier identifying the user;

verifying the player device is associated with the user;

sending a message comprising the user identifier to a billing system to confirm the user has rights to observe the segment of media content; and

in response to verifying the player device is associated with the user and to receiving confirmation from the billing system that the user has rights to observe the segment of media content;

generating the license; and

delivering the license to the player device, wherein the license is used by the player device to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on the player device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the request further comprises a content identifier identifying the segment of media content, and the message sent to the billing system further comprises the content identifier to confirm the user has rights to observe the segment of media content.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of generating the license comprises generating a license that can only be used within a predetermined period of time.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the step of generating the license comprises generating a license associated with the device identifier so that the user can only observe the segment of media content on the player device.

12. A computer-implemented method for providing a license over a network to a user to enable the user to a segment of observe segment of media content, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for the license over the network to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on a player device, wherein the request comprises a player identifier identifying the player device and a certificate that indicates the user has rights to observe the segment of media content;

verifying the player device is associated with the user;

confirm the authenticity of the certificate; and

in response to verifying the player device is associated with the user and to confirming the authenticity of the certificate;

generating the license; and

delivering the license to the player device, wherein the license is used by the player device to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on the player device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of generating the license comprises generating a license that can only be used within a predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of generating the license comprises generating a license associated with the device identifier so that the user can only observe the segment of media content on the player device.

15. A computer-readable medium containing code executable by a processor for providing a license over a network to a user to enable the user to observe a segment of media content comprising:

one or more components adapted for;

receiving a request for the license over the network to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on a player device, wherein the request comprises a player identifier identifying the player device and a user identifier identifying the user;

verifying the player device is associated with the user;

sending a message comprising the user identifier to a billing system to confirm the user has rights to observe the segment of media content; and

in response to verifying the player device is associated with the user and to receiving confirmation from the billing system that the user has rights to observe the segment of media content;

generating the license; and

delivering the license to the player device, wherein the license is used by the player device to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on the player device.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the request further comprises a content identifier identifying the segment of media content, and the one or more components are further adapted for sending the message further comprising the content identifier to confirm the user has rights to observe the segment of media content.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more components are further adapted for generating the license, and the license can only be used within a predetermined period of time.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, the one or more components are further adapted for generating the license, and the license is associated with the device identifier so that the user can only observe the segment of media content on the player device.

19. A computer-readable medium containing code executable by a processor for providing a license over a network to a user to enable the user to observe a segment of media content comprising:

one or more components adapted for;

receiving a request for the license over the network to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on a player device, wherein the request comprises a player identifier identifying the player device and a certificate that indicates the user has rights to observe the segment of media content;

verifying the player device is associated with the user;

confirm the authenticity of the certificate; and

in response to verifying the player device is associated with the user and to confirming the authenticity of the certificate;

generating the license; and

delivering the license to the player device, wherein the license is used by the player device to enable the user to observe the segment of media content on the player device.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the one or more components are further adapted for generating the license, and the license can only be used within a predetermined period of time.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, the one or more components are further adapted for generating the license, and the license is associated with the device identifier so that the user can only observe the segment of media content on the player device.