System and Method to Determine an Authorization of a Wireless Set-Top Box Device to Receive Media Content

• US 20110055862A1
• Filed: 08/26/2009
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Macwan, Sanjay, Harp, David, Godfrey, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 9,191,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes determining, at a set-top box device, positioning data associated with a location of the set-top box device. The computer-implemented method includes determining whether the set-top box device is authorized to receive media content at the location. The computer-implemented method also includes receiving the media content via a wireless transmission from a residential gateway when the set-top box device is authorized to receive the media content at the location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a set-top box device, positioning data associated with a location of the set-top box device;

determining whether the set-top box device is authorized to receive media content at the location; and

receiving the media content via a wireless transmission from a residential gateway when the set-top box device is authorized to receive the media content at the location.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising not receiving the media content from the residential gateway when the set-top box device is not authorized to receive the media content at the location.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to a display device, the message indicating that the set-top box device is not authorized to receive the media content at the location when the set-top box device is not authorized to receive the media content at the location.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising sending to the display device an offer to purchase an authorization to access the media content when the set-top box device is not authorized to receive the media content at the location.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising sending payment information to the residential gateway to purchase the authorization to access the media content.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising receiving the media content from the residential gateway after sending the payment information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the positioning data is received from a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver associated with the set-top box device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the GPS receiver is integrated with the set-top box device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the set-top box device is authorized to receive the media content at the location comprises:

sending the positioning data from the set-top box device to the residential gateway; and

receiving authorization data from the residential gateway, the authorization data indicating whether the set-top box device is authorized to receive the media content at the location.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the residential gateway sends the positioning data to an authorization server to determine whether the set-top box device is authorized to receive the media content at the location.

11. A residential gateway comprising:

a receiver to receive a device identifier of a set-top box device and to receive positioning data from the set-top box device having a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, the positioning data identifying a location of the set-top box device;

an authorization module to determine whether the set-top box device is authorized to receive media content from the residential gateway based on the device identifier and based on the positioning data; and

a transmitter to transmit the media content wirelessly to the set-top box device when the authorization module determines that the set-top box device is authorized to receive the media content.

12. The residential gateway of claim 11, further comprising:

an Internet Protocol (IP) interface to receive the media content from a media content server via an IP network.

13. The residential gateway of claim 11, wherein the authorization module is operable to send the device identifier and the positioning data to an authentication server to determine whether the set-top box device is authorized to receive the media content from the residential gateway.

14. The residential gateway of claim 11, wherein the transmitter is operable to transmit to the set-top box device an offer to purchase an authorization to receive the media content.

15. The residential gateway of claim 11, wherein the transmitter transmits the media content wirelessly via a wireless High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) protocol transmission.

16. The residential gateway of claim 11, wherein the transmitter transmits the media content wirelessly via an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 protocol transmission.

17. An authorization server, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable storage medium comprising operational instructions that,

when executed by the processor, cause the authorization server to;

receive positioning data from a residential gateway, the positioning data identifying a location of a set-top box device having a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver;

determine whether the set-top box device is authorized to access media content at the location; and

send a message to the residential gateway instructing the residential gateway to prevent transmission of the media content to the set-top box device when the set-top box device is not authorized to access the media content at the location.

18. The authorization server of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises operational instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the authorization server to:

receive payment information from the set-top box device via the residential gateway; and

create an account record indicating that the set-top box device is authorized to access the media content at the location.

19. The authorization server of claim 17, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises operational instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the authorization server to send a message to the residential gateway authorizing the residential gateway to transmit the media content wirelessly to the set-top box device when the set-top box device is authorized to access the media content at the location.

20. The authorization server of claim 17, wherein determining whether the set-top box device is authorized to access the media content at the location comprises:

identifying an account associated with the set-top box device; and

comparing the location of the set-top box device to account location data associated with the account.