TEMPORARY AUTHORIZATION FOR A USER DEVICE TO REMOTELY ACCESS A VIDEO ON-DEMAND SERVICE

• US 20110289537A1
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Published: 11/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson Television Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Buehl, Joe
• Application Number:
  US12/785,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20110289537A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/98
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

A remote access to video on-demand (“VOD”) system provides a user with the ability to retrieve VOD content from a remote service location. The user first registers for this service and receives a mobile application downloaded to a mobile device. The user subsequently requests VOD content in one embodiment by accessing a web site, identifying themselves and the requested VOD content. The system provides a visual token to the user, where the mobile device uses the camera function to transmit a corresponding token value to a remote access VOD server. Upon determining the values correlated, the system provides the requested VOD content in accordance with the user'"'"'s subscription profile for receiving VOD services. A remote access server in one embodiment provides the mobile application download, receives the request; generated the visual token, receives the response, and causes the selected VOD program to be streamed.

Claims

1. A system for providing video on-demand (“

VOD”

) programs to a user, comprising;

a memory configured to store a token value; and

a processor configured to;

receive VOD program identification information from said user wherein said user is a subscriber of a video service provider, wherein said VOD program identification information identifies a VOD program available for viewing by said user on a video distribution network of said video service provider;

generate said token value;

store said token value in said memory;

use said token value to generate image data representing a visual token;

transmit said image data representing said visual token to a computing display device for display of said visual token to said user;

receive a second token value generated from a mobile device associated with said user, wherein said second token value is correlated with said token value;

receive an alpha-numerical identification value from said mobile device wherein said alpha-numerical identification value corresponds to previously stored alpha-numerical identification in said memory associated with said subscriber; and

cause said VOD program to be streamed to said user over a communications network that is not said video distribution network.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said video service provider is a cable service provider and said video distribution network is a cable distribution network.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said processor is further configured to:

store said alpha-numerical identification value in said memory prior to receiving said alpha-numerical value from said mobile device; and

use said alpha-numerical identification value to identify a subscriber profile of said subscriber.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising:

a database storing said VOD program, said database configured to stream said VOD program; and

an interface gateway for receiving said VOD program from said database and streaming said VOD program to the Internet to said computing display device.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein said processor is configured to generate said image data representing said visual token in a two-dimensional graphical bar coded format.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein said processor is configured to generate said image data representing said visual token as numerical data.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to receive a cookie as said alpha-numerical identification from the mobile device.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the processor is configured to:

use said cookie to ascertain a subscriber profile stored in said memory; and

ascertain that a rating of said VOD program is compatible with a subscription profile of said user.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said processor erases said token value from said memory after receiving said second token value from said mobile device.

10. A computer-readable medium comprising executable code that when executed by a processor of a computer device causes the processor to:

receive VOD program identification information from said user wherein said user is a subscriber of a cable service provider, wherein said VOD program identification information identifies a VOD program available for viewing by said user on a cable distribution network of said cable service provider;

generate a token value;

store said token value in a memory;

use said token value to generate image data representing a visual token;

transmit said image data representing said visual token to a computing display device of said user for display of said visual token to said user;

receive a second token value generated from a mobile device associated with said user, wherein said second token value is correlated with said token value;

receive an alpha-numerical identification value from said mobile device wherein said alpha-numerical identification value corresponds to previously stored alpha-numerical identification in said memory associated with said subscriber; and

cause said VOD program to be streamed to said user over a communications network that is not said cable distribution network.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

storing said numerical identification value in said memory; and

using said numerical identification value to identify a subscriber profile of said subscriber.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 10 further comprising the step of:

initiating a timer associated with generating said token value, said timer having an expiration time;

receiving said second token value from said mobile device prior to expiry of said timer;

erasing said token value after receipt of said second token value; and

terminating said timer after receipt of said second token value.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 further comprising the step of comparing a rating indicator of said VOD program with said subscriber profile, wherein said subscriber profile indicates streaming of programs with said rating indicator is allowable.

14. A method for providing video on-demand (“

VOD”

) programs to a user, comprising the steps of;

receiving VOD program identification information from said user wherein said user is a subscriber of a cable service provider, wherein said VOD program identification information identifies a VOD program available for viewing by said user on a cable distribution network of said cable service provider;

generating a token value;

storing said token value in said memory;

using said token value to generate image data representing a visual token;

transmitting said image data representing said visual token to a computing display device of said user for display to said user;

receiving a second token value from a mobile device associated with said user, wherein said second token value is correlated with said token value;

receiving an alpha-numerical identification value received from said mobile device wherein said alpha-numerical identification value corresponds to previously stored alpha-numerical identification associated with said mobile device; and

causing said VOD program to be streamed to said user over a communications network that is not said cable distribution network.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of:

using said alpha-numerical identification value to identify a subscriber profile of said subscriber.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

transmitting said alpha-numerical identification value to said mobile device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said alpha-numerical identification value is a cookie that is associated by said processor with said subscriber profile of said subscriber.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein said processor ascertains a rating of said VOD program is compatible with said service profile.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

starting a timer prior to transmitting said visual token data from said processor; and

receiving said second token at said processor prior to said timer value exceeds a threshold.

20. The method of claim 14 where the step of determining in said processor that said second token value is associated with said token value is followed by a step of:

transmitting by said processor to said computing display device a confirmation that said VOD program is authorized for streaming to said user.