APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR CONTENT DELIVERY AND MESSAGE EXCHANGE ACROSS MULTIPLE CONTENT DELIVERY NETWORKS

• US 20120008786A1
• Filed: 07/12/2010
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dillon, Michael, Cronk, Gary, Putsch, Jonathan, Boutilier, James, Miller, Paul L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,906,838 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/282
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing protected content to subscribers of a managed (e.g., MSO) network via a content source accessible via an internetwork such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a user accesses a service provider portal (e.g., website), and requests content. The service provider determines whether the requesting user is permitted to access the content, and what rights or restrictions are associated with the user. This includes authenticating the user as a subscriber of the MSO, and determining the subscriber'"'"'s subscription level. In another embodiment, a user'"'"'s account with the MSO and service provider may be federated, thus a given user will have MSO-specific information regarding its identity (such as login information, GUID, etc.) and is able to perform a single sign on to request and receive content.

Claims

1. A method for providing protected content via a first network to an authorized user of a second network, said method comprising:

receiving at an entity of said second network a request for said protected content, said request comprising at least information identifying a requesting user and information identifying requested content;

determining, based at least in part on said information identifying said requesting user, an identity of said requesting user as an authorized user of said second network;

generating a unique identifier for said authorized user; and

transmitting a response to said request to an entity of said first network, said response comprising said unique identifier;

wherein, said transmission of said response is configured to cause said entity of said first network deliver said protected content to said authorized user; and

wherein said unique identifier is stored at said entity of said first network and is configured to enable use in a subsequent request, said subsequent request comprising a request for second protected content different than said first content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said information identifying said user comprises login information pre-established at said entity of said second network to correspond to said authorized user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of generating said unique identifier for said authorized user comprises generating a user-specific global unique identifier (GTJID).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said second subsequent request for said second protected content having said unique identifier therein enables said entity of said first network to identify said authorized user and transmit a response to said second request based thereon.

5. An apparatus in a content delivery network configured to authorize access to a selected one or more services at a packet network by at least one user device, said apparatus comprising:

a first interface configured to receive;

information identifying said at least one user device; and

a request for said access to said selected one or more services;

a processor comprising at least one computer program, said computer program configured to;

verify said information identifying said at least one user device as being associated with at least one subscriber of said content delivery network;

generate a unique identifier specific to said subscriber; and

generate a response to said request for said access to said selected one or more services; and

a second interface configured to transmit;

said unique identifier to at least one entity of said packet network for storage thereon; and

said response to said request for said access to said selected one or more services.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said at least one entity of said packet network is configured to provide said stored unique identifier in subsequent requests from said at least one user device for a second at least one of said one or more services.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said response to said request comprises a communication which causes said at least one user device to establish a session with said at least one entity of said packet network, and to receive said selected one or more services via said established session.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the packet network comprises a service provider in communication with said one or more registered devices via the Internet, and said content delivery network comprises a cable television network in communication with said service provider via the Internet.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said one or more services comprise on-demand delivery of available programming content.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising transmitting a request to remove said at least one unique identifier from said storage at said packet network, and, in response to said request removing said at least one unique identifier from said storage at said packet network.

11. A method for providing protected content via a first content delivery network to an authorized user of a second content delivery network, said method comprising:

receiving at an entity of said first network a request for said protected content from a user device, said request comprising at least information identifying said user device and information identifying said protected content;

querying a plurality of records to determine a unique identifier of said user device, said unique identifier being previously provided by said second network;

transmitting said unique identifier and said information identifying said protected content to an entity of said second network;

receiving in response to said transmission of said unique identifier and said information identifying said protected content, a response from said entity of said second network; and

delivering said protected content to said user device based at least in part on said response.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first network comprises a packet switched network, and said second network comprises a substantially circuit-switched content delivery network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said packet switched network comprises an IP (Internet Protocol) Multimedia Services (IMS) entity.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising initiating a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) session between said entity of said first network and said user device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said request comprises receiving a SIP message from said user device, the SIP message including one or more identifiers of said protected content.

16. A method of operating a packet network, comprising:

receiving from an IP-enabled device a request for content at an entity of said packet network, said content being protected in accordance with one or more policies specified by the operator of a managed content distribution network, said request comprising information uniquely associated with a subscriber of said managed network;

accessing information stored at said entity received from said operator, said stored information enabling said entity to determine whether the request for content should be granted;

when granting said request, issuing a communication to said managed network indicating that said content is being provided; and

causing said content to be provided to said requesting 1P-enabled device over said packet network, said content being at least partly encapsulated using an IP protocol.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said communication comprises a message identifying both said content and at least one of:

(i) the subscriber, and/or (ii) the IP-enabled device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said communication is agnostic to the underlying transport over which it is carried to said managed network.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said act of causing said content to be provided to said requesting IP-enabled device over said packet network comprises encrypting said content using an encryption mechanism that is substantially unique to said subscriber.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said encryption mechanism that is substantially unique to said subscriber comprises a public/private key pair assigned to said subscriber by said managed network operator.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said information stored at said entity received from said operator comprises configuration information relating to at least one aspect of said IP-enabled device.