Providing a Service With Location-Based Authorization

• US 20120202459A1
• Filed: 02/04/2011
• Published: 08/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: MARTELL, Lawrence Robert, HENRIKSEN, Brett, LARICCIO, Michael, SWEENEY, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,563 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a service are provided. A request is received to provide the service to a device. A location of the device, or a network interface through which the device is coupled, is determined. Finally, the delivery of the service is authorized based on the determined location of the device, or the determined network interface.

Claims

1. A method of providing a service, comprising:

receiving a request to provide the service to a device;

determining a first location associated with the device; and

authorizing the service to the device based on the first location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorizing comprises comparing the first location to a second location.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining a user associated with the request;

and the second location is a location associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user is one of an individual or a subscriber account.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second location is a household location associated with the user.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the user is determined by authenticating user credentials associated with the request.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user credentials comprise at least one of a username, a password, a user certificate, a token or a web cookie.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the user comprises:

identifying the device; and

determining a user associated with the device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is identified based on a hardware identifier associated with the device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the hardware identifier is a media access control (MAC) address of the device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the device is identified by authenticating device credentials associated with the request.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the device credentials comprise at least one of a token, a web cookie or device certificate.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the user is determined based on a record associating a user with the device, wherein the record is stored in one of a database, a directory, a file, or a table.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first location comprises:

determining a network interface through which the device is connected;

determining a second location, wherein the second location is associated with the network interface; and

determining the first location based on the second location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the network interface further comprises determining identification information associated with the network interface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the identification information is an internet protocol (IP) address.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second location is determined by IP address geolocation.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the identification information is a media access control (MAC) address.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the second location is determined based on a record associating the second location with the MAC address, wherein the record is stored in one of a database, a directory, a file, or a table.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the network interface is one of a WiFi access point, a router, a cable modem, or a wireless base station.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is determined based on a global positioning system (GPS) measurement.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location is determined based on triangulation from multiple network interfaces.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is one of a portable media player, a personal computer, a tablet computer, an internet-connected television, a game console, or an optical disc player.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the service to the device;

determining an updated location associated with the device;

authorizing the continued providing of the service to the device based on the updated location of the device.

25. A method of providing a service, comprising:

receiving a request to provide the service to a device;

determining identification information associated with a network interface device through which the device is connected; and

authorizing the service to the device based on the identification information.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the identification information is a media access control (MAC) address.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

determining a first user associated with the network interface device, wherein the authorizing is further based on the first user.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first user is at least one of an individual or subscriber account.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining a second user, wherein the second user is associated with the request, and the authorizing is further based on comparing information associated with the first user to information associated with the second user.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the second user is at least one of an individual or subscriber account.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the first user is determined to match the second user if certain items of information associated with the users are identical.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the first user is a subscriber account,

the second user is an individual user, and the first user is determined to match the second user if the second user is associated with the first user.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the first user is an individual user, the second user is a subscriber account, and the first user is determined to match the second user if the first user is associated with the second user.

34. A computer-based system for providing a service to a device comprising:

a tracker configured to receive a request to access the service;

a locator engine configured to determine a first location associated with the device; and

an authorization engine configured to authorize the providing of the service based on the first location.

35. The computer-based system of claim 34, wherein the authorizing by the authorization engine comprises comparing the first location to a second location.

36. The computer-based system of claim 35, wherein the tracker is further configured to deter mine a user associated with the request;

and the second location is a location associated with the user.

37. The computer-based system of claim 36, wherein the user is one of an individual or a subscriber account.

38. The computer-based system of claim 36, wherein the second location is a household location associated with the user.

39. The computer-based system of claim 36, wherein the user is determined by authenticating user credentials associated with the request.

40. The computer-based system of claim 39, wherein the user credentials comprise at least one of a username, a password, a user certificate, a token or a web cookie.

41. The computer-based system of claim 36, wherein determining of the user by the tracker comprises:

identifying the device; and

determining a user associated with the device.

42. The computer-based system of claim 41, wherein the device is identified based on a hardware identifier associated with the device.

43. The computer-based system of claim 42, wherein the hardware identifier is a media access control (MAC) address of the device.

44. The computer-based system of claim 41, wherein the device is identified by authenticating device credentials associated with the request.

45. The computer-based system of claim 44, wherein the device credentials comprise at lease one of a token, a web cookie and a device certificate.

46. The computer-based system of claim 41, wherein the user is determined by the tracker based on a record associating a user with the device, wherein the record is stored in one of a database, a directory, a file, or a table.

47. The computer-based system of claim 34, wherein determining by the locator engine of the first location comprises:

determining a network interface through which the device is connected;

determining a second location associated with the network interface; and

determining the second location to be the first location.

48. The computer-based system of claim 47, wherein determining the network interface by the locator engine further comprises determining identification information associated with the network interface.

49. The computer-based system of claim 48, wherein the identification information is an internet protocol (IP) address.

50. The computer-based system of claim 47, wherein the second location is determined by the locator engine using IP address geolocation.

51. The computer-based system of claim 48, wherein the identification information is a media access control (MAC) address.

52. The computer-based system of claim 47, wherein the second location is determined by the locator engine based on a record associating the second location with the MAC address, wherein the record is stored in one of a database, a directory, a file, or a table.

53. The computer-based system of claim 47, wherein the network interface is one of a WiFi access point or a wireless base station.

54. The computer-based system of claim 34, wherein the first location is determined by the locator engine based on a global positioning system (GPS) measurement.

55. The computer-based system of claim 34, wherein the first location is determined by the locator engine based on triangulation from multiple network interfaces.

56. The computer-based system of claim 34, wherein the device is one of a portable media player, a personal computer, a tablet computer, an internet-connected television, a game console, or an optical disc player.

57. The computer-based system of claim 34, further comprising:

providing the service to the device;

determining an updated location associated with the device;

authorizing the continued providing of the service to the device based on the updated location of the device.

58. A computer based system for providing a service to a device, comprising:

a tracker configured to receive a request to access the service;

a locator engine configured to determine the identification information associated with a network interface through which the device is connected; and

an authorization engine configured to authorize the providing of the service to the device based on the identification information.

59. The computer-based system of claim 58, wherein the identification information is a media access control (MAC) address.

60. The computer-based system of claim 58, wherein the tracker is further configured to determine a first user associated with the network interface, wherein the authorizing by the authorization engine is further based on the first user.

61. The computer-based system of claim 60, wherein the first user is at least one of an individual and a subscriber account.

62. The computer-based system of claim 60, further comprising determining a second user associated with the request, wherein the authorizing is further based on comparing the first user to the second user.

63. The computer-based system of claim 62, wherein the second user is at least one of an individual and a subscriber account.

64. The computer-based system of claim 62, wherein the first user is determined to match the second user if the two users are identical.

65. The computer-based system of claim 64, wherein the first user is a subscriber account,

the second user is an individual user, and the first user is determined to match the second user if the second user is associated with the first user.

66. The computer-based system of claim 62, wherein the first user is an individual user, the second user is a subscriber account, and the first user is determined to match the second user if the first user is associated with the second user.