MEDIA CONTENT INFORMATION PROVISION

• US 20120227066A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Woxblom, Mikael, Yasukawa, Kenta
• Application Number:
  US13/508,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20120227066A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• 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 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast

Abstract

A selective provision of content information of media content available at a content provider (30) to media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) present in a local network (2) is achieved by generating,at a content service provider (200) connected to a global network (3), content rights information defining rights to the media content for the media rendering devices (12, 13, 14). The content rights information is forwarded to a media server (100) implemented in the local network (2) to thereby control the media server (100) in the distribution of the content information to the media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) based on the content rights information. A controlled and selective provision of the content information in the local network (2) is thereby achieved.

Claims

1. A method of providing media content information to media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) present in a local network (2), said method comprising:

receiving, from a content service provider (200) connected to a global network (3) connected to said local network (2), content rights information defining rights to media content available at at least one content provider (30) for media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) associated with a user and present in said local network (2); and

selectively providing content information of said media content available at said at least one content provider (30) to at least one media rendering device (14) of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) based on said content rights information.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said content information from said content service provider (200);

announcing said content information to said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14); and

receiving content information requests from said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14), wherein said selectively providing step is performed in response to reception of said content information requests.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising transmitting a content rights information request to said content service provider (200) in response to reception of said content information.

4. The method according to any of the claims 1 to 3, wherein said selectively providing step comprises the steps of:

identifying a subset of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) based on said content rights information; and

transmitting said content information to said subset of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14).

5. The method according to any of the claims 1 to 4, wherein said selectively providing step comprises:

identifying a subset of said media content that is accessible for said at least one media rendering device (14) based on said content rights information; and

transmitting content information defining said subset of said media content to said at least one media rendering device (14).

6. The method according to any of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said selectively providing step comprises:

identifying, for each media rendering device of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) and based on said content rights information, the respective set of said media content that is accessible for said media rendering device according to said content rights information; and

transmitting content information defining said respective set of said media content to said media rendering device unless said respective set is the empty set.

7. A content information control method comprising:

receiving a user identifier associated with a user having access to media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) present in a local network (2);

generating, based on said user identifier, content rights information defining rights for said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) to content information of media content available at at least one content provider (30) connected to a global network (3) connected to said local network (2); and

transmitting said contents rights information to a media server (100) present in said local network (2) to enable a selective provision of said content information to at least one media rendering device (14) of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) based on said content rights information.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising transmitting said content information to said media server (100).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said step of transmitting said content information comprises:

transmitting, to said media server (100), address information at said content service provider (200) from which said content information can be download;

receiving a content information request from said media server (100) generated based on said address information; and

transmitting, to said media server (100), said content information defining media content accessible to said at least one media rendering device (14) at said at least one content provider (30).

10. The method according to any of the claims 7 to 9, further comprising receiving a content rights information request from said media server (100), wherein said step of transmitting said contents rights information is performed in response to reception of said content rights information request.

11. The method according to any of the claims 7 to 10, wherein said generating step comprises:

receiving, from a user terminal (20) associated with said user and connected to said global network (3), device identifier of said at least one media rendering device (14) and content access information relating to said at least one media rendering device (14) associated with said device identifier; and

generating said content rights information based on said device identifier, said content access information and said user identifier.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

providing, based on said user identifier, information of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) associated with said user; and

transmitting said information of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) to said user terminal (20).

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein said content access information specifies that said at least one media rendering device (14) is only allowed access to media content of a specified content type at said content service provider (200).

14. The method according to any of the claims 11 to 13, wherein said content access information specifies that said at least one media rendering device (14) is only allowed access to media content originating from a specified subset of content providers available (30) for said content service provider (200).

15. A media server (100) implementable in a local network (2) and connectable to media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) associated with a user and present in said local network (2), said media server (100) comprising:

a receiver (110) configured to receive, from a content service provider (200) connected to a global network (3) connected to said local network (2), content rights information defining rights to media content available at at least one content provider (30) for said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14); and

an information provider (120) configured to selectively provide content information of said media content available at said at least one content provider (30) to at least one media rendering device (14) of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) based on said content rights information.

16. The media server according to claim 15, wherein

said receiver (110) is configured to receive said content information from said content service provider (200);

said media server (100) further comprises a transmitter (130) configured to transmit an announcement of said content information to said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14);

said receiver (110) is additionally configured to receive content information requests from said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14); and

said information provider (120) is configured to selectively provide said content information in response to said receiver (110) receiving said content information requests.

17. The media server according to claim 16, wherein said transmitter (130) is configured to transmit a content rights information request to said content service provider (200) in response to said receiver (110) receiving said content information.

18. The media server according to any of the claims 15 to 17, further comprising a device identifier (140) configured to identify a subset of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) based on said content rights information, wherein said information provider (120) is configured to control a transmitter (130) to transmit said content information to said subset of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) identified by said device identifier (140).

19. The media server according to any of the claims 15 to 18, further comprising a content identifier (150) configured to identify a subset of said media content that is accessible for said at least one media rendering device (14) based on said content rights information, wherein said information provider (120) is configured to control a transmitter (130) to transmit, to said at least one media rendering device (14), content information defining said subset of said media content identified by said content identifier (150).

20. The media server according to any of the claims 15 to 19, further comprising an identifier (140, 150) configured to identify, for each media rendering device of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) and based on said content rights information, the respective set of said media content that is accessible for said media rendering device according to said content rights information, wherein said information provider (120) is configured to control a transmitter (130) to transmit content information defining said respective set of said media content to said media rendering device unless said respective set is the empty set.

21. A content service provider (200) connectable to a global network (3), said content service provider (200) comprises:

a receiver (210) configured to receive a user identifier associated with a user having access to media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) present in a local network (2) connected to said global network (3);

a rights information generator (220) configured to generate, based on said user identifier, content rights information defining rights for said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) to content information of media content available at at least one content provider (30); and

a transmitter (230) configured to transmit said contents rights information to a media server (100) present in said local network (2) to enable a selective provision by said media server (100) of said content information to at least one media rendering device (14) of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) based on said content rights information.

22. The content service provider according to claim 21, further comprising a content information generator (240) configured to generate said content information, wherein said transmitter (230) is adapted to transmit said content information to said media server (100).

23. The content service provider according to claim 22, wherein

said transmitter (230) is configured to transmit, to said media server (100), address information at said content service provider (200) from which said content information can be download;

said receiver (210) is configured to receiver a content information request from said media server (100) generated based on said address information; and

said transmitter (230) is additionally configured to transmit, to said media server (100), said content information defining media content accessible to said at least one media rendering device (14) at said at least one content provider (30).

24. The content service provider according to any of the claims 21 to 23, wherein

said receiver (210) is configured to receive a content rights information request from said media server (100);

and

said transmitter (230) is configured to transmit said contents rights information in response to said receiver (210) receiving said content rights information request.

25. The content service provider according to any of the claims 21 to 24, wherein

said receiver (210) is configured to receive, from a user terminal (20) associated with said user and connected to said global network (3), device identifier of said at least one media rendering device (14) and content access information relating to said at least one media rendering device (14) associated with said device identifier;

and

said rights information generator (220) is configured to generate said content rights information based on said device identifier, said content access information and said user identifier.

26. The content service provider according to claim 25, further comprising a device information provider (260) configured to provide, based on said user identifier, information of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) associated with said user, wherein said transmitter (230) is configured to transmit said information of said media rendering devices (12, 13, 14) to said user terminal (20).