METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING PROGRAM GUIDE DATA FROM A CONTENT PROVIDER TO A USER DEVICE THROUGH A PARTNER SERVICE PROVIDER BASED UPON USER ATTRIBUTES

• US 20130080778A1
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Kapil
• Granted Patent: US 9,407,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/37 via a different channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/40 characterised in that additional data relating to the broadcast data are available via a different channel than the broadcast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and system for providing program guide data to a user network device associated with a user identifier includes a partner service provider in communication with the user network device and a primary service provider in communication with the partner service provider authenticating the user network device provider using the user identifier. The user network device generates a request for program guide data and communicates the user identifier and the request to the partner service provider. The partner service provider or the primary service provider communicates program guide data to the user network device based on the identifier data. The user network device displays the program guide data on a display device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

authenticating a user network device through a partner service provider using a user identifier by communicating the user identifier to a primary service provider from the partner service provider and generating an encrypted token at the primary service provider;

generating a request for program guide data at the user network device;

communicating the user identifier, the request and the encrypted token to the primary service provider;

communicating program guide data to the user network device in response to the user identifier, the request and the encrypted token; and

displaying the program guide data on a display device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating the encrypted token to the user network device through the partner service provider.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising communicating the encrypted token to the partner service provider.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein communicating the user identifier, the request and the encrypted token to the primary service provider comprises communicating the user identifier, the request and the encrypted token to the primary service provider from the partner service provider.

5. The method as recited in claim 3 wherein communicating the encrypted token to the partner service provider comprises communicating the encrypted token to the user network device directly from the partner service provider.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating comprises authenticating the user network device at an authentication web service of the primary service provider.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating comprises authenticating the user network device through the partner service provider using a partner service provider identifier.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary service provider generates the encrypted token from the user identifier and a partner service provider identifier.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the primary service provider generates the encrypted token from the user identifier, a partner service provider identifier and an expiration time.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein authenticating a user network device comprises initiating an account set-up page from the partner service provider;

providing primary service account data from the user network device in response to the account set-up page;

communicating the primary service account data to a primary service provider setup web service; and

validating the primary service account data at the set up web service.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising determining account attributes at the primary service provider.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein determining account attributes comprises determining subscribed services from the identifier.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein determining account attributes comprises determining a user location.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating the user identifier and the request to the primary service provider comprises communicating the user identifier and the request to a program guide web service through the partner service provider.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data to the user network device comprises communicating program guide data from a program guide web service to the user network device.

16. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data to the user network device comprises communicating program guide data from the partner service provider to the user network device.

17. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising communicating program guide data from the program guide web service through a virtual private network to the partner service provider prior to communicating program guide data from the partner service provider to the user network device.

18. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating program guide data comprises communicating at least one of a channel object, a content identifier, a schedule object, a schedule time, a schedule object within the channel object, a program object, a program object within a channel object, a program object and a schedule object within a channel object, non-linear guide data, linear guide data, and both linear guide data and non-linear guide data.

19. A system comprising:

a user network device associated with a user identifier;

a partner service provider in communication with the user network device receiving the user identifier;

a primary service provider in communication with the partner service provider authenticating the user network device using the user identifier and generating an encrypted token,

said user network device generating a request for program guide data and communicating the user identifier and the request to the partner service provider,

said partner service provider or said primary service provider communicating program guide data to the user network device based on the user identifier and the encrypted token; and

said user network device displaying the program guide data on a display device.

20. The system as recited in claim 19 wherein the primary service provider communicates the encrypted token to the user network device through the partner service provider.

21. The system as recited in claim 20 wherein the primary service provider communicates the encrypted token to the partner service provider.

22. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein the partner service provider communicates the user identifier, the request and the encrypted token to the primary service provider.

23. The system as recited in claim 21 wherein the primary service provider communicates the program guide data directly to the user network device.

24. The system as recited in claim 19 wherein the primary service provider authenticates the user network device using the user identifier and a partner service provider identifier.

25. The system as recited in claim 24 wherein the primary service provider generates the encrypted token from the user identifier and the partner service provider identifier.

26. The system as recited in claim 24 wherein the partner service identifier generates the encrypted token from the a user identifier, a partner service provider identifier and an expiration time and wherein communicating the user identifier and the request to the partner service provider comprises communicating the user identifier, the request and the encrypted token to the partner service provider.

27. The system as recited in claim 19 wherein said primary service provider determines account attributes of a user account.

28. The system as recited in claim 27 wherein the account attributes comprise subscribed services or a user location.

29. The system as recited in claim 27 further comprising a virtual private network between the primary service provider and the partner service provider;

said virtual private network communicating program guide data from the partner service provider to the user network device.

30. The system as recited in claim 27 wherein the program guide data comprises a channel object, channel object comprising a content identifier, a schedule object, a schedule object comprising a schedule time, a schedule object within a channel object, a program object, a program object comprising a program title, a program object within a channel object, a program object and a schedule object within a channel object, non-linear guide data, linear guide data and linear guide data and non-linear guide data.