APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING MEDIA SERVICES SUBJECT TO VIEWING RESTRICTIONS

• US 20130090129A1
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Published: 04/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wilson, Brian, TURNER, CHARLES D., Alman, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,811,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42623 involving specific decryption arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, determining that a communication device is outside of a restricted viewing area associated with media content and transmitting the media content for presentation at the communication device responsive to that determination. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device, comprising a memory coupled to a processor, wherein the processor is operable to:

determine a geographic location of the mobile communication device;

transmit the geographic location of the mobile communication device to a network device of a communication network;

receive media content from the network device conditioned upon a determination that the geographic location of the mobile communication device is outside of a restricted viewing area associated with the media content; and

present the media content on the mobile communication device.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to receive alternative media content from the network device responsive to a determination that the geographic location of the mobile communication device is within the restricted viewing area associated with the media content.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the received media content is encoded with information identifying the restricted viewing area associated with the media content, and wherein the processor is operable to:

decode the encoded media content; and

present the decoded media content responsive to the determination that the geographic location of the mobile communication device is outside of the restricted viewing area associated with the media content.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

receive signals from a global positioning system; and

calculate the geographic location of the mobile communication device from the signals of the global positioning system.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

facilitate establishment of communications with an internet protocol communication network;

receive an internet protocol address from the internet protocol communication network; and

determine the geographic location of the mobile communication device according to a geographic location associated with the internet protocol address.

6. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

facilitate establishment of communications with a base station of a mobile communication network; and

determine the geographic location of the mobile communication device according to a geographic location of the base station of the mobile communication network.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to receive the geographic location of the mobile communication device from the communication network.

8. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to receive a notification that the media content is not available to the mobile communication device responsive to a determination that the geographic location of the mobile communication device is within the restricted viewing area associated with the media content.

9. The mobile communications device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to:

receive an offer for a subscription service to allow presentation of the media content on the mobile communication device without regard to the restricted viewing area associated with the media content; and

transmit a reply to the offer.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to receive the media content from a personal media retransmitting device at a premises associated with the mobile communication device, wherein the personal media retransmitting device disables presentation of the media content on the mobile communication device according to the geographic location of the mobile communication device and the restricted viewing area associated with the media content.

11. A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

determine that media content is associated with a restricted viewing area;

encode the media content with information that describes the restricted viewing area associated with the media content; and

transmit the encoded media content to a mobile communication device to enable the mobile communication device to present the media content responsive to a determination that a geographic location of the mobile communication device is outside of the restricted viewing area associated with the media content.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the encoded media content is configured for decoding by the mobile communication device responsive to a determination that the geographic location of the mobile communication device is outside of the restricted viewing area associated with the media content.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions to:

receive the geographic location of the mobile communication device; and

transmit alternative media content to the mobile communication device responsive to a determination that the geographic location of the mobile communication device is inside of the restricted viewing area associated with the media content.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions to send a notification to the mobile communication device that the media content is not available to the mobile communication device responsive to a determination that the geographic location of the mobile communication device is within of the restricted viewing area associated with the media content.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions to:

transmit an offer for a subscription service to the mobile communication device to enable a presentation of the media content on the mobile communication device without regard to the restricted viewing area associated with the media content; and

receive from the mobile communication device a reply to the offer.

16. A method comprising:

determining that a mobile communication device is outside of a restricted viewing area associated with media content; and

transmitting the media content for presentation at the mobile communication device responsive to the determination.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising transmitting alternative media content to the mobile communication device responsive to a determination that a geographic location of the mobile communication device is within the restricted viewing area associated with the media content.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein a geographic location of the mobile communication device is calculated from signals received by the mobile communication device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein a geographic location of the mobile communication device is determined from a geographic location associated with an internet protocol address that is associated with the mobile communication device.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein a geographic location of the mobile communication device is determined from a geographic location of an access point of a mobile communication network being utilized by the mobile communication device.