Method of Using Tokens and Policy Descriptors for Dynamic on Demand Session Management

• US 20130304854A1
• Filed: 07/15/2013
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mao, Weidong, Black, Neville A., Compton, Charles L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,230,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• 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 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Tokens and policy descriptors are used for dynamic on demand session management in a distributed and scalable architecture for on demand sessions and resource management. The architecture includes an on demand client, a purchase server, and a session manager. A purchase token is generated at the purchase server and assigned to the on demand client. The purchase token represents at least one requested asset. In response to an on demand session set-up request corresponding to the purchase token from the on demand client to the session manager, the purchase token is expanded to generate at least one dynamic policy management descriptor for the on demand session. This provides token-based purchase authorization and policy management for on demand services.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. A method, comprising:

receiving a first request identifying a token;

determining, by at least one computing device, a first plurality of content assets based at least in part on the token as identified by the first request;

causing at least some of the content assets of the first plurality of content assets to be sent over a network;

receiving a second request identifying said token;

determining, by the at least one computing device, a different second plurality of content assets based at least in part on the token as identified by the second request; and

causing at least some of the content assets of the second plurality of content assets to be sent over the network.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining a first transmission control protocol type based on the token, wherein said determining the first plurality of content assets comprises determining the first plurality of content assets also based on the first transmission control protocol type.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising determining a different second transmission control protocol type based on the token, wherein said determining the second plurality of content assets comprises determining the second plurality of content assets also based on the second transmission control protocol type.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining a first bandwidth based on the token, wherein said causing the at least some of the first plurality of content assets to be sent comprises sending the at least some of the first plurality of content assets within the first bandwidth.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising determining a different second bandwidth based on the token, wherein said causing the at least some of the second plurality of content assets to be sent comprises sending the at least some of the second plurality of content assets within the second bandwidth.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising determining a first codec based on the token as identified by the first request, wherein said causing the at least some of the first plurality of content assets to be sent comprises sending the at least some of the first plurality of content assets encoded by the first codec.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising determining a different second codec based on the token as identified by the second request, wherein said causing the at least some of the second plurality of content assets to be sent comprises sending the at least some of the second plurality of content assets encoded by the second codec.

34. The method of claim 27, further comprising generating a first asset list descriptor based on the token as identified by the first request, wherein the first asset list descriptor identifies start times of the first plurality of content assets.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising generating a second asset list descriptor based on the token as identified by the second request, the second asset list descriptor being different from the first asset list descriptor, wherein the second asset list descriptor identifies start times of the second plurality of content assets, at least some of the start times of the second plurality of content assets being different from at least some of the start times of the first plurality of content assets.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein said causing the at least some of the first plurality of content assets to be sent comprises causing the at least some of the first plurality of content assets to be sent over the network to a client device, and wherein said causing the at least some of the second plurality of content assets to be sent comprises causing the at least some of the second plurality of content assets to be sent over the network to said client device.

37. A method, comprising:

sending a message identifying a token, the token being associated with a content asset;

receiving a request identifying the token;

determining, by at least one computing device, a plurality of content assets including the content asset associated with the token;

determining start times of the plurality of content assets; and

causing at least some of the plurality of content assets to be sent over a network in accordance with said start times.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising determining a transmission control protocol type based on the token, wherein said causing the at least some of the plurality of content assets to be sent comprises sending the at least some of the content assets over the network based on the transmission control protocol type.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising determining a bandwidth based on the token, wherein said causing the at least some of the plurality of content assets to be sent comprises sending the at least some of the content assets over the network within the bandwidth.

40. The method of claim 37, further comprising determining a codec based on the token, wherein said causing the at least some of the plurality of content assets to be sent comprises sending the at least some of the content assets encoded by the codec over the network.

41. The method of claim 37, further comprising determining a codec based on the token, wherein said causing the at least some of the plurality of content assets to be sent comprises sending the at least some of the content assets encoded by the codec over the network. transmission control protocol type.

42. A method, comprising:

sending an indication of a token;

responsive to each of a plurality of requests that identifies said token, processing, by at least one computing device, information associated with the token; and

for each of the requests;

determining a different plurality of content assets based on the token, and

causing at least some of the content assets of the respective one of the plurality of content assets to be sent over a network.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising, for at least some of the requests:

determining a different bandwidth based on the token, wherein said causing the at least some of the content assets to be sent comprises causing the at least some of the content assets to be sent within the bandwidth for the respective request.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising, for each of the requests:

determining a different codec based on the token, wherein said causing the at least some of the content assets to be sent comprises causing the at least some of the content assets to be sent encoded by the codec for the respective request.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising, for each of the requests:

determining a different transmission control protocol type based on the token, wherein said causing the at least some of the content assets to be sent comprises causing the at least some of the content assets to be sent based on the transmission control protocol type for the respective request.

46. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

determining, for each of the requests, an asset list descriptor based on the token, wherein each of the asset list descriptors identifies start times of the plurality of content assets for the respective one of the requests; and

sending, for each of the plurality of requests, the at least some of the content assets of the respective one of the plurality of content assets at the start times associated with those content assets.