METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING UNAUTHORIZED STREAMING OF CONTENT

• US 20140250471A1
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Guerra, Justin R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,455,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus relating to content streaming, e.g., in a home network, in a manner that reduces the chance of streaming of content to a device which is not authorized to receive the content. In an exemplary method of controlling content streaming on a home network in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the method involves receiving at a home network gateway a first video on demand service request message from a first device coupled to the home network, storing a portion of said first video on demand service request message in memory, receiving at said home network gateway a second message, and determining based on a portion of said second message and a portion of said stored first video on demand service request message whether to provide the requested video on demand service.

Claims

1. A method of controlling content streaming on a home network, the method comprising:

receiving at a home network gateway, located at a customer premise, a first video on demand service request message from a first device coupled to the home network;

storing a portion of said first video on demand service request message in memory included in said home network gateway;

receiving at said home network gateway a second message; and

determining, at said home network gateway, based on a portion of said second message and a portion of said stored first video on demand service request message whether to provide the requested video on demand service to a sender of said second message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first video on demand service request message includes a first destination address of a first web server included in said home network gateway and is received at the first web server;

and

wherein said second message includes a second destination address which is different than said first destination address.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein said second destination address is a destination address of a second web server which is different from said first web server;

and

wherein said first video on demand service request message includes a first source identifier, said first source identifier identifying said first device, said first source identifier being part of said portion of said first video on demand service request message that is stored in memory.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said second message received at said home network gateway includes a second source identifier, said second source identifier identifying said sender from which the second message originated.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said second message is generated in response to said home network gateway publishing an address at which the video on demand service requested is available.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said determining based on a portion of said second message and a portion of said stored first message whether to provide the requested video on demand service to said sender of said second message includes:

comparing said first source identifier with said second source identifier to determine if they match or if they do not match.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein when said comparing determines that said first source identifier and said second source identifier do not match the method further includes:

denying providing said requested video on demand service to said sender of said second message.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein when said comparing determines that said first source identifier and said second source identifier do match:

streaming from said home gateway network a content stream to said first device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting in response to said first video on demand service request message a second video on demand service request message, said second video on demand service request message being from said home network gateway and being directed to a video on demand server.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein said second video on demand service request message is based upon said first video on demand service request message;

and

wherein said second video on demand service request message is transmitted over an external network to said video on demand server being located in a network node external to a customer premise at which said home network is located.

11. The method of claim 10, further including receiving at said home network gateway a content stream from said video on demand server in quadrature amplitude modulation format in response to said second video on demand service request message.

12. The method of claim 11, further including said home network gateway publishing the address at which said content stream is available on said home network.

13. The method of claim 12, further including streaming said content from said home network gateway to said first device when it is determined that said video on demand service requested is to be provided.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said sender of said second message is one of the following:

an IP set top box, an IPTV, or a mobile device.

15. A system for controlling content streaming on a home network, the system comprising:

a home network interface, located at a customer premise, for communicating with devices coupled to said home network;

a communication network interface, located at said customer premise, for communicating with a network node, located outside said customer premise, over a communication network;

a first web server, located at said customer premise, configured to receive via said home network interface a first video on demand service request message from a first device coupled to the home network;

a memory, located at said customer premise in a device which includes said first web server, said memory including a stored portion of said first video on demand service request message in memory;

a second web server, located at said customer premise, configured to receive a second message addressed to said second web server, via said home network interface, said second web sever being different from said first web server; and

said first server also being configured to determine based on a portion of said second message and a portion of said stored first video on demand service request message whether to provide the requested video on demand service to a sender of said second message.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein:

said communication network is a Quadrature Amplitude Modulated (QAM) communication network; and

wherein said second web server is a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) web server which receives video on demand content from a video on demand server, located outside said customer premise, over said QAM communication network; and

said first device and said sender of said second message are DLNA client devices.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said stored portion of said first video on demand service request message includes a first source identifier, said first source identifier identifying said first device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said second message includes a second destination address and a second source identifier, said second destination address being different from a first destination address included in said first video on demand service request message, said second source identifier identifying said sender from which the second message originated.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said first web server configured to determine based on a portion of said second message and a portion of said stored first message whether to provide the requested video on demand service to said sender of said second message includes being configured to:

compare said first source identifier with said second source identifier to determine if they match or if they do not match; and

to determine to provide said requested video on demand service to said sender of said second message when said first source identifier and said second source identifier are determined to match.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having machine executable instructions stored thereon for controlling a processor in a home network gateway located at a customer premise, the non-transitory computer readable medium including:

code for controlling the processor to receive at said home network gateway a first video on demand service request message from a first device coupled to the home network;

code for controlling the processor to store a portion of said first video on demand service request message in memory located in said home network gateway;

code for controlling the processor to receive at said home network gateway a second message, said second message including a different destination address than a destination address included in said first video on demand service request message; and

code for controlling the processor to determine based on a portion of said second message and a portion of said stored first video on demand service request message whether to provide the requested video on demand service to said sender of said second device.