TAKE IT WITH YOU PREMIUM VIDEO CONTENT

• US 20150163533A1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Published: 06/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Donnellan, Kevin, Lin, Te-Sheng, Zhang, Muxiang, Choi, Young Rak, Robinson, Quentin N., Akiwumi-Assani, Samuel Olushermimo
• Granted Patent: US 9,883,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4182 for identification purposes, e.g. storing user identification data, preferences, personal settings or data restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code in combination with an additional device, e.g. dongle or smart card G06F21/123
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/438 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• 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

Abstract

To allow a user to temporarily move access to premium content to another location, e.g. outside the vicinity of the home, while adequately protecting the rights of a broadcast content provider, the various examples implement a transfer of an object for an identified right of content usage between premium content reproduction devices and a mobile device. The mobile device enables such transfer to support viewing of the premium content by a user outside of the user'"'"'s home.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a communication interface system, including at least one wireless communication transceiver;

at least one user interface element configured to receive user input and to provide output to a user of the mobile device; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface system and the at least one user interface element, configured to control operations of the mobile device to implement functions, including functions to;

establish communication with a first premium content reproduction device;

send a request to transfer an object for an identified right of content usage, of the first premium content reproduction device, via the established communication, to the first premium content reproduction device, the request including an identifier of the mobile device for authentication; and

receive a message based on successful authentication of the mobile device, and in response, initiate a procedure to transfer the object for the identified right of content usage out of the first premium content reproduction device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver includes a near field communication transceiver, and the function to establish communication with the first premium content reproduction device further comprises functions to:

establish the communication via near field communication (NFC); and

establish mutual authentication, via NFC, between the mobile device and the first premium content reproduction device prior to sending the request.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, the implemented functions further including functions to:

establish communication with a second premium content reproduction device;

obtain an identifier of the second premium content reproduction device and authenticate the second premium content reproduction device based on the obtained identifier; and

based on successful authentication of the second premium content reproduction device, initiate a procedure to transfer the object for the identified right of content usage to the second premium content reproduction device, to configure the second premium content reproduction device for the identified right of usage.

4. The mobile device of claim 3, wherein the at least one wireless transceiver includes a near field communication transceiver, and the function to establish communication with the second premium content reproduction device further comprises functions to:

establish the communication via near field communication (NFC); and

establish mutual authentication, via NFC, between the mobile device and the second premium content reproduction device.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a secure element implemented in a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) or subscriber identity module (SIM) of the mobile device, wherein the implemented functions further including functions to:

receive the object for the identified right of content usage; and

store the object for the identified right of content usage in the secure element.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising content reproduction circuitry, wherein the implemented functions further including functions to:

receive the object for the identified right of content usage that previously resided in the first premium content reproduction device; and

enable operation of the content reproduction circuitry to reproduce the received content, in accordance with the identified right of usage using the object for the identified right of content usage.

7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the object for the identified right of content usage has a limited validity and the content reproduction circuitry fails to process further received content when the validity expires.

8. A premium content reproduction device, comprising:

a communication interface system;

content reproduction circuitry configured to process received content for reproduction via an output device in accordance with an identified right of content usage; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface system and the content reproduction circuitry, configured to control operations of the premium content reproduction device to implement functions, including functions to;

establish communication with a mobile device;

receive an identifier of the mobile device via the established communication; and

upon successful authentication of the mobile device based on the identifier, disable usage of an object for the identified right of content usage by the premium content reproduction device, as part of a procedure to transfer the object for the identified right of content usage out of the premium content reproduction device.

9. The premium content reproduction device of claim 8, wherein:

the object for the identified right of content usage is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) Rights Object (RO), and

the procedure to transfer the DRM RO out of the premium content reproduction device includes functions in compliance with the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Digital Rights Management (DRM) specification, including functions to;

establish communication, by the premium content reproduction device, with a DRM Rights Issuer (RI) of the DRM RO;

send a request, by the premium content reproduction device and via the established communication with the DRM RI, for the DRM RI to deliver a copy of the DRM RO to the mobile device;

enable the DRM RI to establish communication with the mobile device and deliver a copy of the DRM RO to the mobile device;

receive a message, from the DRM RI and via the established communication with the premium content reproduction device, informing the premium content reproduction device that the mobile device has received a copy of the DRM RO and requesting the premium content reproduction device delete the DRM RO; and

delete, by the premium content reproduction device, the DRM RO.

10. The premium content reproduction device of claim 8, further comprising a cablecard, wherein the object for the identified right of content usage comprises a subscription stored in the cablecard and the procedure to transfer the subscription out of the premium content reproduction device includes steps to:

disable, by the premium content reproduction device, the subscription stored in the cablecard;

establish communication, by the premium content reproduction device, with a provider of the premium content; and

send a message, by the premium content reproduction device and via the established communication with the provider of the premium content, informing the provider of the premium content that the subscription was disabled in the premium content reproduction device.

11. The premium content reproduction device of claim 8, further comprising a first secure element, wherein:

the first secure element stores the object for the identified right of content usage as encrypted information; and

the procedure to transfer the encrypted information out of the premium content reproduction device includes steps to;

deliver, by the premium content reproduction device and via the established communication with the mobile device, the encrypted information directly to the mobile device, to enable the mobile device to store the encrypted information in a second secure element in the mobile device; and

delete, by the premium content reproduction device, the encrypted information from the first secure element.

12. The premium content reproduction device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to control operations to implement further functions, including functions to:

receive the object for the identified right of content usage that previously resided in a second premium content reproduction device; and

process further received content for reproduction via the content reproduction circuitry, in accordance with the identified right of usage using the received object for the identified right of content.

13. The premium content reproduction device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to control operations to implement further functions, including functions to:

restore the object for the identified right of content usage previously disabled by the premium content reproduction device upon expiration of a time out value.

14. A premium content reproduction device, comprising:

a communication interface system;

content reproduction circuitry configured to process received content for reproduction via an output device in accordance with an identified right of content usage; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface system and the content reproduction circuitry, configured to control operations of the premium content reproduction device to implement functions, including functions to;

establish communication with a mobile device;

provide an identifier of the premium content reproduction device via the established communication to the mobile device for authentication;

receive a new object for a new identified right of content usage that previously resided in another premium content reproduction device; and

process further received content for reproduction via the content reproduction circuitry, in accordance with the new identified right of usage using the received object for the new identified right of content usage.

15. The premium content reproduction device of claim 14, wherein:

the object for the identified right of content usage is a Digital Rights Management (DRM) Rights Object (RO), and

the function to receive the DRM RO further comprises functions to;

establish communication with the DRM RI and receive, via the established communication with the DRM RI, a copy of the DRM RO from the DRM RI, wherein the DRM RI sends the DRM RO in response to a request from the mobile device.

16. The premium content reproduction device of claim 14, further comprising a cablecard, wherein the object for the identified right of content usage comprises a subscription to be stored in the cablecard and the function to receive the subscription further comprises functions to:

establish communication, by the premium content reproduction device, with equipment of a provider of the premium content;

send a message, by the premium content reproduction device and via the established communication with the provider of the premium content, requesting the provider of the premium content to enable the subscription in the premium content reproduction device; and

enable the subscription in the premium content reproduction device.

17. The premium content reproduction device of claim 14, further comprising a first secure element, wherein:

the first secure element stores the object for the identified right of content usage as encrypted information; and

the function to receive the encrypted information further comprises functions to;

receive, by the premium content reproduction device and via the established communication with the mobile device, the encrypted information, previously stored in a second secure element in the mobile device, directly from the mobile device;

store, by the premium content reproduction device, the encrypted information in the first secure element; and

send an instruction to the mobile device to delete the encrypted information from the second secure element in the mobile device.

18. The premium content reproduction device of claim 14, wherein the object for the identified right of content usage has a limited validity and the content reproduction circuitry fails to process further received content when the validity expires.

19. The premium content reproduction device of claim 14, wherein the function to receive the new object for the new identified right of content usage further comprises functions to disable an existing object for an existing identified right of content usage.

20. The premium content reproduction device of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to control operations to implement further functions, including functions to:

disable usage of the new object for the new identified right of content usage by the premium content reproduction device upon expiration of a time out value; and

enable the existing object for the existing identified right of content usage previously disabled.