TEMPORARY SUBSCRIPTION ACCESS VIA AN ALTERNATE TELEVISION RECEIVER

• US 20170085930A1
• Filed: 11/30/2016
• Published: 03/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: VanDuyn, Luke, Martch, Henry Gregg
• Granted Patent: US 10,021,439 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2396 characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks 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 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Various arrangements that permit temporary subscription porting are presented. A temporary subscription port request may be submitted by a subscriber. The temporary subscription port request may include an identifier of a visitor television receiver and authentication information for the subscriber. In response to the temporary subscription port request, a first command to a home television receiver may be transmitted that disables viewing a first set of television channels linked with the subscriber'"'"'s subscription account. In response to the temporary subscription port request, a second command to the visitor television receiver may be transmitted that enables viewing the first set of television channels linked with the subscriber'"'"'s subscription account.

Claims

1. A system for subscription porting, the system comprising:

a first television receiver that controls access to television channels based on received instructions; and

a second television receiver that;

controls access to television channels based on received instructions; and

outputs, to a television for presentation, a graphical representation of an identifier of the second television receiver;

a subscription management computer system, configured to;

receive, from a mobile device, a temporary subscription port request, wherein;

the temporary subscription port request comprises the identifier of the second television receiver output to the television for presentation and authentication information linked with a subscriber associated with the first television receiver;

in response to the temporary subscription port request, transmit a first command to the first television receiver that disables viewing of a first set of television channels linked with a subscription account of the subscriber; and

in response to the temporary subscription port request, transmit a second command to the second television receiver that enables viewing the first set of television channels linked with the subscription account.

2. The system for subscription porting of claim 1, wherein the second television receiver outputs the graphical representation of the identifier of the second television receiver as a graphical image for capture by the mobile device.

3. The system for subscription porting of claim 2, wherein the second television receiver outputs the graphical representation of the identifier of the second television receiver as a quick response (QR) code.

4. The system for subscription porting of claim 1, further comprising the mobile device, wherein the mobile device:

captures the graphical representation of the identifier of the second television receiver as displayed by the television;

determines the identifier of the second television receiver based on the graphical representation; and

transmits the temporary subscription port request to the subscription management computer system.

5. The system for subscription porting of claim 1, wherein the first television receiver is further configured to:

remain enabled to record television programming based on one or more timers while viewing of the first set of television channels of the subscription account is disabled.

6. The system for subscription porting of claim 5, wherein the recorded television programming is inaccessible while viewing of the first set of television channels of the subscription account is disabled.

7. The system for subscription porting of claim 1, wherein the second command authorizes viewing of the first set of television channels at the second television receiver for a predefined period of time.

8. The system for subscription porting of claim 1, wherein the first command and the second command are transmitted using a network distinct from a second network used to communicate between the mobile device and the subscription management computer system.

9. The system for subscription porting of claim 1, wherein the first command and the second command are transmitted via a satellite-based television distribution network to the first television receiver and the second television receiver, respectively.

10. The system for subscription porting of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a remote control, configured to;

store a set of user preferences that were set for the first television receiver; and

transmit the set of user preferences to the second television receiver when the remote control is used to interact with the second television receiver.

11. A method for temporary subscription porting, the method comprising:

in response to user input, outputting, by a second television receiver to a television, a visual representation of an identifier that identities the second television receiver, wherein the identifier is unique among a plurality of television receivers in communication with a subscription management computer system;

receiving, by the subscription management computer system, from a mobile device, a temporary subscription port request, wherein;

the temporary subscription port request comprises the identifier of the second television receiver as displayed by the television, an authentication information for a subscriber associated with a subscription account;

in response to the temporary subscription port request, transmitting, by the subscription management computer system, a first command to a first television receiver that disables viewing a first set of television channels linked with the subscription account; and

in response to the temporary subscription port request, transmitting, by the subscription management computer system, a second command to the second television receiver that enables viewing the first set of television channels linked with the subscription account.

12. The method for temporary subscription porting of claim 11, wherein the visual representation of the identifier of the second television receiver is output as a graphical image for capture by the mobile device.

13. The method for temporary subscription porting of claim 12, wherein the second television receiver outputs the visual representation of the identifier of the second television receiver as a quick response (QR) code.

14. The method for temporary subscription porting of claim 11, further comprising

capturing, by the mobile device, the visual representation of the identifier of the second television receiver as displayed by the television;

determining, by the mobile device, the identifier of the second television receiver based on the visual representation; and

transmitting, by the mobile device, the temporary subscription port request to the subscription management computer system.

15. The method for temporary subscription porting of claim 11, further comprising:

recording, by the first television receiver, television programming from the first set of television channels based on a stored timer while viewing of the first set of television channels of the subscription account is disabled based on the temporary subscription porting to the second television receiver.

16. The method for temporary subscription porting of claim 15, wherein the recorded television programming is inaccessible while viewing of the first set of television channels is disabled due to the temporary subscription porting to the second television receiver.

17. The method for temporary subscription porting of claim 11, wherein the transmitted second command authorizes viewing of the first set of television channels at the second television receiver for a predefined period of time.

18. The method for temporary subscription porting of claim 11, wherein the first command and the second command are transmitted using a network distinct from a second network used to communicate between the mobile device and the subscription management computer system.

19. The method for temporary subscription porting of claim 18, wherein the first command and the second command are transmitted via a satellite-based television distribution network to the first television receiver and the second television receiver, respectively.

20. The method for temporary subscription porting of claim 11, further comprising:

loading a set of user preferences to the second television receiver from a remote control associated with the first television receiver.