Conditional access system and method
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for providing conditional access to electronic content, the method comprising acts of:
- providing, by a content provider computer, electronic content as a content data stream;
providing for transmission of the content data stream, by an operator of an operator network, including the electronic content, to at least one user through the operator network;
providing, to the at least one user, authorization information associated with the electronic content;
inserting, by the content provider computer, the authorization information into the electronic content in the content data stream;
controlling, by the content provider, access to the electronic content; and
allowing access to the electronic content in the content data stream in response to an indication by the authorization information in the content data stream that the at least one user is authorized to use the electronic content.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods of and systems for providing conditional access to electronic content. Electronic content is provided to a user along with authorization information. The electronic content may be transmitted to the user, and the user may use the authorization information to access the electronic content. An authorization code may be provided to the user such that the user may be granted access to the content based on a comparison of the provided authorization code and a second authorization code transmitted with the electronic content, and transmission of the second authorization code may be controlled by a content provider to control access by the user.
32 Citations
76 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for providing conditional access to electronic content, the method comprising acts of:
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providing, by a content provider computer, electronic content as a content data stream; providing for transmission of the content data stream, by an operator of an operator network, including the electronic content, to at least one user through the operator network; providing, to the at least one user, authorization information associated with the electronic content; inserting, by the content provider computer, the authorization information into the electronic content in the content data stream; controlling, by the content provider, access to the electronic content; and allowing access to the electronic content in the content data stream in response to an indication by the authorization information in the content data stream that the at least one user is authorized to use the electronic content. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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23. A computer-readable medium having computer-readable signals stored thereon that define instructions that, as a result of being executed by a computer, instruct the computer to perform a method for providing conditional access to electronic content, the method comprising acts of:
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providing, by a content provider computer, electronic content as a content data stream; providing for transmission of the content data stream, by an operator of an operator network, including the electronic content, to at least one user through the operator network; providing, to the at least one user, authorization information associated with the electronic content; inserting, by the content provider computer, the authorization information into the electronic content in the content data stream; controlling, by the content provider, access to the electronic content; and allowing access to the electronic content in the content data stream in response to an indication by the authorization information that the at least one user is authorized to use the electronic content. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 71)
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45. A system for providing conditional access to electronic content, the system comprising:
an operator network adapted to deliver a content data stream to a plurality of systems;
wherein at least one of the plurality of systems comprises;a receiver that receives the content data stream and authorization information periodically inserted into the electronic content as part of the content data stream by a content provider computer; and an authorization component that permits use, by at least one user, of the received content data stream in response to the authorization information provided to the at least one user indicating that the at least one user is authorized to use the electronic content. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 72)
Specification