System and methods for assignation and use of media content subscription service privileges
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- authenticating, at a first personal identification device, a first biometric input of a first user based on a biometric template of the first user stored at the first personal identification device;
sending a subscription privilege associated with the first user from the first personal identification device of the first user to a first media device at a first location when the first biometric input is authentic such that the first media device ceases to inhibit output of media transmitted from a media provider based on the subscription privilege associated with the first user, the subscription privilege associated with the first user being configured to permit access to the media from the media provider associated with the subscription privilege associated with the first user;
authenticating, at the first personal identification device, a second biometric input of the first user based on the biometric template of the first user stored at the first personal identification device;
sending the subscription privilege associated with the first user from the first personal identification device to a second media device at a second location when the second biometric input is authentic such that the second media device ceases to inhibit output of the media transmitted from the media provider based on the subscription privilege associated with the first user, the second media device being different from the first media device, the second location being different from the first location, the media transmitted from the media provider to the first media device being concurrently transmitted from the media provider to the second media device;
producing, at the first personal identification device, a subscription privilege associated with a second user different from the first user, the subscription privilege associated with the second user being configured to permit access to the media from the media provider associated with the subscription privilege associated with the first user; and
sending from the first personal identification device to a second personal identification device the subscription privilege associated with the first user and the subscription privilege associated with the second user, the second personal identification device being associated with the second user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This invention describes a system and methods for media content subscription service distribution; typical services include cable television, premium content channels, pay-per-view, XM radio, and online mp3 services. Subscribers use portable electronic devices to store digital certificates certifying the subscriber'"'"'s privileges and an assigned public key. The devices can communicate with specially enabled televisions, radios, computers, or other media presentation apparatuses. These, in turn, can communicate with central databases owned by the provider, for verification purposes. Methods of the invention describe media content subscription service privilege issuing and use. The invention additionally describes methods for protecting media content transmitted to users with a variety of encryption schemes. The invention also comprises methods for subscribed users to bestow a subset of their privileges to a number of secondary users, with appropriate permission from the media content subscription service provider.
179 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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authenticating, at a first personal identification device, a first biometric input of a first user based on a biometric template of the first user stored at the first personal identification device; sending a subscription privilege associated with the first user from the first personal identification device of the first user to a first media device at a first location when the first biometric input is authentic such that the first media device ceases to inhibit output of media transmitted from a media provider based on the subscription privilege associated with the first user, the subscription privilege associated with the first user being configured to permit access to the media from the media provider associated with the subscription privilege associated with the first user; authenticating, at the first personal identification device, a second biometric input of the first user based on the biometric template of the first user stored at the first personal identification device; sending the subscription privilege associated with the first user from the first personal identification device to a second media device at a second location when the second biometric input is authentic such that the second media device ceases to inhibit output of the media transmitted from the media provider based on the subscription privilege associated with the first user, the second media device being different from the first media device, the second location being different from the first location, the media transmitted from the media provider to the first media device being concurrently transmitted from the media provider to the second media device; producing, at the first personal identification device, a subscription privilege associated with a second user different from the first user, the subscription privilege associated with the second user being configured to permit access to the media from the media provider associated with the subscription privilege associated with the first user; and sending from the first personal identification device to a second personal identification device the subscription privilege associated with the first user and the subscription privilege associated with the second user, the second personal identification device being associated with the second user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method, comprising:
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authenticating, at a first personal identification device, a biometric input of a first user based on a biometric template of the first user stored at the first personal identification device; sending a subscription privilege associated with the first user from the first personal identification device of the first user to a media device when the biometric input is authentic such that the media device performs at least one of (1) ceasing to inhibit output of media output from a television or radio broadcast media provider based on the subscription privilege associated with the first user or (2) decrypting encrypted media output from the television or radio broadcast media provider based on the subscription privilege associated with the first user, the media being associated with a premium content channel of the television or radio broadcast media provider, the subscription privilege associated with the first user being associated with the premium content channel of the television or radio broadcast media provider, the subscription privilege associated with the first user being configured to permit full access to the media from the television or radio broadcast media provider associated with the subscription privilege associated with the first user; producing at the first personal identification device a subscription privilege associated with a second user different from the first user, the subscription privilege associated with the second user being configured to permit limited access to the media from the television or radio broadcast media provider associated with the subscription privilege associated with the first user and sending from the first personal identification device to a second personal identification device the subscription privilege associated with the first user and the subscription privilege associated with the second user, the second personal identification device being associated with the second user. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method, comprising:
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receiving concurrently, at a media device, from a media provider media associated with a first media channel and media associated with a second media channel different from the first media channel; outputting, at the media device, the media associated with the first media channel; inhibiting, at the media device, output of the media associated with the second media channel; receiving, at the media device, from a first personal identification device a biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with a first user, the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege excluding biometric data of the first user, the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege being configured to permit media output associated with the second media channel; outputting, at the media device, media associated with the second media channel after the receiving the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with the first user; receiving, at the media device, from a second personal identification device the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with the first user and a biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with a second user, the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with the second user excludes biometric data of the second user, the second personal identification device being associated with the second user; verifying, at the media device, the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with the first user and the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with the second user; and outputting, at the media device, media associated with the second media channel based on the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with the second user when the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with the first user is verified and when the biometrically-authenticated subscription privilege associated with the second user is verified. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification