Multilevel bandwidth check

• US 7,797,721 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Starz Entertainment, LLC (Lions Gate Entertainment Corporation)
• Inventors: Beyler, John C., Fukuda, John S., Lim, Rebecca R., Brownrigg, Richard T., Greene, Robert F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koenig; Andrew Y
• Assistant Examiner(s): Castro; Alfonso
• Application Number:
  US11/382,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,590 Days
• Field of Search: 725 37- 61, 725 86-134, 725136-142
• US Class Current: 725/107
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing

Abstract

A subscription system for providing content by subscription using an Internet connection is disclosed. The subscription system includes a content object store and an interface. The content object store stores a plurality of content objects. The interface is configured to receive a request to initiate a subscription with a first address for a particular account using the Internet. The subscription allows use of the plurality of content objects by the particular account without individually charging for the plurality of content objects. It is verified that a first connection speed is greater than a first threshold value before allowing the subscription, where the first connection speed is over the Internet with the first address. A request to access the subscription of the particular account is received from a second address with the Internet. It is verified that a second connection speed is greater than a second threshold value. The second connection speed is over the Internet with the second address. The second threshold value is associated with at least one of a product or a level of service for the subscription.

Claims

1. A subscription video system for providing content by subscription using an Internet connection, the subscription video system comprising:

a program database for storing a plurality of video content objects, and

an interface configured to receive a request to initiate a subscription with a first Internet Protocol (IP) address for a particular account using the Internet, wherein;

the subscription for the particular account allows use of the plurality of video content objects by the particular account without individually charging for the plurality of video content objects,

a first connection bandwidth over the Internet to the first IP address is determined to be greater than a first threshold value before authorizing the subscription to initiate the particular account,

a request to access the subscription of the particular account after successful creation is received from a second IP address with the Internet,

a second connection bandwidth over the Internet to the second IP address is determined to be greater than a second threshold value before authorizing one of a product different from another product or a level of service for the subscription different from another level of service,

the first IP address is different from the second IP address, and

the first threshold is different than the second threshold.

2. The subscription video system as recited in claim 1, wherein the use allowed by the subscription video system comprises at least one of content object download or content object streaming.

3. The subscription video system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a data store that holds the first and second connection bandwidths and the first and second IP addresses.

4. The subscription video system as recited in claim 1, further comprising an applet run from the second IP address that verifies the second connection bandwidth.

5. The subscription video system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a client applet that is used to verify connection bandwidths.

6. The subscription video system as recited in claim 1, wherein the subscription provides access to free products.

7. A method for providing a subscription to video content over a public network, the method comprising:

receiving a request to initiate the subscription for a particular account from a first IP address over the public network;

verifying that a first connection bandwidth is greater than a first threshold value, wherein the first connection bandwidth is over the public network with the first IP address;

upon verification, approving the subscription for the particular account to be activated;

receiving a request to access the subscription for the particular account from a second IP address over the public network; and

verifying that a second connection bandwidth is greater than a second threshold value, wherein;

the second threshold value is associated with a level of service of the subscription different from another level of service,

the first IP address is different from the second IP address,

the first threshold is different than the second threshold, and

the second connection bandwidth is over the public network with the second IP address.

8. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising verifying that a geographical location of the second user computer is consistent with geographical subscription limitations.

9. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the approving comprises initiating the subscription with a product level chosen based upon the first connection bandwidth.

10. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the level of service is chosen from a plurality of service levels available to subscribers.

11. The method recited in claim 7, the second threshold value being greater than a standard dial-up connection bandwidth.

12. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising reconfiguring an interface to the subscription to remove access and promotion of programs not associated with the level of service or product.

13. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the first IP address and the second IP address are for the same user computer.

14. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the subscription allows use of a plurality of programs without individually charging for the plurality of programs.

15. The method recited in claim 7, wherein the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value.

16. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising defining a session service level in accordance with the second connection bandwidth.

17. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising further verifying the second connection bandwidth to the second IP address using a different test methodology than was used in the verifying the second threshold.

18. The method recited in claim 7, further comprising monitoring the second connection bandwidth over a session accessing the subscription.

19. The method recited in claim 18, wherein monitoring the second connection bandwidth over the session comprises monitoring a temporal average of the second connection bandwidth.

20. A method for providing a subscription to video content using a wide area network, the method comprising:

receiving a request to initiate the subscription for a particular account from a first IP address over the wide area network, wherein the subscription allows use of a plurality of programs without individually charging for the plurality of programs;

verifying that a first connection bandwidth is greater than a first threshold value, wherein the first connection bandwidth is over the wide area network with the first IP address;

initiating the subscription for a particular account to at least a product, based, at least in part, on the verifying the first connection bandwidth;

receiving a request to access the subscription for a particular account from a second IP address over the wide area network; and

verifying that a second connection bandwidth is greater than a second threshold value, wherein;

the second connection bandwidth is over the wide area network with the second IP address,

the first IP address is different from the second IP address,

the first threshold is different than the second threshold, and

the second threshold value is associated with at least one of a product different from another product or a level of service different from another level of service.

21. The method recited in claim 20, wherein the testing are performed with software running on the first or second user computers.

22. The method recited in claim 20, wherein:

a given product has a plurality of service levels, and

the plurality of service levels are differentiated by bandwidth.