Out-of-band tokens for rights access

• US 8,011,007 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Raduchel, William J., Blumenfeld, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parthasarathy; Pramila
• Application Number:
  US11/966,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20080163351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1458 by checking the subject access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2121 Chip on media, e.g. a disk or tape with a chip embedded in its case
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00253 wherein the key is stored on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0026 the key being stored as a barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00275 the key being stored on a chip attached to the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00731 involving a digital rights management system for enforcing a usage restriction
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00876 wherein physical copy protection means are attached to the medium, e.g. holograms, sensors, or additional semiconductor circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2537 Optical discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Access to content may be administered by storing content, the content comprising one or more selections, accessing a passive optical out-of-band token associated with the content, determining an access right for the content based on the passive optical out-of-band token, and enabling access to the content in accordance with the access right.

Claims

1. A method of administering access to a media content, the method comprising:

receiving an out-of-band token from a media content provider, wherein the out-of-band token is associated with the media content and is distributed separately from the media content, the out-of-band token comprising a first portion that provides a first indicia of access to the media content and a second portion that provides a second indicia of access to the media content, wherein the first indicia of access to the media content is different from the second indicia of access to the media content;

requesting the media content from a host associated with the media content provider, the media content comprising one or more media selections;

accessing the out-of-band token to obtain access to the media content;

determining an access right for the media content based on the out-of-band token, wherein determining an access right includes polling an access right data store with more than one access right;

receiving the requested media content from the host based on the determined access right;

storing the received media content; and

enabling access to the stored media content in accordance with the determined access right.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the out-of-band token is a passive out-of-band token that is not required to be electronically interrogated.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first indicia of access is a serial number.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second indicia of access is associated with access rights to the media content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the out-of-bank token is received from the content media provider as part of a promotional document.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the out-of-band token is printed.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the out-of-band token includes a hologram.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing a out-of-band token includes placing the out-of-band token before an image detector.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein placing the out-of-band token before an image detector includes determining optical values at selected locations in the out-of-band token.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected locations are randomly selected locations from within the out-of-band token.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the selected locations are identified by a master location in the out-of-band token.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the out-of-band token comprises spinning the out-of-band token and reading a pattern that results from spinning the out-of-band token.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the out-of-band token resides on more than one surface.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the media content to be accessed in accordance with the access right includes supplying a default rule when the out-of-band token may not be accessed.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the default rule includes a read-only permission.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering the out-of-band token with the host.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising modifying the determined access right to provide additional access to the media content upon registering the out-of-band token with the host.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the media content to be accessed in accordance with the access right includes specifying a number of times the media content may be accessed.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the media content to be accessed in accordance with the access right includes specifying a number of times the media content may be copied.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the media content to be accessed in accordance with the access right includes specifying on which devices the media content may be accessed.