Conditional access system and method

• US 8,190,700 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Original Assignee: Scientific Games Corporation
• Inventors: Herrmann, Mark E., Kane, Steven N., Roseman, Stuart, Yanowitz, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin, Evens J
• Application Number:
  US12/589,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20100115274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 709/214, 463/16
• US Class Current: 709/213
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/338 using television networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/409 Data transfer via television network
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

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.

Claims

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, to a plurality of users;

providing for transmission of the content data stream, including the electronic content, to each of the plurality of users, through a network;

providing, to each of the plurality of users, 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;

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 each of the plurality of users is authorized to use the electronic content; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of users is provided authorization information via an Alternative Method of Entry (AMOE).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing authorization information includes an act of providing an authorization code, and the method further comprises an act of providing the authorization code to each of the plurality of users.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising an act of permitting each of the plurality of users to submit the provided authorization code.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprises an act of permitting each of the plurality of users to submit the authorization code to a system onto which the electronic content is downloaded.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic content is at least one of a group comprising music, audio, software, video and a game.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing the electronic content includes an act of downloading the electronic content to at least one system including at least one of a group comprising a set top box, a computer, a handheld computer and a telephone.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of providing the electronic content includes an act of downloading the electronic content from at least one of a cable television system or a satellite television system.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the act of downloading the electronic content includes an act of downloading the electronic content to a random access memory of the at least one system.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of permitting use of the electronic content further comprises an act of displaying video information on a screen to each of the plurality of users.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of displaying video information comprises an act of displaying the video information on a television to each of the plurality of users.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the act of displaying the video information further comprising displaying a game to each of the plurality of users.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the electronic content is a software program downloaded to a system associated with each of the plurality of users.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the act of permitting use of the electronic content includes an act of permitting use of the software program by each of the plurality of users.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the act of permitting use of the software program includes an act of allowing the software to view at least a second portion of the electronic content.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising act of maintaining the authorization information for a finite period of time.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the finite period is a period of a game session.

17. The method according to claim 2, wherein the act of providing authorization information to each user comprises acts of transmitting, to a system associated with each of the plurality of users, a second authorization code, comparing the second authorization code to the provided authorization code, and determining whether each of the plurality of users is authorized to use the electronic content based on the act of comparing.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the act of determining includes an act of allowing access to the electronic content if the act of comparing determines that the provided authorization code and the second authorization code match.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the act of determining includes an act of denying access to the electronic content if the act of comparing determines that the provided authorization code and the second authorization code do not match.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the act of transmitting the second authorization code includes an act of transmitting the second authorization code with at least one portion of the electronic content.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second authorization code is transmitted in encrypted form to the system associated with each of the plurality of users, and is decrypted by the system.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein the provided authorization code is encrypted by the system associated with each of the plurality of users and compared to the transmitted encrypted second authorization code.

67. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the plurality of users gaining access via an AMOE logs onto a website to acquire the authorization information.

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:

providing, by a content provider computer, electronic content as a content data stream to each of a plurality of users;

providing for transmission of the content data stream, including the electronic content, to each of the plurality of users, through a network;

providing, to each of the plurality of users, 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;

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 each of the plurality of users is authorized to use the electronic content; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of users is provided authorization information via an Alternative Method of Entry (AMOE).

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the act of providing authorization information includes an act of providing an authorization code, and the method further comprises an act of providing the authorization code to each of the plurality of users.

25. The computer-readable medium according to claim 24, wherein the method further comprises an act of permitting each of the plurality of users to submit the provided authorization code.

26. The computer-readable medium according to claim 25, wherein the method further comprises an act of permitting each of the plurality of users to submit the authorization code to a system onto which the electronic content is downloaded.

27. The computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the electronic content is at least one of a group comprising music, audio, software, video and a game.

28. The computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the act of providing the electronic content includes an act of downloading the electronic content to at least one system including at least one of a group comprising a set top box, a computer, a handheld computer and a telephone.

29. The computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the act of providing the electronic content includes an act of downloading the electronic content from at least one of a cable television system or a satellite television system.

30. The computer-readable medium according to claim 28, wherein the act of downloading the electronic content includes an act of downloading the electronic content to a random access memory of the at least one system.

31. The computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the act of permitting use of the electronic content further comprises an act of displaying video information on a screen to each of the plurality of users.

32. The computer-readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the act of displaying video information comprises an act of displaying the video information on a television to each of the plurality of users.

33. The computer-readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the act of displaying the video information further comprising displaying a game to each of the plurality of users.

34. The computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein at least a portion of the electronic content is a software program downloaded to a system associated with each of the plurality of users.

35. The computer-readable medium according to claim 34, wherein the act of permitting use of the electronic content includes an act of permitting use of the software program by each of the plurality of users.

36. The computer-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein the act of permitting use of the software program includes an act of allowing the software to view at least a second portion of the electronic content.

37. The computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the method further comprises an act of maintaining the authorization information for a finite period of time.

38. The computer-readable medium according to claim 37, wherein the finite period is a period of a game session.

39. The computer-readable medium according to claim 24, wherein the act of providing authorization information to the users comprises acts of transmitting, to a system associated with each of the plurality of users, a second authorization code, comparing the second authorization code with the provided authorization code, and determining whether each of the plurality of users is authorized to use the electronic content based on the act of comparing.

40. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the act of determining includes an act of allowing access to the electronic content if the act of comparing determines that the provided authorization code and the second authorization code match.

41. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the act of determining includes an act of denying access to the electronic content if the act of comparing determines that the provided authorization code and the second authorization code do not match.

42. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the act of transmitting the second authorization code includes an act of transmitting the second authorization code with at least one portion of the electronic content.

43. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the second authorization code is transmitted after encryption and is decrypted after transmission by the system associated with each of the plurality of users.

44. The computer-readable medium according to claim 39, wherein the provided authorization code is encrypted by the system associated with each of the plurality of users and compared to the transmitted encrypted second authorization code.

68. The computer-readable medium according to claim 23, wherein the at least one of the plurality of users gaining access via an AMOE logs onto a website to acquire the authorization information.

45. A system for providing conditional access to electronic content, the system comprising:

access to a 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;

an authorization component that permits use, by each of a plurality of users, of the received content data stream in response to the authorization information provided to each of the plurality of users indicating that each of the plurality of users are authorized to use the electronic content; and

wherein at least one of the plurality of users is provided authorization information via an Alternative Method of Entry (AMOE).

46. The system according to claim 45, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive an authorization code associated with each of the plurality of users.

47. The system according to claim 46, further comprising an interface that accepts, from each of the plurality of users, the received authorization code.

48. The system according to claim 45, wherein the electronic content is at least one of a group comprising music, audio, software, video and a game.

49. The system according to claim 45, wherein the system is at least one of a group comprising a set top box, a computer, a handheld computer and a telephone.

50. The system according to claim 45, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive the electronic content from at least one of a cable television system or a satellite television system.

51. The system according to claim 45, the system further comprising a memory adapted to store the received electronic content.

52. The system according to claim 51, wherein the memory is a random access memory.

53. The system according to claim 45, further comprising a display is adapted to display at least one portion of the electronic content to each of the plurality of users.

54. The system according to claim 53, wherein the display is a television adapted to display the at least one portion of the electronic content to each of the plurality of users.

55. The system according to claim 54, wherein the at least one portion of the electronic content displayed to each of the plurality of users is a game.

56. The system according to claim 45, wherein at least a portion of the received electronic content is a software program capable of being executed by the system.

57. The system according to claim 56, further comprising means for allowing each of the plurality of users to use the software program.

58. The system according to claim 56, further comprising means for allowing each of the plurality of users to view at least a second portion of the electronic content if each of the plurality of users are authorized.

59. The system according to claim 45, further comprising means for maintaining the authorization information for a finite period of time.

60. The system according to claim 45, wherein the finite period is a period of a game session.

61. The system according to claim 46, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive a second authorization code, and wherein the authorization component is adapted to compare the second authorization code with the authorization code associated with each of the plurality of users and determine whether each of the plurality of users is authorized to use the electronic content based on the comparison.

62. The system according to claim 61, wherein the authorization component is adapted to allow access to the electronic content if the authorization code associated with each of the plurality of users and the second authorization code match.

63. The system according to claim 61, wherein the authorization component is adapted to deny access to the electronic content if the authorization code associated with each of the plurality of users and the second authorization code do not match.

64. The system according to claim 61, wherein the receiver is configured to receive the second authorization code with at least one portion of the electronic content.

65. The system according to claim 61, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive the second authorization code in encrypted form, and is adapted to decrypt the received second authorization code.

66. The system according to claim 61, wherein the receiver is adapted to receive the second authorization code in encrypted form, and the authorization component is adapted to compare an encrypted form of the authorization code associated with each of the plurality of users with the encrypted form of the second authorization code.

69. The system according to claim 45, wherein the at least one of the plurality of users gaining access via an AMOE logs onto a website to acquire the authorization information.