Out-of-band tokens for rights access

• US 8,584,253 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2011
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• 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: Blumenfeld, Steven M., Raduchel, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Parthasarathy, Pramila
• Application Number:
  US13/220,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20110314523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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 for enabling access to media content, the method comprising:

accessing, from across a network and from a remote media player, information related to an out-of-band token, the out-of-band token representing an image and configured to be accessed by an out-of-band token sensor, and further configured to specify settings that include;

accessing information associated with accessing the media content, and

downloading information associated with copying the media content,

wherein the out-of-band token includes the image that resides in a different format than the medium used to store the media content;

determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token, the media content access rights associated with accessing the media content;

determining media content copy rights on the out-of-band token, the media content copy rights associated with creating copies of the media content; and

enabling access to the media content through the remote media player, the access associated with the determined media content access rights that includes accessing information and copying information.

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 enabling access to the media content to be accessed in accordance with the access right includes specifying a number of times the media content may be accessed.

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. A system configured to enable access to media content, the system comprising a processor and instructions that when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations that include:

accessing, from across a network and from a remote media player, information related to an out-of-band token, the out-of-band token representing an image and configured to be accessed by an out-of-band token sensor, and further configured to specify settings that include;

accessing information associated with accessing the media content, and

downloading information associated with copying the media content,

wherein the out-of-band token includes the image that resides in a different format than the medium used to store the media content;

determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token, the media content access rights associated with accessing the media content;

determining media content download rights on the out-of-band token, the media content copy rights associated with creating copies of the media content; and

enabling access to the media content through the remote media player, the access associated with the determined media content access rights that includes accessing information and copying information.

19. A system configured to enable access to media content, the system comprising:

a processor;

means for accessing, from across a network and from a remote media player, information related to an out-of-band token, the out-of-band token representing an image and configured to be accessed by an out-of-band token sensor, and further configured to specify settings that include;

accessing information associated with accessing the media content, and

downloading information associated with copying the media content,

wherein the out-of-band token includes the image that resides in a different format than the medium used to store the media content; and

instructions that when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations that include;

determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token, the media content access rights associated with accessing the media content;

determining media content copy rights on the out-of-band token, the media content copy rights associated with creating copies of the media content; and

enabling access to the media content through the remote media player, the access associated with the determined media content access rights that includes accessing information and copying information.