Method and apparatus for geofiltering by content

• US 8,589,580 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Hulu LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Gutarin, Alexander V., Imam, Andrew Sadique
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US12/981,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20110320628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, articles of manufacture, and memory structures for selective delivery of content based on geolocation are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of selectively providing content from a media program provider to a user device comprising a user interface module and a media program player, comprising:

receiving, from the media program player of the user device, a program identifier (PID) request for content at the media program provider, wherein the PID request for content comprises at least a geolocation component based on a geolocation of the user device and a token that was generated based on a geolocation restriction request by the user interface module, and wherein the token was provided to the user interface module upon verification of the geolocation restriction request and the user interface module provided the token to the media program player;

verifying that the token included in the PID request matches a token stored by the media program provider, wherein the token was provided to the media program provider in response to processing of the geolocation restriction request;

when verified, performing;

determining if the content associated with the PID request is geographically restricted;

determining the geolocation of the user device based at least on the geolocation component of the PID request for content; and

selectively providing access to the requested content based on a comparison between geographic restrictions of the content associated with the PID request and the determined geolocation of the user device; and

when not verified, not providing access to the requested content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying further comprises verifying a time component, wherein access to the requested content is based on a time associated with the PID request for the content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the token to the user interface module.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selectively providing access to the requested content further comprises:

determining an access location of the requested content; and

providing the access location of the requested content to the media player based on the verifying of the PID request and the comparison between geographic restrictions of the content and the determined geolocation of the user device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein selectively providing access comprises:

receiving an access request for the content at the access location; and

providing the requested content from the provided location when the access request for the content at the access location includes the token provided to the user interface module.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising requiring that the token provided to the user interface module is used to decode the requested content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic restrictions comprise country codes.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the geolocation comprises a first geolocation, the method further comprising:

processing the geolocation restriction request sent by the user interface module; and

determining whether a second geolocation of the user device when the geolocation restriction request was sent complies with geographical restrictions on the content; and

if the second geolocation complies, then sending the token to the user interface module and sending the token to the media program provider.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the token comprises the geographical restrictions used in selectively providing access.

8. An apparatus for selectively providing content from a media program provider to a user device comprising a user interface module and a media program player, comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions, that when executed, control the one or more computer processors to be configured for;

receiving, from the media program player of the user device, a program identifier (PID) request for content at the media program provider, wherein the PID request for content comprises at least a geolocation component based on a geolocation of the user device and a token that was generated based on a geolocation restriction request by the user interface module, and wherein the token was provided to the user interface module upon verification of the geolocation restriction request and the user interface module provided the token to the media program player;

verifying that the token included in the PID request matches a token stored by the media program provider, wherein the token was provided to the media program provider in response to processing of the geolocation restriction request;

when verified, performing;

determining if the content associated with the PID request is geographically restricted;

determining the geolocation of the user device based at least on the geolocation component of the PID request for content; and

selectively providing access to the requested content based on a comparison between geographic restrictions of the content and the determined geolocation of the user device; and

when not verified, not providing access to the requested content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein verifying further comprises verifying a time component, wherein access to the requested content is based on a time associated with the PID request for the content.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein verifying further comprises providing the token to the user interface module.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein selectively providing access to the requested content further comprises:

determining an access location of the requested content; and

providing the access location of the requested content to the media player based on the verifying of the PID request and the comparison between geographic restrictions of the content and the determined geolocation of the user device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein selectively providing access comprises:

receiving an access request for the content at the access location; and

providing the requested content from the access location when the access request for the content at the access location includes the token provided to the user interface module.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising requiring that the token provided to the user interface module is used to decode the requested content.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the geographic restrictions comprise country codes.

17. A method comprising:

sending, by a user interface module in a user device, a geolocation restriction request for content including a first location of the user device;

receiving, by the user interface module, a token based on verifying of the first location of the user device and geographical restrictions for the content;

providing, by the user interface module, the token to a media program player of the user device;

sending, from the media program player of the user device, a program identifier (PID) request for the content to a media program provider, wherein the PID request for content comprises at least a geolocation component based on a second location of the user device and the token received from the user interface module; and

receiving access to the content if the media program provider verifies that the token included in the PID request matches a token stored by the media program provider, wherein the token was provided to the media program provider in response to processing of the geolocation restriction request, and wherein the second location of the user device is not restricted based on geographic restrictions of the content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving access comprises:

receiving an access location of the requested content based on the verifying of the PID request.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising sending an access request for the content to the access location, the access request including the token.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving the content from the access location when the token is verified.