System and method for providing digital content

• US 8,644,511 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2008
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US12/265,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20100115572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 10, 726 26- 30, 713/150, 713160-161, 713164-165, 713/168, 713/176, 380200-203, 380/210, 380/255, 380/259, 340/568.6, 340/572.1, 725/25, 725 29- 31, 725/78, 725/83, 705 50- 53, 705 141- 1412, 705 1437- 1439
• US Class Current: 380/258
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed

Abstract

A method of providing access to content based upon one or more adequately-credentialed keys being proximate to a certain location. The method includes a first step of acquiring credential information from at least one key tagged with credential information using a credential acquisition device (CAD) at the certain location. The method also includes a second step of confirming that the credential information meets requirements for receiving the content. Further, the method includes a step of providing access to the content after performing the first and second steps.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

acquiring, via a first device at a certain location, credential information from at least one key tagged with the credential information;

confirming that the credential information meets a billing rate code requirement and an encryption strength requirement for providing access to content;

determining whether a time stamp of the credential information is within a predetermined time range;

identifying a second device at a location that is different from the certain location in response to the acquiring of the credential information; and

providing access to the content through the second device at the different location after the acquiring, confirming, determining, and identifying.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing access to the content at the certain location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring, via the first device at the certain location, the credential information from the at least one key tagged with the credential information comprises acquiring, via the first device at the certain location, the credential information wirelessly from the at least one key tagged with the credential information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one key comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring of the credential information comprises acquiring, via the first device at the certain location, at least one of a key identification and user identification.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one key comprises an article of apparel relating to a sports team and the content relates to the sports team.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

offering the content as an incentive to purchase the at least one key.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one key at least partially contains a consumable item including at least one of a beverage and food.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether a predetermined plurality of keys is at the certain location before providing access to the content.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining an identity of a user, wherein the content is correlated with a profile of the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is incorporated into a set top box.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein access to the content is provided automatically to the second device following the acquiring, confirming, and identifying.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising after providing access to the content at the different location, rendering the content via a user interface at the different location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the credential information is acquired from a vendor and the certain location is a location of the vendor, and wherein the different location is a home of a user who received an item including the at least one key.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the confirming further comprises determining that the encryption strength of the credential information exceeds an encryption strength threshold.

16. The method of claim 1,

wherein the confirming further comprises determining that the different location of the second device is in a designated market area, and

wherein access to the content is provided when the different location of the second device is determined to be in the designated market area.

17. A method, comprising:

acquiring, by a server, credential information received through a wireless interface from a tag storing the credential information, when the tag is at a first location;

determining an identity of a person presenting an item having the tag from payment information used to receive the item, the payment information comprising credit card or debit card information;

verifying that the credential information meets a billing rate code requirement and an encryption strength requirement;

determining a second location based on the determined identity; and

delivering content to the second location, when the credential information meets the billing rate code requirement and the encryption strength requirement.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising transmitting, by the server to a content server configured to store the content, a verification signal to trigger the delivering of the content.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a confirmation signal from the content server to confirm that the delivering of the content was successful.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

presenting additional tags at the first location;

acquiring additional credential information from each of the additional tags; and

verifying that the additional credential information meets additional requirements when a minimum number of total tags are presented at the first location.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the additional tags comprise RFID tags attached to bottle caps, and

wherein the method further comprises:

changing circuits in the RFID tags when the bottle caps are removed from respective bottles; and

triggering the acquiring of the additional credential information from the RFID tags in response to changing the circuits, the additional credential information including a timestamp.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

presenting additional tags at the first location; and

acquiring additional credential information from each of the additional tags,

verifying that the additional credential information meets additional requirements when a certain variety of different tags associated with a variety of different products are presented at the first location.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the different products comprises a different cereal.