Delivery of multiple third-party services to networked devices

• US 8,671,274 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Ross, Mark Andrew, Bucher, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Chai, Longbit
• Application Number:
  US12/259,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20100106965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: 713/159
• US Class Current: 713/159
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807

Abstract

Systems and methods for authenticating a media device or other information handling system so as to be able to receive content from one or more media content providers. Authenticating the device includes determining what authentication information the media content providers require for access and then to generating and providing to the media device an authentication token that includes the required information. In some embodiments this may be accomplished by a service center, which removes the need for additional authentication steps to be performed by the media device or the media content providers. In addition, the service center may also determine when changes are made to the authentication information and may then ensure that the authentication token is changed or updated to reflect these changes. This ensures that the media device is at least partially immune to changes to authentication.

Claims

1. In a system including a media device that receives content or services from one or more media content providers, a method performed by a service center for providing authentication information to the media device so that the media device may receive the content or services from the one or more media content without first communicating with the one or more media content providers, the method comprising:

receiving, at a service center, a request from a media device, the request requesting access to media content or services provided by a selected media content provider, the selected media content provider being a separate entity from the service center, the request from the media device being sent from the media device to the service center before the media device has communicated any request to the selected media content provider;

determining, by the service center, authentication information that is required by the selected media content provider in order for the media device to receive media content from the selected media content provider;

generating an authentication token that includes authentication information for allowing the media device to authenticate to the selected media content provider without having communicated previously any request to the selected media content provider; and

providing the authentication token to the media device, wherein the authentication token is configured to allow the media device to authenticate directly to the selected media content provider, without having previously communicated any request to the selected media content provider and without further communication with the service center and by sending the authentication token to the selected media content provider, to authenticate the media device to receive media content or services directly from the selected media content provider.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein determining the authentication information required by the selected media content provider comprises accessing information stored at the service center.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein determining the authentication information required by the selected media content provider comprises querying the selected media content provider for the required authentication information.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the selected media content provider is a first media content provider and the request is a first request, the method further comprising:

receiving a second request from the media device, the request requesting access to media content provided by a second selected media content provider;

determining authentication information that is required by the second selected media content provider in order for the media device to receive media content from the second selected media content provider;

generating a second authentication token based on the authentication information that includes authentication information for authenticating the media device to the second selected media content provider; and

providing the second authentication token to the media device, wherein the second authentication token is configured to allow the media device to authenticate directly to the second selected media content provider, without further communication with the service center, to authenticate the media device to receive media content directly from the second selected media provider.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the authentication information required by the selected media content provider has been changed;

generating a second authentication token that includes the changed authentication information for authenticating the media device to the selected media content provider; and

providing the second authentication token to the media device, wherein the second authentication token in configured to allow the media device to continue to authenticate directly to the selected media content provider, without further communication with the service center, to authenticate the media device to receive media content from the selected media provider.

6. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the second authentication token is provided to the media device upon receipt of a second request for media content from the media device.

7. The method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the second authentication token is provided to the media device automatically upon the generation of the second authentication token.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the media device is a first media device, the method further comprising:

receiving, at the service center, a request from a second media device, the request requesting access to media content provided by the selected media content provider; and

providing a second authentication token to the second media device, wherein the second authentication token is configured to allow the second media device to authenticate directly to the selected media content provider, without further communication with the service center, to authenticate the second media device to receive media content directly from the selected media provider.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein generating an authentication token further comprises:

receiving additional information necessary to generate the authentication token from the media device.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the authentication token includes at least one of user information, device configuration information, payment information, duration for which the authentication token is valid, or address information.

11. A method for a media device to receive an authentication token from a service center that includes the required authentication information for authenticating the media device to access media content from a media content provider without first communicating with the media content provider, the method comprising:

requesting, by the media device and prior to communicating with a media content provider, an authentication token from a service center, the authentication token including authentication information for authenticating the media device to a media content provider to enable the media device to receive media content from the media content provider without communicating previously any request to the media content provider prior to receiving the authentication token, the media content provider being a separate entity from the service center;

receiving, by the media device, the authentication token from the service center, the authentication token being generated by the service center and containing the authentication information required by the media content provider to authenticate the media device to receive media content from the media content provider without having previously communicated any request to the media content provider prior to receiving the authentication token;

requesting, by the media device, access to media content from the media content provider, the request being sent directly to the media content provider without communicating with the service center, the request including the authentication token; and

receiving, by the media device, media content from the media content provider upon being authenticated by the media content provider based on the authentication information contained in the authentication token.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the media content provider is a first media content provider and the authentication token is a first authentication token, the method further comprising:

requesting, by the media device, a second authentication token from the service center, the second authentication token including authentication information for authenticating the media device to a second media content provider to enable the media device to receive media content from the second media content provider, the second media content provider being a separate entity from the service center and the first media content provider;

receiving, by the media device, the second authentication token from the service center, the second authentication token being generated by the service center and containing the authentication information required by the second media content provider to authenticate the media device to receive media content from the second media content provider;

requesting, by the media device, access to media content from the second media content provider, the request being sent directly to the second media content provider without communicating with the service center, the request including the second authentication token; and

receiving, by the media device, media content from the second media content provider upon being authenticated by the second media content provider based on the authentication information contained in the second authentication token.

13. The method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a second authentication token from the external service center, the second authentication token containing updated authentication information required by the media content provider, the second authentication token being received;

automatically in response to the service center detecting that the media content provider has changed the authentication information required to authenticate the media device;

or

in response to the media device requesting access to media content from the media content provider.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the media device, the service center, and the media content provider are connected via a wired or wireless network, wherein the wireless network is one or more of an 802.11 network, a terrestrial network, a cellular network, or a satellite network.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the media device is one of a satellite radio device, a portable audio player, a portable DVD or CD player, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a server computer, a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or any combination thereof.

16. A service center for generating an authentication token containing authentication information for authenticating a media device to a media content provider without the media device first communicating with the media content providers, the service center comprising:

a processor;

one or more transceivers for transferring data between the service center and the media device and between the service center and the media content providers;

one or more computer storage media for storing authentication information required by the media content provider to authenticate the media device to receive media content from the media content providers; and

an authentication module configured to;

receive a request from the media device, the request requesting access to media content provided by the media content provider, the request from the media device being sent from the media device to the service center before the media device has communicated any request to the selected media content provider;

access the stored authentication information that is required by the media content provider in order for the media device to receive media content from the media content provider;

generate an authentication token that includes authentication information for allowing the media device to authenticate to the media content provider without having communicated previously any request to the selected media content provider; and

providing the authentication token to the media device, wherein the authentication token is configured to allow the media device to authenticate directly to the media content provider, without having previously communicated any request to the selected media content provider and without further communication with the service center and by sending the authentication token to the selected media content provider, to authenticate the media device to receive media content directly from the media content provider.

17. The service center in accordance with claim 16, wherein the authentication module is further configured to generate and provide to the media device an updated authentication token in response to a change in the authentication information required by the media content provider.

18. A media device comprising:

a processor;

a display;

an interface for receiving and transmitting digital media;

one or more computer storage media for storing information; and

a user interface;

the media device configured to;

request, prior to communicating with a media content provider, an authentication token from a service center, the authentication token including authentication information for authenticating the media device to the media content provider to enable the media device to receive media content from the media content provider without communicating previously any request to the media content provider prior to receiving the authentication token, the media content provider being a separate entity from the service center;

receive the authentication token from the service center, the authentication token being generated by the service center and containing the authentication information required by the media content provider to authenticate the media device to receive media content from the media content provider without having previously communicated any request to the media content provider prior to receiving the authentication token;

request access to media content from the media content provider, the request being sent directly to the media content provider without communicating with the service center, the request including the authentication token; and

receive media content from the media content provider upon being authenticated by the media content provider based on the authentication information contained in the authentication token.