Automated accounts for media playback

• US 8,819,841 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2012
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Parks, Jason, Kilbourn, Timothy, Ellington, Jeremy, Master, Cyrus Phiroze, Britt, Joe Freeman Jr., Lyon, Jeremy, Koh, Eugene, Otto, Owen Daniel, Chen, Michael Jonathon, Simmons, Jason, Dolinsky, Dmitry, Roman, Manuel, Yaksick, Jeffrey David
• Primary Examiner(s): Paliwal, Yogesh
• Application Number:
  US13/599,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20130347117A1
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1084 via third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets

Abstract

Content stored on a server may be selected using a user device and enabled on a central device. The identity of the central device may be authenticated without transmitting user credentials corresponding to the user, user device, user account, etc. A central device identifier can be sent to the server via the user device. An encrypted version of the central device identifier may be returned to the user device and to the central device. The central device can send the encrypted and unencrypted version of the identifier to the server, and the server can transmit the desired content to the remote device based on a comparison of the encrypted and unencrypted identifier.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a media request from a user mobile device at a central device;

sending an email address of a robot account corresponding to the central device to the user mobile device;

sending a media identifier (ID) and the email address to a media provider from the user mobile device, wherein the media ID corresponds to the media request;

receiving an encrypted share token at the user mobile device, the share token comprising the email address, the media ID and a timestamp, wherein the share token does not include user credentials;

receiving the share token and the media ID at the central device;

sending a media playback request from the central device to the media provider, wherein the media playback request comprises sending the share token, email address, and the media ID;

comparing the email address and the share token at the media provider;

receiving the media corresponding to the media ID from the media provider at the central device; and

playing the media.

2. A method comprising:

receiving a first content activation request from a user device;

sending an identifying address corresponding to a robot account to the user device;

receiving a share token from the user device wherein the share token does not include user credentials, the share token being generated by a server remote from the user device and comprising the identifying address and a content identifier corresponding to the first content activation request;

sending a retrieval content activation request to the server, the retrieval content activation request comprising the share token;

receiving content from the server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the content comprises a media file.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the media file comprises an audio file.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the media file comprises a video file.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the user device comprises a mobile device.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the user device comprises a personal computing device.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising enabling the content.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the share token further comprises a timestamp.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

comparing a time corresponding to the retrieval content activation and the share token;

determining that the time corresponding to the retrieval content activation corresponds to data in the share token; and

receiving content based on the determination.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the time corresponding to the retrieval content activation corresponds to data in the share token further comprises:

determining a time differential between the time corresponding to the retrieval content activation and the data in the share token; and

determining that the time differential is below a threshold.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the identifying address corresponds to an e-mail address for a robot account.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the share token is an encrypted protocol buffer.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a second content activation request from a second user device;

adding the second content to a content queue;

sending an identifying address corresponding to a robot account to the second user device;

receiving a second share token from the second user device, the share token comprising the identifying address and a content identifier corresponding to the second content activation request;

sending a second retrieval content activation request to the server, the second retrieval content activation request comprising the second share token;

receiving a second content based on comparing the identifying address and the second share token; and

activating the second content.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first user device and the second user device are in communication proximity to the central device.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first user device and the second user device are approved by a master user prior to submitting content activation requests.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the first user device or the second user device is assigned control permissions.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the control permissions includes at least one element selected from the group consisting of a rewind element, a play element, a pause element, a fast forward element, a slide element and a skip element.

19. A system comprising:

a database storing an identifying address corresponding to a robot account;

a processor electrically connected with said database, the processor configured to;

receive a first content activation request from a user device;

send the identifying address corresponding to a robot account to the user device;

receive a share token from the user device, wherein the share token does not include user credentials, the share token being generated by a server remote from the user device and comprising the identifying address and a content identifier corresponding to the first content activation request;

send a retrieval content activation request to a media server, the retrieval content activation request comprising the share token; and

receive a content.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the content comprises a media file.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the user device comprises a mobile device.

22. The system of claim 19, further configured to enable the content.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the media server authenticates the robot account.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the media server stores at least one media file.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the share token further comprises a timestamp.

26. The system of claim 25, further configured to:

compare a time corresponding to the retrieval content activation and the share token;

determine that the time corresponding to the retrieval content activation corresponds to data in the share token; and

receive content based on the determination.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the determination that the time corresponding to the retrieval content activation corresponds to data in the share token further comprises:

determining a time differential between the time corresponding to the retrieval content activation and the data in the share token; and

determining that the time differential is below a threshold.

28. The system of claim 19, further configured to:

receive a second content activation request from a second user device;

add the second content to a content queue;

send an identifying address corresponding to a robot account to the second user device;

receive a second share token from the second user device, the share token comprising the identifying address and a content identifier corresponding to the second content activation request;

send a second retrieval content activation request to the server, the second retrieval content activation request comprising the second share token;

receive a second content based on comparing the identifying address and the second share token; and

activate the second content.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the first user device and the second user device are in communication proximity to the central device.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the first user device and the second user device are approved by a master user prior to submitting content activation requests.