Method, apparatus and system for providing contents to multiple devices

• US 8,949,422 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KT Corporation
• Original Assignee: KT Corporation
• Inventors: Park, Hoon Kyu, Kim, Jin Han, Chin, Young Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENDAYE, KIDEST H
• Application Number:
  US13/228,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20120066387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/217, 709/219, 709/225, 709228-229, 725/118, 726/8, 726/18
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006

Abstract

In some examples, a contents providing apparatus that provides contents to multiple devices may include a user information management unit, a contents management unit, a contents usage information management unit, and a contents usage information searching unit.

Claims

1. A contents providing apparatus that provides contents to multiple devices, the apparatus comprising a memory and a processor and further comprising:

a user information manager which generates a main user ID mapped to a first user ID for authenticating a user using a first service system and a second user ID for authenticating the user using a second service system;

a contents manager which assigns a same contents ID to contents of a file format for the first service system and the contents of a file format for the second service system;

a contents usage information manager which maps the received contents usage information to the main user ID, upon a condition that the user'"'"'s usage information of the contents is received from the first service system;

a contents usage information searcher which, upon a condition that a request for using the contents from the user;

is received from the second service system, searches the main user ID mapped to the second user ID and the contents usage information mapped to the main user ID, and transmits the contents usage information to the second service system; and

an application program interface (API) provider which provides APIs to the first service system and the second service system for interoperating between the first service system and the second service system.

2. The contents providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contents manager assigns a first ID to the contents of the file format for the first service system and a second ID to the contents of the file format for the second service system and generates a main contents ID mapped to the first ID and the second ID.

3. The contents providing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the contents manager respectively converts an original media file of the contents into the file format for the first service system and the file format for the second service system.

4. The contents providing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contents usage information comprises one from among a purchase date and time, and a playback stop point of the contents used by the user in the first service system and the first user ID of the user.

5. The contents providing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second service system is configured to transmit to a user device connected to the second service system, the contents from the playback stop point based on the contents usage information.

6. A contents providing method for providing contents to multiple devices, the method comprising:

generating, by a content providing apparatus, a main user ID mapped to a first user ID for authenticating a user using a first service system and a second user ID for authenticating the user using a second service system;

assigning, by the content providing apparatus, a same contents ID to contents of a file format for the first service system and the contents of a file format for the second service system;

providing, from the content providing apparatus to the first service system and the second service system, an application program interface (API) for interoperating between services to each of the first service system and the second service system;

if the user'"'"'s usage information of the contents is received from the second service system through the API, mapping, by the content providing apparatus, the received contents usage information to the main user ID; and

if a request for using the contents from the user is received from the first service system through the API, at the content providing apparatus, searching the main user ID mapped to the first user ID and the contents usage information mapped to the main user ID, and transmitting the contents usage information to the first service system.

7. The contents providing method of claim 6, wherein the assigning the same contents ID comprises:

assigning a first ID to the contents of the file format for the first service system;

assigning a second ID to the contents of the file format for the second service system;

and generating a main contents ID mapped with the first ID and the second ID.

8. The contents providing method of claim 6, wherein the contents usage information comprises one from among a purchase date and time, and a playback stop point of the contents used by the user in the second service system and the second user ID of the user.

9. A contents providing system that provides contents to multiple devices, the system comprising:

a first service hardware system configured to authenticate a user with a first user ID and provide contents of a file format for a first service to a first device of the user;

a second service hardware system configured to authenticate the user with a second user ID and provide the contents of a file format for a second service to a second device of the user; and

a multi-screen service providing server configured to receive from the first service system usage information of the contents used in the first device and provide the usage information to the second service system so as to be used in the second device,

wherein the multi-screen service providing server is further configured to generate a main user ID mapped to the first user ID and the second user ID, assign a same ID to the respective contents, and map the usage information onto the main user ID, and

wherein the first service system and the second service system interoperates with the multi-screen service providing server through application program interfaces (APIs) provided from the multi-screen service providing server.

10. The contents providing system of claim 9, wherein the multi-screen service providing server is further configured to receive the usage information of the contents used in the second device from the second service system and provide the usage information of the contents used in the second device to the first service system so as to be used in the first device.

11. The contents providing system of claim 10, wherein the usage information of the contents comprises one from among a purchase date and time, and a playback stop point of the contents used by the user in the first service system or the second service system and the user IDs of the user.

12. The contents providing system of claim 11, wherein the second service system provides to the second device the contents which are played and stopped in the first device, from the playback stop point.

13. The contents providing system of claim 12, wherein the first service system provides to the first device the contents which are played and stopped in the second device, from the playback stop point.