System and method of restricting access to video content

• US 9,021,519 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Walter, Edward, Wollmershauser, Steven Michael, Kenyon, Erin Tania
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US13/916,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20130276018A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/25
• 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 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

Disclosed are a system and method of restricting access to video content. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving a request for video content at a set-top box located at a first location, the request received from a remote user device located at a second location. The method also includes initiating recording of the video content at the set-top box when the video content is unrestricted at the first location and when the video content is restricted at the second location. The method also includes, when the video content is unrestricted at the second location, initiating sending the video content to the remote user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for video content at a set-top box located at a first location, the request received from a remote user device located at a second location;

initiating recording of the video content at the set-top box when the video content is unrestricted at the first location and when the video content is restricted at the second location; and

when the video content is unrestricted at the second location, sending the video content to the remote user device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving location data from a video head-end, the location data indicating the second location, wherein the video head-end is part of an internet protocol television system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first location corresponds to a first market zone and the second location corresponds to a second market zone.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the remote user device does not include a blackout enforcement application, initiating sending the blackout enforcement application to the user device; and

when the remote user device includes the blackout enforcement application, requesting and receiving at least a portion of the video content at the set-top box and determining whether the video content is restricted at the first location, the second location, or any combination thereof,

wherein the portion of the video content comprises marked data packets, the marked data packets comprising data indicating whether the video content is subject to a restriction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein initiating sending the blackout enforcement application comprises instructing an application server to send the blackout enforcement application to the user device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein initiating sending of the blackout enforcement application comprises receiving the blackout enforcement application at the set-top box and sending the blackout enforcement application to the remote user device.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

when the video content is restricted at the second location, enforcing the restriction by refraining from sending the video content to the remote user device, instructing a server of an internet protocol television system to refrain from sending the video content to the remote user device, instructing a blackout enforcement application at the remote user device to prevent sending the video content to a display device, or any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the video content is restricted at the second location, in response to determining that access to the video content has been purchased, sending the video content to the remote user device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining based on data received with the video content that the video content is purchasable;

sending a payment interface to the remote user device; and

receiving payment information at the set-top box from the remote user device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the video content is restricted at the first location and at the second location, in response to deter mining that the request was sent via a private access network of an internet protocol television system and determining that access to the video content has been purchased, sending the video content to the remote user device.

11. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request for video content at a set-top box located at a first location, the request received from a remote user device located at a second location;

initiating recording of the video content at the set-top box when the video content is unrestricted at the first location and when the video content is restricted at the second location; and

when the video content is unrestricted at the second location, sending the video content to the remote user device.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving location data from a video head-end, the location data indicating the second location, wherein the video head-end is part of an internet protocol television system, and wherein the first location corresponds to a first market zone and the second location corresponds to a second market zone.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

when the remote user device does not include a blackout enforcement application, instructing an application server to send the blackout enforcement application to the user device, receiving the blackout enforcement application at the set-top box and sending the blackout enforcement application to the remote user device, or any combination thereof; and

when the remote user device includes the blackout enforcement application, requesting and receiving at least a portion of the video content at the set-top box and determining whether the video content is restricted at the first location, the second location, or any combination thereof,

wherein the portion of the video content comprises marked data packets, the marked data packets comprising data indicating whether the video content is restricted.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

when the video content is restricted at the second location, determining whether access to the video content has been purchased; and

in response to determining that access to the video content has been purchased, sending the video content to the remote user device.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

when the video content is restricted at the first location and at the second location, in response to determining that the request was sent via a private access network of an internet protocol television system and determining that access to the video content has been purchased, sending the video content to the remote user device.

16. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

sending a request for video content from a remote user device to a set-top box device,

wherein the request causes recording of the video content in response to the video content being unrestricted at a first location of the set-top box device while the video content is restricted at a second location of the remote user device at a time when the request is sent.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise, when a blackout enforcement application is not installed at the remote user device, receiving input indicating that the blackout enforcement application is to be installed at the remote user device.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

analyzing, at the remote user device, data of the video content to determine whether the video content is location restricted;

receiving location data at the remote user device when the video content is location restricted, the location data indicating the second location; and

sending a restriction notice to a display device of the remote user device when analysis of the location data indicates that the video content is restricted at the second location.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise sending the video content to a display device of the remote user device when access to the video content is not restricted at the second location.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

when the video content is available for purchase, sending a payment interface to a display device of the remote user device and receiving payment information; and

in response to receiving payment information, sending the video content to the display device.