Systems and methods for managing digital rights based on a union or intersection of individual rights

• US 9,129,087 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Grab, Eric W., Dykeman, Kim R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYSZYNSKI, AUBREY H
• Application Number:
  US13/341,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20130174273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for aggregating digital access rights owned by a group of individuals and for correlating access rights to physical presence of the users to more accurately control access and distribution of copyrighted media. The intersection of content authorization information associated with each individual of a group may be analyzed. The aggregation and analysis of digital access rights enables multiple users to share the cost of a digital access right to access a content asset in a common area.

Claims

1. A method for determining whether a group of users are authorized to view a content asset together, the method comprising:

identifying, with control circuitry, first and second users that are each within a viewing proximity of a shared display device, wherein identifying comprises determining that the first and second users are able to simultaneously view the content asset on the shared display device, and wherein a shared media equipment device outputs the content asset to the shared display device;

retrieving, from a storage device, first content authorization information associated with the first user and second content authorization information associated with the second user;

determining whether the first and second users are authorized to view the content asset based on the retrieved first and second content authorization information, wherein viewing the content asset requires a predetermined authorization;

enabling viewing of the content asset on the shared display device in response to determining that the first and second users are both authorized to view the content asset; and

restricting viewing of the content asset on the shared display device in response to determining that the second user is not authorized to view the content asset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing proximity comprises a distance within a perceivable range of the shared display device, the perceivable range comprising a distance within which a viewer can view the content asset provided by the shared media equipment device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the first and second users further comprises identifying the users by using a wireless detection technique to detect a personal user device belonging to the first user or second user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein identifying the first and second users further comprises identifying the users by a biometric detection technique comprising facial recognition, heat signature recognition, odor recognition, scent recognition, body shape recognition, voice recognition, and behavioral recognition.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the content authorization information comprises metadata, an identification number, hash code, digital access right, permission or user profile information,

wherein the first content authorization information is retrieved from a first personal user device, and the second content authorization information is retrieved from a second personal user device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first and second users are authorized to view the content asset comprises determining an intersection of access rights and permissions of the first content authorization information of the first user and second content authorization information of the second user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the second user is not authorized to view the content assets, displaying an option on a personal user device associated with the second user, the option allowing the second user to purchase authorization to view the content asset,

wherein viewing of the content asset is enabled in response to the second user selecting the option with the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a third user entering the viewing proximity of the shared display device;

retrieving third content authorization information associated with the third user;

determining whether the third user is authorized to view the content asset based at least in part on the third content authorization information; and

in response to determining that the third user is not authorized to view the content asset, indicating by the shared media equipment device that a user within the viewing proximity of the shared display device is not authorized to view the content asset, wherein a shared media equipment device outputs the indication to the shared display device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first and second users are authorized to view the content asset comprises determining a union of access rights and permissions of the first content authorization information of the first user and the second content authorization information of the second user.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to determining that third user is not authorized to view the content asset, displaying an option on a portable user device associated with the third user, the option allowing the third user to purchase authorization to view the content asset,

wherein viewing of the content asset is enabled in response to the third user selecting the option with the personal user device.

11. A system for determining whether a group of users is authorized to view a content asset together, the system comprising:

control circuitry configured to;

identify first and second users that are each within a viewing proximity of a shared display device, wherein identifying comprises determining that the first and second users are able to simultaneously view the content asset on the shared display device, and wherein a shared media equipment device outputs the content asset to the shared display device;

retrieve first content authorization information associated with the first user and second content authorization information associated with the second user;

determine whether the first and second users are authorized to view the content asset based on the retrieved first and second content authorization information, wherein viewing the content asset requires a predetermined authorization;

enable viewing of the content asset on the shared display device in response to determining that the first and second users are both authorized to view the content asset; and

restrict viewing of the content asset on the shared display device in response to determining that the second user is not authorized to view the content asset.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the viewing proximity comprises a distance within a perceivable range of the shared display device, the perceivable range comprising a distance within which a viewer can view the content asset provided by the shared media equipment device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

identify the users by using a wireless detection technique to detect a personal user device belonging to the first user or second user.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to identify the first and second users by a biometric detection technique comprising facial recognition, heat signature recognition, odor recognition, scent recognition, body shape recognition, voice recognition, and behavioral recognition.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the content authorization information comprises metadata, an identification number, hash code, digital access right, permission or user profile information,

wherein the first content authorization information is retrieved from a first personal user device, and the second content authorization information is retrieved from a second personal user device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine an intersection of access rights and permissions of the first content authorization information of the first user and second content authorization information of the second user.

17. The system of claim 11 wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

in response to determining that the second user is not authorized to view the content assets, display an option on a personal user device associated with the second user, the option allowing the second user to purchase authorization to view the content asset,

wherein viewing of the content asset is enabled in response to the second user selecting the option with the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

detect a third user entering the viewing proximity of the shared display device;

retrieve third content authorization information associated with the third user;

determine whether the third user is authorized to view the content asset based at least in part on the third content authorization information; and

in response to determining that the third user is not authorized to view the content asset, indicate by the shared media equipment device that a user within the viewing proximity of the shared display device is not authorized to view the content asset, wherein a shared media equipment device outputs the indication to the shared display device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

determine a union of access rights and permissions of the first content authorization information of the first user and second content authorization information of the second user.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

in response to determining that third user is not authorized to view the content asset, display an option on a portable user device associated with the third user, the option allowing the third user to purchase authorization to view the content asset,

wherein viewing of the content asset is enabled in response to the third user selecting the option with the personal user device.