Remote access to shared media

• US 9,143,818 B1
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Barraclough, Keith, Irvine, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashok
• Assistant Examiner(s): POTRATZ, DANIEL B
• Application Number:
  US11/852,886
• Time in Patent Office: 2,934 Days
• Field of Search: 709227-229, 709/217, 709/219, 709/226, 713/182, 726/4, 726/17, 726/21, 726 26- 29, 705 50- 54, 705 57- 59, 715744-747
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00731 involving a digital rights management system for enforcing a usage restriction
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00855 involving a step of exchanging information with a remote server
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02

Abstract

Remote media access is facilitated. According to an example embodiment, remote-user media access is facilitated using media provided by a subscriber media source, over a packet-based network. This access is facilitated in an environment involving subscriber users that provide media for transfer over a packet-based network to a remote device. A host server receives a request for access to media content provided by a subscriber. The request is authorized as a function of authorization criteria. In response to the request being authorized, a media source associated with the subscriber is controlled to provide requested media for access at a remote device. A media player is displayed at the remote device, and the media is provided for access via the media player.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a host server, receiving a registration request to register media content for access by one or more remote users, and receiving media access criteria specifying access rights for the one or more remote users,

wherein the media content and the media access criteria are received from a subscriber, and

a storage location of the media content is determined based, at least in part, on a subscription level associated with the subscriber;

facilitating the registration of the media content at a subscriber'"'"'s media source by,

providing a media player for access by the subscriber,

receiving one or more subscriber media content share selections via the media player, and

facilitating a generation of the media content at the subscriber'"'"'s media source based, at least in part, on the one or more subscriber media content share selections;

at the host server, receiving an access request for access to a share of the media content, and receiving authorization information associated with one of the one or more remote users, wherein the access request and the authorization information are received from a remote device of the one remote user;

authorizing the access request based, at least in part, on the authorization information and the media access criteria associated with the one remote user; and

facilitating a delivery of a user-interface to the remote device,

wherein the user-interface controls access of the remote device to at least a portion of the share of media content based, at least in part, on the authorization or the subscription level associated with the one remote user;

wherein generating the media content at the subscriber'"'"'s media source includes;

transcoding the one or more subscriber media content share selections at the subscriber'"'"'s media source based, at least in part, on one or more subscription levels associated with the one or more remote users; and

controlling, by the host server, the subscriber'"'"'s media source to deliver the one or more subscriber media content share selections to a network storage device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content stored on the subscriber'"'"'s media source comprises one or more of a storage device controlled by the subscriber, a remote network storage device, and a storage device local to the host server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-interface is provided by an application and the application comprises a media player provided to the remote device via a remote network site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-interface is provided by an application and the application comprises a media player remotely provided at the remote device by the host server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transcoding the share of media content accessed by the remote device based, at least in part, on one or more of the media access criteria associated with the one remote subscriber, a subscription level associated with the subscriber, and capabilities of the remote device,

wherein an access type is a share creation, a remote share access, or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a uniform resource locator (URL) to the remote device for accessing the share of media content, wherein the access request is received via an access of the URL by the remote device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access of the remote device to the share of media content is set to a specific level by the user-interface based at least in part on the media access criteria associated with the one remote subscriber.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the specific level of access to the share of media content is limited by the user-interface to presentation of the at least a portion of the share of media content by the remote device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-interface is provided by the media player and a presentation at the user interface of the media player of an option to share the media content with the one or more remote users, is based, at least in part, on the subscription level associated with the subscriber.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs;

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

receive a registration request to register media content for access by one or more remote users, and receive media access criteria specifying access rights for the one or more remote users, wherein the media content and the media access criteria are received from a subscriber, and a storage location of the media content is determined based, at least in part, on a subscription level associated with the subscriber;

facilitate the registration of the media content at a subscriber'"'"'s media source by,

providing a media player for access by the subscriber,

receiving one or more subscriber media content share selections via the media player, and

facilitating a generation of the media content at the subscriber'"'"'s media source based, at least in part, on the one or more subscriber media content share selections;

receive an access request for access to a share of the media content, and receive authorization information associated with one of the one or more remote users, wherein the access request and the authorization information are received from a remote device of the one remote user;

authorize the access request based, at least in part, on the authorization information and the media access criteria associated with the one remote user; and

facilitating a delivery of a user-interface to the remote device,

wherein the user-interface controls access of the remote device to at least a portion of the share of media content based, at least in part, on the authorization or the subscription level associated with the one remote user,

wherein facilitating the generation of the media content at the subscriber'"'"'s media source includes;

transcoding the one or more subscriber media content share selections at the subscriber'"'"'s media source based, at least in part, on one or more subscription levels associated with the one or more remote users; and

controlling, by the apparatus, the subscriber'"'"'s media source to deliver the one or more subscriber media content share selections to a network storage device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the media content stored on the subscriber'"'"'s media source comprises one or more of a storage device controlled by the subscriber, a remote network storage device, and a storage device local to the apparatus.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user-interface is provided by an application and the application comprises a media player provided to the remote device via a remote network site.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the user-interface is provided by an application and the application comprises a media player remotely provided at the remote device by the apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform the following:

transcode the share of media content accessed by the remote device based at least in part on one or more of the media access criteria associated with the one remote subscriber, a subscription level associated with the subscriber, and capabilities of the remote device,

wherein an access type is a share creation, a remote share access, or a combination thereof.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform the following:

provide a uniform resource locator (URL) to the remote device for accessing the share of media content, wherein the access request is received via an access of the URL by the remote device.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the access of the remote device to the share of media content is set to a specific level by the user-interface based at least in part on the media access criteria associated with the one remote subscriber.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the specific level of access to the share of media content is limited by the user-interface to presentation of the at least a portion of the share of media content by the remote device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

receiving a registration request to register media content for access by one or more remote users, and receiving media access criteria specifying access rights for the one or more remote users, wherein the media content and the media access criteria are received from a subscriber, and a storage location of the media content is determined based, at least in part, on a subscription level associated with the subscriber;

facilitating the registration of the media content at a subscriber'"'"'s media source by, providing a media player for access by the subscriber,

receiving one or more subscriber media content share selections via the media player, and

facilitating the generation of the media content at the subscriber'"'"'s media source based, at least in part, on the one or more subscriber media content share selections;

receiving an access request for access to a share of the media content, and receiving authorization information associated with one of the one or more remote users, wherein the access request and the authorization information are received from a remote device of the one remote user;

authorizing the access request based, at least in part, on the authorization information and the media access criteria associated with the one remote user; and

facilitating a delivery of a user-interface to the remote device,

wherein the user-interface controls access of the remote device to at least a portion of the share of media content based, at least in part, on the authorization or the subscription level associated with the one remote user;

wherein generating the media content at the subscriber'"'"'s media source includes;

transcoding the one or more subscriber media content share selections at the subscriber'"'"'s media source based, at least in part, on one or more subscription levels associated with the one or more remote users; and

controlling, by the host server, the subscriber′

media source to deliver the one or more subscriber media content share selections to a network storage device.