Method and apparatus for distributing media in a pay per play architecture with remote playback within an enterprise

• US 9,160,976 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCarthy, Tom, Parekh, Jateen, Goodwin, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Alcon, Fernando
• Application Number:
  US11/021,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20050283791A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,947 Days
• Field of Search: 725/82, 725/104, 725/142, 725/132
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23473 by pre-encrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44055 by partially decrypting, e.g. decrypting a video stream that has been partially encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Systems and methods for rendering media content are provided. Systems of the invention can comprise a first platform for accessing, storing and distributing media content, wherein the media content comprises an unrenderable state when received by the first platform; a second platform communicatively coupled with the first platform for rendering the stored media content; the first and second platforms cooperatively providing an interface for purchasing a right to render stored or accessible media content at least one time; and at least one of the first platform and the second platform being operable to convert the stored or accessible media content to a renderable state upon the purchase of the right to render, wherein the first and second platforms are communicatively coupled to the Internet. Systems are preferably operably connected to the Internet and can provide access to content sources local to and remote from the system of the invention.

Claims

1. A method for delivering media content, the method comprising:

obtaining criteria for desired media content for each of a group of users and for a subset of the group of users at a media server, wherein the criteria are selectable by one or more users of the group of users using a user interface configured to enable each of the group of users to input the criteria for desired media content;

updating a user profile with the criteria at the media server;

receiving an indication related to a particular check-in event at the media server, wherein the check-in event is associated with the user profile;

determining a particular period of time prior to the particular check-in event at the media server based on an enterprise-definable period of time prior to check-in events;

during the particular period of time prior to the particular check-in event, the media server;

selecting media content based on the criteria for the subset of users stored on the user profile and transmitting at least a portion of the selected media content to a media client associated with the check-in event; and

rendering the media content using the media client.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the criteria for the desired media content comprises receiving preference data via a user interface, wherein the user interface is in communication with the media server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the preference data comprises at least one of a media content name, a media content genre, a performer name, a year, and a billing rate.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the preference data comprises at least one of a Motion Picture Association of America rating, a movie title, an actor name, a director name, a producer name, and a studio name.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the preference data comprises at least one of a Recording Industry Association of America rating, a song title, an artist name, an album title, and an explicit lyric indication.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the preference data comprises at least one of an indication of sexual content and an indication of violence.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the criteria for the desired media content comprises retrieving media content purchase history data at the media server, wherein the media content purchase history data is associated with the user profile.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the particular check-in event comprises a particular check-in time and a particular duration of a stay.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a purchase request for the media content at the media client and transmitting the purchase request from the media client to the media server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the media content from an unrenderable state to a renderable state at one of the media server and the media client.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein converting the media content from an unrenderable state to a renderable state comprises:

receiving protected media content at the media server, wherein the protected media content comprises a transmission protocol encryption and a purchase protocol encryption, wherein the transmission protocol encryption prevents unauthorized reception of the protected media content and the purchase protocol encryption prevents unauthorized rendering of the protected media content;

decrypting the protected media content using a transmission protocol decryption at the media server;

receiving a purchase request at the media server, wherein the purchase request is associated with the protected media content;

based on the purchase request, decrypting the protected media content using a purchase protocol decryption at one of the media server and the media client; and

obtaining renderable media content from the protected media content at the media client.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the media content at the media client.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein during the particular period of time prior to the particular check-in event, selecting media content based on the criteria for the subset of users stored on the user profile and transmitting at least a portion of the selected media content comprises:

during the particular period of time prior to the check-in event, obtaining the selected media content from a plurality of devices.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of devices comprises a personal media content device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the personal media content device is associated with the user profile.

13. A system for delivering media content, the system comprising:

a media server, comprising;

a media-server storage device;

a media-server processor; and

media-server software instructions, stored in the media-server storage device, that upon execution by the media-server processor, cause the media server to perform media-server functions comprising;

obtaining criteria for desired media content for each of a group of users and for a subset of the group of users, wherein the criteria are selectable by one or more users of the group of users;

updating a user profile with the criteria;

receiving an indication related to a particular check-in event, wherein the check-in event is associated with the user profile;

determining a particular period of time prior to the particular check-in event based on an enterprise-definable period of time prior to check-in events;

during the particular period of time prior to the particular check-in event, selecting media content based on the criteria for the subset of users stored on the user profile and transmitting at least a portion of the selected media content; and

a media client associated with the particular check-in event, the media client comprising;

a user interface;

a media-client storage device;

a media-client processor; and

media-client software instructions, stored in the media-client storage device, that upon execution by the media-client processor, cause the media client to perform media-client functions comprising;

obtaining the criteria for desired media content using the user interface, wherein the user interface is configured to enable each of the group of users to input the criteria for desired media content;

communicating the criteria for desired media content;

receiving the transmitted media content; and

rendering the media content.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein obtaining the criteria for the desired media content comprises receiving preference data at the media server.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the preference data comprises at least one of a media content name, a media content genre, a performer name, a year, and a billing rate.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the preference data comprises at least one of a Motion Picture Association of America rating, a move title, an actor name, a director name, a producer name, and a studio name.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the preference data comprises at least one of a Recording Industry Association of America rating, a song title, an artist name, an album title, and an explicit lyric indication.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the indication of the particular check-in event comprises a particular check-in time and a particular duration of a stay.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the media-client functions further comprise:

receiving a purchase request for the media content; and

transmitting the purchase request to the media server.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the media-server functions further comprise:

converting the media content from an unrenderable state to a renderable state.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the media-server function of during the particular period of time prior to the check-in event, selecting media content based on the criteria for the subset of users stored on the user profile and transmitting at least a portion of the selected media content comprises:

during the particular period of time prior to the particular check-in event, obtaining the selected media content from a plurality of devices.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of devices comprises a personal media content device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the personal media content device is associated with the user profile.