Method and apparatus for managing multiple media services

• US 9,286,456 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 03/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2012
• 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: Baldwin, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Drennan, Barry
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOLDEMARIAM, AKLILU K
• Application Number:
  US13/686,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20140147020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 382/118, 707/610, 707/722, 707/736, 707/706, 707/640, 707/674
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• 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 21/2543 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 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44245 Monitoring the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. its availability, bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining a group of facial objects detected from an image captured by a camera coupled with a media device where the facial objects correspond to a plurality of users, determining authentication information for each of the plurality of users based on the facial objects, and providing the authentication information to a group of content service systems for enabling the media device to access aggregated media services from the group of content service systems. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

a memory that stores computer instructions; and

a processor coupled with the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

obtaining a group of facial objects detected from an image captured by a camera coupled with a media device, wherein the image captures a viewing area of the media device, wherein the viewing area includes a plurality of users, and wherein the facial objects correspond to the plurality of users;

determining identification information for each of the plurality of users based on the facial objects;

accessing a history of past content service systems that were authenticated at the media device;

identifying a subset of a group of content service systems to which authentication information will be provided based on the identification information and the history of past content service systems, the group of content service systems being managed by service providers that provide a group of media services to the plurality of users according to subscription plans for the plurality of users;

determining authentication information for each of the plurality of users based on the identification information;

providing the authentication information to the subset of the group of content service systems for enabling access to the subset of the group of media services from the group of content service systems;

filtering out redundant media services among the subset of the group of media services to generate aggregated media services, wherein the filtering out of the redundant media services includes choosing a selected redundant media service from among the redundant media services for inclusion in the aggregated media services based on satisfying a quality of service threshold; and

enabling the media device to access the aggregated media services.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring a quality of service for the selected redundant media service during utilization of the selected redundant media service by the media device;

detecting the quality of service for the selected redundant media service failing to satisfy the quality of service threshold; and

responsive to the detecting, replacing the selected redundant media service with another selected redundant media service from among the redundant media services that were filtered out.

3. The server of claim 2, wherein the monitoring of the quality of service includes monitoring an image quality and a stream quality for the selected redundant media service.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining a fee for use of the aggregated media services at the media device;

apportioning the fee among the plurality of users to generate a group of apportioned fees; and

providing the group of apportioned fees to service provider billing systems associated with the subscription plans for the plurality of users.

5. The server of claim 4, where the apportioning of the fee is unequal.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the enabling of the media device to access the aggregated media services comprises the processor providing an internet protocol address of the media device to each of the group of content service systems, wherein the aggregated media services are provided to the media device without providing the aggregated media services by way of the server.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the filtering out of the redundant media services includes selecting from among the redundant media services based on a cost of service.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the image from the media device; and

performing facial pattern recognition on the image to obtain the group of facial objects detected from the image.

9. The server of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the group of facial objects detected from the image is based on facial pattern recognition performed by the media device.

10. The server of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining an additional facial object detected from an additional image captured by the camera;

comparing the additional facial object with the group of facial objects to detect a new facial object corresponding to an additional user that was not among the plurality of users;

determining additional identification information for the additional user based on the new facial object;

identifying an additional content service system associated with an additional subscription plan for the additional user based on the additional identification information;

determining additional authentication information for the additional user based on the additional identification information; and

providing the additional authentication information to the additional content service system for enabling access to an additional media service from the additional content service system, wherein the additional media service is added to the aggregated media services.

11. The server of claim 1, wherein operations further comprise:

accessing user profiles including user preferences associated with the plurality of users;

accessing monitored viewing history associated with the plurality of users;

generating a services recommendation based on the user preferences and the monitored viewing history; and

providing the services recommendation to the media device for presentation.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a selection of target services from among the services recommendation; and

adjusting the aggregated media services based on the selection of target services.

13. A media device comprising:

a memory that stores computer instructions; and

a processor coupled with the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

obtaining a first image captured by a camera coupled with the media device, wherein the first image captures a viewing area of the media device, wherein the viewing area includes a plurality of users;

applying facial pattern recognition to the first image to detect first facial objects in the first image, wherein the first facial objects correspond to the plurality of users;

accessing a history of past content service systems that were authenticated at the media device;

identifying a subset of a group of content service systems to which authentication information will be provided based on the first facial objects and the history of past content service systems, wherein the group of content service systems is managed by service providers that provide a group of media services to the plurality of users according to subscription plans for the plurality of users;

providing the first facial objects to the group of content service systems for authentication and access to the group of media services from the group of content service systems, wherein redundant media services among the group of media services are filtered out to generate aggregated media services, wherein the filtering out of the redundant media services includes choosing a selected redundant media service from among the redundant media services for inclusion in the aggregated media services based on satisfying a quality of service threshold including image quality and stream quality; and

providing the aggregated media services at the media device subject to a time limitation.

14. The media device of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining a second image captured by the camera, wherein the second image captures the viewing area;

applying the facial pattern recognition to the second image to detect second facial objects in the second image;

comparing the first facial objects with the second facial objects to detect an additional facial object corresponding to an additional user that was not among the plurality of users;

identifying an additional content service system associated with an additional subscription plan for the additional user;

providing the additional facial object to the additional content service system for authentication and access to an additional media service from the additional content service system, wherein the additional media service is included in the aggregated media services to generate adjusted aggregated media services; and

providing the adjusted aggregated media services at the media device.

15. The media device of claim 13, wherein the identifying of the group of content service systems further comprises receiving user input at the processor identifying the group of content service systems.

16. The media device of claim 13, wherein the identifying of the subset of the group of content service systems includes the processor accessing a monitored viewing history associated with the plurality of users to determine previously utilized content service systems.

17. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a server, facial objects detected from an image captured by a camera coupled with a media device, wherein the facial objects correspond to a plurality of users;

determining, by the server, authentication information for each of the plurality of users based on the facial objects;

accessing, by the server, a history of past content service systems that were authenticated at the media device;

selecting, by the server, a subset of content service systems from a group of content service systems to which authentication information will be provided according to the facial objects and the history of past content service systems;

providing, by the server, the authentication information to the subset of content service systems for enabling the media device to access aggregated media services from the subset of the content service systems;

filtering out, by the server, redundant media services among a group of media services provided by the content service systems to generate the aggregated media services, wherein the filtering out of the redundant media services includes choosing a selected redundant media service from among the redundant media services for inclusion in the aggregated media services;

determining, by the server, a fee for utilization of the aggregated media services at the media device;

apportioning the fee among the plurality of users to generate apportioned fees; and

providing the apportioned fees to service provider billing systems associated with the content service systems.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising:

determining, by the server, identification information for each of the plurality of users based on the facial objects; and

wherein the selecting comprises identifying the subset of the content service systems based on the identification information.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising:

obtaining, by the server, an additional facial object detected from an additional image captured by the camera;

comparing the additional facial object with the facial objects to detect a new facial object corresponding to an additional user that was not among the plurality of users;

determining additional authentication information for the additional user based on the new facial object; and

providing the additional authentication information to an additional content service system for enabling access to an additional media service, wherein the additional media service is added to the aggregated media services.