Apparatus and methods for rights-managed content and data delivery

• US 9,342,661 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cholas, Chris, Markley, Jeffrey P., Patel, Vipul, Marsh, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Thiaw, Catherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): ZHAO, DON GORDON
• Application Number:
  US12/716,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20110219229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,268 Days
• Field of Search: 713150-181, 726/4, 726/7, 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing access to content across a plurality of devices and environments. In one embodiment, a downloadable rights profile is utilized in order for a user device to determine whether to provide content to a subscriber. The user device is first registered to content delivery the network; the device then requests a rights profile indicating the rights of the subscriber associated with the device to access content. The rights profile is transmitted to the device. The rights profile may be configured to be valid only for a pre-determined time, thus enabling a subscriber'"'"'s rights to be updated (including revoked). Security mechanisms may also be utilized to ensure access to content is limited only to authorized subscribers. In another embodiment, a user-based authentication procedure is utilized, thereby making the rights determination and content provision process completely agnostic to the underlying hardware.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising at least one computer program, said computer program comprising a plurality of computer readable instructions which are configured to, when executed on a host device:

access a rights profile associated with a network-based account of a user, said rights profile being encrypted using a public key of a public/private key pair and said host device comprising said private key configured to enable said program to decrypt said rights profile, said rights profile comprising at least a number of times content may be accessed or outputted to a display device;

determine, based at least in part on said rights profile, use rights that said user has with respect to a first content element;

access, based at least in part on said use rights, said first content element for playback to said user of said host device;

transfer said rights profile to a second host device, said second host device associated with said user;

enable playback of said first content element at said second device based at least in part on said transferred rights profile; and

display a list of recommended content, the list of recommended content generated by a network recommendation process and based at least in part on data associated with the network-based account and relating to at least one of;

(i) user-specific content preference data, and/or (ii) data relating to historical content selection activity, the list further being generated substantially irrespective of a device being used to access content for playback.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said medium is part of a mass storage device of said host device.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 2, wherein said mass storage device of said host device comprises a program memory.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said plurality of computer readable instructions are further configured to access said rights profile via:

generation of a request for said profile;

transmission of said request to a network entity; and

receipt, from said network entity or its proxy, of said profile.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said plurality of computer readable instructions are further configured to access said first content element utilization of decoding data provided in said rights profile to decode said first content element.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said rights profile is generated by a network operator based at least in part on a subscription of said user to a service provided by said operator.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said plurality of computer readable instructions are further configured to generate a user interface, said user interface configured to allow a user of a content delivery network to log into a network server so that said rights profile can be provided to said host device.

8. Consumer premises equipment (CPE) for use in a content delivery network, comprising:

a network interface configured to;

transmit a request for information regarding a subscriber'"'"'s rights to content;

receive said information;

transmit a request for content; and

receive said requested content;

a storage apparatus configured to store said information; and

a digital processor configured to;

generate a user interface, said user interface configured to enable said subscriber to log into a network server, transmit said request for said information, and receive said information;

determine, based at least in part on said information, whether said subscriber has a right to access said requested content, and when said subscriber has said right, enable playback of said requested content to said subscriber; and

present the subscriber with a list of recommended content elements, the list generated by a network recommendation process based at least on data associated with an account of the subscriber and irrespective of a device being used to access said requested content, wherein the data comprises one or more of;

(i) user-specific content preference data, and/or (ii) user-specific data relating to historical content selection activity.

9. The CPE of claim 8, wherein said subscriber receives said requested content at a display device remote from said CPE, said display device and said CPE being in communication with one another.

10. The CPE of claim 9, wherein said communication comprises wireless communication.

11. The CPE of claim 8, wherein when it is determined that said subscriber does not have said right to access said requested content, said network interface further configured to provide a notification to said subscriber, said notification configured to inform said subscriber that access to said requested content is not authorized.

12. The CPE of claim 11, wherein said notification is further configured to inform said subscriber of one or more methods to obtain said right to access said requested content.

13. The CPE of claim 8, wherein said storage apparatus comprises a removable storage apparatus, said storage apparatus configured to provide access to said information to a plurality of devices via a communication of said storage apparatus therewith.

14. A first client device for use in a content delivery network, comprising:

a radio frequency (RF) front end interface;

a plurality of back end interfaces;

a storage apparatus; and

a digital processor, said digital processor configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said program comprising a plurality of instructions which when executed;

request on behalf of a second client device a rights profile, said rights profile comprising information regarding a subscriber'"'"'s rights to access a plurality of programming content on said second client device and information regarding a length of time said subscriber may be granted access to individual ones of said plurality of programming content;

store said rights profile on behalf of said second client device at said storage apparatus;

receive a request from said second client device for at least one of said plurality of programming content;

determine based at least in part on said rights profile whether said subscriber is given a right to access said requested one of said plurality of programming content;

upon determination that said subscriber has said right, enable said second device to provide said subscriber with access to said requested one of said plurality of programming content; and

enable display of a list of recommended content on the second client device, the list of recommended content generated by a recommendation engine irrespective of which of said first or second client devices is to access the requested of the plurality of programming content, and based at least in part on one or more of;

(i) content preference data associated with an account of the subscriber, and/or (ii) data relating to historical content selection activity associated with the account.

15. The first client device of claim 14, wherein said subscriber is provided access to said requested one of said plurality of programming content via a computer program executed by said second device which causes a display of said requested one of said plurality of programming content on a display device associated with said second device.

16. The first client device of claim 14, wherein the first client device is further configured to enable the second client device to provide said subscriber with one or more options to obtain said right, said one or more options to obtain said right comprising at least one of:

purchase of limited access to said requested one of said plurality of programming content;

purchase of access to a type of content, said type of content comprising said requested one of said plurality of programming content; and

purchase of access to a content source, said content source being associated with said requested one of said plurality of programming content.

17. The first client device of claim 14, wherein said rights profile further comprises information regarding at least one of:

a number of times said subscriber may have individual ones of said plurality of programming content outputted to a display device;

one or more types of content of said plurality of programming content said subscriber may access; and

one or more content sources of said plurality of programming content said subscriber may access.