Reducing TV licensing costs

• US 9,449,324 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter, Sadja, Aran, Booth, Theodore R., Douillet, Ludovic
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMAS, JASON M
• Application Number:
  US12/970,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20120120250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,105 Days
• Field of Search: 725131-133, 725139-141, 725151-153, 348/460, 348/552, 348/553, 348/844
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 21/125 by manipulating the program code, e.g. source code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• 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 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 : Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/642 : Multi-standard receivers

Abstract

A TV with various licensable components including, e.g., an ATSC demodulator requests a license for a component upon detection of a physical condition implicating use of the component, such as plugging a cable into a particular port, or upon receipt of a user-input command requiring use of the component, such as a request to autoscan channels.

Claims

1. TV comprising:

at least one licensable component for which a license has not been obtained prior to vending the TV;

a processor in the TV configured for determining whether a condition exists in the TV;

the processor being configured for, responsive to determining that the condition exists, activating the licensable component and otherwise not activating the licensable component, the activating including communicating information related to a license related to the licensable component to a licensing entity, wherein the processor is further configured for;

responsive to a determination that a physical condition exists, activating an NTSC demodulator;

determining whether a signal at the NTSC tuner is an NTSC signal;

responsive to a determination that NTSC signals only are present, not activating further licensable components, but responsive to a determination that signals other than NTSC signals are present, activating a QAM decoder/demodulator;

responsive to a determination that QAM only is detected by the QAM decoder/demodulator, not activating further licensable components, but responsive to a determination that the QAM decoder/demodulator does not recognize a signal, activating an ATSC decoder/demodulator.

2. The TV of claim 1, wherein the licensable component is a terrestrial broadcast advanced television systems committee (ATSC) demodulator assembly.

3. The TV of claim 1, wherein the condition is a physical condition.

4. The TV of claim 1, wherein the condition is receipt of a user-generated command requiring use of the licensable component.