Content redistribution protection

• US 9,473,815 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bamtech LLC (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (Major League Baseball)
• Inventors: Inzerillo, Joe
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Monshi, Samira
• Application Number:
  US13/856,741
• Time in Patent Office: 1,293 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43078 for seamlessly watching content streams when changing device, e.g. when watching the same program sequentially on a TV and then on a tablet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• 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

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to a novel approach for content protection. Specifically, various embodiments employ data feeds to continuously or periodically inform placeshifting devices of protected content. The placeshifting devices then filter or otherwise block the protected content from being re-transmitted over a network based on this information. In some embodiments, the data feeds take the form of Really Simple Syndicating (RSS) or Atom feeds. These data feeds may carry information about the protected content, such as the time, the title, and the channel of specific audio/video protected content. Based on this information, the placeshifting device can determine which content is protected and not eligible for re-transmission.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

a content provider causing one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks to be determined;

the content provider causing one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over the one or more communication networks to be determined, the one or more characteristics comprising at least one of;

one or more presentation times of the one or more media programs, one or more presentation channels of the one or more media programs, one or more estimated or actual durations of the one or more media programs, and one or more broadcast areas of the one or more media programs; and

the content provider causing one or more data feeds to be transmitted over the one or more communication networks to a placeshifting device,

wherein the one or more data feeds comprise the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over the one or more communication networks,

wherein the one or more media programs are received at the placeshifting device separately from the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs,

wherein the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs are determined so as (i) to identify that the one or more media programs are protected such that the one or more media programs are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks and (ii) to identify the one or more media programs to the placeshifting device such that the one or more media programs are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks by the placeshifting device, and

wherein all media programs belonging to a certain category are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks in response to receiving a threshold number of data feeds indicating that the certain category is protected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more data feeds are Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, Atom feeds, or Channel Definition Format (CDF) feeds.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more data feeds are transmitted from a web server, wherein the one or more data feeds are identified by one or more uniform resource identifiers (“

URIs”

), and wherein the placeshifting device is programmed to subscribe to the one or more data feeds using the one or more URIs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more media programs that are not intended to be transmitted over one or more communication networks are determined based on reviewing a programming schedule.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more media programs that are not intended to be transmitted over one or more communication networks are determined further based on determining that the one or media programs are subject to a blackout restriction.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the one or more media programs are received at the placeshifting device from an audio/video output device associated with the placeshifting device, and

wherein the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs are received at the placeshifting device from a device other than the audio/video output device.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein the one or more media programs and the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs are received at the placeshifting device from different sources.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more characteristics are transmitted over the one or more communication networks in advance of a future broadcast of the one or more media programs from the content provider to an audio/video output device associated with the placeshifting device.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having

instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

determining one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks;

determining one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over the one or more communication networks, the one or more characteristics comprising at least one of;

one or more presentation times of the one or more media programs, one or more presentation channels of the one or more media programs, one or more estimated or actual durations of the one or more media programs, and one or more broadcast areas of the one or more media programs; and

causing one or more data feeds to be transmitted over the one or more communication networks to a placeshifting device,

wherein the one or more data feeds comprise the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over the one or more communication networks,

wherein the one or more media programs are received at the placeshifting device separately from the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs,

wherein the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs are determined so as (i) to identify that the one or more media programs are protected such that the one or more media programs are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks and (ii) to identify the one or more media programs to the placeshifting device such that the one or more media programs are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks using the placeshifting device, and

wherein all media programs belonging to a certain category are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks in response to receiving a threshold number of data feeds indicating that the certain category is protected.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the one or more data feeds are Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, Atom feeds, or Channel Definition Format (CDF) feeds.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the one or more data feeds are transmitted from a web server, wherein the one or more data feeds are identified by one or more uniform resource identifiers (“

URIs”

), and wherein the placeshifting device is programmed to subscribe to the one or more data feeds using the one or more URIs.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the one or more characteristics are transmitted over the one or more communication networks in advance of a future broadcast of the one or more media programs from a content provider to an audio/video output device associated with the placeshifting device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the one or more media programs that are not intended to be transmitted over one or more communication networks are determined based on reviewing a programming schedule.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the one or more media programs that are not intended to be transmitted over one or more communication networks are determined further based on determining that the one or media programs are subject to a blackout restriction.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8,

wherein the one or more media programs are received at the placeshifting device from an audio/video output device associated with the placeshifting device, and

wherein the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs are received at the placeshifting device from a device other than the audio/video output device.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, one or more data feeds, wherein the one or more data feeds each comprise one or more characteristics of one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks, the one or more characteristics comprising at least one of;

one or more presentation times of the one or more media programs, one or more presentation channels of the one or more media programs, one or more estimated or actual durations of the one or more media programs, and one or more broadcast areas of the one or more media programs;

obtaining, at the computing device and from the one or more data feeds, the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks;

analyzing, at the computing device, the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks; and

preventing, at the computing device, transmission of one or more media programs based on the analyzing of the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks,

wherein the one or more media programs are received at the computing device separately from the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs,

wherein the one or more characteristics (i) identify that the one or more media programs are protected such that the one or more media programs are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks and (ii) identify the one or more media programs to the computing device such that the computing device prevents the one or more media programs from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks, and

wherein all media programs belonging to a certain category are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks in response to receiving a threshold number of data feeds indicating that the certain category is protected.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein the computing device is a placeshifting device,

wherein the placeshifting device receives the one or more media programs from an audio/video output device associated with the placeshifting device, and

wherein the placeshifting device receives the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs from a device other than the audio/video output device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more characteristics are transmitted over the one or more communication networks in advance of a future broadcast of the one or more media programs from a content provider to the audio/video output device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more data feeds are Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, Atom feeds, or Channel Definition Format (CDF) feeds.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more data feeds are transmitted from a web server, wherein the one or more data feeds are identified by one or more uniform resource identifiers (“

URIs”

), and wherein the computing device is programmed to subscribe to the one or more data feeds using the one or more URIs.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more data feeds are received directly or indirectly from a content provider.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more media programs that are not intended to be transmitted over one or more communication networks are determined based on at least one of:

reviewing a programming schedule, and determining that the one or media programs are subject to a blackout restriction.

22. A device comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive one or more data feeds, wherein the one or more data feeds each comprise one or more characteristics of one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks, the one or more characteristics comprising at least one of;

one or more presentation times of the one or more media programs, one or more presentation channels of the one or more media programs, one or more estimated or actual durations of the one or more media programs, and one or more broadcast areas of the one or more media programs;

a processor; and

a memory;

wherein the memory is configured to store instructions that, in response to being executed by the processor, cause the device to;

obtain, from the one or more data feeds, the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks;

analyze the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks; and

prevent transmission of one or more media programs based on the analyzing of the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks,

wherein the one or more media programs are received at the device separately from the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs,

wherein the one or more characteristics (i) identify that the one or more media programs are protected such that the one or more media programs are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks and (ii) identify the one or more media programs to the device such that the device prevents the one or more media programs from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks, and

wherein all media programs belonging to a certain category are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks in response to receiving a threshold number of data feeds indicating that the certain category is protected.

23. The device of claim 22,

wherein the device is a placeshifting device,

wherein the placeshifting device is configured to receive the one or more media programs from an audio/video output device associated with the placeshifting device, and

wherein the placeshifting device is configured to receive the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs from a device other than the audio/video output device.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the one or more characteristics are transmitted over the one or more communication networks in advance of a future broadcast of the one or more media programs from a content provider to the audio/video output device.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the one or more data feeds are Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, Atom feeds, or Channel Definition Format (CDF) feeds.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the one or more data feeds are transmitted from a web server, wherein the one or more data feeds are identified by one or more uniform resource identifiers (“

URIs”

), and wherein the device is programmed to subscribe to the one or more data feeds using the one or more URIs.

27. The device of claim 22, wherein the communication interface receives the one or more data feeds directly or indirectly from a content provider.

28. The device of claim 22, wherein the one or more media programs that are not intended to be transmitted over one or more communication networks are determined based on at least one of:

reviewing a programming schedule, and determining that the one or media programs are subject to a blackout restriction.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions when executed by at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more data feeds, wherein the one or more data feeds each comprise one or more characteristics of one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks, the one or more characteristics comprising at least one of;

one or more presentation times of the one or more media programs, one or more presentation channels of the one or more media programs, one or more estimated or actual durations of the one or more media programs, and one or more broadcast areas of the one or more media programs;

obtaining, from the one or more data feeds, the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks;

analyzing the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks; and

preventing transmission of one or more media programs based on the analyzing of the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs that are not intended to be retransmitted over one or more communication networks,

wherein the one or more media programs are received separately from the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs,

wherein the one or more characteristics (i) identify that the one or more media programs are protected such that the one or more media programs are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks and (ii) identify the one or more media programs to the at least one processor such that the one or more media programs are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks using the at least one processor, and

wherein all media programs belonging to a certain category are prevented from being retransmitted over the one or more communication networks in response to receiving a threshold number of data feeds indicating that the certain category is protected.

31. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 29,

wherein the one or more media programs are received at a placeshifting device comprising the at least one processor from an audio/video output device associated with the placeshifting device, and

wherein the one or more data feeds comprising the one or more characteristics of the one or more media programs are received at the placeshifting device from a device other than the audio/video output device.