Handling user-specific information for content during content-altering operations

• US 9,582,505 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2011
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Alexander, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): GORTAYO, DANGELINO N
• Application Number:
  US13/071,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,168 Days
• Field of Search: 707/781, 707/732, 707/733, 707/734, 707/783, 707/784, 707/785, 725/25, 725/34, 725/133
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/437 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children

Abstract

A content player receives user-specific information from different users and associates the information with content. Subsequently, the player receives a request to perform a content-altering operation. In response, the player performs the operation such that the information for the requesting user is affected, but not the information for other users. The information may include a placeholder, an indication as to whether the content and/or the entire content has been accessed, a protection status indicating whether or not the content can be deleted, and so on. The information may be added to and/or configured to accompany and/or otherwise be associated with the content. The player may identify the user so that different information for different users can be associated with the content for the respective user, such as by prompting the user to select an identifier from a list or perform a “log in.”

Claims

1. A method for handling user-specific information for content during content-altering operations, the method comprising:

storing an instance of content at an electronic device comprising a television receiver having a satellite communication link or cable television communication link;

associating, utilizing at least one processing unit of the electronic device, user-specific information for the instance of content, wherein the user-specific information is received from a plurality of different users and is stored in at least one non-transitory storage medium of the electronic device, wherein the user-specific information identifies each user of the plurality of users who may access the instance of content at the electronic device;

presenting a user identification list to access the instance of content at the electronic device, wherein the user identification list includes identification of at least two users of the plurality of users who may access the instance of content at the electronic device;

receiving, utilizing the at least one processing unit, a request from a first user of the at least two users of the plurality of users to transfer the instance of content from the electronic device to a secondary electronic device;

determining, utilizing the at least one processor, that the transfer will alter the accessibility of the content for the first user of the at least two users of the plurality of users;

requesting, utilizing the at least one processing unit, identification confirmation of which user of the plurality of users requested the transfer;

accessing the instance of content at the electronic device;

transferring a copy of the instance of content to the secondary electronic device;

accessing the user-specific information for the instance of content for the first user;

transferring the user-specific information allowing access to the instance of content for the first user to the secondary electronic device with the association between the first user and the instance of content;

deleting from the at least one non-transitory storage medium of the electronic device the user-specific information for the instance of content for the first user, wherein removing the user information for the first user from the electronic device disables access to the instance of content at the electronic device for the first user; and

subsequent the deleting, presenting a user identification list to access the instance of content at the electronic device, wherein the user identification list does not include identification of the first user of the at least two users of the plurality of users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific information received from the plurality of different users comprises at least one of:

a last-watched placeholder for at least one of the plurality of different users,

a content instance protected status for the at least one of the plurality of different users, or

a content instance access completion status for the at least one of the plurality of different users.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the user-specific information for the identified user without deleting the user-specific information for the other users of the plurality of different users.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identified user is not able to access the at least one instance of content subsequent to deletion of the user-specific information for the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting to change a protection status of the at least one instance of content and changing a protection status associated with the user for the at least one instance of content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is prevented from accessing the at least one instance of content stored in the at least one non-transitory storage medium after deletion of the user-specific information for the user from the at least one non-transitory storage medium.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the user is able to access the at least one instance of content stored at the secondary electronic device after the user-specific information for the user of the plurality of different users is copied to the secondary electronic device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said operation of associating, utilizing at least one processing unit, user-specific information received from a plurality of different users with at least one instance of content stored in at least one non-transitory storage medium further comprises:

prompting each of the plurality of different users to select an identifier from a list of identifiers when the user-specific information is received;

associating the user-specific information for each respective user of the plurality of different users with the identifier selected by that user in response to the respective prompt.

9. An apparatus for handling user-specific information for content during content-altering operations, comprising a television receiver having:

at least one non-transitory storage medium that stores at least one instance of content comprising one of audio content and video content as well as computer-readable instructions;

at least one communication component that receives user-specific information from a plurality of different users; and

at least one processing unit that associates the user-specific information with the at least one instance of content, wherein the user-specific information identifies each user of the plurality of users who may access the instance of content at the apparatus;

wherein the at least one processing unit is instructed by the computer-readable instructions to;

present a user identification list to access the instance of content at the apparatus, wherein the user identification list includes identification of at least two users of the plurality of users who may access the instance of content at the apparatus;

receive a request from a first user of the at least two users of the plurality of users to transfer the at least one instance of content via the at least one communication component from the apparatus to a secondary electronic device,

determine that the transfer will alter the accessibility of the content for the first user of the at least two users of the plurality of users,

request identification confirmation of the user of the plurality of users who requested the transfer,

access the instance of content at the apparatus;

transfer a copy of the instance of content to the secondary electronic device;

access the user-specific information for the instance of content for the first user;

transfer the user-specific information allowing access to the instance of content for the first user to the secondary electronic device with the association between the first user and the instance of content;

delete from the at least one non-transitory storage medium of the apparatus the user-specific information for the instance of content for the first user, wherein removing the user information for the first user from the apparatus disables access to the instance of content at the apparatus for the first user; and

subsequent the deleting, present a user identification list to access the instance of content at the apparatus, wherein the user identification list does not include identification of the first user of the at least two users of the plurality of users.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing unit prompts each of the plurality of different users to select an identifier from a list of identifiers when the user-specific information is received via the at least one communication component and associates the user-specific information for each respective user of the plurality of different users with the identifier selected by that user in response to the respective prompt.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processing unit deletes the user-specific information for the user from the at least one non-transitory storage medium without deleting the user-specific information for the other users of the plurality of different users.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processing unit prevents the user from accessing the at least one instance of content stored in the at least one non-transitory storage medium after the at least one processing unit deletes the user-specific information for the user from the at least one non-transitory storage medium.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user is able to access the at least one instance of content stored in the secondary electronic device after the user-specific information for the user of the plurality of different users is copied to the secondary electronic device.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the request to transfer further comprises a request to change a protection status of the at least one instance of content.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the request to transfer further comprises a request to delete the at least one instance of content and the at least one processing unit deletes the user-specific information for the user without deleting the user-specific information for the other users of the plurality of different users.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processing unit does not allow the user to access the at least one instance of content once the at least one processing unit deleted the user-specific information for the user.