Method and system for switching subscriber content

• US 9,661,370 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Codadeen, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US14/491,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• 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 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide that a content provider itself provide subscription content to a device of a second type, rather than to a device of a first type. For example, the device of the second type may be a mobile telephone or the like, while the device of the first type may be a set-top box. By providing the content itself the content provider can keep track as to when it is providing content to the device of the second type, and further, in some embodiments, take action to prevent reproduction of the content at the device of the first type, such that while the user is viewing the subscriber content on the device of the second type, another user is not able to view the same content on the device of the first type. In order to provide such an arrangement, the content provider is preferably provided with suitable content encoding and streaming server apparatus, which is able to encode the content in a format appropriate for transmission to the device of the second type (such as, for example, transmission to a mobile device).

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining by an apparatus of a content provider to transmit content via a first routing to at least a first device based upon a subscription of a user, wherein the apparatus is located outside of user premises;

determining by the apparatus that the content is requested by a second device based upon the subscription, wherein the second device is a mobile device;

determining by the apparatus to transmit the content via a second routing to the second device based upon the subscription; and

determining by the apparatus to transmit a control signal via the first routing to the first device when transmitting the content via the second routing to the second device,

wherein the control signal causes continuation of the content transmission to the first device and continuation of content recordation at the first device, while discontinuing current reproduction of the content by the first device.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce the content,

wherein the determination to disable reproduction is based, at least in part, on the determination of which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce content.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining by the apparatus that the second device becomes unavailable to receive or reproduce the content; and

determining by the apparatus to transmit another control signal via the first routing to the first device, wherein the another control signal causes enabling of reproduction of the content by the first device.

4. A method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining by the apparatus to resume transmission of the content via the first routing to the first device; and

determining by the apparatus to transmit a third control signal via the second routing to the second device when resuming the transmission of the content via the first routing to the first device, wherein the third control signal causes disabling of reproduction of the content by the second device.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the content includes audio content, video content, data content, or a combination thereof to be broadcast or steamed to the first device, the second device, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the discontinuing of the current reproduction of the content by the first device is based upon the subscription.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a mobile communication device, a set-top box, or a wi-fi enabled media player.

8. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus of a content provider to perform at least the following,

determine to transmit content via a first routing to at least a first device based upon a subscription of a user, wherein the apparatus is located outside of user premises;

determine that the content is requested by a second device based upon the subscription, wherein the second device is a mobile device;

determine to transmit the content via a second routing to the second device based upon the subscription; and

determine to transmit a control signal via the first routing to the first device when transmitting the content via the second routing to the second device,

wherein the control signal causes continuation of the content transmission to the first device and continuation of content recordation at the first device, while discontinuing current reproduction of the content by the first device.

9. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce the content,

wherein the determination to disable reproduction is based, at least in part, on the determination of which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce content.

10. An apparatus of claim 8, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine that the second device becomes unavailable to receive or reproduce the content; and

determine to transmit another control signal via the first routing to the first device, wherein the another control signal causes enabling of reproduction of the content by the first device.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to resume transmission of the content via the first routing to the first device; and

determine to transmit a third control signal via the second routing to the second device when resuming the transmission of the content via the first routing to the first device, wherein the third control signal causes disabling of reproduction of the content by the second device.

12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the content includes audio content, video content, data content, or a combination thereof to be broadcast or steamed to the first device, the second device, or a combination thereof.

13. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the discontinuing of the current reproduction of the content by the first device is based upon the subscription.

14. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first device is a mobile communication device, a set-top box, or a wi-fi enabled media player.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus of a content provider to at least perform the following steps:

determining to transmit content via a first routing to at least a first device based upon a subscription of a user, wherein the apparatus is located outside of user premises;

determining that the content is requested by a second device based upon the subscription, wherein the second device is a mobile device;

determining to transmit the content via a second routing to the second device based upon the subscription; and

determining to transmit a control signal via the first routing to the first device when transmitting the content via the second routing to the second device,

wherein the control signal causes continuation of the content transmission to the first device and continuation of content recordation at the first device, while discontinuing current reproduction of the content by the first device.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

determining which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce the content,

wherein the determination to disable reproduction is based, at least in part, on the determination of which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce content.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

determining that the second device becomes unavailable to receive or reproduce the content; and

determining to transmit another control signal via the first routing to the first device, wherein the another control signal causes enabling of reproduction of the content by the first device.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is caused to further perform:

determining to resume transmission of the content via the first routing to the first device; and

determining to transmit a third control signal via the second routing to the second device when resuming the transmission of the content via the first routing to the first device, wherein the third control signal causes disabling of reproduction of the content by the second device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the content includes audio content, video content, data content, or a combination thereof to be broadcast or steamed to the first device, the second device, or a combination thereof.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the discontinuing of the current reproduction of the content by the first device is based upon the subscription.