Method for operating a network as well as a local network and network component

• US 9,673,992 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing Dtv
• Inventors: Weber, Michael, Htter, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Vaughan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US12/449,907
• Publication Number:
  US 20100115629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,395 Days
• Field of Search: 726 30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2821 Avoiding conflicts related to the use of home appliances cryptographic protocols H04L9/00; protocols for network security H04L63/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a network as well as a local network comprising network components and to network components, in particular of a home network, where a functional command is generated, which is configured to execute an assigned function in a network station, wherein a user identification, which is derived from the collected user data, is assigned to the functional command, the assigned user identification is evaluated in the network station in response to executing the functional command and the functional command is executed when, in response to the evaluation of the corresponding user identification, it is established that the functional command is approved in connection with the assigned user identification.

Claims

1. A method for operating a home network, where a functional command is generated responsive to a user action of a second user, which is configured to execute an assigned function in a network station, wherein user data is made available for the second user activating the functional command, an individual user identification is derived from the available user data and assigned to the functional command, the method comprising:

transferring the functional command including the assigned user identification for the second user over the network to the network station,

assigning an identifier to an audio/video data play back or audio/video data recording process, said identifier having been assigned to said audio/video data play back or audio/video data recording process by the time a first user has preprogrammed said audio/video data playback or audio/video data recording process,

wherein the functional command includes a control command for controlling said preprogrammed audio/video data playback or audio/video data recording process, and

upon executing the functional command, verifying in said network station whether the identifier is assigned to the preprogrammed audio/video data playback or audio/video data recording process, wherein the verification includes a comparison of the user identification for the second user with said identifier, wherein the preprogrammed audio/video data playback or audio/video data recording process is locked, until the preprogrammed audio/video data playback or audio/video data recording process is carried out, and therefore cannot be modified by execution of the functional command if the user identification for the second user does not match the identifier assigned to the preprogrammed audio/video data playback or audio/video data recording process.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic data stored in the memory include user account data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, upon executing the functional command, process data are generated which describe a process, which is to be initiated as a result of the functional command, wherein an identifier, which corresponds to the user identification assigned to the functional command, is assigned to the electronic process data.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifier is assigned to the electronic process data or to the user account data by means of an allocation table, which is stored in a memory.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user identification includes a value, which is determined from the collected user data by means of a hash function.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user data include a user password, which is input by the user.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the derived user identification comprises the age of the user.

8. An apparatus for the use in a method according to claim 1, the apparatus comprising:

a preprogrammed audio/video data play back means or a preprogrammed audio/video data recording means, said audio/video data play back means or audio/video data recording means performing an audio/video data play back process or audio/video data recording process in the preprogrammed form,

wherein an identifier is assigned to said audio/video data play back process or audio/video data recording process, said identifier having been assigned to said audio/video data play back process or audio/video data recording process by the time a first user has preprogrammed the audio/video data play back or audio/video data recording process,

the apparatus further comprising

a processing unit configured to evaluate an individual user identification of a second user, which is assigned to a functional command received over the network from a network station, wherein the functional command includes a control command for controlling said running preprogrammed audio/video data play back or audio/video data recording process of the network component;

an execution unit configured to execute the functional command, and verify whether an identifier is assigned to said running preprogrammed audio/video data play back or audio/video data recording process, the verification operation including a comparison of the user identification of the second user from the received functional command with the identifier, which is assigned to said running preprogrammed process, wherein the preprogrammed process is locked, until the preprogrammed process finishes running, and cannot be modified by execution of the received functional command if the user identification of the second user does not match the identifier assigned to the preprogrammed audio/video data play back or audio/video data recording process.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the electronic data stored in the memory include user account data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein, upon executing the functional command, process data is generated which describes a process, which is to be initiated as a result of the functional command, wherein an identifier, which corresponds to the user identification assigned to the functional command, is assigned to the electronic process data.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the identifier is assigned to the electronic process data or to the user account data by means of an allocation table, which is stored in a memory.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the user identification includes a value, which is determined from the collected user data by means of a hash function.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the user data include a user password, which is input by the user.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the derived user identification comprises the age of the user.