Viewing control management across multiple access points

• US 9,706,257 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chow, Lee M., Piepenbrink, David J., Sofos, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dubasky, Gigi L
• Application Number:
  US12/559,300
• Publication Number:
  US 20110067049A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,857 Days
• Field of Search: 725 25, 725 30
• 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 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

A method and system for controlling viewing of multimedia content includes collecting viewing control profiles and associated viewing control passwords via an Internet-protocol television portal, a web portal, and a mobile portal. The viewing control profile may be usable to restrict access to certain multimedia programs. The viewing control may be applied using a unified storefront application, providing access to multimedia content via the Internet-protocol television portal, the web portal, and the mobile portal, to offer and provide controlled access to the multimedia assets.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sending, from a server, an electronic trigger to a client device, the client device associated with a network address, the electronic trigger embedded in a stream of video content and uniquely identifying the video content;

retrieving, by the server, viewing control settings from a profile associated with the network address associated with the client device;

synchronizing, by the server, the viewing control settings with the stream of the video content;

receiving, by the server, a storefront request sent from the client device associated with the network address, the storefront request sent in response to a selection of the electronic trigger at the client device, the storefront request requesting an electronic storefront associated with the video content;

sending, by the server, the electronic storefront to the client device associated with the network address;

sending, by the server, purchasable media assets for inclusion in the electronic storefront, the purchasable media assets associated with the video content;

receiving, at the server, an electronic purchase request sent from the client device associated with the network address, the electronic purchase request requesting to purchase a media asset of the purchasable media assets included in the electronic storefront;

determining, by the server, an asset type associated with the media asset requested for purchase, the asset type selected from Internet protocol television assets, Internet assets, and mobile assets; and

selecting, by the server, an access point to a network, the server having multiple network interfaces to different networks based on the asset type associated with the media asset.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising filtering restricted media assets from the purchasable media assets.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising matching a password to a stored password.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing a rating of the video content to asset ratings associated with the purchasable media assets.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising restricting access to the video content.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an identity of a user associated with the client device.

7. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory device, the memory device storing instructions, the instructions when executed causing the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

sending an electronic trigger to a client device, the client device associated with network address, the electronic trigger embedded in a stream of video content;

retrieving viewing control settings from a profile associated with the network address associated with the client device;

synchronizing the viewing control settings with the stream of the video content;

receiving a storefront request sent from a client device in response to a selection of the electronic trigger, the storefront request requesting an electronic storefront associated with the video content;

sending the electronic storefront to the client device associated with the network address;

sending purchasable media assets for inclusion in the electronic storefront, the purchasable media assets associated with the video content;

receiving an electronic purchase request sent from the client device associated with the network address, the electronic purchase request requesting to purchase a media asset of the purchasable media assets included in the electronic storefront;

determining an asset type associated with the media asset requested for purchase, the asset type selected from Internet protocol television assets, Internet assets, and mobile assets; and

selecting a network interface to a network, among multiple network interfaces to different networks, based on the asset type associated with the media asset.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise matching a password to a stored password.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise restricting access to a website according to a rating associated with the video content.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise filtering restricted media assets from the purchasable media assets.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise receiving an identity of a user associated with the network address associated with the client device.

12. A computer-readable memory device storing instructions that when executed

cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

sending an electronic trigger to a client device associated with a network address, the electronic trigger embedded in a stream of video content;

retrieving viewing control settings from a profile associated with the network address associated with the client device;

synchronizing the viewing control settings with the stream of the video content;

receiving a storefront request sent from the client device associated with the network address in response to a selection of the electronic trigger, the storefront request requesting an electronic storefront associated with the video content;

sending the electronic storefront to the client device associated with the network address;

sending purchasable media assets for inclusion in the electronic storefront, the purchasable media assets associated with the video content;

receiving an electronic purchase request sent from the client device associated with the network address, the electronic purchase request requesting to purchase a media asset of the purchasable media assets included in the electronic storefront;

determining an asset type of the media asset requested for purchase, the asset type selected from one of Internet protocol television assets, Internet assets, and mobile assets; and

selecting a network interface to a network, among multiple network interfaces to different networks, reserved for the asset type associated with the media asset.

13. The computer readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise restricting access to a website according to a rating associated with the video content.

14. The computer readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise matching a password to a stored password.

15. The computer readable memory device of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving billing information associated with the network address.

16. The computer readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise:

sending an update command to the network address associated with the client device; and

after receipt of an acknowledgment of the update command, sending a viewing control profile to the network address associated with the client device.

17. The computer readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise filtering restricted media assets from the purchasable media assets.

18. The computer readable memory device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise processing a purchase transaction associated with the network address.