Encrypted streams to receivers

• US 9,736,201 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Original Assignee: VIZIO, Inc.
• Inventors: McRae, Matthew Blake
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US14/561,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20160164932A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 709231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/108 when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1076 Screening of IP real time communications, e.g. spam over Internet telephony [SPIT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

A stream receiver device that receives information indicative of streams to be played from remote devices. The stream receiver has a network connection, receiving information indicative of streams to be played from remote devices, e.g., stream senders. A processor in the stream receiver operates to receive the information and operates to play a stream based on the information. The stream receiver has an access list, which can be a white list or a black list. The stream is played when allowed by the white list or not-blocked by the black list. The lists can also include times during which the entries are active, and file types to be allowed or blocked.

Claims

1. A stream receiver device that receives information indicative of streams to be played from remote devices, said stream receiver device comprising:

a network connection, receiving information indicative of streams to be played from remote devices; and

a processor, that operates to receive the information and operates to play a stream based on said information,

said stream receiver including an access list of remote devices where the list has multiple entries, and also includes a time period associated with multiple entries, each time period indicating times during which an entry is active and outside of which the entry is not active, and said processor comparing a first sender that sent the information to the entries in the list and comparing a current time to a time period during which the entries are active, and the stream receiver operating for playing the stream when the first sender is indicated by the list to be a sender that is allowed to play at the current time based on the entries and based on the comparing and not playing the stream when the first sender is indicated by the list to be a sender that is not allowed to play at the current time, based on both the entries and based on the comparing;

wherein said processor operates to not play information from the first sender if content from the first sender does not matches to said information about file types on said white list.

2. The stream receiver as in claim 1, wherein said list is a white list, and said comparing allows the first sender to play when information indicative of the first sender is on the white list and the current time matches to a time period associated with the entry for the first sender being on the white list, and not allowing the first sender to play when information indicative of the first sender is not on the white list and not allowing the first sender to play when information indicative of the first sender is on the white list but the time period associated with the first sender being on the white list does not match to the current time.

3. The stream receiver as in claim 1, wherein said list is a blacklist, and said comparing allows the first sender to play if information indicative of the first sender is not on the blacklist and allowing the first sender to play when information indicative of the entry for the first sender being on the black list but the time period associated with the first sender being on the black list does not match to the current time, and not allowing the first sender to play if information indicative of the first sender is on the blacklist and the time period associated with the first sender being on the black list matches to the current time.

4. The stream receiver as in claim 1, wherein the processor also includes information about file types, and said processor operates to only use items on the list if a file type of a stream matches to the list.

5. The stream receiver as in claim 4, wherein the information about file type includes a file extension.

6. The stream receiver as in claim 2, wherein the processor also includes information about file types, and only allows the allowed file types to be played.

7. The stream receiver as in claim 3, wherein the list also includes information about prohibited file types, and will not allow playing the prohibited file types.

8. The stream receiver as in claim 1, wherein said information indicative of the stream is a URL at which the stream is stored.

9. The stream receiver as in claim 1, wherein said list includes a department name that includes multiple computers therein.

10. The stream receiver as in claim 1, wherein said list includes unique identifying information indicative of a computer.

11. The stream receiver as in claim 1, wherein said remote device is at least one of a desktop or laptop computer, tablet computer, a cellular phone, a PDA, a gaming console.

12. A method of operating a stream receiver device, comprising;

a network connection, receiving information indicative of streams to be played from remote devices; and

a processor, that operates to receive the information and operates to play a stream based on said information,

receiving information indicative of a stream to be played from a remote device;

storing an access list of remote devices, where the list has multiple entries, and also includes a time period associated with multiple entries, each time period indicating times during which an entry is active and outside of which the entry is not active;

comparing a first sender from which the information was received, to the entries in the access list, and comparing a current time to a time period during which the entries are active and playing the stream when the first sender is indicated by the list to be a sender that is allowed to play at the current time based on the entries and based on the comparing and not playing the stream when the first sender is indicated by the list to be a sender that is not allowed to play at the current time, based on both the entries and based on the comparing;

wherein said processor operates to not play information from the first sender if content from the first sender matches to said information about file types on said black list.

13. The method as in claim 12, wherein said list is a white list, and said comparing allows the first sender to play only when information indicative of the first sender is on the white list and the current time matches to a time period associated with an entry for the first sender being on the white list, and not allowing the first sender to play when information indicative of the first sender is not on the white list, and not allowing the first sender to play when information indicative of the first sender is on the white list but the time period associated with the first sender being on the white list does not match to the current time.

14. The method as in claim 12, wherein said list is a blacklist, and said comparing allows the first sender to play if information indicative of the first sender is not on the blacklist and allowing the first sender to play when information indicative of the first sender is on the blacklist but the time period associated with an entry for the first sender being on the blacklist does not match to the current time, and not allowing the first sender to play if information indicative of the first sender is on the blacklist and the time period associated with the first sender being on the black list matches to the current time.

15. The method as in claim 12, wherein the list also includes information about file types, and further comprising playing the stream when the file types is indicated by the list to be a file types that is allowed to play and not playing the stream when the file types is indicated by the list to be a file type that is not allowed to play.

16. The method as in claim 15, wherein the information about file types is a file extension.

17. The method as in claim 13, wherein the list also includes information about file types, and only allowing the allowed filed types to be played.

18. The method as in claim 14, wherein the list also includes information about prohibited file types, and does not allow playing the prohibited file types.

19. The method as in claim 12, wherein said information indicative of the stream is a URL at which the stream is stored.

20. The method as in claim 12, wherein said list includes a department name that includes multiple computers therein.

21. A stream receiver device that receives information indicative of streams to be played from remote devices, said stream receiver device comprising:

a network connection, receiving information indicative of streams to be played from remote devices; and

a processor, that operates to receive the information and operates to play a stream based on said information,

said stream receiver including an access list of remote devices, said access list being a white list, that includes multiple entries, including devices that are allowed to pay, and and also includes a time period associated with multiple entries, each time period indicating times during which an entry is active and outside of which the entry is not active, and also includes information about file types that are allowed to be played,

and said processor operates to receive and play information from the first sender if the first sender is one of the entries on the white list, and a current time is within the time period associated with the entry of the first sender on the white list, and content from the first sender matches to said information about file types on said white list,

and said processor operates to not play information from the first sender if the first sender is not on the white list,

and said processor operates to not play information from the first sender if a current time is not within the time period indicated on the white list during which the first sender is active,

and said processor operates to not play information from the first sender if content from the first sender does not match to said information about file types on said white list.

22. A stream receiver device that receives information indicative of streams to be played from remote devices, said stream receiver device comprising:

a network connection, receiving information indicative of streams to be played from remote devices; and

a processor, that operates to receive the information and operates to play a stream based on said information,

said stream receiver including an access list of remote devices, said access list being a black list, that includes multiple entries, including devices that are allowed to pay, and also includes a time period associated with multiple entries, each time period indicating times during which an entry is active and outside of which the entry is not active, and also includes information about file types that are prevented from being played,

and said processor operates to receive and play information from the first sender if the first sender is not on the black list, and a current time is within at least one time period indicated on the black list during which the first sender is active, and if content from the first sender matches to said information about file types on said black list,

and said processor operates to not play information from the first sender if the first sender is not on the black list,

and said processor operates to not play information from the first sender if a current time is within at least one time period indicated on the black list during which the first sender is active,

and said processor operates to not play information from the first sender if content from the first sender matches to said information about file types on said black list.