Method and apparatus for assigning devices to a media service

• US 9,825,961 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2013
• Issued: 11/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helios Streaming, LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Etter, Michael, Martin, Greg Alan, Dijulio, Noah, Coulter, Ryan Cameron, O'Donnell, Laura J., Yeh, Roger, Price, Edwin Curmie, Starck, Ray Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Pearson, David
• Application Number:
  US14/774,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20160050212A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/629 to features or functions of an application
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A user interface is used to assign different devices and device types to media services where the number of different devices and device types that are capable of being assigned is determined by access privilege information corresponding to such media services. When a number of devices of a specific type are assigned where such a number exceeds a limit specified in the access privilege information, the assignment of additional devices of that specific type is halted.

Claims

1. A method for using a media service by a plurality of devices comprising:

determining an access privilege that a user has for the media service, wherein the access privilege comprising a device type restriction account and a floating account, the device type restriction account restricts access privileges for the plurality of devices by device type and the floating account does not restrict access privileges for the plurality of devices by device type;

determining one or more of the plurality of devices that correspond to each of the device type restriction account and the floating account of the user; and

providing a user interface indicating said one or more of said plurality of devices being assigned to the device type restriction account and the floating account for accessing the media service in view of said access privilege.

2. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

assigning said one or more of said plurality of devices to said media service in response to a user input.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said assigning is a binding of said one or more of said plurality of devices to said media service by using at least one of a:

media access control, hardware address, and an internet protocol address corresponding to each of said one or more of said plurality of devices.

4. The method of claim 2 where said assigning is halted when a number of devices are assigned and said number is set by said access privilege.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said assigning is temporary for a guest account and said temporary status is authorized by said access privilege.

6. The method of claim 1 where said one or more of said plurality of devices is of a first device type and said access privilege provides only the assignment of said media service to said first device type.

7. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

determining at least one device from said plurality of devices is at least one device of a first device type;

determining an additional at least one device from said plurality of devices is at least one device of a second device type, where first device type and second device type are different; and

indicating how many of a first number of said at least one device of said first device type and how many of a second number of said at least one device from said second device type can be assigned to said media service in view of said access privilege.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said access privilege defines said first number of said devices of first type and said second number of said devices of second type.

9. The method of claim 8 additionally comprising:

assigning to said at least one device up to said first number of devices of said first device type to said media service; and

assigning to said additional at least one device up to said second number of devices of said second device type to said media service.

10. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising:

halting the assigning of said media service to said at least one device when said first number is exceeded; and

halting the assigning of said media service to said additional at least one device when said second number is exceeded.

11. The method of claim 9 additionally comprising:

determining a second access privilege that a user has for a second media service;

indicating said at least one device from said plurality of devices in which said second media service can be assigned in view of said second access privilege; and

indicating said additional at least one device from said plurality of device in which said second media service can be assigned in view of said second access privilege.

12. The method of claim 11 additionally comprising:

assigning to said at least one device up to a third number of devices of said first device type to said second media service and said additional at least one device up to a fourth number of device of said second type to said media service.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said second access privilege defines said third number of said devices of first type and said fourth number of said devices of second type.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said assigning is binding of said at least one device or said additional at least one device to said second media service.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions, when executed by said processor, causes the apparatus to;

determine an access privilege that a user has for a media service, wherein the access privilege comprising a device type restriction account and a floating account, the device type restriction account is restricted by device type and the floating account is not restricted by device type;

determine one or more of a plurality of devices that correspond to each of the device type restriction account and the floating account of the user; and

providing a user interface indicating said one or more of said plurality of devices being assigned to the device type restriction account and the floating account for accessing the media service in view of said access privilege.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 comprising an additional instruction when executed by the processor causes the apparatus to assign said one or more of said plurality of devices to said media service in response to a user input.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said assigning is a binding of said one or more of said plurality of devices to said media service by using at least one of a:

media access control, hardware address, and an internet protocol address corresponding to each of said one or more of said plurality of devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 where said assigning is halted when a number of devices are assigned and said number is set by said access privilege.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said assigning is temporary for a guest account and said temporary status is authorized by said access privilege.

20. The apparatus of claim 15 where said one or more of said plurality of devices is of a first device type and said access privilege provides only the assignment of said media service to said first device type.

21. The apparatus of claim 15 additionally comprising instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said apparatus:

to determine at least one device from said plurality of devices is at least one device of a first device type;

to determine an additional at least one device from said plurality of devices is at least one device of a second device type, where first device type and second device type are different; and

to indicate how many of a first number of said at least one device of said first device type and how many of a second number of said at least one device from said second device type can be assigned to said media service in view of said access privilege.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said access privilege defines said first number of said devices of first type and said second number of said devices of second type.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 additionally comprising instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said apparatus:

to assign said at least one device up to said first number of devices of said first device type to said media service; and

to assign to said additional at least one device up to said second number of devices of said second device type to said media service.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 additionally comprising instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said apparatus:

halting the assigning of said media service to said at least one device when said first number is exceeded; and

halting the assigning of said media service to said additional at least one device when said second number is exceeded.

25. The apparatus of claim 23 additionally comprising instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said apparatus:

to determine a second access privilege that a user has for a second media service;

to indicate said at least one device from said plurality of devices in which said second media service can be assigned in view of said second access privilege; and

to indicate said additional at least one device from said plurality of device in which said second media service can be assigned in view of said second access privilege.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 additionally comprising instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said apparatus:

to assign to said at least one device up to a third number of devices of said first device type to said second media service and said additional at least one device up to a fourth number of device of said second type to said media service.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said second access privilege defines said third number of said devices of first type and said fourth number of said devices of second type.

28. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said assigning is binding of said at least one device or said additional at least one device to said second media service.