Out-of band tokens for rights access

• US 9,892,241 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Blumenfeld, Steven M., Raduchel, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zarrineh, Shahriar
• Application Number:
  US14/987,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20160117486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 726 4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1458 by checking the subject access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2121 Chip on media, e.g. a disk or tape with a chip embedded in its case
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00253 wherein the key is stored on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0026 the key being stored as a barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00275 the key being stored on a chip attached to the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00731 involving a digital rights management system for enforcing a usage restriction
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00876 wherein physical copy protection means are attached to the medium, e.g. holograms, sensors, or additional semiconductor circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2537 Optical discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Access to content may be administered by storing content, the content comprising one or more selections, accessing a passive optical out-of-band token associated with the content, determining an access right for the content based on the passive optical out-of-band token, and enabling access to the content in accordance with the access right.

Claims

1. A method for distributing media content, the method comprising:

accessing, from across a network and from a remote media player, information related to an out-of-band token from the media content, the out-of-band token configured to be accessed by an out-of-band token sensor, and further configured to specify settings that include;

accessing information associated with accessing the media content, and

copying information associated with copying the media content,

wherein the out-of-band token resides in a different format than the medium used to store the media content, and wherein accessing the out-of-band token includes using an optical scanner to read an out-of-band token embedded in packaged in the media content;

determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token, the media content access rights associated with accessing the media content, wherein determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token includes determining an access right from among several access right settings for a particular instantiation of content from within the out-of-band token itself;

determining media content copy rights on the out-of-band token, the media content copy rights associated with creating copies of the media content; and

enabling access to the media content through the remote media player, the access associated with the determined media content access rights that includes accessing information and copying information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the out-of-band token includes using an optical scanner to read an out-of-band token from a nonrotating planar surface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the out-of-band token includes using an electronic interface to read an out-of-band token embedded in packaged in the media content.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the out-of-band token includes using an electronic interface to read an out-of-band token embedded in packaged with the media content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token includes determining an identifier for a particular instantiation of content from within the out-of-band token itself.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token includes determining an access right from among several access right settings from within the out-of-band token itself.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the out-of-band token includes using an optical scanner to read an out-of-band token from a rotating planar surface.

8. A media player used to access media content, the media player comprising a processor and a content access system configured to perform steps that include:

accessing, from across a network and from a remote media player, information related to an out-of-band token from the media content, the out-of-band token configured to be accessed by an out-of-band token sensor, and further configured to specify settings that include;

accessing information associated with accessing the media content, and

copying information associated with copying the media content,

wherein the out-of-band token resides in a different format than the medium used to store the media content, and accessing the out-of-band token includes using an optical scanner to read an out-of-band token embedded in packaged with the media content;

determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token, the media content access rights associated with accessing the media content, and wherein determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token includes determining an access right from among several access right settings for a particular instantiation of content from within the out-of-band token itself;

determining media content copy rights on the out-of-band token, the media content copy rights associated with creating copies of the media content; and

enabling access to the media content through the remote media player, the access associated with the determined media content access rights that includes accessing information and copying information.

9. The media player of claim 8 wherein accessing the out-of-band token includes using an electronic interface to read an out-of-band token embedded in packaged in the media content.

10. The media player of claim 8 wherein accessing the out-of-band token includes using an electronic interface to read an out-of-band token embedded in packaged with the media content.

11. The media player of claim 8 wherein determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token includes determining an identifier for a particular instantiation of content from within the out-of-band token itself.

12. The media player of claim 8 wherein determining media content access rights based on analyzing the out-of-band token includes determining an access right from among several access right settings from within the out-of-band token itself.

13. The media player of claim 8 wherein accessing the out-of-band token includes using an optical scanner to read an out-of-band token from a nonrotating planar surface.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein accessing the out-of-band token includes using an optical scanner to read an out-of-band token from a rotating planar surface.