Apparatus and methods for ensuring delivery of geographically relevant content

• US 9,900,401 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2014
• Issued: 02/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hasek, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/486,983
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,254 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: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for ensuring delivery of geographically relevant content to IP-enabled user devices associated with a content distribution network. In one embodiment, the network (or designated content source) determines a geographic context or location of the user device, and uses this information to manage the packaging and delivery of content thereto so as to obey blackout restrictions and/or provide content which is relevant to the geographic context/location. In one variant, the user device comprises a mobile device such as a tablet computer or smartphone, and the content is delivered thereto over either a managed or unmanaged network infrastructure.

Claims

1. A method of delivering a plurality of content that is geographically relevant to a plurality of client devices in a content distribution network, said method comprising:

receiving said plurality of content, individual ones of said plurality of content having a geographic relevance associated therewith;

receiving a request for said individual ones of said plurality of content from at least one of said plurality of client devices;

determining that at least a portion of said requested individual ones of said plurality of content is not permitted in a first location associated to said at least one of said plurality of client devices;

based at least in part on said determination, identifying a redirection link, said redirection link being related to said first location of said at least one of said plurality client device;

sending said redirection link to said at least one of said plurality of client devices; and

monitoring a position of said at least one of said plurality of client devices to determine whether said at least one of said plurality of client devices becomes (i) disassociated from said first location and (ii) associated with a second different location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning one of a plurality of locations to respective ones of said plurality of client devices accessing said network, said first location being one of said plurality of locations and being at least temporarily assigned to said at least one of said plurality of client devices; and

associating individual ones of said plurality of locations to respective individual ones of a plurality of geographic regions.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based at least in part on said act of monitoring, determining that said at least one client device is (i) disassociated from said first location and (ii) associated with said second different location.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

assigning a first temporary digital identifier to said at least one of said plurality of client devices based at least in part on said association with said first location, and

assigning a second temporary digital identifier to said at least one of said plurality of client devices based at least in part on said disassociation from said first location and said association with said second different location, said second temporary digital identifier replacing said first temporary digital identifier.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a subsequent request for said individual ones of said plurality of content from said at least one of said plurality of client devices;

determining that said requested individual ones of said plurality of content are permitted in said second location associated to said at least one of said plurality of client devices; and

based at least in part on said determination of permission in said second location, providing said requesting client device access to said requested individual ones of said plurality of content.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said acts of receiving data indicative of said first location and monitoring of said at least one of said plurality of client devices each at least in part comprise receiving location data for said at least one of said plurality of client devices generated at least in part by a global positioning system (GPS).

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said redirection link provides access to alternate content which is permitted at said first location.

3. An apparatus for delivering a plurality of digital content that is geographically relevant to a plurality of client devices in a digital content distribution network, said apparatus comprising:

a first interface configured to communicate data with a network;

processor apparatus in data communication with the first interface; and

a storage apparatus in data communication with said processor apparatus, said storage apparatus configured to store at least one computer program, said at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said apparatus to;

receive said plurality of digital content, individual ones of said plurality of digital content having a geographic relevance associated therewith;

receive a request for said individual ones of said plurality of digital content, said request issued from at least one of said plurality of client devices;

determine that at least a portion of said requested individual ones of said plurality of digital content is not permitted in a location associated to said at least one of said plurality of client devices, said determination comprising consult of a list maintained in a digital data structure;

based on said determination, identify a redirection link, said redirection link being related to said location of said at least one of said plurality client device; and

send said redirection link to said at least one of said plurality of client devices;

wherein said list comprises;

data indicative of a plurality of identifiers, each of said plurality of identifiers associated with one or more of said individual ones of said plurality of client devices;

data indicative of a plurality of permitted locations, each of said plurality of permitted locations associated with one or more of said individual ones of said plurality of client devices; and

data indicative of a plurality of triggers, each of said plurality of triggers based at least in part on at least one of said plurality of identifiers.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed:

assign one of a plurality of locations to respective ones of said plurality of client devices accessing said network; and

associate, via a data structure, individual ones of said plurality of locations to respective individual ones of a plurality of geographic regions.

5. A method of delivering geographically relevant digital content to a client device in a digital content distribution network, said method comprising:

receiving a request for a plurality of digital content from said client device, individual ones of said plurality of digital content having data indicative of a marker associated therewith;

determining whether said requested said plurality of digital content are permitted in a first location associated to said client device;

based at least in part on said marker and said first location, identifying a redirection link to provide appropriate content associated with said marker, said redirection link being related to said first location associated to said client device;

sending said redirection link to said client device;

monitoring a position of said client device to determine whether said client device moves from said first location to a second location, said second location different from said first location;

based at least on a determination that said client device has moved from said first location to said second location, (i) disassociating said first location from said client device and (ii) associating said second location with said client device; and

determining whether said requested plurality of digital content are permitted at said second location.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising using a list to determine viewership rights of said client device, said list being maintained in a digital data structure.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein one or more of said plurality of digital content comprises relevance data associated therewith, said relevance data comprising least one of:

(i) data indicative of a geographic relevance, or (ii) data indicative of a temporal relevance.

8. The method claim 7, further comprising monitoring said individual ones of plurality of digital content to determine whether a change to said associated relevance data occurs.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a change to said associated relevance data has occurred, said change comprising at least one of;

(i) change to said geographic relevance, or (ii) a change to said temporal relevance; and

based at least on said determination of said change, consulting a list to determine alternate digital content to said client device based at least on said first location associated to said client device, said list being maintained in a digital data structure.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising, in response to a determination that said requested individual ones of said plurality of content are not permitted at said second location, providing said client device alternate digital content, said alternate digital content being permitted at said second location.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said act of providing alternate digital content comprises consulting a list to determine, based at least on said second location, said alternate digital content.

12. The method of claim 5, based at least in part on said act of receiving said request for said plurality of content from said client device, registering said client device via assigning an identifier to said client device.

18. A method of delivering geographically relevant digital content to one or more of plurality of computerized client devices in a digital content distribution network, said method comprising:

receiving a first request for digital content from one of said plurality of computerized client devices, said digital content having a first relevance data associated therewith;

determining, based at least on said first relevance data, that said digital content is not permitted at a location associated with said one of said plurality of computerized client devices;

based at least on said determination, identifying a redirection link to provide alternate digital content, said alternate digital content having a second relevance data associated therewith, said second relevance data indicating that said alternate digital content is permitted at said location;

transmitting said redirection link to said one of said plurality of client devices; and

monitoring said digital content to determine whether a change to said first relevance data occurs.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said first digital marker comprises at least one of:

(i) data indicative of a geographic relevance of said digital content, and (ii) data indicative of a temporal relevance of said digital content.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising determining a change to said first relevance data has occurred, said change comprising at least one of:

(i) a change to said data indicative of said geographic relevance, or (ii) a change to said data indicative of said temporal relevance, said change to said first relevance data indicating said requested content is permitted at said location.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving a second request for said digital content from one or more of said one of said plurality of client devices or another one of said plurality of client devices, said digital content having said changed first relevance data associated therewith, said another one of said plurality of client devices associated with said location; and

based at least in part on said changed first relevance data and said second request, transmitting a link to provide said digital content to said one or more of said one of said plurality of client devices or said another one of said plurality of client devices.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein:

said redirection link comprises a first uniform resource locator (URL) for accessing said alternate digital content, and

said link comprises a second URL for accessing said digital content.