System and method for coordinating asset entitlements

• US 9,953,155 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2010
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Robert, Arnaud, Drake, Edward C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Tsan-Yu J
• Application Number:
  US12/928,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20120150843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,694 Days
• Field of Search: 707722, 707769, 726 4, 726 28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems

Abstract

There is presented a system and method for coordinating asset entitlements, the system comprising a server including a processor and a memory and accessible by multiple domains over a network, and an asset entitlement database searchable by the server, wherein an entry of the asset entitlement database links a domain transcendent user identification (ID) of a user and at least one asset entitlement acquired by the user from any of the domains. In one embodiment, the server is configured to receive an asset entitlement inquiry from one of the domains, search the asset entitlement database for asset entitlements acquired by the user from any of the domains, generate a search result identifying the asset entitlements acquired by the user from the domains, and send data corresponding to the search result to the domain from which the asset entitlement inquiry was received.

Claims

1. A system for coordinating asset entitlements across a plurality of domains, each of the domains configured to associate users with respective domain specific user identifications (IDs) unique to that domain, the system comprising:

a server including a processor and a memory, the server accessible by the plurality of domains over a network;

an asset entitlement database, wherein an entry of the asset entitlement database links a domain transcendent user ID of a user and at least one asset entitlement acquired by the user from any of the plurality of domains;

the server configured to;

receive an asset entitlement inquiry including a domain specific user ID of the user associated with the domain transcendent user ID from one of the plurality of domains;

receive a provider information, wherein the provider information identifies a commercial entity corresponding to the one of the plurality of domains;

search, using the domain transcendent user ID, the asset entitlement database for asset entitlements acquired by the user from the plurality of domains, the asset entitlements having been acquired by the user prior to receiving the asset entitlement inquiry by the server;

generate a search result identifying the asset entitlements acquired by the user from the plurality of domains;

filter the search result to omit one or more identified asset entitlements for which the one of the plurality of domains lacks at least one of a domain asset right and a domain entitlement right;

send the filtered search result to the one of the plurality of domains;

offer to broker an acquisition of the at least one of the domain asset right and the domain entitlement right corresponding to one or more of the omitted asset entitlements on behalf of the one of the plurality of domains; and

broker the acquisition on behalf of the one of the plurality of domains if the one of the plurality of domains accepts the offer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of domains comprise secure domains.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one of the plurality of domains to which the filtered search result is sent comprises an authorized domain.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain transcendent user ID comprises an ID generated by a trusted third-party identity provider.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the server is further configured to identify the one of the plurality of domains as authorized to submit the asset entitlement inquiry before sending the filtered search result.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one asset entitlement acquired by the user corresponds to an asset selected from one of digital movie content, digital music content, and digital literary content.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the asset entitlements comprise combinations of a user asset right and a user entitlement right, the user asset right comprising the right to enjoy an asset by the user and the user entitlement right defining conditions governing enjoyment of the asset by the user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the asset entitlements comprise combinations of a user asset right and a user entitlement right, the user asset right comprising the right to enjoy an asset by the user and the user entitlement right defining conditions governing enjoyment of the asset by the user, the conditions selected from one of licensing of the asset by the user, rental of the asset by the user, and subscription to the asset by the user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain asset right comprising the right to provide an asset by a domain and the domain entitlement right defining conditions governing provision of the asset by the domain.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the domain asset right comprising the right to provide an asset by a domain and the domain entitlement right defining conditions governing provision of the asset by the domain, the conditions selected from one of sale of the asset by the domain, rental of the asset by the domain, and transmission of the asset by the domain over the network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to filter the search result according to an asset class specified in the asset entitlement inquiry to omit the one or more identified asset entitlements not included in the asset class.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to filter the search result according to an asset title specified in the asset entitlement inquiry to omit the one or more identified asset entitlements not associated with the asset title.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to filter the search result according to an asset feature specified in the asset entitlement inquiry to omit of the one or more identified asset entitlements not relating to the asset feature, wherein the asset feature is one of a theme characterizing the asset, a genre of the asset, and a performer corresponding to the asset.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the server is further configured to reconcile distinct domain specific IDs of an asset entitlement across the plurality of domains before sending the filtered search result, thereby enabling interpretation of the filtered search result by the one of the plurality of domains.

15. A method for use by a system having a processor, accessible to a plurality of domains to coordinate asset entitlements across the plurality of domains, each of the domains configured to associate users with respective domain specific user identifications (IDs) unique to that domain, the method comprising:

receiving, by the processor, an asset entitlement inquiry including a domain specific user ID of a user associated with a domain transcendent user ID of the user across the plurality of domains from one of the plurality of domains;

receiving, by the processor, a provider information, wherein the provider information identifies a commercial entity corresponding to the one of the plurality of domains;

searching, using the domain transcendent user ID, by the processor, an asset entitlement database, wherein an entry of the asset entitlement database links the domain transcendent user ID and at least one asset entitlement acquired by the user from the plurality of domains, the asset entitlements having been acquired by the user prior to receiving the asset entitlement inquiry by the processor;

generating, by the processor, a search result identifying the asset entitlements acquired by the user from the plurality of domains;

filtering, by the processor, the search result to omit one or more identified asset entitlements for which the one of the plurality of domains lacks at least one of a domain asset right and a domain entitlement right;

sending, by the processor, the filtered search result to the one of the plurality of domains;

offering, by the processor, to broker an acquisition of the at least one of the domain asset right and the domain entitlement right corresponding to one or more of the omitted asset entitlements on behalf of the one of the plurality of domains; and

brokering, by the processor, the acquisition on behalf of the one of the plurality of domains if the one of the plurality of domains accepts the offer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of domains comprise secure domains.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the one of the plurality of domains to which the filtered search result is sent comprises an authorized domain.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the domain transcendent user ID comprises an ID generated by a trusted third-party identity provider.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying the one of the plurality of domains as authorized to submit the asset entitlement inquiry before sending the filtered search result.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one asset entitlement acquired by the user corresponds to an asset selected from one of digital movie content, digital music content, and digital literary content.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the asset entitlements comprise combinations of a user asset right and a user entitlement right, the user asset right comprising the right to enjoy an asset by the user and the user entitlement right defining conditions governing enjoyment of the asset by the user.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the asset entitlements comprise combinations of a user asset right and a user entitlement right, the user asset right comprising the right to enjoy an asset by the user and the user entitlement right defining conditions governing enjoyment of the asset by the user, the conditions selected from one of licensing of the asset by the user, rental of the asset by the user, and subscription to the asset by the user.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the domain asset right comprising the right to provide an asset by a domain and the domain entitlement right defining conditions governing provision of the asset by the domain.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the domain asset right comprising the right to provide an asset by a domain and the domain entitlement right defining conditions governing provision of the asset by the domain, the conditions selected from one of sale of the asset by the domain, rental of the asset by the domain, and transmission of the asset by the domain over a network.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising filtering the search result according to an asset class specified in the asset entitlement inquiry to omit the one or more identified asset entitlements not included in the asset class.

26. The method of claim 15, further comprising filtering the search result according to an asset title specified in the asset entitlement inquiry to omit the one or more identified asset entitlements not associated with the asset title.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising filtering the search result according to an asset feature specified in the asset entitlement inquiry to omit the one or more identified asset entitlements not relating to the asset feature, wherein the asset feature is one of a theme characterizing the asset, a genre of the asset, and a performer corresponding to the asset.

28. The method of claim 15, further comprising reconciling distinct domain specific IDs of an asset entitlement across the plurality of domains before sending the filtered search result, thereby enabling interpretation of the filtered search result by the one of the plurality of domains.