Content control in a device environment

• US 20050120376A1
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Published: 06/02/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett, Olsson, Stefan, Slemmer, John B., Jarboe, Andre, Kleinfelter, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 7,114,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/028 using expert systems only
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• 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: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• 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 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content 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 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Devices and methods are disclosed for controlling content within a device environment through interaction among electronic devices of the environment. The device has a transmitter, receiver, memory storing interaction rules and content rules and a processor for implementing the interaction rules and content rules in association with the transmitter, receiver, and other devices of the environment. Methods involve obtaining content information of the media about to be played and comparing the content information to the content rules stored at a device. An instruction about playback of the media content is generated. Methods may also involve seeking rights information for media content and determining whether rights information exists for identified media content in response to the request. When rights information does exist for the identified media content, a message is sent that includes the rights information.

Claims

1. A method of establishing content control through device interaction in an environment having a plurality of devices where one or more devices play media within the environment, the method comprising:

receiving media content information from a first device at a second device;

comparing the content information to content rules at the second device; and

based upon the comparison, directing a message to the first device, wherein the message includes an instruction about operation of the first device upon the media content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the content rules describe whether media content should be played, the method further comprising when the comparison indicates that the content is not to be played, directing a message to the first device, wherein the message includes an instruction to stop playing the media.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving the message at the first device;

interpreting the instruction in the message to stop playing the media; and

stopping the playing of the media.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

from the received message, creating a rule at the first device that indicates that the content information of the media is not to be played;

upon subsequent attempts to play the media at the first device, comparing the content information of the media to the created rule at the first device; and

in response to the comparison at the first device, stopping the playing of the media.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the content rules include a maximum permissible rating of media content and wherein the content information includes a rating of the media content, and wherein the step of comparing the content rules to the content information comprises comparing the maximum permissible rating to the rating of the media content to determine whether the rating of the media content exceeds the maximum permissible rating.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first device has content rules specifying a maximum permissible rating different than the content rules of the second device, the method further comprising:

when the comparison indicates that the content can be played, directing the message to the first device, wherein the message includes an instruction to begin playing the media;

receiving the message at the first device from the second device;

comparing the rating of the media content to the maximum permissible rating of the content rules of the first device;

when the maximum permissible rating of the content rules of the first device are higher than the rating of the media content and when the message instructs the first device to begin playing the media, then beginning the playing of the media; and

when the maximum permissible rating of the content rules of the first device are higher than the rating of the media content and when the message instructs the first device to stop playing the media, then stopping the playing of the media.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the content rules include an indication of rights to the media content and wherein the content information includes an identification of the media content, and wherein the step of comparing the content rules to the content information comprises comparing the indication of rights to the identification of the media content to determine whether a right to play the identified media content exists.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

delaying playing the media at the first device;

when the comparison indicates that the content is to be played, directing a message to the first device that includes an instruction to start playing the media;

receiving the message to start playing at the first device;

interpreting the instruction in the message to start playing the media; and

starting the playing of the media.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content rules include playback settings for media content and the content information includes an identification of the media content, and wherein the step of comparing the content rules to the content information comprises comparing the playback settings to the identification of the media content to determine appropriate playback settings to include in the instruction.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the content rules include maximum playback settings for media content and the content information includes an identification of the media content, and wherein the step of comparing the content rules to the content information comprises comparing the maximum playback settings to the identification of the media content to determine the maximum playback settings to include in the instruction.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the second device a change of state message sent from a third device, the message indicating a change of state of the third device that includes a user selection of one or more content rules for a second media content; and

creating one or more content rules for the second media content at the second device based on the message from the third device, the one or more content rules at the second device corresponding to the one or more content rules specified by the user selection at the third device.

12. A method of establishing content rules that control content playback through device interaction in an environment having a plurality of devices where one or more devices play media within the environment and one or more other devices maintain rights information for media content that governs whether the media content may be played, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a first device that plays media content at a second device that maintains rights information for media content, the request seeking rights information for media content and including an identification of the media content;

determining whether rights information exists for the identified media content at the second device; and

when rights information exists at the second device for the identified media content, sending a message to the first device that includes the rights information.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

when the rights information is sent to the first device, flagging the rights information at the second device as borrowed.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a message from a third device at the second device, the message requesting that the third device receive authorization based on the rights information at the second device to play the media content;

checking the rights information for the media content at the second device; and

when the rights information is flagged as borrowed, sending a message to the third device that indicates that the third device should stop playing the media content.

15. A device for establishing content control in an environment having a plurality of devices where one or more devices play media within the environment and at least one device maintains content rules, the device comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver;

components that play the media content;

a state sensor that is operably coupled to one or more of the components to recognize playback of the media by the components; and

a processor in communication with the transmitter, receiver, state sensor, and components, wherein the processor is configured to detect playback of the media and obtain content information of the media from the playback, direct transmission of the content information to at least one device, receive a message including an instruction regarding playback of the media from the at least one device, and implement the instruction.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein when the instruction indicates that the media is not to be played, the processor directs the components to stop playing the media.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein when the instruction indicates that the media is to be played, the processor directs the components to continue playing the media.

18. A device for establishing content control in an environment having a plurality of devices where one or more devices play media within the environment, the device comprising:

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

a processor in communication with the transmitter and receiver, wherein the processor is configured to receive a message from a device of the plurality that contains content information of media to be played, compare the content information to content rules to formulate an instruction about playback, and direct transmission of the instruction to the device of the plurality.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

components for playing media, wherein the processor is in communication with the components and is configured to obtain content information from media being played by the components, compare the content information to the content rules, and instruct the components about playing the media content based on the comparison.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the content information identifies the media and wherein the content rules specify whether the media should be played based on whether rights exist for the media.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein the content information specifies a rating of the media and wherein content rules contain a maximum permissible rating for the media.

22. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive media content information from a first device at a second device;

compare the content information to content rules at the second device; and

based upon the comparison, directing a message to the first device, wherein the message includes an instruction about operation of the first device upon the media content.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the content rules describe whether media content should be played, and further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to direct a message to the first device when the comparison indicates that the content is not to be played, wherein the message includes an instruction to stop playing the media.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the content rules include a maximum permissible rating of media content, wherein the content information includes a rating of the media content, and wherein comparing the content rules to the content information comprises comparing the maximum permissible rating to the rating of the media content to determine whether the rating of the media content exceeds the maximum permissible rating.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein the content rules include an indication of rights to the media content, wherein the content information includes an identification of the media content, and wherein comparing the content rules to the content information comprises comparing the indication of rights to the identification of the media content to determine whether a right to play the identified media content exists.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the content rules include playback settings for media content and the content information includes an identification of the media content, and wherein the step of comparing the content rules to the content information comprises comparing the playback settings to the identification of the media content to determine appropriate playback settings to include in the instruction.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the content rules include maximum playback settings for media content and the content information includes an identification of the media content, and wherein the step of comparing the content rules to the content information comprises comparing the maximum playback settings to the identification of the media content to determine the maximum playback settings to include in the instruction.

28. The computer-readable medium recited in claim 22, further comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive at the second device a change of state message sent from a third device, the message indicating a change of state of the third device that includes a user selection of one or more content rules for a second media content; and

create one or more content rules for the second media content at the second device based on the message from the third device, the one or more content rules at the second device corresponding to the one or more content rules specified by the user selection at the third device.