System and method of restricting access to video content

• US 20080092157A1
• Filed: 10/02/2006
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Knowledge Ventures, L.P.
• Inventors: Kenyon, Erin Tania, Wollmershauser, Steven Michael, Walter, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,490,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• 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 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

Disclosed are a system and method of restricting access to video content. In a particular embodiment, the method includes sending a request for video content to a set-top box device from a remote user device via a video distribution network. The method also includes receiving location data at the remote user device via the video distribution network, the location data indicating a location of the remote user device. The method also includes indicating at the remote user device that the video content is inaccessible, when access to the video content is restricted within a region that includes the location.

Claims

1. A method of restricting access to video content, the method comprising:

sending a request for video content to a set-top box device from a remote user device via a video distribution network;

receiving location data at the remote user device via the video distribution network, the location data indicating a location of the remote user device; and

indicating at the remote user device that the video content is inaccessible, when access to the video content is restricted within a region that includes the location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether access to the video content is restricted within the region based on at least one marked data packet of the video content received at the remote user device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one marked data packet is a leading data packet related to the video content.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one marked data packet includes marking data indicating that the video content is subject to a blackout condition, that the video content is not subject to a blackout condition, that the video content is subject to a blackout condition within at least one market zone, that the video content is not subject to a blackout condition within at least one market zone, or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the location data indicates that the location of the remote user device is within a particular market zone associated with the location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the video content at the remote user device; and

displaying the video content at the remote user device when access to the video content is not restricted.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the video distribution network is an access network of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the video content is received from a video server of the IPTV system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the video content is received from a video content re-director of the set-top box device.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining whether the video distribution network is a particular private network of the IPTV system; and

determining whether access to the video content is available in exchange for a payment, when the video distribution network is the particular private network.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

instructing the set-top box device to send payment information to a billing server of the IPTV system; and

displaying the video content at the remote user device after the payment information is received at the billing server.

12. A method of restricting access to video content, the method comprising:

receiving a request for video content at a set-top box device from a remote user device via a private access network of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system;

receiving location data at the set-top box device via the private access network, the location data indicating a location of the remote user device; and

not re-directing the video content to the remote user device via the private access network when access to the video content is restricted at the location.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending blackout data to the remote user device, the blackout data indicating that the video content is inaccessible at the location.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising re-directing the video content to the remote user device via the private access network when access to the video content is not restricted, wherein re-directing the video content includes instructing a video server of the IPTV system to send the video content to the remote user device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving the video content via the private access network; and

determining that access to the video content is restricted at the location based on at least one marked data packet of the video content received at the remote user device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining whether access to the video content is restricted within a market zone that includes a location of the set-top box device; and

automatically recording the video content at the set-top box device, when the video content is not restricted within the market zone that includes the location of the set-top box device but is restricted within a second market zone that includes the location of the remote user device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising re-directing the video content to the remote user device via the private access network when access to the video content is not restricted at the location, wherein re-directing the video content includes sending the video content from a re-director of the set-top box device to the remote user device via the IPTV system.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether access to the video content can be obtained after payment information is sent to the IPTV system;

sending a payment interface to the remote user device;

sending payment information received from the remote user device via the payment interface to a billing server of the IPTV system; and

wherein the billing server instructs a video server of the IPTV system to send the video content to the remote user device.

19. A set-top box device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory device accessible to the processor, wherein the memory device includes instructions executable by the processor to;

communicate with a remote user device to receive a request for video content via a private access network of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system, and

determine whether a blackout enforcement application is installed at the remote user device; and

a re-director to re-direct the requested video content to the remote user device via the private access network when the blackout enforcement application is installed at the remote user device, wherein the blackout enforcement application indicates at the remote user device that the video content is inaccessible when at least one data packet of the video content indicates that access to the video content is restricted within a market zone that includes a location of the remote user device.

20. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the memory device includes instructions to:

send a command to an application server of the IPTV system to send offer data to the remote user device, the offer data related to an offer to install the blackout enforcement application at the remote user device; and

re-direct the video content to the remote user device after the blackout enforcement application is installed at the remote user device.

21. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the memory device includes instructions to:

communicate with a location server of the IPTV system to receive location data indicating a market zone where the remote user device is located;

determine whether access to the video content is restricted within the market zone; and

not re-direct the video content to the remote user device when access to the video content is restricted within the market zone.

22. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the re-director comprises a device coupled to or integrated with the set-top box device.

23. The set-top box device of claim 19, wherein the re-director comprises instructions stored within the memory device.

24. A computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor to:

receive video content via a private access network of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system;

communicate with the IPTV system to receive location data at the remote user device via the private access network, the location data indicating a location of the remote user device; and

indicate at the remote user device that the video content is inaccessible, when access to the video content is restricted at the location.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions to determine whether access to the video content is restricted based on at least one marked data packet of the video content received at the remote user device, wherein the at least one marked data packet includes marking data indicating that the video content is subject to a blackout condition, that the video content is not subject to a blackout condition, that the video content is subject to a blackout condition within at least one market zone, that the video content is not subject to a blackout condition within at least one market zone, or any combination thereof.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions to establish a secure connection with a video server of the IPTV system to receive the video content when access to the video content is not restricted.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions comprise a video content blackout enforcement application.