METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR COMMUNICATING BETWEEN A REQUESTOR AND A USER RECEIVING DEVICE USING A USER DEVICE LOCATING MODULE

• US 20090164778A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chaudhry, Kapil
• Granted Patent: US 8,200,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/159
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer

Abstract

A system and method for communicating between a user device locator module and a user receiving device includes forming a secure connection with a user device locator module. The user receiving device communicates user identifier data and port data to the user device locator module. An authentication module authenticates the user data from the user device locator module and generates an authentication signal. The user device locator module registers the port data at the user device locator module in response to the authentication signal.

Claims

1. A method of communicating with a user receiving device comprising:

forming a secure communication connection between a user device locator module and a requester;

communicating a requestor identifier, a site user identifier and an encrypted token;

verifying the requester using the encrypted token;

communicating user receiving device data from the user device locator module to the requester; and

communicating data between the requestor and the user receiving device in response to the user receiving device data.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein forming a secure connection between a user device locator module and a requestor comprises forming a secure sockets layer connection between a user receiving device and a user device locator module.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein forming a secure communication connection between a user device locator and a requestor comprises forming the secure communication link between the user device locator and a second user receiving device.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein forming a secure communication connection between a user device locator and a requester comprises forming the secure communication link between the user device locator and a partner service provider.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating a service identifier corresponding to a service to the user device locator module and verifying the service is associated with the user receiving device.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 further comprising communicating a user device identifier to the user device locator module and wherein verifying the service is associated with the user receiving device comprises verifying the service is associated with the user receiving device in response to the user device identifier.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating user device data comprises communicating a public key associated with the user receiving device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating user device data comprises communicating location data and a public key associated with the user receiving device.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein communicating user device data comprises communicating location data.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein verifying an identity of the requester comprises verifying the identity of the requester using the authentication server of a primary service provider.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising communicating primary service data to the user receiving device.

12. A method as recited in claim 11 wherein communicating primary service data comprises communicating primary service data through a satellite.

14. A system as recited in claim 12 wherein the user receiving device comprises a television receiving device.

15. A system as recited in claim 12 wherein the user receiving device comprises a satellite television receiving device.

16. A system as recited in claim 15 further comprising communicating primary service data to the satellite television receiving device through a satellite.

17. A system as recited in claim 12 wherein the secure connection comprises a secure sockets layer connection.

18. A system as recited in claim 11 wherein the requester comprises a second user receiving device.

19. A system as recited in claim 11 wherein the requester comprises partner service provider and wherein the service data comprises partner service data.

20. A system as recited in claim 19 further comprising a primary service provider providing primary service data to the user receiving device.

21. A system as recited in claim 20 wherein the requester communicates a service identifier corresponding to a service to the user device locator module;

said user device locator module verifying the service is associated with the user receiving device.

22. A system as recited in claim 21 wherein the user device locator module verifies the service is associated with the user receiving device in response to the user device identifier.

13. A system comprising:

a user receiving device;

a user device locator module;

a requester forming a secure communication connection with the user device locator module and communicating a requester identifier, a site user identifier and an encrypted token;

said user device locator module verifying the requester using the encrypted token;

said user device locator module communicating user receiving device data to the requester; and

said requester and the user receiving device forming a peer-to-peer connection in response to the user receiving device data and communicating service data between through the peer-to-peer network.

23. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the user device data comprises a public key associated with the user receiving device.

24. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the user device data comprises location data and a public key associated with the user receiving device.

25. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the user device data comprises location data.

26. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the authentication module is disposed within a primary service provider.