SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTHORIZING ACCESS TO CONTENT FOR A TELEVISION RECEIVER

• US 20110107378A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kooman, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 8,239,890 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42669 the medium being removable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42692 for reading from or writing on a volatile storage medium, e.g. Random Access Memory [RAM]
• 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 21/4627 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F

Abstract

Described herein are techniques for transferring content authorization information between television receivers. Authorization information for content and features associated with a television receiver is securely stored on a portable storage device. The portable storage device may be moved and connected to a different television receiver in order to transfer the authorization information to the different television receiver. The other television receiver accesses information on the portable storage device and allows the user to access the content and features that are authorized on the home television receiver.

Claims

1. A television receiver comprising:

a network interface that receives programming from a television distribution network;

an input interface that receives a portable storage device, the portable storage device storing data specifying a portion of the programming authorized for output by a second television receiver; and

a processor operable to access the data stored on the portable storage device, identify the portion of the programming authorized for viewing on the second television receiver based on the data and output the portion of the programming for presentation by a presentation device.

2. The television receiver of claim 1, wherein the input interface comprises a universal serial bus (USB) port configured to receive the portable storage device.

3. The television receiver of claim 1, wherein the data specifies at least one channel of the programming that the second television receiver is authorized to output.

4. The television receiver of claim 1, wherein the data specifies a pay-per-view program that the second television receiver is authorized to output.

5. The television receiver of claim 1, wherein the data specifies a video-on-demand program that the second television receiver is authorized to output.

6. The television receiver of claim 1, wherein the data specifies a software application authorized to operate on the second television receiver, and wherein the processor authorizes execution of the software application based on the data.

7. The television receiver of claim 6, wherein the software application is stored on the portable storage device.

8. A television receiver:

a network interface that receives programming from a television distribution network, the programming including authorized content that the television receiver is authorized to output and unauthorized content that the television receiver is not authorized to output;

a storage medium that stores first authorization information identifying the authorized content;

an input interface that receives a portable storage device, the portable storage device including second authorization information for a portion of the programming authorized for output by a second television receiver; and

a processor that receives user input requesting to output the unauthorized content, access the second authorization information stored on the portable storage device, determine whether the unauthorized content corresponds with the portion of the programming authorized for output by the second television receiver and output the unauthorized content for presentation by a presentation device responsive to determining that the unauthorized content is authorized on the second television receiver.

9. The television receiver of claim 8, wherein the input interface receives a second portable storage device and the processor is operable to initiate storage of data corresponding with the first authorization information onto the second portable storage device.

10. The television receiver of claim 8, wherein the input interface comprises a universal serial bus (USB) port configured to receive the portable storage device.

11. The television receiver of claim 8, wherein the data specifies a software application authorized to operate on the second television receiver, and wherein the processor authorizes execution of the software application based on the data.

12. The television receiver of claim 11, wherein the software application is stored on the portable storage device.

13. A method of operating a video output device, the method comprising:

identifying, in a conditional access module of a first video output device, unauthorized content that the video output device is not entitled to access;

accessing data, stored on a portable storage device communicatively coupled to the first video output device, the data specifying at least a portion of the unauthorized content that is authorized for output by a second video output device;

receiving a request, at the first video output device, to access the portion of the unauthorized content;

authorizing access to the portion of the unauthorized content based on the data; and

outputting the portion of the unauthorized content for presentation by a presentation device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein accessing the data further comprises:

accessing the data, on the portable storage device, through a universal serial bus (USB) port configured to interface the portable storage device with the first video output device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second video output devices comprise television receivers and wherein the unauthorized content comprises video content received by the first and second video output devices from a television distribution network.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the video content comprises at least one channel distributed through the television distribution network.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the video content comprises a pay-per-view program distributed through the television distribution network.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the video content comprises video on demand content distributed through the television distribution network.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the unauthorized content comprises at least one software application executable by the first and second video output devices and the data comprises an authorization to execute the software application.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the software application is stored on the portable storage device.