Remote access management

• US 7,890,598 B2
• Filed: 05/02/2005
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Lakamp, Brian D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky; Moustafa M
• Application Number:
  US11/120,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20060253545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,115 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/246, 709/224, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/435 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/125 involving control of end-device applications over a network

Abstract

A remote access management service for enabling remote access to an item of media content stored in a network device from a remote device. The network device includes a remote access server application program and account information identifying the remote device, and the remote device includes a remote access client application program. The management service comprises: an interface configured to provide network connections to the network device and the remote device; and a remote access management application program to collect information on remote access analysis by monitoring remote access transactions between the remote device and the network device, the remote access management application program operating to receive a remote access request from the remote access client application program including the account information and a content identifier indicating the item of media content.

Claims

1. A remote access management service for enabling remote access to an item of media content stored in a network device from a remote device, said network device including a remote access server application program and account information identifying said remote device, and said remote device including a remote access client application program, the service comprising:

an interface configured to provide network connections to said network device and said remote device;

a set of rules to determine whether the requested remote access is appropriate so that the request can be authorized by allowing the remote access management application program to require delays between media content acquisition and remote access; and

a remote access management application program to;

collect information on remote access analysis by monitoring remote access transactions between said remote access request from said remote access client application program including said account information and content identifier indicating said item of media content; and

perform statistical analysis of remote access configurations and usages based on the set of rules.

2. The remote access management service of claim 1, wherein said remote access management application program authorizes said remote access request based on said account information, said content identifier, and said collected information on remote access analysis.

3. The remote access management service of claim 1, wherein said item of media content includes a music file.

4. The remote access management service of claim 1, wherein said item of media content includes a movie file.

5. The remote access management service of claim 1, wherein said item of media content includes a program tile.

6. The remote access management service of claim 1, wherein said network device includes a personal computer.

8. The remote access management service of claim 1, wherein said set of rules includes a rule to prevent simultaneous access by the same account from different remote devices.

7. The remote access management service of clam 1, wherein said remote device includes a laptop computer.

9. A remote access management system, comprising:

a network device including first data storage storing an item of media content and a first network interlace, said network device storing a remote access server application program and account information;

a remote device including second data storage and a second network interface, said remote device storing a remote access client application,

wherein said account information stored in said network device identifies said remote device;

a remote access management service having a network connection to said network device through said first network interface and a network connection to said remote device through said second network interface;

a set of rules to determine whether the requested remote access is appropriate so that the request can be authorized by allowing the remote access server application program to require delays between media content acquisition and remote access; and

a remote access management application program stored by said remote access management service,

wherein said remote access management application program collects information on remote access analysis by monitoring remote access transactions between said remote device and said network device, said remote access management application program operating to receive a remote access request from said remote access client application program including said account information and a content identifier indicating said item of media content, said remote access management application program configured to authorize said remote access request based on said account information, said content identifier, and said collected information on remote access analysis, and

wherein said remote access management application program performs statistical analysis of remote access configurations and usages based on the set of rules.

10. A method of managing remote access, comprising:

generating account information at a network device storing an item of content, said account information indicating said network device and a remote device;

sending said account information to a remote access management service;

sending a remote access request from said remote device to said remote access management service, said remote access request including remote device information indicating said remote device, including account information indicating a network device and a remote access account, and including a content identifier indicating said item of content;

receiving said remote access request at said remote access management server;

providing one or more authorization rules to determine whether the remote access request is appropriate;

performing statistical analysis of remote access configurations and usages based on said one or more authorization rules to determine an authorization status, which indicates whether said remote access request has been authorized or not;

authorizing said remote access request depending on said authorization status to generate an authorization result, said authorizing providing remote access for said remote device to said item of content on said network device by allowing the remote access management service to require delays between media content acquisition and remote access; and

updating said remote access analysis information based on said remote access request and said authorization result.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said performing statistical analysis includes

preventing simultaneous access by the same account from different remote devices.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said performing statistical analysis includes

preventing simultaneous access by the same account from different remote networks.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said performing statistical analysis includes

preventing access by the same account from multiple remote networks at a relatively high frequency.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said access from multiple remote networks at a relatively high frequency includes multiple accesses in a short period of time from multiple remote networks.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of rules is selected based on a content identifier that identifies the item of media content to access.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein a different set of rules is selected for each item of media content.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of rules is set by a media company.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of rules includes basing access authorization on usage time of day pattern.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of rules includes specifying restrictions on remote access to certain geographical areas.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote access usages are based on prior and/or current remote access usages.

21. A computer program, stored on a tangible storage medium, for managing remote access, the program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to:

generate account information at a network device storing an item of content, said account information indicating said network device and a remote device;

send said account information to a remote access management service;

send a remote access request from said remote device to said remote access management service, said remote access request including remote device information indicating said remote device, including account information indicating a network device and a remote access account, and including a content identifier indicating said item of content;

receive said remote access request at said remote access management server;

provide one or more authorization rules to determine whether the remote access request is appropriate;

perform statistical analysis of remote access configurations and usages based on said one or more authorization rules to determine an authorization status, which indicates whether said remote access request has been authorized or not;

authorize said remote access request depending on said authorization status to generate an authorization result, said authorizing providing remote access for said remote device to said item of content on said network device by allowing the remote access management service to require delays between media content acquisition and remote access; and

update said remote access analysis information based on said remote access request and said authorization result.

22. A system for managing remote access, comprising:

means for generating account information at a network device storing an item of content, said account information indicating said network device and a remote device;

means for sending said account information to a remote access management service;

means for sending a remote access request from said remote device to said remote access management service, said remote access request including remote device information indicating said remote device, including account information indicating a network device and a remote access account, and including a content identifier indicating said item of content;

means for receiving said remote access request at said remote access management server;

means for providing one or more authorization rules to determine whether the remote access request is appropriate;

means for performing statistical analysis of remote access configurations and usages based on said one or more authorization rules to determine an authorization status;

means for authorizing said remote access request depending on said authorization status to generate an authorization result, said authorizing providing remote access for said remote device to said item of content on said network device by allowing the remote access management service to require delays between media content acquisition and remote access; and

means for updating said remote access analysis information based on said remote access request and said authorization result.