System for providing alternative services

• US 7,975,277 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2000
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jerding, Dean F., Rodriguez, Arturo A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry; Hunter B.
• Application Number:
  US09/542,484
• Time in Patent Office: 4,110 Days
• Field of Search: 725 1- 8, 725 25- 31, 725/38, 725 39- 55, 725/93
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4586 Content update operation triggered locally, e.g. by comparing the version of software modules in a DVB carousel to the version stored locally deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction of the data by redundancy during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• 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 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

The present invention provides a system for providing alternative services in a television system. In one implementation, a subscriber is provided an alternative service upon attempting to access an unauthorized service, thereby providing a framework for efficient control of conditional access and enhanced services. In addition, in one implementation, user device limitations or variations are handled conveniently through the same multi-purpose system for providing alternative services.

Claims

1. A method for a client device with a processor and memory that is coupled to a server device to provide a subscriber an alternative service upon accessing an unauthorized service, comprising the steps of:

receiving from the server device and storing in the memory a service database and an authorization database, wherein the service database includes a channel table referencing a plurality of services corresponding to a plurality of channels and a service table defining the plurality of services and including the definition of alternate services assigned to at least one of the plurality of services, and wherein the authorization database includes a list of authorizations individual to the subscriber and corresponding to the plurality of services;

accessing the service database responsive to the subscriber attempting to access a desired channel to determine a first service corresponding to the desired channel;

determining whether the subscriber is authorized for the first service according to the authorization database, wherein the client device presents the first service to the subscriber on a display device responsive to the authorization database revealing that the subscriber is authorized for the first service; and

presenting one of the alternate services according to the service database responsive to the subscriber being unauthorized to receive the first service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

instructing a service application manager client in the client device to receive the service database and the authorization database from the server device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

instructing a navigation module in the client device to receive the desired channel request, wherein the navigation module polls the service application manager client to determine the first service that corresponds to the desired channel.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of:

instructing the service application manager client to access the service database, wherein the service application manager client communicates to the navigation module the first service corresponding to the desired channel.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

instructing the navigation module to poll the service application manager client to determine whether the subscriber is authorized to receive the first service.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

instructing the service application manager client to access the authorization database contained on a service application manager database, wherein the service application manager client communicates to the navigation module an authorization status for the subscriber corresponding to the first service.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

instructing the navigation module to present the first service on the display device if the authorization status denotes that the subscriber is authorized to receive the first service.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

instructing the navigation module to poll the service application manager client to determine the one of the alternate services to the first service if the authorization status denotes that the subscriber is not authorized to receive the first service.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the navigation module presents the one of the alternate services on the display device if the service application manager client communicates to the navigation module that the one of the alternate services is authorized for the subscriber.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first service is an enhanced version of a basic service, and wherein the enhanced version includes one or more functions not provided by the basic service.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the functions of the enhanced version of the basic service is an ability to record and save the first service in the memory.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the functions of the enhanced version of the basic service is an ability to pause, stop, resume, replay, rewind, and fast-forward the first service on a real-time basis.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein a first user input requesting to activate the first service corresponds to a request for a first television channel associated with the first service and wherein responsive to the first user input a tuner in the client device is tuned to a single television channel to provide a second service, said single television channel being different than the first television channel.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the functions of the enhanced version of the basic service is an ability to present the first service with a superior audio quality.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of utilizing a pointer to assign the alternate services.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of mapping at least one of the alternate services to one of the other services of the plurality of services.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the alternate services is performed by assigning one of the services to another of the services which are other than adjacent to one another within the service table.

18. A system for a client device with a processor and memory that is coupled to a server device to provide a subscriber an alternative service upon accessing an unauthorized service, comprising:

logic configured to receive from said server device and store in said memory a service database and an authorization database, wherein said service database includes a channel table referencing a plurality of services corresponding to a plurality of channels and a service table defining said plurality of services and including the definition of alternate services assigned to at least one of the plurality of services, and wherein said authorization database includes a list of authorizations individual to said subscriber and corresponding to said plurality of services;

logic configured to access said service database responsive to said subscriber attempting to access a desired channel to determine a first service corresponding to said desired channel;

logic configured to determine whether said subscriber is authorized for said first service according to said authorization database, wherein said client device presents said first service to said subscriber on a display device responsive to said authorization database revealing that said subscriber is authorized for said first service; and

logic configured to present one of the alternate services according to said service database responsive to said subscriber being unauthorized to receive said first service.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

logic configured to implement a service application manager client in said client device to receive said service database and said authorization database from said server device.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

logic configured to implement a navigation module in said client device to receive said desired channel request, wherein said navigation module polls said service application manager client to determine said first service that corresponds to said desired channel.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

logic configured to implement said service application manager client to access said service database contained on a service application manager database, wherein said service application manager client communicates to said navigation module said first service corresponding to said desired channel.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

logic configured to implement said navigation module to poll said service application manager client to determine whether said subscriber is authorized to receive said first service.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

logic configured to implement said service application manager client to access said authorization database contained on said service application manager database, wherein said service application manager client communicates to said navigation module an authorization status for said subscriber corresponding to said first service.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

logic configured to implement said navigation module to present said first service on said display device if said authorization status denotes that said subscriber is authorized to receive said first service.

25. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

logic configured to implement said navigation module to poll said service application manager client to determine the one of the alternate services to said first service if said authorization status denotes that said subscriber is not authorized to receive said first service.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein said navigation module presents the one of the alternate services on said display device if said service application manager client communicates to said navigation module that the one of the alternate services is authorized for said subscriber.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the first service is an enhanced version of a basic service, and wherein the enhanced version includes one or more functions not provided by the basic service.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein one of the functions of the enhanced version of the basic service is an ability to record and save the first service in the memory.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein one of the functions of the enhanced version of the basic service is an ability to pause, stop, resume, replay, rewind, and fast-forward the first service on a real-time basis.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein one of the functions of the enhanced version of the basic service is an ability to present the first service with a superior audio quality.

31. The system of claim 18, wherein a pointer is utilized to assign the alternate services.

32. The system of claim 18, wherein one service of the service table is mapped to another service of the service table to define the one of the alternate services.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the one service is other than adjacent to the other service within the service table.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein one of the services of the plurality of services and the one of the alternate services assigned to the one service are other than in sequential order relative to one another within the service table.