Redirection of streaming content

• US 8,010,984 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thukral, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Beliveau, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stanley, Mark P
• Application Number:
  US10/925,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20060080453A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,561 Days
• Field of Search: 725/86, 725 26- 30, 705 51- 54, 726/10, 726/21
• US Class Current: 725/86
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

Redirection of streaming content is described. In an implementation, a method includes receiving a request at a client from another client, wherein the request is to redirect on-demand content being streamed from a head end to the other client and includes a bookmark that specifies a point in time during an output of the on-demand content by the second client. A communication is formed for being communicated to the head end to cause redirection of the streaming of the on-demand content to the client corresponding to the point in time specified by the bookmark.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, by a head end, during streaming of a content item to a first client, a temporary license in response to a request to redirect streaming of the content item from the first client to a second client, wherein the temporary license grants the second client a conditional access right to a first portion of the content item;

receiving, by the head end, from the second client, a request to stream the content item to the second client, the request including the temporary license;

initiating streaming of the first portion of the content item to the second client based on the temporary license for output at the second client prior to granting of a regular license; and

during the streaming of the first portion of the content item to the second client based on the temporary license, supplying, by the head end, the regular license for the second client that specifies a conditional access right to a second portion of the content item that is not specified in the temporary license.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the content item is on-demand content.

3. A method as described in claim 2, wherein the content item is selected from the group consisting of:

video-on demand (VOD) content;

pay-per-view (PPV) content; and

network digital video recorder (DVR) content.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein:

the supplying the regular license by the head end is in response to a digital rights transfer request received from the first client following initiation of streaming to the second client;

the digital rights transfer request received from the first client includes a response and a token that the first client received from the second client following the initiation of the streaming to the second client, the token having been received by the second client from the head end; and

the token is used to authenticate the response from the second client.

5. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the conditional access right included in the regular license is based at least in part on a regular license to the content item for the first client.

6. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the request to redirect the streaming of the content item is received from the second client following a pause in streaming of the content item to the first client.

7. A method as described in claim 6, wherein the request to redirect the streaming of the content item is performed in response to another request received at the second client from the first client.

8. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising communicating the request to redirect the streaming of the content item from the second client to the head end, wherein:

the communicating is performed in response to another request received at the second client from the first client; and

the other request is communicated directly between the first and second clients.

9. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising communicating the request to redirect the streaming of the content item from the second client to the head end, wherein:

the communicating is performed in response to another request received at the second client from the first client; and

the other request is communicated between the first and second clients by utilizing the head end.

10. One or more computer readable media, wherein the media is not a signal, comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, direct the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a request at a second client from a first client, the first client having been receiving streaming of an on-demand content item from a head end, wherein the request is for redirecting the streaming of the on-demand content item to the second client, and includes a bookmark indicating a point in delivery of the on-demand content item;

as a result of receiving the request from the first client, forming, by the second client, a communication to the head end to cause redirection of the streaming of the on-demand content item to the second client corresponding to the point-in-time specified by the bookmark;

sending the communication to the head end, wherein, as a result of receiving the communication, the head end provides a temporary license for the second client;

receiving, by the second client, the temporary license in response to the communication, the temporary license including a conditional access right to at least one of;

a first portion of the on-demand content item that is less than an entirety of the on-demand content item, or

a first portion of the on-demand content item corresponding to a particular chapter of the on-demand content item;

in response to receiving the temporary license, sending, by the second client, to the head end, a request to stream the on-demand content item to the second client, the request to stream the on-demand content item including the temporary license;

receiving and outputting, by the second client, streaming of the first portion of the on-demand content item prior to receiving a regular license for the on-demand content item, the streaming commencing at the point indicated by the bookmark;

during the streaming of the first portion of the on-demand content item, receiving, by the second client, a regular license that specifies a conditional access right to a second portion of the on-demand content item that is not specified in the temporary license.

12. A method as described in claim 11, wherein the conditional access right included in the regular license is based at least in part on a regular license to the on-demand content item for the first client.

13. One or more computer readable media, wherein the media is not a signal, comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, direct the computer to perform the method of claim 11.

14. One or more computer readable media, wherein the media is not a signal, comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, direct the computer to perform operations comprising:

upon receipt of a first request, communicated from a first client implemented on another computer, to redirect a content item streamed to the other computer, forming, by a second client, a second request for communication to a head end to cause redirection of the streaming content item from the first client to the second client;

receiving, by the second client, a temporary license from the head end, the temporary license supplied in response to the second request for receipt of a first portion of the streaming content item from the head end;

receiving, by the second client, the streaming content item redirected from the head end in response to the second request in accordance with the temporary license, the receiving the streaming content item commencing prior to receipt of a regular license for the content item that specifies a conditional access right to a second portion of the content item that is not specified in the temporary license; and

during the streaming of the first portion of the content item, receiving, by the second client, the regular license specifying the conditional access right to the second portion of the content item.

15. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 14, wherein the content item is on-demand content.

16. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 14, wherein the second request includes a bookmark specifying a particular point in an output of the streaming content item corresponding to a point at which the streaming of the content item was paused at the first client.

17. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 16, wherein:

the streaming content item is received from the head end according to the temporary license supplied in response to the second request; and

the streaming content item received according to the temporary license is output by the second client for viewing by a user commencing at the point indicated by the bookmark.

18. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 14, wherein the computer executable instructions further direct the computer to receive the regular license from the head end during the receipt of the streaming content item corresponding to the first portion, the regular license enabling the second client to decrypt a remaining portion of the content item.

19. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 14, wherein the computer executable instructions further direct the computer to receive the regular license from the head end during the receipt of the streaming content item that includes a conditional access right based at least in part on a regular license to the content item for the other client.

20. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 14, wherein:

following receipt of the temporary license, the second client sends a response and a token to the first client, the token having been received from the head end; and

following receipt of the response and the token from the second client, the first client sends a digital rights transfer request to the head end including the response and the token from the second client for use in obtaining the regular license for the second client; and

the token is used to authenticate the response from the second client.

21. One or more computer readable media as described in claim 14, wherein:

the computer executable instructions further direct the computer to receive the regular license from the head end during the receipt of the streaming content item; and

the regular license includes a conditional access right that is not included in the temporary license.

22. A head end comprising:

a processor;

a transmitter that is communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to stream a content item over a network; and

memory that is communicatively coupled to the processor and is configured to maintain the content item and one or more modules that are executable on the processor to perform operations comprising;

establishing a session for streaming the content item to a first device based on a regular license held by the first device to receive the streaming of the content item;

receiving a request to transfer the session of the first device with the head end to a second device, so as to redirect the content item streaming to the first device, such that by transfer of the session, the content item is streamed to the second device;

in response to the request to transfer the session, providing a temporary license to the second device over the network, the temporary license including a conditional access right for the second device to output a first portion of the content item;

based on the temporary license, transferring the session from the first device to the second device and streaming the first portion of the content item to the second device; and

during the streaming of the first portion of the content item to the second device based on the temporary license, supplying a regular license for the second device, such that the regular license provides the second device with at least one additional conditional access right to a remaining portion of the content item that is not specified in the temporary license.

23. A head end as described in claim 22, wherein:

following receipt of the temporary license, the second device sends a response and a token to the first device, the token having been received from the head end; and

the head end supplies the regular license to the second device based on a digital rights transfer request received by the head end from the first device, the digital rights transfer request including the response and the token received by the first device from the second device, wherein the token is used to authenticate the response from the second device.

24. A head end as described in claim 22, wherein the at least one additional conditional access right is based at least in part on the regular license to the content item held by the first device.

25. A head end as described in claim 22, wherein the content item is selected from the group consisting of:

video-on demand (VOD) content;

pay-per-view (PPV) content; and

network digital video recorder (DVR) content.

26. A head end as described in claim 22, wherein the content item is on-demand content.

27. A head end as described in claim 22, wherein the request is communicated from the second device.

28. A head end as described in claim 22, wherein the request is communicated from the second device in response to another request received at the second device from the first device.

29. A head end as described in claim 22, wherein:

the request is communicated from the second device in response to another request received at the second device from the first device; and

the other request is communicated directly between the first device and the second device.

30. A head end as described in claim 22, wherein:

the request is communicated from the second device in response to another request received at the second device from the first device; and

the other request is communicated between the first device and the second device by utilizing the head end.

31. A system comprising:

a head end having one or more modules that are executable thereon to stream a content item over a network;

a first client having one or more modules that are executable thereon to perform operations comprising;

receiving the streamed content item from over the network; and

forming a first request that specifies redirection of the streamed content item, wherein the first request includes a bookmark specifying a particular point in an output of the streamed content item corresponding to a point at which streaming of the content item was paused at the first client; and

a second client having one or more modules that are executable thereon to perform operations comprising;

forming a second request in response to the first request, wherein the second request is for communication to the head end to redirect the streamed content item to the second client and includes the bookmark;

receiving, by the second client, a temporary license from the head end that is supplied in response to the second request, for receipt of the streamed content item from the head end, the temporary license includes a conditional access right to an initial portion of the streamed content item;

receiving the initial portion of the streamed content item from over the network in response to the second request for output at the particular point in the streamed content item as specified by the bookmark; and

during receiving of the initial portion of the streamed content item based on the temporary license, receiving, by the second client, from the head end, a regular license to receive a remaining portion of the streamed content item for output by the second client.

32. A system as described in claim 31, wherein the one or more modules are executable on the first client to communicate the first request to the head end such that the head end then communicates the first request to the second client.

33. A system as described in claim 31, wherein the one or more modules are executable on the first client to communicate the first request to the second client without utilizing the head end.

34. A system as described in claim 31, wherein the initial portion of the streamed content item is received from the head end at the second client and at least partially output for viewing by a viewer according to the temporary license supplied in response to the second request prior to the second client receiving the regular license.

35. A system as described in claim 31, wherein:

following receipt of the temporary license, the second client sends a response and a token to the first client, the token having been received by the second client from the head end; and

following receipt of the response and the token from the second client, the first client sends a digital rights transfer request to the head end including the response and the token from the second client for use in obtaining the regular license for the second client, wherein the token is used to authenticate the response from the second client.

36. A system as described in claim 31, wherein the one or more modules of the second client are further executable to receive a regular license from the head end that includes a conditional access right based at least in part on a regular license to the streaming content item for the first client.

37. A system as described in claim 31, wherein the regular license is supplied to the second client for a fee assessed by the head end.

38. A system as described in claim 31, wherein the one or more modules of the second client are further executable to receive the regular license from the head end that includes a conditional access right that is not included in the temporary license.

39. A system as described in claim 32, wherein the streaming content item is on-demand content.