Method and apparatus for communicating between a requestor and a user receiving device using a user device locating module

• US 8,200,968 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 06/12/2012
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Zele, Krista
• Assistant Examiner(s): GEORGANDELLIS, ANDREW C
• Application Number:
  US11/960,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168
• US Class Current: 713/168
• 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 requestor;

communicating a requestor identifier, a site user identifier and an encrypted token from the requestor through the secure communication connection to the user device locator module;

verifying the requestor using the encrypted token;

communicating user receiving device data comprising a service identifier and user receiving device location data from the user device locator module to the requestor;

obtaining service data at the requestor based upon the service identifier;

using the location data to establish a communication connection between the user receiving device and the requestor; and

transmitting the service data between the requestor and the user receiving device using the connection.

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 connection 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 requestor comprises forming the secure communication connection 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 receiving device data comprises communicating a public key associated with the user receiving device.

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

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein verifying of the requestor comprises verifying the requestor using an 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.

27. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein verifying the requestor comprises verifying the requestor using the encrypted token, requestor identifier and the site user identifier.

13. A system comprising:

a user receiving device;

a user device locator module;

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

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

said user device locator module communicating user receiving device data comprising a service identifier and user receiving device location data to the requestor;

said requestor obtaining service data based upon the service identifier; and

said requestor and the user receiving device using the user device location data to form a peer-to-peer network and transmitting the service data through the peer-to-peer network.

14. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the user receiving device comprises a television receiving device.

15. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the user receiving device comprises a satellite television receiving device.

16. A system as recited in claim 15 wherein a primary service provider communicates primary service data to the satellite television receiving device through a satellite.

17. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the secure connection comprises a secure sockets layer connection.

18. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the requestor comprises a second user receiving device.

19. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the requestor 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 requestor communicates a service identifier corresponding to a service to the user device locator module and said user device locator module verifies 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 a user device identifier.

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

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

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

28. A system as recited in claim 13 wherein the user device locator module verifies the requestor using the encrypted token, requestor identifier and the site user identifier.