Personal content server apparatus and methods

• US 8,341,246 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: LaJoie, Michael L., Hayashi, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean Gilles, Jude
• Application Number:
  US13/405,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20120157043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 305 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/203, 709/201, 709/217, 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0256 User search
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2181 comprising remotely distributed storage units, e.g. when movies are replicated over a plurality of video servers distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS], H04L67/1097
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

Personal content server apparatus and associated methods that allow a user (e.g., cable or satellite network subscriber) to access content, such as a video program, from a location outside the subscriber'"'"'s network. In one embodiment, a personal content server streams the content to the subscriber over a network connection from the local e.g., (subscription) network to a remote network upon authorization by a content manager process. Various access, business or operational rules are applied depending on the content and delivery mode; e.g., to live video broadcast, video-on-demand (VOD), or archived content from the subscriber'"'"'s digital video recorder (DVR) or networked PVR. Secondary content (e.g., promotions, advertisements, etc.) can also be selectively replaced if desired in order to make the remotely delivered content more appropriate to the remote user'"'"'s context.

Claims

1. A method of delivering content over a network to a user mobile device, comprising:

enabling a user to register a user mobile device with a content source, said user mobile device registration occurring substantially at a server entity of said network, and said user mobile device registration comprising said server entity storing user mobile device identification information;

receiving a request initiated by said user for access to content, said request comprising at least said user mobile device identification information;

identifying one or more services that said user mobile device is entitled to receive from said network based at least in part on identifying a subscription level of said user mobile device within said network via said user mobile device identification information;

determining whether the user mobile device is entitled to access the requested content using the one or more services; and

when it is determined that said user mobile device is entitled to access said content, providing access to said content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said server entity comprises an Internet-based server, and said registration comprises registration via an Internet website.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said access to said content is provided via a wireless network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless network comprises a cellular network, and the access is provided by permitting the user to obtain video using a smartphone.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the cellular network comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) or orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) network, and the smartphone comprises a wireless application protocol (WAP)-based Internet access technology.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the wireless network comprises a Wi-Fi network, and the access is provided by permitting the user to obtain video using a smartphone; and

the smartphone comprises an application configured to run thereon, the application further configured to allow a user to browse a plurality of content elements that are part of a plan wherein the user can obtain a plurality of content downloads per billing cycle for a prescribed fee.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the content comprises access to free-to-air broadcast content via a WiMAX (802.16) network using a smartphone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the access to the content comprises access to on-demand content via a cellular network using a smartphone, the on-demand content access comprising a plurality of trick modes for control of playback of said content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of providing access to said content comprises delivering said content to said user via the Internet.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said request initiated by said user is received from the user mobile device, and said act of determining whether the user mobile device is entitled to access the requested content using the one or more services comprises utilizing a database to determine whether said user mobile device is among a set of devices correlated to a subscriber account associated with said user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said content comprises content purchased via said server entity.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said registration is performed via a website and using a first user device in communication with said network, and said act of providing access to said content comprises providing access to said user mobile device located in a second network which is remote from yet in communication with said network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said first user device and said user mobile device are associated with a same user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said server entity comprises a billing system entity, and said act of providing access comprises transmitting said content from a web server associated with said first network to said user mobile device, said user mobile device listed in said billing system.

15. A non-transitory computer readable apparatus having at least one computer program thereon, said computer program configured to:

establish user account information relating to a user;

receive from a user mobile device a request for content, said request identifying said content and said user mobile device from which said request is received;

transmit at least a portion of said user account information and said information identifying said content to a remote entity;

receive from said remote entity (i) a determination of whether said user mobile device is associated with said user account, and (ii) a determination, based at least in part on a subscription level, of whether said user mobile device is entitled to access said content in an operator managed content delivery network via said user mobile device; and

when it is determined that said user mobile device is entitled to access said requested content in said operator managed content delivery network, cause access to be provided to said requested content to said user mobile device, said access being via a wireless link.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said operator managed content delivery network comprises a cellular network, and said user mobile device comprises a cellular telephony device able to access the Internet via at least one of (i) a cellular wireless interface, and/or (ii) a wireless LAN (WLAN) interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the cellular network comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) network; and

the computer program is further configured to perform a check of the geographic location of the user to ensure that such geographic location meets at least one constraint.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said remote entity comprises an authentication entity of said operator managed content delivery network.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said user account information comprises a username and password combination received via an Internet website.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the access to the content comprises access to both on-demand and broadcast content.

21. A method of delivering content over a wireless network, comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to purchase access to content, said receiving comprising receiving subscriber-specific access information, said request comprising information at least identifying an account associated with said subscriber;

enabling said subscriber to purchase said access to said content;

creating a record of said purchase, said record comprising an identification of said content and said information at least identifying said account, said record being stored in a first database;

communicating between said first database and a second database, said second database comprising a plurality of records correlating one or more user mobile devices to said subscriber account, said first and second databases further being in communication with a third database correlating said subscriber-specific access information to said subscriber account;

receiving a request to access said content from one of said one or more user mobile devices associated with said subscriber account, said request to access comprising information identifying at least one of;

(i) a requesting device, and/or (ii) said subscriber account;

determining, based at least in part on said communicating, whether said subscriber account associated with said purchase record of said content is correlated to said request to access; and

when it is determined that said subscriber account associated with said purchase record is associated with said request to access, causing access to said content to be provided to said one user mobile device via said wireless network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein at least said second and said third database comprise information held at a single storage entity.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein at least said first and said third database comprise information held at a single storage entity.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said wireless network comprises a cellular network, and said user mobile device comprises a cellular telephony device able to access the Internet via at least one of (i) a cellular wireless interface, and/or (ii) a wireless LAN (WLAN) interface.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the cellular network comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and the cellular telephony device comprises a wireless application protocol (WAP)-based Internet access technology.

26. An apparatus for providing access to content to at least one client device, said apparatus comprising:

first apparatus configured to receive a user request for purchase of content, said receiving comprising receiving user identification information, said user identification information being associated with a plurality of wireless mobile client devices;

second apparatus configured to receive a request for access to said purchased content from a first wireless mobile client device; and

a processor configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to;

determine whether said first wireless mobile client device is one of said plurality of client devices associated with said user which purchased the content, and is entitled to access said purchased content in a content delivery network; and

if it is determined that said first wireless mobile client device is entitled to access said purchased content in said content delivery network, cause access to be provided to said purchased content to said first client device via a wireless network.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said computer program is further configured to associate said purchase of said content with a user account in said database, said user account identifying said plurality of client devices.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said access provided to said first client device comprises delivery of said purchased content thereto via a packet-switched IP-based network

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said content delivery network is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a cellular telephony network; and

(ii) a wireless LAN (WLAN).

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the content delivery network comprises the cellular network, and the cellular network comprises a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and the content delivery comprises the ability to deliver both on-demand and broadcast content.