Systems and method of controlling access to media content

• US 8,640,156 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2013
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Belz, Steven M., Sullivan, Marc, Pratt, James
• Primary Examiner(s): CHUNG, JASON
• Application Number:
  US13/746,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20130139197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and method of controlling access to media content are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a viewing request at a set-top box device at a user premises. The method also includes retrieving a permission policy stored at the set-top box device and identifying a wireless device associated with the permission policy. Further, the method includes fulfilling the viewing request when the wireless device is present at the user premises and is within a first relative proximity to the set-top box device, and not fulfilling the viewing request when the wireless device is present at the user premises and is within a second relative proximity to the set-top box device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile communication device, a polling signal from a set-top box device;

sending, by the mobile communication device, a response signal to the set-top box device responsive to receiving the polling signal, wherein the sending of the response signal causes the set-top box device to determine a relative proximity of the mobile communication device to the set-top box device according to a time between the polling signal and the response signal; and

sending, by the mobile communication device, a viewing request associated with media content of the set-top box device, wherein the sending of the viewing request causes the set-top box device to process the viewing request according to the relative proximity and a permission policy of the set-top box device,

wherein the relative proximity corresponds to;

being inside a premises but outside a room of the premises where the set-top box device is located if the mobile communication device is beyond a range of a first short range signaling protocol communications link of the set-top box device;

being in contact with the set-top box device if the mobile communication device is within a range of a second short range signaling protocol communications link of the set-top box device; and

being inside the room of the premises where the set-top box device is located if the mobile communication device is within a line of sight of the set-top box device,

wherein the viewing request is not fulfilled by the set-top box device if the set-top box device determines that the mobile communication device is not present at the premises where the set-top box is located, and

wherein the viewing request is fulfilled by the set-top box device if the set-top box device determines that the relative proximity does not exceed a communication range identified by the permission policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing request comprises a power-on request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing request comprises a request to remove the set-top box device from a standby state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing request comprises a request to access a particular channel or a particular plurality of channels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing request comprises a channel change request.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing request comprises a request to view a portion of an electronic programming guide.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewing request comprises one of a power-on request, a request to remove the set-top box device from a standby state, a request to access a particular channel or a particular plurality of channels, a channel change request, a request to view a portion of an electronic programming guide, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating a first function of a plurality of functions of the mobile communication device for controlling content of the set-top box device;

receiving a second polling signal from the set-top box; and

activating the first function of the mobile communication device responsive to receiving the second polling signal.

9. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a memory to store computer instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a polling signal from a set-top box device;

sending a response signal to the set-top box device responsive to receiving the polling signal, wherein the sending of the response signal causes the set-top box device to determine a relative proximity of the mobile communication device to the set-top box device according to a time between the polling signal and the response signal; and

sending a viewing request associated with media content of the set-top box device, wherein the sending of the viewing request causes the set-top box device to process the viewing request according to the relative proximity and a permission policy of the set-top box device,

wherein the relative proximity corresponds to;

being inside a premises but outside a room of the premises where the set-top box device is located if the mobile communication device is beyond a range of a first short range signaling protocol communications link of the set-top box device;

being in contact with the set-top box device if the mobile communication device is within a range of a second short range signaling protocol communications link of the set-top box device; and

being inside the room of the premises where the set-top box device is located if the mobile communication device is within a line of sight of the set-top box device,

wherein the viewing request is not fulfilled by the set-top box device if the set-top box device determines that the mobile communication device is not present at the premises where the set-top box is located, and

wherein the viewing request is fulfilled by the set-top box device if the set-top box device determines that the relative proximity does not exceed a communication range identified by the permission policy.

10. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

deactivating a first function of a plurality of functions of the mobile communication device for controlling content of a set-top box device;

activating the first function of the mobile communication device responsive to receiving the polling signal;

presenting a graphical user interface for receiving an input selection corresponding to the first function; and

receiving the input selection corresponding to the first function at the mobile communication device, wherein the sending of the viewing request is responsive to the receiving of the input selection.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the viewing request comprises a request to access a particular channel or a particular plurality of channels.

12. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise communicating with the set-top box device via a wireless communication signal.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the viewing request comprises one of a power-on request, a request to remove the set-top box device from a standby state, a request to access a particular channel or a particular plurality of channels, a channel change request, a request to view a portion of an electronic programming guide, or a combination thereof.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the viewing request is fulfilled by the set-top box device if the set-top box device determines that the media content associated with the viewing request does not exceed a permission level identified by the permission policy.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the first short range signaling protocol communications link is a class 2 Bluetooth communications link of the set-top box device.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein the second short range signaling protocol communications link is a class 2 Bluetooth communications link of the set-top box device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising computer instructions which when executed by a processor of a mobile communication device cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a polling signal from a set-top box device;

sending a response signal to the set-top box device responsive to receiving the polling signal, wherein the sending of the response signal causes the set-top box device to determine a relative proximity of the mobile communication device to the set-top box device according to a time between the polling signal and the response signal; and

sending a viewing request associated with media content of the set-top box device, wherein sending the viewing request causes the set-top box device to process the viewing request according to the relative proximity and a permission policy of the set-top box device,

wherein the relative proximity corresponds to;

being inside a premises but outside a room of the premises where the set-top box device is located if the mobile communication device is beyond a range of a first short range signaling protocol communications link of the set-top box device;

being in contact with the set-top box device if the mobile communication device is within a range of a second short range signaling protocol communications link of the set-top box device; and

being inside the room of the premises where the set-top box device is located if the mobile communication device is within a line of sight of the set-top box device,

wherein the viewing request is not fulfilled by the set-top box device if the set-top box device determines that the mobile communication device is not present at the premises where the set-top box is located, and

wherein the viewing request is fulfilled by the set-top box device if the set-top box device determines that the relative proximity does not exceed a communication range identified by the permission policy.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

deactivating a first function of a plurality of functions of the mobile communication device for controlling content of the set-top box device;

receiving a second polling signal from the set-top box; and

activating the first function of the mobile communication device responsive to receiving the second polling signal.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the viewing request is fulfilled by the set-top box device if the set-top box device determines that the viewing request does not exceed a permission level identified by the permission policy.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17, wherein the viewing request comprises one of a power-on request, a request to remove the set-top box device from a standby state, a request to access a particular channel or a particular plurality of channels, a channel change request, a request to view a portion of an electronic programming guide, or a combination thereof.