Content control in a device environment

• US 8,732,740 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2006
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2002
• 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: Slemmer, John B., Olsson, Stefan, Kreiner, Barrett, Jarboe, Andre, Kleinfelter, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marandi, James R
• Application Number:
  US11/500,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20060272030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,843 Days
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/028 using expert systems only
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2832 Interconnection of the control functionalities between home networks single bridge functionality H04L12/4625
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• 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 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/4627 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 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 Privileged access

Abstract

Devices and methods are disclosed for controlling content within a device environment through interaction among electronic devices of the environment. The device has a transmitter, receiver, memory storing interaction rules and content rules and a processor for implementing the interaction rules and content rules in association with the transmitter, receiver, and other devices of the environment. Methods involve obtaining content information of the media about to be played and comparing the content information to the content rules stored at a device. An instruction about playback of the media content is generated. Methods may also involve seeking rights information for media content and determining whether rights information exists for identified media content in response to the request. When rights information does exist for the identified media content, a message is sent that includes the rights information.

Claims

1. A method of establishing content control, the method comprising:

obtaining a content information of a media content at a first device, the first device containing the media content;

transmitting the content information from the first device to a second device, the second device containing a plurality of content rules for a current environment of a plurality of networked devices where the first device is located;

receiving a first message at the first device, wherein the first message includes an instruction about operation of the first device upon the media content, the instruction determined by comparing the content information to the plurality of content rules at the second device;

playing the media content;

sending a change of state from the first device to the second device, the change of state describing the media content being played by the first device;

receiving the change of state at the second device;

querying the plurality of content rules for the change of state;

retrieving one of the plurality of content rules that is associated with the change of state;

interpreting the one of the plurality of content rules to require broadcasting the change of state to all devices in the plurality of networked devices;

receiving an instruction sent from the second device to the first device, the instruction requiring a broadcast of the change of state;

broadcasting the state of change from the first device to all the devices in the plurality of networked devices;

receiving a second message from a phone as one of the plurality of devices in the current environment, the second message instructing the first device to pause playback of the media content;

determining that the first device is actively playing the media content;

pausing playing the media content;

comparing, periodically, a location of the first device to the plurality of content rules; and

stopping playback when playback becomes impermissible because the first device enters a more restrictive device environment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing associations between different changes of state and different devices in the plurality of networked devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing associations between different changes of state and different classes of devices in the plurality of networked devices.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing impermissible interactions between devices in the plurality of networked devices.

5. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving content information describing a media content being played by a networked device in a plurality of networked devices;

sending a first message to the networked device, the first message comprising an operating instruction to play the media content;

receiving a change of state from the networked device describing the media content being played;

querying a plurality of content rules for the change of state;

retrieving one of the plurality of content rules that is associated with the change of state;

interpreting the one of the plurality of content rules to require broadcasting the change of state to all devices in the plurality of networked devices;

broadcasting the state of change to all the devices in the plurality of networked devices;

receiving a second message from a phone as one of the plurality of devices in the current environment, the second message requesting pausing playback of the media content;

sending the operating instruction to pause playing of the media content at the networked device;

comparing, periodically, a location of the networked device to the plurality of content rules; and

instructing the networked device to stop playback when the networked device enters a restrictive device environment.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising associations stored in the memory between different changes of state and different devices in the plurality of networked devices.

7. The system of claim 5, further comprising associations stored in the memory between different changes of state and different classes of devices in the plurality of networked devices.

8. The system of claim 5, further comprising impermissible interactions stored in the memory that prohibit actions between devices in the plurality of networked devices.

9. A memory storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

obtaining a content information of a media content at a first device, the first device containing the media content;

transmitting the content information from the first device to a second device, the second device containing a plurality of content rules for a current environment of a plurality of networked devices where the first device is located;

receiving a first message at the first device, wherein the first message includes an instruction about operation of the first device upon the media content, the instruction determined by comparing the content information to the plurality of content rules at the second device;

playing the media content;

sending a change of state from the first device to the second device, the change of state describing the media content being played by the first device;

receiving the change of state at the second device;

querying the plurality of content rules for the change of state;

retrieving one of the plurality of content rules that is associated with the change of state;

interpreting the one of the plurality of content rules to require broadcasting the change of state to all devices in the plurality of networked devices;

receiving an instruction sent from the second device to the first device, the instruction requiring a broadcast of the change of state;

broadcasting the state of change from the first device to all the devices in the plurality of networked devices;

receiving a second message from a phone as one of the plurality of devices in the current environment, the second message instructing the first device to pause playback of the media content;

determining that the first device is actively playing the media content;

pausing playing the media content;

comparing, periodically, a location of the first device to the plurality of content rules; and

stopping playback when playback becomes impermissible because the first device enters a more restrictive device environment.