Method and system for switching subscriber content

• US 8,869,215 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Codadeen, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US12/919,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20110047584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,064 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/83
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/6332 directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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

Embodiments of the present invention provide that a content provider itself provide subscription content to a device of a second type, rather than to a device of a first type. For example, the device of the second type may be a mobile telephone or the like, while the device of the first type may be a set-top box. By providing the content itself the content provider can keep track as to when it is providing content to the device of the second type, and further, in some embodiments, take action to prevent reproduction of the content at the device of the first type, such that while the user is viewing the subscriber content on the device of the second type, another user is not able to view the same content on the device of the first type. In order to provide such an arrangement, the content provider is preferably provided with suitable content encoding and streaming server apparatus, which is able to encode the content in a format appropriate for transmission to the device of the second type (such as, for example, transmission to a mobile device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining by an apparatus of a content provider to transmit content via a first network to at least a first device based upon a subscription of a user, wherein the apparatus is located outside of user premises;

determining by the apparatus that the content is requested by a second device based upon the subscription, wherein the second device is a mobile device;

determining by the apparatus to transmit the content via a second network to the second device based upon the subscription; and

determining by the apparatus to transmit a control signal via the first network to the first device and to transmit the content via the second network to the second device respectively, wherein the control signal causes continuation of the content transmission to the first device and continuation of content recordation at the first device from a time point prior to the transmission of the control signal, while disabling reproduction of the content by the first device based upon the subscription.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the first device is a set-top box, and the first network includes a public switched telephone network and excludes any mobile access network and data network,

wherein the first device and the second device have a common user and are devices of different types.

3. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce the content,

wherein the determination to disable reproduction is based, at least in part, on the determination of which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce content.

4. A method of claim 1,

wherein the content is provided to the first device using a transmission system of a first type, and the content is provided to the second device using a transmission system of a second type.

5. A method of claim 2, wherein the set-top box retains an ability to record the content for a future reproduction while the reproduction of the content is disabled.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the first network further includes a satellite network and the second network includes a mobile access network, a data network, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining by the apparatus to transmit the control signal selectively via a public switched telephone network or the satellite network to disable reproduction of the content by the first device.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the content is encoded according to a first encoding format for transmission to the first device and according to a second encoding format for transmission to the second device.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining to re-enable reproduction of the content by the first device when the content is no longer requested by the second device.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus of a content provider to perform at least the following,

determine to transmit content via a first network to at least a first device based upon a subscription of a user;

determine that the content is requested by a second device based upon the subscription, wherein the second device is a mobile device;

determine to transmit the content via a second network to the second device based upon the subscription; and

determine to transmit a control signal via the first network to the first device and to transmit the content via the second network to the second device respectively, wherein the control signal causes continuation of the content transmission to the first device and continuation of content recordation at the first device from a time point prior to the transmission of the control signal, while disabling reproduction of the content by the first device based upon the subscription,

wherein the apparatus is located outside of user premises.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first device and the second device have a common user and are devices of different types.

12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce the content,

wherein the determination to disable reproduction is based, at least in part, on the determination of which of the first device or the second device is to reproduce content.

13. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the content is provided to the first device using a transmission system of a first type, and the content is provided to the second device using a transmission system of a second type.

14. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein a set-top box retains an ability to record the content for a future reproduction while the reproduction of the content is disabled.

15. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the content is encoded according to a first encoding format for transmission to the first device and according to a second encoding format for transmission to the second device.

16. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to re-enable reproduction of the content by the first device when the content is no longer requested by the second device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus of a content provider to at least perform the following steps:

determining to transmit content via a first network to a first device based upon a subscription of a user;

determining that the content is requested by a second device based upon the subscription, wherein the second device is a mobile device;

determining to transmit the content via a second network to the second device based upon the subscription; and

determining to transmit a control signal via the first network to the first device and to transmit the content via the second network to the second device respectively, wherein the control signal causes continuation of the content transmission to the first device and continuation of content recordation at the first device from a time point prior to the transmission of the control signal, while disabling reproduction of the content by the first device based upon the subscription,

wherein the apparatus is located outside of user premises.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first device and the second device have a common user and are devices of different types.