Method and system for transfer of subscription media

• US 9,436,805 B1
• Filed: 07/03/2008
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E, LLC
• Original Assignee: Prime Research Alliance E., Inc.
• Inventors: Kravets, Leonid
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan, James A
• Application Number:
  US12/167,777
• Time in Patent Office: 2,987 Days
• Field of Search: 705/59
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1014 to tokens

Abstract

A method of receiving media content at a networked media viewing device at a first location includes transmitting, to an entity associated with a central authority, a request to purchase a temporary access license. A request to establish a connection with a source device at a second location capable of transmitting media content to the first location is transmitted to the central authority. Content is received at the networked media viewing device at the first location via a content link established with the source device at the second location.

Claims

1. A method of receiving media content at a networked media viewing device at a first location, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting, to an entity associated with a central authority at a third location, a request to purchase a temporary access license, the third location being distinct from the first location;

(b) providing, by the networked media viewing device, to the central authority a request to establish a connection with the source device at the second location capable of transmitting the media content to the first location, the request to establish the connection comprising identification information for the second location, the second location being distinct from the first location and the third location;

(c) authorizing and securely establishing a direct connection, by the central authority, between the networked media viewing device and the source device; and

(d) receiving the media content at the networked media viewing device at the first location via a the source device at the second location, without the media content passing through the central location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting step (a) is performed through a graphical user interface on the networked media viewing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the securely establishing a direct connection comprises implementing a wireless content link between the networked media viewing device and the source device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the source device at the second location is selected based on a proximity of the second location to the first location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second location is a household of a subscriber.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the source device is a set-top box.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the central authority is operated by a content distributor.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the content distributor is a traditional provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the media content further comprises:

determining whether the temporary access license permits access to the media content by the networked media viewing device at the first location; and

preventing viewing of the media content at the first location if the temporary access license does not permit access to the content.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining further comprises determining whether the temporary access license has expired.

11. A method of receiving media content at a networked media viewing device at a first location, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting, by the networked media viewing device to a central authority a request to purchase a temporary access license to access content on the networked media viewing device;

(b) providing, to the central authority, a request to establish a connection with a set-top box not associated with the networked media viewing device, the request to establish the connection comprising identification information for the set-top box, the set-top box being remote from the networked media viewing device; and

(c) receiving the media content at the networked media viewing device via a content link established with the set-top box, wherein authorization from the central authority is required to establish the content link and the media content does not pass through the central location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmitting step (a) is performed through a graphical user interface on the networked media viewing device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the content link is a wireless content link.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the set-top box is selected based on a proximity of the set-top box to the networked media viewing device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the central authority is operated by a content distributor.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the content distributor is a traditional provider.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the receiving the media content further comprises:

determining whether the temporary access license permits access to the media content by the networked media viewing device; and

preventing viewing of the media content at the networked media viewing device if the temporary access license does not permit access to the content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining further comprises determining whether the temporary access license has expired.

19. A method of receiving media content at a networked media viewing device, the method comprising:

(a) purchasing, by a first subscriber, a temporary access license for content available on a subscription-based network;

(b) transmitting, to a central authority of the subscription-based network, a request for access to a source device having subscription content and being located at a location associated with a second subscriber, the source device capable of transmitting the media content to the networked media viewing device at a location different than that of the second subscriber, the request for access comprising identification information for the source device; and

(c) receiving content from the source device, wherein authorization from the central authority facilitates the connection between the source device and the networked media viewing device, without the media content passing through the central location.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the purchasing of step (a) is performed through a graphical user interface on the networked media viewing device.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein receiving content step (c) further comprises establishing a wireless content link between the networked media viewing device and the source device.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the source device is selected based on geographical proximity to the networked media viewing device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the location associated with a second subscriber is a household of the second subscriber.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the source device is a set-top box.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the central authority is operated by a content distributor.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the content distributor is a traditional provider.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the receiving the media content further comprises:

determining whether the temporary access license permits access to the media content by the networked media viewing device; and

preventing viewing of the media content at the networked media viewing device if the temporary access license does not permit access to the content.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the determining further comprises determining whether the temporary access license has expired.

29. A system for presenting media content, wherein a networked media viewing device receives the media content from a content distributor through a source device associated with a subscriber, the system comprising:

(a) a licensing module configured to obtain a license from an entity associated with the content distributor for viewing requested media content by transmitting a request identifying the source device to the entity associated with the content distributor, the entity associated with the content distributor being at a distinct location from the source device;

(c) a connection module configured to receive pairing information from the central authority and to establish a connection with the source device for receiving the requested media content from the source device based on the received pairing information; and

(d) a storage module configured to store the received media content.

30. An article of manufacture for receiving subscriber content from a content distributor through a source device at a first location associated with a subscriber, the article of manufacture comprising a computer-readable medium holding computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

(a) transmitting, to an entity associated with a central authority at a third location, a request to purchase a temporary access license;

(b) providing to the central authority a request to establish a connection with a source device at a second location capable of transmitting the media content to the first location, the request to establish the connection comprising identification information for the second location, the second location being distinct from the first location and the third location;

(c) securely pairing, by the central authority, the networked media viewing device and the source device; and

(d) receiving the media content at the networked media viewing device at the first location via a the source device at the second location.