System, method and device for sharing of playlists of authorized content with other users

• US 9,563,703 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2011
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Nijim, Yousef Wasef, Lee, Terry Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phuong Thao
• Application Number:
  US13/045,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 707/626
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/735 Filtering based on additional data, e.g. user or group profiles
• 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 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

A system, method and device for sharing of playlists of authorized content with other users. A user interface is displayed on a media viewing device for creating a playlist of content. The playlist is generated by a user via the user interface and a name is associated with the playlist of content. The playlist is stored using the name. Parameters for sharing the playlist with contacts of the user are configured. At a viewing device of a contact, notification of a playlist created by a user is received. Privileges of the contact associated with content identified in the playlist are determined. Action is taken, by the contact, regarding content identified in the playlist created by the user based on the determined privileges of the contact.

Claims

1. A method for sharing, by a user, playlists of authorized content with contacts of the user, comprising:

displaying a user interface on a media viewing device for creating a playlist of content items by a first user;

generating the playlist of content items provided by a service provider, wherein the content items comprising the playlist are selected via the user interface displayed on the media viewing device;

receiving a name for the playlist of content items from the first user;

associating the name with the playlist;

storing the playlist using the name associated with the playlist, a first household account number associated with a household of the first user, and a username associated with the first user within the household;

configuring parameters for sharing the playlist with a second user who is a contact of the first user, including determining whether the second user is subscribed to the service provider and determining a second household account number associated with the second user;

when it is determined that the second user is subscribed to the service provider;

associating the second household account number with the playlist to enable the second user to access the playlist shared by the first user; and

determining, based on the second household account number, whether the second user is authorized, by the service provider, to access each of the content items in the playlist;

when it is determined that the second user is authorized, by the service provider, to access each of the content items, the playlist is configured to provide a link to each of the content items by which each content item is viewable from the service provider by the second user; and

when it is determined that the second user is not authorized, by the service provider, to access each of the content items, the playlist is configured to provide a title of a content item without the link to view the content item for content items that the second user is not authorized to access, wherein the title conveys that the content item is unavailable to the second user from the service provider;

when it is determined that the second user is not subscribed to the service provider, the playlist is configured to provide titles of the content items but not including links to the content items by which the content items is viewable from the service provider; and

transmitting the playlist as an email to the second user who is not subscribed to the service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the playlist of content items further includes identifying content items the first user has purchased, subscribed to or that is freely accessible.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating the playlist of content items further includes creating the playlist using one selected from a group consisting of:

a set top box;

a web portal;

a smart device; and

a personal computer.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising modifying the playlist by adding and removing content items from the playlist and saving the modified playlist.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing the playlist comprises storing the playlist on a server in a backend system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuring parameters for sharing the playlist with contacts of the first user comprises directly linking contacts to the playlist stored on the server in the backend system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuring parameters for sharing the playlist with contacts of the first user comprises selecting sharing criteria based on a contact list having contact information for the contacts.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising synchronizing the playlist among access platforms of the first user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the synchronizing the playlist among access platforms of the first user further comprises sharing the playlist with other members of the household via the access platforms.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the user interface on the media viewing device further comprises displaying the user interface via a program guide.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the user interface on the media viewing device further comprises displaying the user interface via a program running on a mobile device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein displaying the user interface via the program running on the mobile device further comprises accessing the playlist through a portal displayed by the user interface provided by the program running on the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the second user is associated with the second household account number further comprises:

receiving, from the first user, an email address associated with the second user;

determining whether the email address is associated by the service provider with the second household account number;

when it is determined that the email address is associated by the service provider with the second household account number, it is determined that the second user is associated with the second household account number; and

when it is determined that the email address is not associated with the second household account number, it is determined that the second user is not associated with the second household account number and the email address is used in transmitting the playlist as the email to the second user who is not subscribed to the service provider.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining based on the second household account number whether the second user is authorized to access the content item further comprises:

determining a second username associated with the second user in a second household associated with the second household account number; and

determining whether parental controls affect whether the second user is authorized to access the content item.

15. A method for accessing content in a playlist by a first user associated with the playlist, comprising:

receiving, at a viewing device of the first user, a notification of a shared playlist created by a second user, the shared playlist has been associated with a household credential and a user credential of the first user, the first user being a contact of the second user;

accessing, from a playlist server provided by a service provider by the viewing device, a playlist folder associated with the household credential and the user credential for the first user, the playlist folder including the shared playlist;

determining, by the service provider based on the household credential and the user credential, whether the first user has privileges to access the content identified in the shared playlist created by the second user, wherein;

when the first user is not authorized to access content provided by the service provider, the playlist including a title of the content but not including a link to the content in the playlist, and

when the first user is authorized to access content provided by the service provider, the playlist including the title and, when the content is available, including the link to view the content in the playlist from the service provider; and

taking action, by the first user, regarding content identified in the shared playlist created by the second user based on the privileges of the first user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the taking action comprises accessing content in the playlist created by the second user when the privileges of the first user indicate the first user is able to access content in the playlist created by the second user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining privileges of the first user comprises determining the first user is a subscriber to content in the playlist created by the second user.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising acknowledging the receipt of the playlist created by the second user by the first user.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising selecting content in the playlist created by the second user for addition to a playlist created by the first user.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising displaying the playlist created by the second user as a separate playlist with the same title that the second user used to create the playlist.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the taking action by the first user further comprises receiving the playlist, wherein the first user maintains the title of the received playlist created by the second user and tags the received playlist with an identification of the second user that created the playlist.

22. The method of claim 15, wherein the taking action by the first user further comprises receiving the playlist, wherein the first user changes the title of the received playlist.

23. The method of claim 15 further comprising displaying on the viewing device of the first user a subscription interface for subscribing to the content in the playlist created by the second user when the privileges of the first user do not provide accessibility to the content in the playlist created by the second user.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving, at the viewing device of the first user, the notification of the shared playlist created by the second user further comprises receiving a file for viewing the playlist created by the second user remotely when the first user is not within the service area of a network providing access to the content items in the playlist.

25. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, provide for sharing, by a user, playlists of authorized content items with contacts of the user, by:

displaying a user interface on a media viewing device for creating a playlist of content items by a first user;

generating the playlist of content items provided by a service provider, wherein content items comprising the playlist is selected via the user interface displayed on the media viewing device;

receiving a name for the playlist of content items from the first user;

associating the name with the playlist;

storing the playlist using the name associated with the playlist, a first household account number associated with a household of the first user, and a username associated with the first user within the household;

configuring parameters for sharing the playlist with a second user who is a contact of the first user, including determining whether the second user is subscribed to the service provider and determining a second household account number associated with the second user;

when it is determined that the second user is subscribed to the service provider;

associating the second household account number with the playlist to enable the second user to access the playlist shared by the first user, and

determining, based on the second household account number, whether the second user is authorized, by the service provider, to access each of the content items in the playlist;

when it is determined that the second user is authorized, by the service provider, to access each of the content items, the playlist is configured to provide a link to each of the content items by which each content item is viewable from the service provider by the second user; and

when it is determined that the second user is not authorized, by the service provider, to access each of the content items, the playlist is configured to provide a title of a content item without the link to view the content item for content items that the second user is not authorized to access, wherein the title conveys that the content item is unavailable to the second user from the service provider;

when it is determined that the second user is not subscribed to the service provider, the playlist is configured to provide titles of the content items but not including links to the content items by which the content items is viewable from the service provider; and

transmitting the playlist as an email to the second user who is not subscribed to the service provider.

26. A system for sharing playlists of authorized content with contacts of a user creating the playlist, comprising:

memory for storing data; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, the processor;

displaying a user interface on a media viewing device for creating the playlist of content items by a first user,

receiving input from the first user for generating the playlist of content items via the user interface,

receiving input associating a name for the playlist of content items by the first user,

storing the playlist using the name associated with the playlist, a first household account number associated with a household of the first user, and a username associated with the first user within the household,

configuring parameters for sharing the playlist with contacts of the first user, and

receiving a request to share the playlist with a second user in the contacts of the first user,

determining whether the second user is subscribed to the service provider and determining a second household account number associated with the second user;

when it is determined that the second user is subscribed to the service provider;

associating the second household account number with the playlist to enable the second user to access the playlist shared by the first user; and

determining, based on the second household account number, whether the second user is authorized, by the service provider, to access each of the content items in the playlist;

when it is determined that the second user is authorized, by the service provider, to access each of the content items, the playlist is configured to provide a link to each of the content items by which each content item is viewable from the service provider by the second user; and

when it is determined that the second user is not authorized, by the service provider, to access each of the content items, the playlist is configured to provide a title of a content item without the link to view the content item for content items that the second user is not authorized to access, wherein the title conveys that the content item is unavailable to the second user from the service provider; and

when it is determined that the second user is not subscribed to the service provider, the playlist is configured to provide titles of the content items but not including links to the content items by which the content items is viewable from the service provider, and transmitting the playlist as an email to the second user who is not subscribed to the service provider.

27. A system for accessing content in a playlist by a first user associated with the playlist, comprising:

memory for storing data; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, the processor;

receiving, at a viewing device of the first user, a notification of a shared playlist created by a second user, the shared playlist has been associated with a household credential and a user credential of the first user, the first user being a contact of the second user,

accessing, from a playlist server provided by a service provider by the viewing device, a playlist folder associated with the household credential and the user credential for the first user, the playlist folder including the shared playlist,

receiving a determination from the service provider, based on the household credential and the user credential, whether the first user has privileges to access the content identified in the shared playlist created by the second user,

wherein when the first user is not authorized to access content provided by the service provider, the playlist including a title of the content but not including a link to the content in the playlist, but when the first user is authorized to access content provided by the service provider, the playlist including the title and, when the content is available, including the link to view the content in the playlist from the service provider, and

receiving an action, from the first user, regarding content identified in the shared playlist created by the second user based on the privileges of the first user.