System and method for managing entitlements to data over a network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10070165-B2
Application number	US-201514980926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Nov 24, 2008
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A system and method for determining entitlement to content residing on a server. A subscriber account with a multi-channel video program distributor (MVPD) includes subscription information indicative of the services provided by the MVPD to the subscriber. A computing device operated by the subscriber sends a request for access to content controlled by the MVPD. The request is received by the MVPD and forwarded to an entitlements server. The entitlement server sends an access granted message to the MVPD when the subscriber is entitled to receive the requested content. The IP address of the subscriber computing device is used to determine whether the computing device is connected to the network via a network access device authorized by the MVPD. The “on-net” or “off-net” status of the computing device may be used to determine whether the subscriber receives the requested content and/or a quality of service level applied to the content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining entitlement to receive content, the method comprising:
receiving, via a server processor in a server computing device, a content access request message that includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address from a subscriber computing device;
determining, via the server processor and based on the IP address included in the received content access request message, whether the subscriber computing device is connected to a network via an authorized network access device;
sending no content to the subscriber computing device, or sending the requested content in accordance with a first quality-of-service level that is lower than a second quality-of-service level, in response to determining based on the IP address included in the received content access request message that the subscriber computing device is not connected to the network via the authorized network access device;
sending the received content access request message and a subscriber identifier to an entitlements server in response to determining that the subscriber computing device is connected to the network via the authorized network access device,
the entitlements server using:
the subscriber identifier to determine a subscription level,
the determined subscription level to determine subscriber entitlement to receive the requested content, and
the determined subscriber entitlement to generate an authorization message;

receiving the authorization message from the entitlements server in response to sending the received content access request message to the entitlements server; and
determining whether to provide the requested content to the subscriber computing device in accordance with the second quality-of-service level based on information included in the received authorization message.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying, via the entitlements server, one or more channels that the subscriber computing device is entitled to receive based on the determined subscription level; and
determining whether the entitlement to receive the one or more channels entitles the subscriber computing device to receive the requested content.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the one or more channels that the subscriber computing device is entitled to receive based on the determined subscription level comprises identifying the one or more channels that the subscriber computing device is entitled to receive based on at least one of:
a list of subscribed channels,
a service package descriptor indicative of a subscribed level of service, or
a list of subscribed premium services.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining based on the IP address included in the received content access request message whether the subscriber computing device is connected to the network via the authorized network access device comprises determining based on the IP address included in the received content access request message whether the subscriber computing device is connected to the network via an authorized cable modem.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the content access request message that includes the IP address from the subscriber computing device comprises receiving a request for receiving one or more of video content, audio content, photographic content, text content, game content, and multi-media content from the subscriber computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the content access request message that includes the IP address from the subscriber computing device comprises receiving the content access request message that includes the IP address from one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a mobile device, a PDA, and a cell phone.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining based on the IP address included in the received content access request message whether the subscriber computing device is connected to the network via the authorized network access device comprises determining based on the IP address included in the received content access request message whether the subscriber computing device is connected to one of a shared cable network, a shared hybrid-fiber-coax network, a shared fiber network, a shared satellite network, and a shared IP network via the authorized network access device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining based on the IP address included in the received content access request message whether the subscriber computing device is connected to the network via the authorized network access device comprises determining based on the IP address included in the received content access request message whether the subscriber computing device is connected to one of a wired network, a wireless network, a public switched network, a packet switched network, a hybrid-fiber coax network, a fiber network, and a satellite network via the authorized network access device.

9. A server computing device, comprising:
a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising:
receiving a content access request message that includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address from a subscriber computing device;
determining based on the IP address included in the received content access request message whether the subscriber computing device is connected to a network via an authorized network access device;
sending no content to the subscriber computing device, or sending the requested content in accordance with a first quality-of-service level that is lower than a second quality-of-service level, in response to determining based on the IP address included in the received content access request message that the subscriber computing device is not connected to the network via the authorized network access device;
sending the received content access request message and a subscriber identifier to an entitlements server in response to determining that the subscriber computing device is connected to the network via the authorized network access device, the entitlements server using the subscriber identifier to determine a subscription level, the determined subscription level to determine subscriber entitlement to receive the requested content, and the determined subscriber entitlement to generate an authorization message;
receiving the authorization message from the entitlements server in response to sending the received content access request message to the entitlements server; and
determining whether to provide the requested content to the subscriber computing device in accordance with the second quality-of-service level based on information included in the received authorization message.

10. The server computing device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:
identifying, via the entitlements server, one or more channels that the subscriber computing device is entitled to receive based on the determined subscription level; and
determining whether the entitlement to receive the one or more channels entitles the subscriber computing device to receive the requested content.

11. The server computing device of claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that identifying the one or more channels that the subscriber computing device is entitled to receive based on the determined subscription level comprise identifying the one or more channels that the subscriber computing device is entitled to receive based on one of a list of subscribed channels, a service package descriptor indicative of a subscribed level of service, and a list of subscribed pr

Assignees

• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Dillon Michael
• Stern Peter
• Putsch Jon
• Meyers Matthew

Classifications

• H04N21/4108

  characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address (protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00) · CPC title

• H04N21/2541 Primary

  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 title

• H04N21/64322

  IP · CPC title

• H04N21/26606

  for generating or managing entitlement messages, e.g. Entitlement Control Message [ECM] or Entitlement Management Message [EMM] (arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14) · CPC title

• H04N21/6581

  Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application · CPC title