Systems and methods for ensuring continued access to media of a playlist despite geographic content restrictions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10412178-B2
Application number	US-201615198495-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods are described herein for detecting information that indicates that a user will be traveling from a first geographic location to a second geographic location, and responsively accessing a playlist indicated by a profile of the user that indicates a plurality of streaming media that the user intends to consume. Control circuitry may then compare data corresponding to each streaming media of the plurality of streaming media to a database to determine whether each streaming media of the plurality of streaming media is accessible to the user at the second geographic location, and may determine that a subset of the plurality of media is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location. In response to determining that the subset is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location, the control circuitry may download each media of the subset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for automatically downloading a copy of streaming media of a playlist that is inaccessible at a geographic location to which a user intends to travel, the method comprising:
detecting information that indicates that a user will be traveling from a first geographic location to a second geographic location different from the first geographic location;
in response to the detecting, accessing a playlist indicated by a profile of the user that indicates a plurality of streaming media that the user intends to consume;
comparing data corresponding to each streaming media of the plurality of streaming media to entries of a database to determine whether each streaming media of the plurality of streaming media is accessible to the user at the second geographic location;
determining, based on the comparing, that a subset of the plurality of media is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location; and
in response to determining that the subset is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location;
selecting, from a plurality of user equipment, user equipment that the user is likely to travel with to the second geographic location, based on device parameters of the user equipment; and
downloading, on the selected user equipment, each media of the subset before the user travels to the second geographic location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the information that indicates that the user will be traveling from the first geographic location to the second geographic location comprises:
receiving an electronic communication that is addressed to the user;
determining that content of the electronic communication references travel;
identifying, based on the profile, a home address of the user;
parsing the content of the electronic communication to identify an address other than the home address; and
in response to identifying the address other than the home address, determining the second geographic location to be the address other than the home address.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of streaming media is associated with a streaming media provider, wherein the database indicates geographic content restrictions for the streaming media provider, and wherein determining that the subset of the plurality of media is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location comprises identifying that media of the subset is indicated as restricted at the second geographic location in the database.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of streaming media is associated with a streaming media provider, wherein the database indicates content that is available at a given geographic location from the streaming media provider, and wherein determining that the subset of the plurality of media is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location comprises identifying that media of the subset is not indicated as available at the second geographic location in the database.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected user equipment has insufficient capacity to store each media of the subset, and wherein the method further comprises automatically selecting a portion of the subset for storing, on the selected user equipment, based on preferences indicated in the profile.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selected user equipment has insufficient capacity to store each media of the subset, and wherein the method further comprises:
generating for display an alert to the user indicating that the selected user equipment has insufficient capacity to store each media of the subset;
receiving a selection from the user of a portion of the subset for storing; and
in response to receiving the selection, downloading the portion of the subset.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises, further in response to determining that the subset is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location:
identifying respective locations where a respective downloadable file corresponding to each streaming media of the plurality of streaming media is available for downloading; and
automatically downloading the respective downloadable files when the downloadable files are available without payment of money.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
determining whether a respective downloadable file requires purchase; and
in response to determining that the respective downloadable file requires purchase, prompting the user as to whether the user authorizes purchase of the respective downloadable file.

9. A system for automatically downloading a copy of streaming media of a playlist that is inaccessible at a geographic location to which a user intends to travel, the system comprising:
storage circuitry;
communications circuitry; and
control circuitry configured to:
detect information that indicates that a user will be traveling from a first geographic location to a second geographic location different from the first geographic location;
in response to the detecting, access, using the communications circuitry, a playlist indicated by a profile of the user that indicates a plurality of streaming media that the user intends to consume;
compare data corresponding to each streaming media of the plurality of streaming media to entries of a database to determine whether each streaming media of the plurality of streaming media is accessible to the user at the second geographic location;
determine that a subset of the plurality of media is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location; and
in response to determining that the subset is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location;
select, from a plurality of user equipment, user equipment that the user is likely to travel with to the second geographic location, based on device parameters of the user equipment; and
download to the storage circuitry on the selected user equipment, using the communications circuitry, each media of the subset before the user travels to the second geographic location.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining the information that indicates that the user will be traveling from the first geographic location to the second geographic location, to:
receive an electronic communication that is addressed to the user;
determine that content of the electronic communication references travel;
identify, based on the profile, a home address of the user;
parse the content of the electronic communication to identify an address other than the home address; and
in response to identifying the address other than the home address, determine the second geographic location to be the address other than the home address.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of streaming media is associated with a streaming media provider, wherein the database indicates geographic content restrictions for the streaming media provider, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining that the subset of the plurality of media is not accessible to the user at the second geographic location, to identify that media of the subset is indicated as restricted at the second geographic location in the database.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of streaming media is associated with a streaming media provider, wherein the database indicates content that is available at a given geographic location from the streaming media provider, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when determining that the subset of the plurality of media is not accessible to the user at the second geogra

Assignees

• Rovi Guides Inc

Inventors

• Nielsen Gorm Ward
• Patel Milan Indu
• Schaeffer Stephanie
• Lefevre Vincent

Classifications

• H04N21/4627

  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 title

• H04N21/4825

  using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists · CPC title

• H04N21/4524 Primary

  involving the geographical location of the client (retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00) · CPC title

• H04L67/306

  User profiles · CPC title

• G06Q20/40

  Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists · CPC title