Device activation for a service using an outputted representation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9226023-B2
Application number	US-201514705725-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 6, 2015
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	Dec 29, 2015
Grant date	Dec 29, 2015

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method activates a first device for using a service. A second device receives, from a third device, a user identifier for a user and a unique identifier for the first device. The user identifier originates from the third device and the unique identifier originates from the first device in a representation outputted by the first device. The second device determines a user account for the service, the user account being associated with the user identifier for the user. The second device associates the unique identifier for the first device with the user account. Then, the second device communicates with the first device to activate the first device to use the service in response to receiving the user identifier and the unique identifier. The second device allows access to the service from an application running on the first device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for activating a first device for using a service, the method comprising:
receiving, by a second device from a third device, a user identifier for a user and a unique identifier for the first device, the user identifier originating from the third device and the unique identifier originating from the first device in a representation outputted by the first device, wherein the third device captured the outputted representation in a same physical location as the first device;
determining, by the second device, a user account for the service, the user account being associated with the user identifier for the user;
associating, by the second device, the unique identifier for the first device with the user account, wherein the association allows the user to use the service with the first device;
communicating, by the second device, with the first device to activate the first device to use the service in response to receiving the user identifier and the unique identifier; and
allowing, by the second device, access to the service from an application running on the first device in response to associating the unique identifier with the user account and activating the first device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user identifier and the unique identifier are received via a page for the service that is opened on the second device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating with the first device to activate the first device comprises:
communicating, by the second device, user credentials to the first device to activate the first device to use the service.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the user credentials are used by the first device to automatically log in the user to the service when using the application.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user had previously logged into the third device using the user identifier before the capturing is performed.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request for a media program from the application on the first device at the service; and
providing the media program to the first device in response to the request.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the representation comprises an encoded representation including the unique identifier, and
the third device captured the encoded representation and decoded the encoded representation to determine the unique identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier uniquely identifies the first device among a group of devices.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unique identifier is uniquely identified by a company that manufactured the first device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second device activates the first device without having a user type in the unique ID on the third device.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for activating a first device for using a service, wherein the instructions, when executed, control a second device to be configured for:
receiving, by the second device from a third device, a user identifier for a user and a unique identifier for the first device, the user identifier originating from the third device and the unique identifier originating from the first device in a representation outputted by the first device, wherein the third device captured the outputted representation in a same physical location as the first device;
determining, by the second device, a user account for the service, the user account being associated with the user identifier for the user;
associating, by the second device, the unique identifier for the first device with the user account, wherein the association allows the user to use the service with the first device;
communicating, by the second device, with the first device to activate the first device to use the service in response to receiving the user identifier and the unique identifier; and
allowing, by the second device, access to the service from an application running on the first device in response to associating the unique identifier with the user account and activating the first device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein communicating with the first device to active the first device comprises:
communicating, by the second device, user credentials to the first device to activate the first device to use the service.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein:
the representation comprises an encoded representation including the unique identifier, and
the third device captured the encoded representation and decoded the encoded representation to determine the unique identifier.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the unique identifier is uniquely identified by a company that manufactured the first device.

15. A method for activating a first device for delivering media to the first device, the method comprising:
upon being provided on a first device, determining, by an application, that activation of the first device via a second device is necessary for configuring a service for a user to use on the first device;
determining a unique ID for the first device from the application, the unique ID originating from the first device;
outputting a representation of the unique ID via the first device, wherein:
the representation is configured to be captured by a third device in a same physical location and the third device can recognize the unique ID,
the third device is configured to determine a user identifier for the user to allow the second device to activate the first device for the service, the user identifier originating from the third device, and
the second device automatically receives the unique ID and the user identifier from the third device and activates the first device to use the service in response to receiving the user identifier and the unique identifier.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving user credentials from the second device to allow the application on the first device to log on to the service automatically.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the representation comprises an encoded representation of the unique identifier.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving a request for a media program from the user on the first device for the service;
sending the request to the service for the media program; and
receiving the media program from the service in response to sending the request.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the unique identifier uniquely identifies the first device in a group of devices.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the unique identifier is uniquely identified by a company that manufactured the first device.

Assignees

• Hulu Llc

Inventors

• Haykinson Ilya
• Bear Daniel Honig

Classifications

• H04N21/43615

  Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals (home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805) · CPC title

• H04N21/441 Primary

  Acquiring end-user identification {, e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card} · CPC title

• H04N21/42684

  Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID (network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00) · CPC title

• H04N21/4126

  The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones · CPC title

• H04N21/41265

  having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device (unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204) · CPC title