System and method for processing user rights

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9602488-B2
Application number	US-201414504636-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 2, 2014
Priority date	Apr 11, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for processing entitlement rights are disclosed. The method, in one aspect, provides for storing content at a first time, receiving a request for playback of the content at a second time, and processing a user right associated with the content to authenticate the user right in response to the request for playback, wherein the user right is authenticated based upon a state of the user right at the first time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining a right to consume content, comprising:
storing content, wherein a user of a user device has a user right to consume the content at a first time when the content is stored;
receiving, by an entitlement server, a request for playback of the content at a second time from the user device;
determining, by the entitlement server, at the second time, that the user does not have the user right to consume the content at the second time;
determining, by the entitlement server, at the second time, that the user had the user right to consume the content at the first time, independent of the user right to consume the content at the second time; and
providing the content to the user device at the second time, based on the determination that the user had the user right to consume the content at the first time, wherein the content is configured for presentation by the user device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content is stored on a network device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content is stored on the user device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the content from storage after a predetermined time period from the first time when the content is stored.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a request to store the content from the user device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user right to consume the content comprises subscription information.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising retrieving, by the entitlement server, user rights data comprising the user right to consume the content associated with the content requested.

8. A method for determining a right to consume content, comprising:
receiving, by an entitlement server, a request, from a user device, to store content at a first time;
receiving, by the entitlement server, a request, from the user device, to playback the content at a second time;
determining, by the entitlement server, a user right to consume the content at the second time, wherein the entitlement server determines that the user does not have the user right to consume the content at the second time;
determining, by the entitlement server, whether the user had the user right to consume the content at the first time, independent of the user right to consume the content at the second time, wherein the entitlement server determines that the user had the user right to consume the content at the first time; and
authorizing, by the entitlement server, playback of the content at the user device at the second time, based on the determination of the user right to consume the content at the first time, wherein the content is configured for presentation by the user device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the content is stored on a network device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the content is stored on the user device.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising removing the content from storage after a predetermined time period has elapsed from the first time.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising retrieving, by the entitlement server, user rights data comprising the user right to consume the content associated with the content requested, wherein the entitlement server comprises one or more computing devices.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the user right to consume the content comprises subscription information.

14. A method for determining a right to consume content,. implemented by one or more computing devices, comprising:
storing content, at the one or more computing devices, wherein the content is associated with a first time at which the content is stored;
receiving, at the one or more computing devices, a request for playback of the content from a user device at a second time;
transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, a request for an authentication to an entitlement server, wherein the request for the authentication comprises identification information of a user associated with the user device and timing data comprising the first time at which the content was stored and the second time at which the request for playback was received;
determining, by the entitlement server, that the user was entitled to consume the content at the first time at which the content was stored and that the user is not entitled to consume the content at the second time of the request for playback;
receiving, by the one or more computing devices, the authentication from the entitlement server; and
transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the content to the user device in response to the authentication at the second time, based on the indication that the user was entitled to consume the content at the first time, wherein the content is configured for presentation by the user device.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the content is stored on a network device.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the content is stored on the user device.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising removing the content from the one or more computing devices after a predetermined time period has elapsed from the first time when the content is stored.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the identification information of the user comprises subscription information.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the timing data comprises a first time stamp for the first time and a second time stamp for the second time.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising receiving a request to store content from the user device.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Chen Michael A

Classifications

• H04N21/4335

  Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions {(storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90)} · CPC title

• H04L63/10

  for controlling access to devices or network resources · CPC title

• 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

• H04N21/43622 Primary

  Interfacing an external recording device · CPC title

• G06F21/60

  Protecting data · CPC title