Apparatus and methods for content delivery and message exchange across multiple content delivery networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9906838-B2
Application number	US-83480110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2010
Priority date	Jul 12, 2010
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing protected content to subscribers of a managed (e.g., MSO) network via a content source accessible via an internetwork such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a user accesses a service provider portal (e.g., website), and requests content. The service provider determines whether the requesting user is permitted to access the content, and what rights or restrictions are associated with the user. This includes authenticating the user as a subscriber of the MSO, and determining the subscriber's subscription level. In another embodiment, a user's account with the MSO and service provider may be federated, thus a given user will have MSO-specific information regarding its identity (such as login information, GUID, etc.) and is able to perform a single sign on to request and receive content.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computerized method for providing protected Internet Protocol (IP) packetized content via an unmanaged network associated with a third party service provider to an authorized user of a managed content delivery network, said computerized method comprising:
receiving, at an entity of said managed content delivery network, data representative of a request for said protected IP packetized content, said data specifying a prescribed quality-of-service (QoS) level and comprising at least information identifying a requesting user and information identifying said requested IP packetized content;
determining, based at least in part on said information identifying said requesting user, an identity of said requesting user as said authorized user of said managed content delivery network;
generating a unique identifier for said authorized user; and
transmitting, from said entity of said managed content delivery network, a response to said request to an entity of said unmanaged network, said response comprising said unique identifier and a subscription level of said authorized user;
wherein receipt of said transmitted response is configured to cause said entity of said unmanaged network to deliver said protected IP packetized content to said authorized user in accordance with said QoS level; and
wherein said unique identifier and said subscription level are stored at said entity of said unmanaged network and are configured to enable use in a subsequent request, said subsequent request comprising a request for second protected content different than said delivered IP packetized content, said storage of said subscription level configured to enable said entity of said unmanaged network to determine at least one of an encoding or a bitrate for said different second protected content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said information identifying said requesting user comprises login information pre-established at said entity of said managed content delivery network to correspond to said authorized user.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said generating said unique identifier for said authorized user comprises generating a user-specific global unique identifier (GUID).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said storage of said unique identifier enables said entity of said unmanaged network to identify said authorized user and transmit a response to said subsequent request based thereon, thereby obviating one or more communications between said entity of said unmanaged network and said entity of said managed content delivery network.

5. A computerized method for providing protected digitally rendered content via a first, unmanaged content delivery network to an authorized user of a second, managed content delivery network, said computerized method comprising:
receiving, at an entity of said first, unmanaged content delivery network, data representative of a request for said protected digitally rendered content from a computerized user device associated with said authorized user, said data comprising at least information identifying said computerized user device and information identifying said protected digitally rendered content;
querying a plurality of records maintained with said first, unmanaged content delivery network to determine both: (i) a unique identifier of said computerized user device, and (ii) content protection data, said unique identifier being previously provided to said entity of said first, unmanaged content delivery network by an entity of said second, managed content delivery network, said content protection data pre-positioned at said first unmanaged content delivery network by said entity of said second managed content delivery network to maintain integrity of said protected digitally rendered content outside of said second managed content delivery network and within said first unmanaged content delivery network; and
delivering said protected digitally rendered content to said computerized user device based at least in part on said querying, said protected digitally rendered content being pre-configured by said entity of said first unmanaged content delivery network according to one or more capabilities of said computerized user device, said one or more capabilities being determined based on use of said unique identifier.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said first network comprises a packet switched network, and said second network comprises a substantially circuit-switched content delivery network.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said packet switched network comprises an IP (Internet Protocol) Multimedia Services (IMS) entity.

8. The method of claim 5 , further comprising initiating a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) session between said entity of said first unmanaged content delivery network and said computerized user device.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said data representative of request comprises a SIP message from said computerized user device, said SIP message including one or more identifiers of said protected digitally rendered content.

10. Computerized network apparatus configured for use in a content delivery network to authorize access by at least one computerized user device to a selected one or more Internet Protocol (IP) packet stream services via a packet network, said packet network configured for delivery of said one or more IP packet stream services according to a prescribed quality-of-service (QoS) level, said computerized network apparatus comprising:
a first data interface configured to receive:
information identifying said at least one computerized user device; and
data representative of a request for said access to said selected one or more IP packet stream services, said request configured to specify said QoS level;

a processor apparatus in data communication with the first data interface;
storage apparatus in data communication with said processor apparatus and comprising at least one computer program, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed on said processor apparatus:
verify said information identifying said at least one computerized user device as being associated with at least one subscriber of said content delivery network;
generate a unique identifier specific to said at least one subscriber; and
generate a response to said request for said access to said selected one or more IP packet stream services; and

a second data interface in data communication with said processor apparatus and configured to transmit:
said unique identifier to at least one entity of said packet network for storage thereon; and
said response to said request for said access to said selected one or more IP packet stream services;

wherein said computerized network apparatus is further configured to cause delivery of said selected one or more IP packet stream services via said packet network and according to said QoS level; and
wherein said unique identifier is linked to protection data pre-positioned at said at least one entity of said packet network, and said unique identifier is used in an application of digital rights management or other forms of content protection in response to a subsequent request from said at least one subscriber for one or more different services, prior to provision of said one or more different services, said digital rights management or said other forms of content protection being specific to said at least one subscriber, said pre-positioned protection data configured to enable an operator of said content delivery network to maintain integrity of said one or more different services outside of said content delivery network and within said packet network; and
wherein said link of said uniq

Assignees

• Cronk Gary
• Putsch Jonathan
• Boutilier James
• Miller Paul L
• Dillon Michael
• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Cronk Gary
• Putsch Jonathan
• Boutilier James
• Miller Paul L
• Dillon Michael

Classifications

• H04L9/30

  Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy · 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

• H04L63/102

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• H04N21/25875

  involving end-user authentication (restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06) · CPC title

• G06F21/10

  Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} · CPC title