# US 12,659,534 B2 · Real-time geo-locked content delivery network tokens > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,659,534 B2 - Document ID: US12659534B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/630,384 - Filed: 2024-04-09 - Published: 2025-10-09 - Granted: 2026-06-16 - Earliest claimed: 2024-04-09 - Assignees: Hulu, LLC - Applicants: Hulu, LLC - Inventors: Pankaj Chaudhari - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12659534B2 ## CPC - H04L 65/612: for unicast - H04N 21/26613: {for generating or managing keys in general (key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04)} - G06F 21/10: 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]} - H04L 63/107: {wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals} - H04L 67/52: specially adapted for the location of the user terminal - H04N 21/2393: {involving handling client requests (scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60)} - H04N 21/25841: {involving the geographical location of the client (retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks 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)} - H04N 21/64322: {IP} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Techniques for providing streaming content include receiving a first request, from a first user, for a link to streaming content. These techniques further include determining a geographic location of the first user based on the first request, generating a geo-specific token describing the geographic location of the first user, and transmitting the link to the streaming content to the first user, the link including the geo-specific token. The techniques further include receiving a second request for the streaming content based on the link, the second request comprising the geo-specific token, and denying the second request for the streaming content based on comparing the geo-specific token with additional geographic information determined based on the second request. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving a first request, from a first user, for a link to streaming content; determining a defined level of granularity based at least in part on a first property of the first request, wherein the level of granularity is determined to reduce errors for users requesting streaming content compared with a different level of granularity: determining a geographic location of the first user based on resolving the first property, wherein the geographic location describes a current geographic location at the defined level of granularity; generating a geo-specific token based on the geographic location of the first user, and; transmitting the link to the streaming content to the first user, the link comprising the geo-specific token; receiving a second request for the streaming content based on the link, the second request comprising the geo-specific token; and denying the second request for the streaming content based on comparing the geo-specific token with additional geographic information determined based on the second request. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first request is received at a content provider computational environment and the second request is received at a content delivery network (CDN) different from the content provider computational environment. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the link to the streaming content comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) including the geo-specific token and identifying a location for the content at the CDN. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the geographic location of the first user is obfuscated in the geo-specific token. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first property comprises at least one of: (i) an IP address associated with the first user, (ii) a latitude or longitude associated with the first user, (iii) a cellular subscriber identifier associated with the first user, or (iv) a network service provider header associated with the first request. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the geo-specific token based on the geographic location of the first user comprises: generating a geo-hash based on the geographic location of the first user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first property is a device type indicator. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein denying the second request for the streaming content comprises initiating an additional request for the streaming content by the first user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein denying the second request for the streaming content based on comparing the geo-specific token with additional geographic information determined based on the second request comprises: determining a geographic radius based on the geo-specific token; determining a second geographic location based on the second request; and determining that the second geographic location does not fall within the geographic location radius. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a third request for second streaming content from a second user; determining a second geographic location of the second user based on the third request; generating a second geo-specific token describing the second geographic location of the second user; transmitting a second link to the second streaming content to the second user, the second link comprising the second geo-specific token; receiving a fourth request for the second streaming content based on the second link, the fourth request comprising the second geo-specific token; and granting the fourth request for the second streaming content based on determining that the second geographic location of the second user described in the second geo- specific token matches additional geographic information determined based on the fourth request. ### Claim 11 A system, comprising: one or more processors; one or more memories storing a program, which, when executed on a combination of the one or more processors, performs an operation, the operation comprising: receiving a first request, from a first user, for a link to streaming content; determining a defined level of granularity based at least in part on a first property of the first request, wherein the level of granularity is determined to reduce errors for users requesting streaming content compared with a different level of granularity; determining a geographic location of the first user based on resolving the first property, wherein the geographic location describes a current geographic location at the defined level of granularity; generating a geo-specific token based on the geographic location of the first user; transmitting the link to the streaming content to the first user, the link comprising the geo-specific token; receiving a second request for the streaming content based on the link, the second request comprising the geo-specific token; and denying the second request for the streaming content based on comparing the geo-specific token with additional geographic information determined based on the second request. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the first request is received at a content provider computational environment and the second request is received at a content delivery network (CDN) different from the content provider computational environment. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the link to the streaming content comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) including the geo-specific token and identifying a location for the content at the CDN. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the first property comprising comprises at least one of: (i) an IP address associated with the first user, (ii) a latitude or longitude associated with the first user, (iii) a cellular subscriber identifier associated with the first user, or (iv) a network service provider header associated with the first request. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein denying the second request for the streaming content based on comparing the geo-specific token with additional geographic information determined based on the second request comprises: determining a geographic radius based on the geo-specific token; determining a second geographic location based on the second request; and determining that the first second geographic location does not fall within the geographic radius. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer program code that, when executed by operation of one or more computer processors, performs operations comprising: receiving a first request, from a first user, for a link to streaming content; determining a defined level of granularity based at least in part on a first property of the first request, wherein the level of granularity is determined to reduce errors for users requesting streaming content compared with a different level of granularity: determining a geographic location of the first user based on resolving the first property, wherein the geographic location describes a current geographic location at the defined level of granularity; generating a geo-specific token based on the geographic location of the first user; transmitting the link to the streaming content to the first user, the link comprising the geo-specific token; receiving a second request for the streaming content based on the link, the second request comprising the geo-specific token; and denying the second request for the streaming content based on comparing the geo-specific token with additional geographic information determined based on the second request. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first request is received at a content provider computational environment and the second request is received at a content delivery network (CDN) different from the content provider computational environment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the link to the streaming content comprises a uniform resource locator (URL) including the geo-specific token and identifying a location for the content at the CDN. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first property comprising comprises at least one of: (i) an IP address associated with the first user, (ii) a latitude or longitude associated with the first user, (iii) a cellular subscriber identifier associated with the first user, or (iv) a network service provider header associated with the first request. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein denying the second request for the streaming content based on comparing the geo-specific token with additional geographic information determined based on the second request comprises: determining a geographic radius based on the geo-specific token; determining a second geographic location based on the second request; and determining that the geographic location does not fall within the geographic radius.