US 8,898,691 B2Granted

Control of access to multimedia content

AssigneeAT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.

InventorRobert Coldwell

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A disclosed method of enabling a subscriber to control access to multimedia content received from a multimedia distribution network includes provisioning the network with an access control application. The application is operable to respond to an invocation by a member of a subscriber class by enabling at least one subscriber class function, wherein the subscriber class function enables the subscriber class member to define an access restriction for members of a controlled class. The application responds to an invocation by a member of the controlled class by enabling the controlled class member to access content not subject to the defined restrictions permitting the controlled class member to define preferences from content not subject to the defined restrictions. The definable preferences may include TV channel preferences and interactive games preferences. Restrictions may be defined based on channel identification, a rating associated with requested content, an elapsed viewing time, and a monetary charge.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An access control method, comprising:

responding to a power on event by determining a state of an access control setting associated with an access control application;
responding to determining that the access control setting is asserted by:
transitioning to a main page state and presenting a main page interface of the access control application, wherein the main page interface includes a plurality of selectable links providing controlled access to multimedia content, the plurality of selectable links including:
a first television link;
a my television link;
and
a setup link;
and
executing an authentication query to identify a class of a user in response to detecting a user request from the user;
responding to detecting user selection of the first television link by transitioning to an all television choose state, wherein:
a first subset of television content is available when the user is a controlled class user, wherein the first subset comprises a subset defined by a controlling class user;
and
all television content is available when the user is a subscriber class user;
and
responding to detecting user selection of the my television link by transitioning to a my television choose state, wherein:
a first favorites subset of the first subset of television content is available when the user is a controlled class user, wherein the first favorites subset comprises a subset defined by the controlled class user;
and
a second favorites subset of all television content is available when the user is a subscriber class user, wherein the second favorites subset is defined by the subscriber class user;
and
responding to detecting user selection of the setup link by:
transitioning to a parent setup state when the user is a subscriber class user, wherein the parent setup state enables the user to define favorites for the user and to define a domain from which a controlled class user may define favorites;
and
transitioning to a child setup state when the user is a controlled class user, wherein the child setup state enables the user to define favorites from the domain;
and
responding to determining that the access control setting is not asserted by:
transitioning to a live television state;
and
responding to a subsequent user request for content by processing the subsequent user request without determining a class of the user.

25 more elements

A non-transitory computer readable medium including stored program instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform operations comprising:

responding to a power on event by determining a state of an access control setting;
responding to determining that the access control setting is asserted by:
transitioning to a main page state and presenting a main page interface, wherein the main page interface includes a plurality of selectable links providing controlled access to multimedia content, the plurality of selectable links including:
a first television link;
a my television link;
and
a setup link;
and
identifying a class of a user in response to detecting a user request from a user;
responding to detecting user selection of the first television link by transitioning to an all television choose state, wherein:
a first subset of television content is available when the user is a controlled class user, wherein the first subset comprises a subset defined by a controlling class user;
and
all television content is available when the user is a subscriber class user;
responding to detecting user selection of the my television link by transitioning to a my television choose state, wherein:
a first favorites subset of the first subset of television content is available when the user is a controlled class user, wherein the first favorites subset comprises a subset defined by the controlled class user;
a second favorites subset of all television content is available when the user is a subscriber class user, wherein the second favorites subset is defined by the subscriber class user;
and
responding to detecting user selection of the setup link by:
transitioning to a parent setup state when the user is a subscriber class user, wherein the parent setup state enables the user to define favorites for the user and to define a domain from which a controlled class user may define favorites;
and
transition to a child setup state when the user is a controlled class user, wherein the child setup state enables the user to define favorites from the domain;
and
responding to determining that the access control setting is not asserted by:
transitioning to a live television state;
and
responding to a subsequent user request for content by processing the subsequent user request without determining a class of the user.

23 more elements

An application server, comprising:

a processor;
and
a computer readable medium, accessible to the processor, including stored program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:
responding to a power on event by determining a state of an access control setting;
responding to determining that the access control setting is asserted by:
transitioning to a main page state and presenting a main page interface, wherein the main page interface includes a plurality of selectable links providing controlled access to multimedia content, the plurality of selectable links including:
a first television link;
a my television link;
and
a setup link;
and
identifying a class of a user in response to detecting a user request from a user;
responding to detecting user selection of the first television link by transitioning to an all television choose state, wherein:
a first subset of television content is available when the user is a controlled class user, wherein the first subset comprises a subset defined by a controlling class user;
and
all television content is available when the user is a subscriber class user;
responding to detecting user selection of the my television link by transitioning to a my television choose state, wherein:
a first favorites subset of the first subset of television content is available when the user is a controlled class user, wherein the first favorites subset comprises a subset defined by the controlled class user;
a second favorites subset of all television content is available when the user is a subscriber class user, wherein the second favorites subset is defined by the subscriber class user;
and
responding to detecting user selection of the setup link by:
transitioning to a parent setup state when the user is a subscriber class user;
and
transition to a child setup state when the user is a controlled class user;
and
responding to determining that the access control setting is not asserted by:
transitioning to a live television state;
and
responding to a subsequent user request for content by processing the subsequent user request without determining a class of the user.

26 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/862,949Filed 27 Sep 2007
Published: US 2009/0089825 A12 Apr 2009
Granted: 25 Nov 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

H04N 7/17318
Transmission or handling of upstream communications: direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
H04L 12/66
Data switching networks: arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
H04N 21/25816
Management of client data: involving client authentication
H04N 21/64322
Communication protocols: ip