The Directv Group, Inc.

David N Schlacht

Raynold M Kahn

Hanno Basse

Kapil Chaudhry

Thomas H James

Stephen P Dulac

Peter M Klauss

Deanna R Kidd

Steven Kasakitis

Sean S Lee

Scott D Casavant

Kuriacose Joseph

Brady Court Tsurutani

Matthew J Thompson

Phillip T Wang

Johnny Shum

Secure content transfer systems and methods to operate the same are disclosed. Disclosed example systems include a client device for use at a physical location and a media server for use at the physical location. The example media server includes a security device to determine a first encryption secret based on a first encryption key and to determine a second encryption secret based on a second encryption key. The media server also includes a decrypter to decrypt received encrypted content for requested content based on the first encryption secret and an encrypter to re-encrypt the decrypted content data for the requested content based on the second encryption secret. In addition, the media server includes an interface to send the re-encrypted content data to the client device, wherein the client device is to decrypt the re-encrypted content data based on the second encryption secret to access the requested content.

Secure content transfer systems and methods to operate the same

A system and method for controlling access to content stream includes a user device and a service provider in communication with the user device. The service provider receives a request for a requested content stream associated with the user device and determines an access number corresponding to a number of content streams active by a user device. When the access number associated with the user device exceeds a predetermined number, the service provider denies access to a requested stream for the user device.

Method and system for authorizing user devices to communicate with a primary service provider using a limited number of streams

A method and system includes an external service provider that receives a request for restricted content, forms, at the external service provider, a redirection request based on the request for restricted content, an external service provider identifier, and a return response location identifier. The system also includes a discovery service that receives the redirection request from the external service provider and parses the redirection request to obtain an identity provider location identifier and the external service provider identifier when a common domain cookie exists in the redirection request. The discovery service generates a response based on the return response location identifier wherein the response comprises the identity provider location identifier. The external service provider receives the response, generates an authentication request and communicates the authentication request to the identity provider based on the identity provider location identifier.

Method and system for discovering an identity provider

Secure content transfer systems and methods to operate the same are disclosed. An example system includes a content server to encrypt content according to an encryption key, and to transfer the encrypted content, the encryption key and a license to a client that supports a digital rights management technology. The example system further includes a broadcast system headend to determine the encryption key, wherein the broadcast system headend is physically separate from the content server, and a digital rights management license server to provide the license.

A method and system for authenticating a user device includes an identity provider reading service and an external service provider receiving a request to access content from a user device and communicating the request to access content from a service provider to the reading service. The request to access content includes cookie data. The external service requests an identity provider token from the cookie data from the reading service based on the request to access. The identity provider reading service communicates the identity provider token to the external service provider. An identity provider communicates with the service provider. The external service generates and communicates an authentication request to the identity provider having the identity provider token and a service provider identifier. The identity provider communicates an assertion signal to the service provider when the cookie data is resolved at the identity provider. The service provider grants access to content to the user device in response to the assertion signal.

Method and system for authenticating service providers to communicate with a primary service provider

A system and method for operating a user receiving device includes a head end associating a first user device with a user account having first user settings. A first user device communicates a device identifier associated with the user receiving device to the head end. The head end communicates the first user settings associated with the user account to the user receiving device. The user receiving device operates with the first user settings.

Method and system for transferring user settings to another user receiving device

An entitlement system and method of operating the same includes a file share storage and a file publisher that receives schedule data and generates a formatted file in a first format from the schedule data. The file publisher stores the formatted files in the file share storage. The entitlement system also includes an entitlement cache and a file processor communicating the formatted files from the file share storage to the entitlement cache. An authorization server receives an access request from a user device and accesses the formatted file. The authorization server compares a first content identifier from the formatted file to an authorized rights list for the user device and authorizes the user device to access the content in response to comparing.

Method and system for entitling a user device to receive content from data from an external source

A content ingestion system and method of operating the same includes a client module receiving a schedule data signal from an external service provider to a content ingestion module. The system also includes a first queue receiving the schedule data signal from the client module. The system further includes a switch module forming a plurality of objects from the schedule data signal and a second queue receiving the plurality of objects from the first switch module. A persistence module is also included in the system that reads the objects from the second queue and storing the objects in a database.

Method and system for ingesting content schedule data from an external source

A communication system and method for operating the same includes a group of user devices and a content delivery network in communication with the group of user devices. The content delivery network selects a plurality user devices from the group of user devices, divides the content into a crucial portion and a non-crucial portions, and encrypts the crucial portions differently for each of the user devices in the group using conditional access encryption. The content delivery network communicates the non-crucial portions to the plurality of user devices, communicates the encrypted crucial portion to the plurality of user devices separately from the non-crucial. The plurality of user devices assembles the crucial portion and the non-crucial portions to form the content.

Method and apparatus for file sharing between a group of user devices with separately sent crucial portions and non-crucial portions

A communication systemincludes a group of user devices, a satelliteand a content delivery networkin communication with the group of user devices. The content delivery networkselects a plurality of user devicesfrom the group of user devices, divides content into a crucial portion and non-crucial portions, communicates the non-crucial portions to the plurality of user devices using a peer-to-peer network until all non-critical portions are received. After communicating the non-crucial portions, the content delivery networkcommunicates the crucial portion to the plurality of user devicesthrough the satellite. The plurality of user devices assembles the crucial portion and the non-crucial portions to form the content. In addition, security information may be first transmitted through the satellite to the user devices so that a peer-to-peer network may be established. Thereafter, the non-crucial portion are exchanged through the peer-to-peer network.

Method and apparatus for file sharing between a group of user devices with crucial portions sent via satellite and non-crucial portions sent using a peer-to-peer network

A communication systemincludes a group of user devicesand a content delivery networkin communication with the group of user devices. The content deliver networkselects a plurality user devices from the group of user devices, divides the content into a crucial portion and a non-crucial portions. The content delivery networkcommunicates the non-crucial portions to the plurality of user devices and communicates the crucial portion to the plurality of user devices separately from the non-crucial portions and at each of the plurality of user devices. The plurality of user devicesassembles the crucial portion and the non-crucial portions to form the content.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

David N Schlacht