At&t Intellectual Property I, L.p.

At&t IP I, LP

Lee M Chow

David J Piepenbrink

James Sofos

Stephen A Rys

Adam Klein

Michael Reid

Denis L Bagsby

Sudha Gopal

Helen Ly

David Plepenbrink

A method and system for controlling viewing of multimedia content includes collecting viewing control profiles and associated viewing control passwords via an Internet-protocol television portal, a web portal, and a mobile portal. The viewing control profile may be usable to restrict access to certain multimedia programs. The viewing control may be applied using a unified storefront application, providing access to multimedia content via the Internet-protocol television portal, the web portal, and the mobile portal, to offer and provide controlled access to the multimedia assets.

Streaming video

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a server having a controller to maintain content rights parameters associated with media content and a user where the content rights parameters include limits to distribution of the media content to a plurality of communication devices associated with the user and where a portion of the plurality of communication devices use different communication protocols from another portion of the plurality of communication devices, monitor for access to the media content by one communication device of the plurality of communication devices of the user, and obtain rights control data that is adapted to allow for presentation of the media content by the one communication device of the user where the rights control data is generated based on the content rights parameters. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Apparatus and method for protecting media content rights

Access to transactional multimedia content may be based on network routing. Some multimedia content may be best delivered via a private network. Other multimedia content may be best delivered via a public network. A type of the multimedia content may thus determine network routing.

Public/private communications paths

A method includes encrypting, at a server, a media content item to form encrypted content. The method includes determining, at the server, a group of media devices associated with users that are likely to request the media content item. The method includes multicasting, without receiving a related request for the media content item from a media device of the group, the encrypted content and information from the server to the group of media devices. The information includes a usage period of the encrypted content. The method includes, receiving, at the server during the usage period, an acceptance notice of an offer for the media content item from a media device of the group of media devices. The method also includes sending, from the server to the media device, a decryption key for the encrypted content responsive to the acceptance notice.

Processing and distribution of video-on-demand content items

Electronic multimedia content is recommended based on personal preferences. Consumption information may be collected to generate recommended multimedia content. Electronic storefronts may also be selected based on the consumption information. Different portals and access points may be used based on IPTV assets, mobile assets, and mobile assets.

Content recommendations

A method is provided for controlling electronic storefronts presented using a set-top box over a communication network. The method includes sending, by a server, electronic video content over the communication network for delivery to a set-top box. The electronic video content includes a trigger that instructs a processor in the set-top box to display options in a graphical user interface on a display device, and an embedded selectable trigger that causes the processor to display at least one popup on the display device. The method also includes sending, by the server, a retrieved electronic storefront over the communication network to the set-top box, wherein the retrieved electronic storefront, including user-selectable assets, is virtually presented on the display device by the set-top box.

Method for controlling electronic storefronts in a multimedia content distribution network

A method includes receiving, at a service delivery platform system from a first video source, a control stream associated with a media content stream delivered via a media distribution network. The control stream includes conditional access information for the media content stream including a restriction condition to delivery of the media content stream. The method includes parsing, at the service delivery platform system, the conditional access information to create a substitute table for a head end of the media distribution network that will implement the restriction condition. The substitute table indicates a condition for delivery of a substitute media content stream, a start time, an end time, and a second content source for the substitute media content stream. The method also includes sending the substitution table to the head end from the service delivery platform system to automatically schedule a conditional access event that implements the restriction condition.

System and method of restricting access to media content

Video assets

A method includes determining, at a server, whether to send a media content item to a media device based on a recommendation, where the media content item is associated with a time period. The method also includes, in response to a determination to send the media content item, sending the media content item from the server to the media device, where the media content item is unplayable at the media device when attempted to be played at a time outside of the time period.

A method and system for limiting spending in a multimedia content distribution network involves receiving spending limits from an Internet-protocol television portal, a web portal, or a mobile portal. The spending limits may be provided by a network user and may be usable to limit access to multimedia programs. The spending limits may be applied using a unified storefront application, which provides access to multimedia content via an Internet-protocol television portal, a web portal, and a mobile portal.

A method and system for distributing multimedia content includes a unified storefront (USF) application providing access portals to a multimedia content distribution network, including an Internet-protocol television access portal, a web access portal and a mobile access portal. The USF application may further communicate with a media agent to access a portable media player (PMP), allowing multimedia content to be sent to the PMP from any of the access portals.

Growing community of inventors

Chicago, IL, United States of America

Lee M Chow