Methods, systems, and media for authenticating a user device to a display device

Abstract

Methods, systems, and media for authenticating a user device to a display device are provided. The method includes: authenticating a first user device to a display device, an authentication token being associated with the authentication, the authentication token being stored on a server in association with an identifier of the first user device, the first user device being provided with media play controls for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device; identifying a second user device proximate to the first user device; transmitting, from the first user device to the second user device, an invitation message to authenticate the second user device to the display device; in response to receiving a response to the invitation message from the second user device, transmitting, from the first user device to the second user device, an authentication token that causes the second user device to request from the server an authentication to the display device, the second user device being provided with media play controls for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device.

Description

[0001] Case Analysis

[0002] This application is a divisional application of Chinese invention patent application 201710822939.X, filed on September 13, 2017. Technical Field

[0003] The disclosed topics relate to methods, systems, and media for authenticating second-screen user equipment to display devices. Background Technology

[0004] Many people enjoy using second-screen devices, such as mobile phones or tablets, to select media content displayed on a main device, such as a television, audio speaker, or projector. Furthermore, people may want to allow more second-screen devices to communicate with the main device, such as multiple devices in a home. However, authenticating each of these multiple devices with the main device individually can be time-consuming. For example, each second-screen device can be individually authenticated with the main device, such as the display device, using user account information, password information, device information, or display device code information (e.g., the code of a display device that is difficult to locate itself). Only when such information is entered can the user of the second-screen device communicate with the main device.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method, system, and medium for authenticating user devices to display devices. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Methods, systems, and media are provided for authenticating user equipment to display devices.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a method for authenticating a user equipment is provided, the method comprising: authenticating a first user equipment to a display device, wherein an authentication token is associated with authenticating the first user equipment to the display device, wherein the authentication token is stored on a server in association with an identifier of the first user equipment, and wherein the first user equipment is provided with media playback control for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device; identifying a second user equipment proximate to the first user equipment using the first user equipment; transmitting an invitation message from the first user equipment to the second user equipment for authenticating the second user equipment to the display device; and, in response to receiving a response from the second user equipment to the invitation message, transmitting an authentication token from the first user equipment to the second user equipment causing the second user equipment to request authentication to the display device from the server, wherein the second user equipment is provided with media playback control for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device.

[0008] In some implementations, the method further includes: generating the authentication token using the first user equipment; and transmitting the authentication token to the server.

[0009] In some implementations, the method further includes receiving an indication from a contact list associated with a first user of the first user device of the second user device, wherein the second user device is identified based on the received indication.

[0010] In some implementations, identifying the second user equipment further includes detecting the second user equipment based on its connection to the network.

[0011] In some embodiments, identifying the second user equipment further includes: detecting movement of the first user equipment; transmitting an indication of the movement and a first location associated with the first user equipment to a server; and receiving an identifier associated with the second user equipment from the server, wherein the second user equipment detects movement of the second user equipment at a second location, and wherein the first location and the second location are within a predetermined distance.

[0012] In some embodiments, the method further includes: receiving from a user of the first user device an indication that the second user device should not be authenticated to the display device; and sending to the server a request to remove the authentication permission of the second user device to the display device.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a system for authenticating a user equipment is provided. The system includes a hardware processor on a first user equipment configured to: authenticate the first user equipment to a display device, wherein an authentication token is associated with authenticating the first user equipment to the display device, wherein the authentication token is stored on a server in association with an identifier of the first user equipment, and wherein the first user equipment is provided with media playback control for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device; identify a second user equipment proximate to the first user equipment using the first user equipment; transmit an invitation message from the first user equipment to the second user equipment for authenticating the second user equipment to the display device; and, in response to receiving a response to the invitation message from the second user equipment, transmit an authentication token from the first user equipment to the second user equipment causing the second user equipment to request authentication to the display device from the server, wherein the second user equipment is provided with media playback control for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a non-transitory computer-readable medium is provided comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for authenticating a user device. The method includes: authenticating a first user device to a display device, wherein an authentication token is associated with authenticating the first user device to the display device, wherein the authentication token is stored on a server in association with an identifier of the first user device, and wherein the first user device is provided with media playback control for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device; identifying a second user device proximate to the first user device using the first user device; transmitting an invitation message from the first user device to the second user device for authenticating the second user device to the display device; and, in response to receiving a response from the second user device to the invitation message, transmitting an authentication token from the first user device to the second user device causing the second user device to request authentication of the display device from the server, wherein the second user device is provided with media playback control for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, a system for authenticating a user device is provided. The system includes: means for authenticating a first user device to a display device, wherein an authentication token is associated with authenticating the first user device to the display device, wherein the authentication token is stored on a server in association with an identifier of the first user device, and wherein the first user device is provided with media playback control for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device; means for identifying a second user device proximate to the first user device using the first user device; means for transmitting an invitation message from the first user device to the second user device for authenticating the second user device to the display device; and means for transmitting an authentication token from the first user device to the second user device in response to receiving a response from the second user device to the invitation message, causing the second user device to request authentication to the display device from the server, wherein the second user device is provided with media playback control for the display device in response to being authenticated to the display device.

[0016] In some embodiments, the system further includes: means for generating the authentication token using the first user equipment; and means for transmitting the authentication token to the server.

[0017] In some embodiments, the system further includes: means for transmitting a request for an authentication token to the server; and means for receiving the authentication token from the server.

[0018] In some embodiments, the system further includes means for receiving an indication from a contact list associated with a first user of the first user device to a second user device, wherein the second user device is identified based on the received indication.

[0019] In some implementations, the system further includes means for detecting the second user equipment based on its connection to the network.

[0020] In some embodiments, the system further includes: means for detecting movement of the first user equipment; means for transmitting an indication of the movement and a first location associated with the first user equipment to a server; and means for receiving from the server an identifier associated with the second user equipment, wherein the second user equipment detects movement of the second user equipment at a second location, and wherein the first location and the second location are within a predetermined distance.

[0021] In some embodiments, the system further includes: means for receiving from a user of the first user equipment an indication that the second user equipment should not be authenticated to the display device; and means for transmitting to the server a request to remove the authentication license of the second user equipment to the display device. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The various objectives, features, and advantages of the disclosed subject matter can be more fully understood by considering it in conjunction with the following detailed description of the disclosed subject matter, wherein the same reference numerals identify the same elements.

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram illustrating an example of a system for authenticating a user device to pair with a display device, based on some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, is shown.

[0024] Figure 2 Examples of hardware that can be used in servers and / or user devices, based on some implementations of the disclosed subject matter, are shown.

[0025] Figure 3 An example of an information flow diagram for authenticating a user device to pair with a display device, based on some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, is shown.

[0026] Figure 4 An example of a process for storing instructions for a user device that is permitted to be paired with a display device, according to some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, is shown.

[0027] Figure 5 Examples of processes for detecting nearby user devices to pair with display devices, based on some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, are shown. Detailed Implementation

[0028] According to various implementation methods, mechanisms (which may include methods, systems, and media) are provided for authenticating user devices to display devices.

[0029] According to some implementations, the mechanism described herein can authenticate a second user device to communicate with a display device using a token previously used to authenticate a first user device to the display device. In some implementations, the mechanism allows a server to store an Access Control List (ACL) indicating all user devices authenticated to communicate with a specific display device associated with that token, the token indicating the identifier of that display device. In some such implementations, the server can receive a request to present a specific media content item on the display device and can determine, based on the token, whether the user device sending the request is included in the ACL associated with the display device. The server can then, if it determines that the user device is included in the ACL, cause the requested media content item to be presented on the display device. The mechanism described herein thus allows a first user device to transmit an authentication token to a second user device to authenticate the second user device to the display device, and allows the second user device to request specific content items to be presented on the display device through the server. When authenticating the second user device to the display device using the transmitted authentication token, the second user device can, for example, receive media playback control over the display device.

[0030] In some implementations, a first user equipment (User Equipment) can be authenticated to communicate with a display device in any suitable manner, such as by receiving a password and / or code associated with the display device from a user of the first User Equipment. In some implementations, the pairing between the first User Equipment and the display device can be associated with a specific token (e.g., a randomly generated alphanumeric string generated by a server and / or the first User Equipment), which can be stored on the server. In some implementations, the first User Equipment can detect other User Equipment in its vicinity and can subsequently send a token to a detected nearby second User Equipment, indicating the display device to which the first User Equipment has been paired. In some implementations, the second User Equipment can then send a request to the server to authenticate with the display device, including the token in the request. In response to receiving a request from the second User Equipment including a token corresponding to the display device, the server can add an identifier corresponding to the second User Equipment to the ACL corresponding to the display device, thereby allowing the second User Equipment to be authenticated with the display device without requiring the user of the second User Equipment to explicitly enter a password and / or code.

[0031] It is noted that in some embodiments, the first user equipment (BUE) is capable of using any suitable technology or combination of technologies to detect nearby BUEs. For example, in some embodiments, the first BUE is capable of detecting other BUEs connected to a particular network, of detecting other BUEs using audible and / or infrasound tones (e.g., ultrasound and / or any other suitable type of infrasound tones), of transmitting multicast messages on a network (e.g., a WiFi network, a Bluetooth network, and / or any other suitable type of network) and of detecting BUEs responding to such messages, and / or of detecting nearby BUEs in any suitable manner. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the second BUE can be explicitly indicated by the user of the first BUE (e.g., via a contact list, a list of other devices detected on a particular network, and / or in any other suitable manner) based on the selection of an identifier associated with the second BUE.

[0032] In some embodiments, the first user device, the second user device, and the display device can be any (or a variety of) suitable types of devices. For example, in some embodiments, the first user device and / or the second user device can be user devices without a screen and / or with a relatively small screen, such as tablet computers, laptop computers, wearable computers, personal assistant devices, and / or any other suitable types of devices. As another example, in some embodiments, the display device can be any suitable type of device suitable for presenting media content (e.g., video content, audio content, websites, images, live streaming programs, radio programs, television programs, audiobooks, and / or any other suitable types of content). As a more specific example, in some embodiments, the display device can include a television, a projector, an audio speaker (and / or a personal assistant device including an audio speaker), a tablet computer, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, and / or any other suitable type of display device.

[0033] Turning Figure 1 Example 100 of hardware for authenticating user devices to a display device, which can be used in some embodiments of the disclosed subject matter, is shown. As illustrated, hardware 100 may include one or more servers such as server 102, communication network 104, and one or more user devices 106.

[0034] Server 102 can be any suitable server used to facilitate the authentication of user devices to the display device. For example, in some embodiments, server 102 can store an indication of a first user device authenticated to communicate with the display device. In some embodiments, server 102 can subsequently grant permission to a second user device to communicate with the display device in response to receiving a token from a second user device corresponding to the display device and currently authenticated to communicate with the first user device. Furthermore, in some embodiments, server 102 can store an ACL indicating the user device authenticated to communicate with the display device. In some such embodiments, server 102 can receive a request from a user device included in the ACL to present media content items on the display device and can cause the media content items to be presented on the display device. For example, in some embodiments, server 102 can cause the media content items to be streamed to the display device for playback on the display device.

[0035] In some embodiments, communication network 104 may be any suitable combination of one or more wired and / or wireless networks. For example, communication network 104 may include the Internet, mobile data network, satellite network, local area network, wide area network, telephone network, cable television network, WiFi network, WiMAX network, Bluetooth network, and / or any other suitable communication network.

[0036] User equipment 106 may include one or more user devices (e.g., user equipment 108 and / or user equipment 110) adapted to request media content and / or perform any other suitable functions. For example, in some embodiments, user equipment 106 may include mobile devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, vehicle entertainment systems (e.g., cars, boats, airplanes, or any other suitable vehicles), portable media players, wearable computers, or any other suitable mobile devices. As another example, in some embodiments, user equipment 106 may include non-mobile devices such as desktop computers, set-top boxes, televisions, streaming media players, game consoles, audio speakers, projectors, or any other suitable non-mobile devices. User equipment 106 can be connected to communication network 104 via one or more communication links 112, which can be linked to server 102 via communication links 114.

[0037] Although Figure 1 Only one server is shown to avoid making the illustration too complex, but in some embodiments, any suitable one or more servers can be used. Furthermore, in some embodiments, any suitable number of user devices 106 and any suitable type of such devices can be used.

[0038] In some implementations, server 102 and user equipment 106 can be implemented using any suitable hardware. For example, in some implementations, devices 102 and 106 can be implemented using any suitable general-purpose computer or special-purpose computer. For example, a special-purpose computer can be used to implement the server. Any such general-purpose computer or special-purpose computer can include any suitable hardware. For example, such as Figure 2 As illustrated in example hardware 200, such hardware may include a hardware processor 202, a memory and / or storage 204, an input device controller 206, an input device 208, a display / audio driver 210, a display and audio output circuit 212, a communication interface 214, an antenna 216, and a bus 218.

[0039] In some implementations, hardware processor 202 may include any suitable hardware processor, such as a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, special-purpose logic, and / or any other suitable circuitry for controlling the functions of a general-purpose computer or a special-purpose computer.

[0040] In some implementations, memory and / or storage 204 may be any suitable memory and / or storage for storing programs, data, media content, and / or any other suitable content. For example, memory and / or storage 204 may include random access memory, read-only memory, flash memory, hard disk storage, optical media, and / or any other suitable memory.

[0041] In some implementations, the input device controller 206 may be any suitable circuitry for controlling one or more input devices 208 and receiving input from them. For example, the input device controller 206 may be circuitry for receiving input from a touchscreen, one or more buttons, voice recognition circuitry, a microphone, a camera, an optical sensor, an accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a near-field sensor, and / or any other type of input device.

[0042] In some implementations, the display / audio driver 210 may be any suitable circuit for controlling and driving the outputs of one or more display and audio output circuits 212. For example, the display / audio driver 210 may be circuitry for driving an LCD display, a speaker, an LED, or any other type of output device.

[0043] In some implementations, the communication interface 214 may be for communication with, for example, Figure 1 The communication interface 214 may include any suitable circuitry for interacting with one or more communication networks of the communication network 104 shown. For example, the communication interface 214 may include network interface card circuitry, wireless communication circuitry, and / or any other suitable type of communication network circuitry.

[0044] In some embodiments, antenna 216 may be any suitable one or more antennas for wireless communication with a communication network. In some embodiments, antenna 216 may be omitted when not needed.

[0045] In some implementations, bus 218 may be any suitable mechanism for communication between two or more of components 202, 204, 206, 210 and 214.

[0046] According to some implementation methods, the hardware 200 may include any other suitable components.

[0047] Turning Figure 3 The diagram illustrates an information flow diagram 300 according to some embodiments. As illustrated, in some embodiments, the information flow diagram 300 can be implemented on server 102, user equipment 108, and user equipment 110.

[0048] At 302, user equipment 108 is able to authenticate itself to the display device. User equipment 108 can be authenticated to communicate with the display device using any suitable technology or combination of technologies. For example, in some embodiments, the display device may be associated with a password and / or numeric code, and user equipment 108 can be authenticated to communicate with the display device by the user of user equipment 108 entering the password and / or numeric code (e.g., in a particular browser window, within a particular application running on user equipment 108, and / or in any other suitable manner). Note that in some embodiments, authenticating a user equipment to the display device can be based on a user account logged in on the user equipment. In some such embodiments, any user equipment already logged into that user account can be authenticated to communicate with the display device. In some embodiments, the user account can be associated with any suitable service, such as a video sharing service, a social networking service, a particular application running on the user equipment, and / or any other suitable service.

[0049] At 304, server 102 can store a token associated with user device 108 and display device. In some embodiments, the token can be any suitable format. For example, in some embodiments, the token can be a randomly generated alphanumeric string. In some embodiments, the token can be generated by server 102 and / or user device 108. When the token is generated by user device 108, it can be transmitted to server 102, for example, in conjunction with block 302. Alternatively or concurrently, when the token is generated by server 102, it can be transmitted to user device 108, allowing user device 108 to store information about authenticating to the display device, for example, in conjunction with block 304. In some embodiments where the token is generated by server 102, user device 108 can request the token from server 102, and server 102 can generate the token in response to the request and transmit it to user device 108. In some embodiments, the token can indicate the identifier of the display device. For example, in some implementations, the token can be generated as a weak hash of the identifier of the display device, and / or any other suitable representation of the identifier of the display device.

[0050] Server 102 can store the token in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the token can be stored as a key in a key-value pair associated with an identifier of user equipment 108. As a more specific example, in some embodiments, the token can be stored in association with information such as: information indicating the geographic location of user equipment 108 (e.g., based on global positioning coordinates, and / or based on any other suitable information), an indication of the Internet Protocol (IP) address associated with user equipment 108, and / or any other suitable information. Note that in some embodiments, server 102 can use the stored token to maintain an ACL indicating user equipment allowed to communicate with a display device, wherein the stored token corresponds to and / or indicates the display device. For example, in some embodiments, server 102 can add a user equipment to the ACL in response to receiving a request from the user equipment including the stored token.

[0051] At 306, user equipment 108 is able to detect and invite user equipment 110 that is awaiting authentication to communicate with the display device. For example, in some embodiments, such as in combination Figure 5More specifically, user equipment 108 can automatically detect user equipment 110, for example, based on detecting a user equipment determined to be within a predetermined proximity of user equipment 108. As another example, in some embodiments, the user of user equipment 108 can select a contact corresponding to the user of user equipment 110 (e.g., from a contact list and / or from any other source). In some embodiments, after detecting user equipment 110 and / or receiving an instruction from the user of user equipment 108, user equipment 108 can send a notification and / or invitation message to user equipment 110 to pair it with a display device. For example, in some embodiments, the invitation message may indicate the name and / or identifier of the display device (e.g., “living room TV”, and / or any other suitable name or identifier).

[0052] At 308, user equipment 108 can transmit a token to user equipment 110. In some embodiments, the token can be transmitted in conjunction with the invitation message transmitted at block 306. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the token can be transmitted in response to receiving an indication from user equipment 110 that the user of user equipment 110 has accepted an invitation to authenticate to the display device. Note that in some embodiments, user equipment 108 can transmit information indicating the identity of user equipment 110 to server 102. In some such embodiments, server 102 can authenticate user equipment 110 to the display device. Note that in the case where a token is generated by server 202, user equipment 108 can receive the token from server 102 (e.g., via transmission from server 202 at block 304, and / or at any other appropriate time) and can subsequently transmit the token to user equipment 110.

[0053] At 310, user equipment 110 can request authorization from server 102 to communicate with the display device. For example, in some embodiments, user equipment 110 can send a request to be authenticated to server 102, which includes a token. As a more specific example, in some embodiments, user equipment 110 can send a remote procedure call (RPC) to server 102 and can include the token as a parameter in the RPC.

[0054] At 312, server 102 can grant user device 110 permission to communicate with the display device. For example, in some embodiments, in response to receiving a token corresponding to the display device, server 102 can add user device 110 to the ACL corresponding to that display device. In some embodiments, server 102 can send any appropriate message to user device 110 indicating that permission has been granted. In some embodiments, server 102 now receives a request from user device 110 to present content on the display device in response to receiving a request from user device 110. In some such embodiments, user device 110 can request the presentation of specific media content items on the display device via server 102 without requiring a connection between user device 110 and the display device.

[0055] In some implementations, in response to receiving a token corresponding to the display device (received from user device 108) from user device 110, server 102 can grant user device 110 permissions and / or licenses that match the permissions and / or licenses that user device 108 has for communicating with the display device. For example, server 102 can determine that user device 108 has a license to stream and / or project media content items to the display device, and in response, grant user device 110 the same license to stream and / or project media content items to the display device. In another example, server 102 can determine that user device 108 has streaming permissions to stream media content items to the display device, but does not have administrator permissions to modify the settings of the display device, and in response, grant display device 110 the same license to stream media content items while prohibiting user device 110 from receiving administrator permissions to modify the settings of the display device.

[0056] Note that in some implementations, server 102 can include user device 110 in the ACL corresponding to the display device at any appropriate time. For example, in some implementations, server 102 can include user device 110 in the ACL until a specific instruction to remove user device 110 is received (e.g., from user device 108 and / or from any other appropriate user device). As another example, in some implementations, server 102 can include user device 110 in the ACL when a specific browser window and / or a specific application is opened on user device 110. As yet another example, in some implementations, server 102 can include user device 110 in the ACL when user device 110 is within a specific proximity to user device 108 and / or the display device. As a more specific example, in some implementations, server 102 can remove user device 110 from the ACL in response to determining that user device 110 has moved beyond a predetermined distance from the display device (e.g., more than 10 feet, more than 100 feet, more than 1 mile, and / or any other appropriate distance). In some implementations, proximity can be based on any suitable information, such as GPS coordinates, connectivity to a specific network (e.g., a home Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth network, and / or any other suitable type of network), the ability of user equipment 110 to detect subaudio tones, and / or any other suitable information.

[0057] It should also be noted that in some implementations, server 102 can store two ACLs. For example, in some implementations, the first ACL can indicate user devices that have been authenticated to the display device. As a more specific example, as shown in information flow diagram 300, the first ACL can include user device 108 and user device 110. As another example, in some implementations, the second ACL can indicate one or more user devices with administrative permission to transmit authentication tokens to detected and / or invited user devices. As a more specific example, as shown in information flow diagram 300, the second ACL can include user device 108.

[0058] Turning Figure 4 Example 400 illustrates a process for receiving a request from a user device and, in response to receiving the request, causing a corresponding media content item to be rendered on a display device. In some implementations, the blocks of process 400 can be implemented on a server such as server 102.

[0059] At 402, process 400 can be initiated by storing an ACL associated with the display device, which indicates a user device that is authenticated to communicate with the display device and causes content to be presented on that display device. For example, as combined above Figure 3As described, process 400 can store the identifier of a user device that allows content to be presented on a display device in association with a token corresponding to and / or indicating that display device. As a more specific example, as combined above... Figure 3 As described, process 400 is capable of storing a user device identifier in response to receiving a request to access the display device, including a token corresponding to the display device. Note that in some embodiments, process 400 is capable of updating and / or modifying the ACL at any appropriate time and in response to any appropriate request and / or information (e.g., information indicating that a particular application has been closed, information indicating the proximity of a particular user device to the display device, and / or any other appropriate information).

[0060] At 404, process 400 can receive a request from the user equipment to present media content items on a display device. In some embodiments, the request can include any suitable information and can be received in any suitable manner. For example, in some embodiments, the request can include an identifier corresponding to a media content item stored on server 102. As another example, in some embodiments, the request can be received by selecting a media content item from an application or browser window presented on the user equipment. In some embodiments, process 400 can verify that the user equipment is included in the ACL stored in box 402. Note that in some embodiments, the requested content can be any suitable type of media content. For example, in some embodiments, the requested media content can be a television program, video, an audio clip, an image or picture, a slideshow, and / or any other suitable type of media content item. As another example, in some embodiments, the requested media content item can be a group of media content items, such as a playlist of media content items. As yet another example, in some implementations, the requested content may be a request to begin presenting content on a specific channel and / or stream, such as a specific broadcast channel of television content, a specific live stream of content (e.g., a broadcast program, a live video stream, and / or any other suitable type of content).

[0061] At 406, process 400 can transmit the requested media content item to a display device. For example, in some embodiments, server 102 can transmit a data stream corresponding to the media content item to the display device. In some embodiments, process 400 can also transmit any appropriate instructions for presenting the media content item, such as instructions for rendering a media player window containing the media content item on the display device, and / or any other appropriate instructions. As another example, in some embodiments, process 400 may include instructions for navigating to a specific content source, such as a specific channel and / or stream of the content. As a more specific example, in some embodiments, the instructions may include a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) specifying the location of the specific channel and / or stream of the content.

[0062] Turning Figure 5 Example 500 illustrates a process, according to some embodiments, of a first user equipment detecting a second user equipment and transmitting an authentication token to the second user equipment. In some embodiments, as described above... Figure 3 As described, the first user equipment may be a user equipment that has been authenticated to communicate with the display device.

[0063] At 502, process 500 is able to detect a second user equipment located near the first user equipment. In some embodiments, any suitable device discovery technology can be used. For example, in some embodiments, the first user equipment is able to detect other user equipment connected to a specific network (e.g., a home Wi-Fi network, a Bluetooth network, and / or any other suitable type of network). As another example, in some embodiments, the first user equipment is able to transmit a multicast message to all devices on a specific network, requesting device details from the devices on that network. As yet another example, in some embodiments, the first user equipment is able to transmit audible and / or subsonic tones and is able to detect nearby user equipment that responds to the detection of such tones.

[0064] As yet another example, in some implementations, nearby user devices can be detected based on the detection of a predetermined gesture and / or movement. As a more specific example, both the first and second user devices can be programmed to notify a server (e.g., server 102) upon detecting a specific gesture and / or movement (e.g., when the user device is struck, when the user device moves in a specific manner, when a specific gesture is detected on the user device's touchscreen, and / or any other suitable gesture and / or movement), and this notification can indicate the geographical location of the user device (e.g., using GPS coordinates, an indication of the WiFi and / or Bluetooth network to which the device is connected, and / or any other suitable information). In some such implementations, the server can determine that the two user devices are close to each other if they notify the server of the detection of a specific gesture and / or movement within a predetermined time period (e.g., within one minute, within five minutes, and / or any other suitable predetermined time period) and are located with a specific geographical proximity (e.g., within a specific distance, connected to the same network, and / or any other suitable proximity metric). In some implementations, in response to determining that two user equipments are close to each other, the server can transmit a message to one or both user equipments indicating that the two devices are close to each other.

[0065] In some implementations, process 500 can present an indication of the detected user device in any suitable manner. For example, in some implementations, the indication of the detected device may be presented in a list within a specific application (e.g., an application associated with presenting media content, an application associated with a social networking service, and / or any other suitable type of application). In some implementations, the indication of the detected device may include any suitable information, such as the type of device (e.g., tablet computer, mobile phone, wearable computer, and / or any other suitable type of device), the name associated with the device, the model number of the device, and / or any other suitable type of information.

[0066] Note that in some implementations, the user of the first user device can select the second user device by means of, for example, selecting the user of the second user device from a contact list. In some such implementations, the detection of the second user device can be omitted.

[0067] Process 500 can transmit an invitation message at 504 to authenticate the display device. For example, in some embodiments, the invitation message can indicate the name of the display device, the location of the display device, and / or any other appropriate information. Note that in some embodiments, process 500 can transmit the invitation message in response to receiving a selection of a specific device from a list of detected devices. For example, if process 500 presents an indication of detected user devices in a list, process 500 can receive a selection of one or more detected user devices (e.g., from a user of a first user device) and can transmit an invitation message to the selected user device to authenticate the display device.

[0068] At 506, process 500 can transmit a token corresponding to the display device to the second user equipment. (As described above...) Figure 3 As described, the token can be stored on a server that holds ACLs indicating user devices permitted to communicate with the display device. Note that in some embodiments, the token may be a token generated by the server in response to a request from a first device and upon authentication of the first device to the display device. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the token may be a token generated by the first user device during authentication of itself to the display device. In some embodiments, the token can identify the display device and can allow the second user device to be authenticated and communicate with the display device upon receipt by the server in a request from a second user device.

[0069] It should be understood that the above description Figure 3-5 At least some of the processes within the box can be executed or implemented in any order or sequence, and are not limited to the order and sequence shown and described in the figures. Furthermore, the above... Figure 3-5 At least some of the processes in the box can be executed or implemented substantially simultaneously or in parallel, where appropriate, in order to reduce latency and processing time. In addition to or alternatively, the above-described Figure 3-5 Some boxes in the process can be omitted.

[0070] In some embodiments, any suitable computer-readable medium can be used to store instructions for performing the functions and / or processes described herein. For example, in some embodiments, the computer-readable medium can be transient or non-transient. For example, a non-transient computer-readable medium can include media such as magnetic media (such as hard disks, floppy disks, and / or any other suitable magnetic media), optical media (such as compact discs, digital video discs, Blu-ray discs, and / or any other suitable optical media), semiconductor media (such as flash memory, electrically erasable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and / or any other suitable semiconductor media), any suitable medium that does not lose or clear any persistent assumptions during transmission, and / or any suitable tangible medium. As another example, a transient computer-readable medium can include signals on a network, lines, conductors, optical fibers, signals in circuits, any suitable medium that loses or clears any persistent assumptions during transmission, and / or any suitable intangible medium.

[0071] In cases where the mechanisms discussed in this paper collect or utilize personal information about users, users may be provided with the option to control whether a program or feature collects user information (e.g., information about a user's social networks, social actions or activities, occupation, user preferences, or user's current location). Furthermore, some data can be processed in one or more ways before it is stored or used, thereby removing personally identifiable information. For example, a user's identity may be processed to the point that personally identifiable information about the user cannot be determined, or, where location information is available, the user's geographic location may be generalized (e.g., city, zip code, or state), making it impossible to determine the user's specific location. Therefore, users can control how information is collected about them and how content servers use that information.

[0072] Therefore, methods, systems, and media for authenticating user equipment to display devices are provided.

[0073] While the invention has been described and illustrated in the foregoing illustrative embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is by way of example only, and many changes can be made to the details of embodiments of the invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined only by the following claims. Features of the disclosed embodiments can be combined and rearranged in various ways.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a user equipment, the method comprising: Perform authentication from the first user equipment to the media device, wherein: An authentication token indicating the identity of the media device is associated with the authentication made by the first user equipment to the media device, and The identifier of the first user device is included in an access control list maintained by the server, wherein the access control list indicates a device that is authenticated and provided with media playback control over the media device; Use the first user equipment to identify a second user equipment that is close to the first user equipment; The first user equipment is used to transmit an invitation message to the second user equipment for authenticating the second user equipment to the media device, wherein: Interaction with the invitation message causes the authentication token to be transferred from the first user equipment to the second user equipment. The authentication token is transmitted by the second user equipment to the server to authenticate the second user equipment to the media device. The second user equipment is added to the access control list maintained by the server, and After the second user equipment has been authenticated by being added to the access control list, the media content item selected by the second user equipment is transmitted to the media device for playback; and The server removes the second user equipment from the access control list maintained by the server based on the proximity of the second user equipment to the media device, wherein: Removing the second user device from the access control list prevents the second user device from selecting media content items for playback by the media device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The authentication token is stored on the server in association with the identifier of the first user device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, The authentication token is used as the key in a key-value pair associated with the identifier of the first user equipment, which is included in the access control list maintained by the server.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: The authentication token is generated using the first user equipment; as well as The authentication token is transmitted to the server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: Send a request for the authentication token to the server; as well as Receive the authentication token from the server.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an instruction from a second user of the second user device from a contact list associated with a first user of the first user device, wherein, The second user equipment is identified based on the received instructions.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Identifying the second user equipment includes detecting the second user equipment based on its connection to the communication network.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein, Identifying the second user equipment includes: Detecting the movement of the first user equipment; and The server is sent with the indication of the movement and the first location associated with the first user equipment.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving from the server an identifier associated with the second user equipment, wherein, The second user equipment detects movement of the second user equipment at the second location, wherein the first location and the second location are within a predetermined distance.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The user of the first user equipment receives an indication that the second user equipment should not be authenticated to the media device; as well as A request is sent to the server to remove the authentication permission of the second user equipment to the media device.

11. A system for authenticating user equipment, the system comprising: The hardware processor on the first user equipment, wherein the hardware processor: Perform authentication from the first user equipment to the media device, wherein: An authentication token indicating the identity of the media device is associated with the authentication made by the first user equipment to the media device, and The identifier of the first user device is included in an access control list, which indicates a device that is authenticated and provided with media playback control over the media device; Using the first user equipment to identify a second user equipment that is close to the first user equipment; and The first user equipment is used to transmit an invitation message to the second user equipment for authenticating the second user equipment to the media device, wherein: Interaction with the invitation message causes the authentication token to be transferred from the first user equipment to the second user equipment. The authentication token is used to authenticate the second user device to the media device. The second user equipment is added to the access control list maintained by the server. After the second user equipment has been authenticated by being added to the access control list, the media content item selected by the second user equipment is transmitted to the media device for playback; and The server removes the second user device from the access control list based on the proximity of the second user device to the media device, wherein: Removing the second user device from the access control list prevents the second user device from selecting media content items for playback by the media device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein, The authentication token is stored on the server in association with the identifier of the first user device.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein, The authentication token is used as the key in a key-value pair associated with the identifier of the first user equipment, which is included in the access control list maintained by the server.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein, The hardware processor also includes: The authentication token is generated using the first user equipment; and The authentication token is transmitted to the server.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein, The hardware processor also includes: Send a request for the authentication token to the server; and Receive the authentication token from the server.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein, The hardware processor also receives an instruction from a contact list associated with a first user of the first user device, wherein the second user device is identified based on the received instruction.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein, Identifying the second user equipment includes detecting the second user equipment based on its connection to the communication network.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein, Identifying the second user equipment includes: Detecting the movement of the first user equipment; and The server is sent with the indication of the movement and the first location associated with the first user equipment.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein, The hardware processor also receives from the server an identifier associated with the second user equipment, wherein the second user equipment detects movement of the second user equipment at a second location, and wherein the first location and the second location are within a predetermined distance.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein, The hardware processor also includes: The user of the first user equipment receives an indication that the second user equipment should not be authenticated to the media device; as well as A request is sent to the server to remove the authentication permission of the second user equipment to the media device.

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