Dynamic Content Switching Between Mobile and Set-Top Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pay per view systems allow users to watch subscription content on multiple devices simultaneously, violating contract terms and require constant broadband modem connection, exposing devices to security risks.
Innovation Solution
The content provider directly transmits subscription content to a mobile device while disabling its reproduction on a set-top box, ensuring only one device can view the content at a time, and allowing users to connect only when needed, using encoding and streaming servers with user authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If subscription content is transmitted to multiple devices simultaneously, then user convenience is improved, but contract compliance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches content transmission between different devices based on real-time detection of device availability and user presence. The content provider monitors whether the set-top box or mobile device is the active receiving device and adjusts transmission accordingly, allowing flexible multi-device support while maintaining single-device content delivery compliance.
2Reliability
If broadband modem connection is maintained constantly, then content delivery reliability is improved, but security risks worsen
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of maintaining constant broadband connection, the system uses periodic connection establishment triggered by user authentication events. The mobile device connects to the content provider's server only when the user initiates content viewing, receives authentication tokens, and then disconnects. This on-demand periodic connection model ensures reliable content delivery when needed while minimizing exposure to security risks.
3Adaptability or versatility
If content is transmitted to mobile device, then device versatility is improved, but system complexity worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The content provider's server acts as an intermediary that manages all content transmission logic. The server receives authentication requests from both set-top boxes and mobile devices, issues appropriate authentication tokens, and controls content delivery. This intermediary approach allows the system to support multiple device types without increasing complexity at the device level, as all complex logic is centralized on the server.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple devices can access subscription content, then user flexibility is improved, but unauthorized access risks worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the content provider's server continuously monitors authentication status and device activity. When content is being delivered to one device, the server detects this state and prevents simultaneous authentication or content requests from other devices. This feedback loop ensures that while users can flexibly switch between devices, only one device can actively receive subscription content at any given time, preventing unauthorized concurrent access.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide that a content provider itself provide subscription content to a device of a second type, rather than to a device of a first type. For example, the device of the second type may be a mobile telephone or the like, while the device of the first type may be a set-top box. By providing the content itself the content provider can keep track as to when it is providing content to the device of the second type, and further, in some embodiments, take action to prevent reproduction of the content at the device of the first type, such that while the user is viewing the subscriber content on the device of the second type, another user is not able to view the same content on the device of the first type. In order to provide such an arrangement, the content provider is preferably provided with suitable content encoding and streaming server apparatus, which is able to encode the content in a format appropriate for transmission to the device of the second type (such as, for example, transmission to a mobile device).