Subscription-Based Media Delivery via User Identifier
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current media delivery systems restrict access to media content based on the location of the terminal, preventing users from accessing or consuming media programming with terminals not associated with the subscription, and limiting access to remote locations.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allows media content delivery based on user subscriptions, enabling access and consumption via multiple terminals, including remote ones, through a network-connected electronic program guide (EPG) and storage devices, where the subscription is associated with the user rather than the terminal, allowing flexible access and storage of multimedia files.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the subscription is associated with the terminal rather than the user, then the system can maintain simple terminal-based access control, but the user cannot access media content from remote locations or with different terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the subscription association from the terminal by introducing a user identifier as an intermediate layer. The subscription is now linked to the user through their identifier rather than being hard-coded to a specific terminal, allowing the same subscription to work across multiple devices while maintaining manageable access control through user-based authentication
Solution Approach 2:
The user identifier serves multiple functions: it identifies the user, links to their subscription, and enables access control across different terminals. This universal identifier system allows the subscription to be portable across devices while maintaining a unified access control mechanism, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If the terminal location is stationary and associated with the content provider, then the system can maintain simple access control, but the user cannot access media programming from remote locations
Solution Approach 1:
The user identifier acts as an intermediary between the user and the content provider system. Instead of requiring direct terminal-to-provider association, the identifier mediates access by carrying user authentication information and subscription data, enabling remote access while maintaining centralized access control through the identifier validation process
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a location-based access model to an identifier-based access model. By adding the dimension of user identification independent of physical terminal location, the system enables remote access while maintaining access control through the identifier verification layer, effectively decoupling access rights from geographic constraints
3Adaptability or versatility
If the EPG lists media content based on terminal association, then the system can maintain simple content delivery, but the user cannot view or consume media with terminals not associated with their subscription
Solution Approach 1:
The EPG system is segmented to provide personalized content listings based on user identifiers rather than terminal identifiers. Each user receives a customized EPG showing only content they have subscription rights to, regardless of which terminal they use. This segmentation enables multi-terminal access while maintaining accurate content availability information tailored to each user's permissions
Solution Approach 2:
The EPG generates locally customized content lists for each user based on their subscription profile linked to their identifier. Instead of a single terminal-based listing, each user experiences a personalized EPG that reflects their specific access rights, ensuring content availability information is both accurate and relevant to their subscription while enabling access from any authorized terminal
Data Source
AI summary
A system and a method deliver media content based on a subscription of a first user to a media provider. The first user accesses and/or consumes the media content from the media provider based on the subscription with one or more terminals at one or more locations. The first user accesses a list of media content available for consumption from the media provider based on the subscription of the first user. The list of media content available is accessed by and displayed to the first user on an electronic program guide via one or more terminals at one or more locations. The first user accesses and consumes a multimedia file from the list of media content available based on the subscription of the first user via one or more terminals at one or more locations. The first user and/or a second user consumes and/or experiences the multimedia file via a terminal of the second user based on the subscription of the first user. The first user stores the list of media content available and/or the multimedia file in the storage device associated with the first user via one or more terminals at one or more locations.