Generic streaming media device configured as set top box
地域：
CA
CA Cupertino
摘要
Methods and systems are described for setting up, in one embodiment, a generic streaming media device as a set-top box for a multichannel content provider that provides a content delivery service. The set up process can be performed automatically and as background operations while a user manually sets up the device, in foreground operations, for use with an online streaming media store or source of content. The set up process can use a device token that was previously associated with the multichannel content provider for use with the device during the set up process. The device token can be stored by the developer of the device and sent by the developer to the multichannel content provider during a set up process of the device; the device token can be opaque to the developer but provides information used by the multichannel content provider to set up the device as a set top box.
說明書
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 16/359,056 filed Mar. 20, 2019, which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/679,900, filed Jun. 3, 2018, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.
This disclosure relates to content providers such as cable TV providers and also relates to generic streaming media devices such as the Apple TV from Apple Inc. of Cupertino Calif. or the Roku streaming players from Roku, Inc. of Los Gatos Calif.
Content providers such as cable TV providers use dedicated hardware for set-top boxes and these set-top boxes use a cable card to authenticate the set top box to the cable TV provider. The cable card is dedicated to operate with the cable TV provider and includes cryptographic information which is used in the authentication process to ensure that the cable TV provider is providing content delivery through the set top box in a secure manner that can be controlled by the cable TV provider. Cable TV providers are one example of the type of content providers that can be referred to as multiple channel video programming distributors.
Generic streaming media devices such as the Apple TV or the Roku players from Roku, Inc. of Los Gatos Calif. can be used to stream content from sources such as iTunes, etc., but these generic streaming media devices do not include dedicated hardware for authenticating the device to content providers such as cable TV providers or other types of providers that can be considered to be multiple channel video programming distributors.
權(quán)利要求
What is claimed is:1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method to set up a device, the method comprising:establishing, by the device, communication with one or more activation servers to set up the device, the device comprising a generic streaming media device which is capable of setting up an account with an online streaming media source that is a different service from a multichannel content provider; providing, by the device to the one or more activation servers, a device identifier that identifies the device to the multichannel content provider, the device identifier having been associated with the multichannel content provider through a prior action by the multi-channel content provider or by a developer of the device or by a developer of an operating system of the device; receiving, at the device in response to providing the device identifier, a device profile containing data associated with the multichannel content provider for the device, the device profile including a device token for the device that was associated with the device through the prior action wherein the device token comprises a representation of the device identifier and the device identifier comprises an immutable identifier, and wherein the device profile is associated with the device identifier through the prior action, and receiving an endpoint identifier of the multichannel content provider; establishing, by the device using the endpoint identifier, communication with one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider and sending, by the device to the one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider, the device token; exchanging, by the device in background operations of the device, one or more messages with the one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider to authenticate the device for a content delivery service through the multichannel content provider without requiring a user input to perform the authentication, wherein the content delivery service uses a conditional access system for at least some of the content delivered through the multichannel content provider. 2. The medium as in claim 1 , wherein the device token and an identifier of the multichannel content provider and the endpoint identifier are received from the one or more activation servers or another server which was requested by the one or more activation servers to send the device token and the endpoint identifier to the device, and wherein the endpoint identifier identifies a respective computer network address of the one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider and wherein the data in the device profile is created by the multichannel content provider or on behalf of the multichannel content provider, and wherein establishing the communication with the one or more servers comprises using, by the device, the respective computer network address of the one or more servers of the endpoint identifier. 3. The medium as in claim 2 wherein the device does not include dedicated hardware logic that is configured and dedicated to authenticating the device to the multichannel content provider. 4. The medium as in claim 3 wherein the immutable identifier is stored in the device in secure memory within the device. 5. The medium as in claim 1 wherein the device establishes communication with the one or more activation servers in response to a first time user boot up of the device, and wherein the device establishes an Internet connection, through an Internet service provider, prior to establishing communication with the one or more activation servers. 6. The medium as in claim 5 wherein the Internet connection includes a wireless portion through a local wireless network in the vicinity of the device. 7. The medium as in claim 5 wherein the device token is opaque to the developer of the device and is associated with the multichannel content provider by being created by or on behalf of the multichannel content provider. 8. The medium as in claim 5 wherein the device establishes communication with the one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider and exchanges one or more messages with the one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider in automatic background operations during a set up process in which the device is set up manually by a user for the account with the online streaming media source. 9. The medium as in claim 8 wherein no user credential inputs are required during the background operations to set up the content delivery service through the multichannel content provider, and wherein manual set up by the user of the account with the online streaming media source requires the user to enter user credential inputs including a user account name and a password, and wherein the online streaming media source includes one or more of: songs, movies, TV shows, applications for execution in the device, and content purchased by the user, and wherein the device operates as a set-top box for the multichannel content provider when in a set top box mode when a downloaded application of the multichannel content provider causes the device to enter the set top box mode. 10. The medium as in claim 9 wherein the multichannel content provider cannot control the device like a dedicated set-top box. 11. A method for setting up a device, the method comprising:establishing, by a device, communication with one or more activation servers to set up the device, the device comprising a generic streaming media device which is capable of setting up an account with an online streaming media source that is a different service from a multichannel content provider; providing, by the device to the one or more activation servers, a device identifier that identifies the device to the multichannel content provider, the device identifier having been associated with the multichannel content provider through a prior action by the multi-channel content provider or by a developer of the device or by a developer of an operating system of the device; receiving, at the device in response to providing the device identifier, a device profile containing data associated with the multichannel content provider for the device, the device profile including a device token for the device that was associated with the device through the prior action, wherein the device token comprises of representation of the device identifier and the device identifier comprises an immutable identifier, and wherein the device profile is associated with the device identifier through the prior action, and receiving an endpoint identifier of the multichannel content provider; establishing, by the device using the endpoint identifier, communication with one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider and sending, by the device to the one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider, the device token; exchanging, by the device in background operations of the device, one or more messages with the one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider to authenticate the device for a content delivery service through the multichannel content provider without requiring a user input to perform the authentication, wherein the content delivery service uses a conditional access system for at least some of the content delivered through the multichannel content provider. 12. The method as in claim 11 , wherein the device token and an identifier of the multichannel content provider and the endpoint identifier are received from the one or more activation servers or another server which was requested by the one or more activation servers to send the device token and the endpoint identifier to the device, and wherein the endpoint identifier identifies a respective computer network address of the one of the one or more servers used by the multi-channel content provider and wherein the data in the device profile is created by or on behalf of the multichannel content provider, and wherein establishing the communication with one or more servers comprises using, by the device, the respective computer network address of the one or more servers of the endpoint identifier. 13. The method as in claim 12 wherein the device does not include dedicated hardware logic that is configured and dedicated to authenticating the device to the multichannel content provider. 14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the immutable identifier is stored in the device in secure memory within the device. 15. The method as in claim 11 wherein the device establishes communication with the one or more activation servers in response to a first time user boot up of the device, and wherein the device establishes an Internet connection, through an Internet service provider, prior to establishing communication with the one or more activation servers. 16. The method as in claim 15 wherein the Internet connection includes a wireless portion through a local wireless network in the vicinity of the device. 17. The method as in claim 15 wherein the device token is opaque to the developer of the device. 18. The method as in claim 15 wherein the device establishes communication with the one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider and exchanges one or more messages with the one or more servers used by the multichannel content provider in automatic background operations during a set up process in which the device is set up manually by a user for the account with the online streaming media source. 19. The method as in claim 18 wherein no user credential inputs are required during the background operations to set up the content delivery service through the multichannel content provider, and wherein manual set up by the user of the account with the online streaming media source requires the user to enter user credential inputs including a user account name and a password, and wherein the online streaming media source includes one or more of: songs, movies, TV shows, applications for execution in the device, and content purchased by the user, and wherein the device operates as a set-top box for the multichannel content provider when in a set top box mode when a downloaded application of the multichannel content provider causes the device to enter the set top box mode. 20. The method as in claim 19 wherein the multichannel content provider cannot control the device like a dedicated set-top box. 21. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method to set up a device as a set top box, the method comprising:booting up the device in a set up mode, wherein the device is capable of setting up an account with an online streaming media source that is a different service from a multichannel content provider; receiving at the device a device token previously associated with a device identifier of the device, the receiving being performed in a background operation, and the device token comprising data that is associated with a multichannel content provider to use the device as a set-top box for a content delivery service through the multichannel content provider, wherein the device token comprises a representation of the device identifier and the device identifier comprises an immutable identifier; automatically activating and authenticating, using the device token and without requiring user credentials from a user of the device, the device to act as the set-top box for the multichannel content provider, the automatically authenticating being performed as background operations in the set up mode. 22. The medium as in claim 21 wherein the content delivery service uses a conditional access system for at least some of the content and wherein the content delivery service uses a downloaded application that executes on the device to allow browsing, searching, and selection of content in the content delivery service by using the device as a set-top box. 23. The medium as in claim 21 wherein a downloaded application is downloaded automatically to the device during the set up mode as a background operation, the downloaded application associated with the multichannel content provider. 24. The medium as in claim 23 , wherein the device token is provided to the device after the device establishes communication with one or more servers that are used by a developer of the device or a developer of an operating system of the device, and wherein the data in the device token is opaque to the developer, and wherein an application identifier is provided to the device during the set up mode and the application identifier identifies the downloaded application.
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