Method and apparatus for linking a plurality of user devices to a service location
View Patent ↗A method for enabling at least one of a plurality of user devices to provide a service flow is described. In one example, a code is transmitted to a home identification device (HID) to be combined with an HID identification number. The combined response, which is comprised of the code and the HID identification number, is then transmitted from the HID and received by the user device(s). If the combined response is equivalent to at least one predetermined match key, which is stored in the user device(s), that user device(s) provides the service flow to a respective television(s).
1. A method for providing a service flow to at least one display device, comprising:
receiving, by a settop box, a verification signal from a home identification device (HID);
evaluating, by the settop box, said verification signal for determining whether said service flow is to be provided to said at least one display device associated with the settop box; and
transmitting a code having an address of the settop box to said HID to be combined with an HID identification number associated with the home identification device to generate said verification signal.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said verification signal comprises a combined response comprised of said code and said HID identification number.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said evaluating step comprises:
providing said service flow to said at least one display device if said combined response is equivalent to at least one match key stored in the settop box.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said code comprises at least one of: the address of the settop box and an assigned value downloaded from a headend control computer (HCC).
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said service flow is a provisioning of a content stream that comprises at least one of: visual data, audio data, and multimedia data.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said verification signal comprises a code received from said HID based on the settop box identification number assigned via a configuration code.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said evaluating step comprises:
providing said service flow to said at least one display device if said code is equivalent to at least one match key.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said code comprises a unique code from a plurality of unique codes transmitted from said HID.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein said service flow is a provisioning of a content stream that comprises at least one of: visual data, audio data, and multimedia data.
10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said at least one match key and said settop box identification number are provided by a headend control computer (HCC).
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one display device comprises at least one of: a television, a monitor, or projector.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said verification signal comprises a home identification device (HID) identification number.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said evaluating step comprises:
combining said HID identification number and a settop box code to form a combined code; and
transmitting said combined code to a headend, wherein said headend processes said combined code to determine if a service flow is provided to said at least one display device.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein a headend control computer (HCC) residing in said headend processes said combined code.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said verification signal is cryptographically secured.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said HCC provides said service flow to said at least one display device if said combined code indicates a proper association between an HID providing said HID identification code and the settop box providing said settop box code.
17. An apparatus for providing a service flow to at least one display device, comprising:
a settop box for receiving a verification signal from a home identification device (HID); and
the settop box for evaluating said verification signal for determining whether said service flow is to be provided to said at least one display device associated with the settop box, and for transmitting a code having an address of the settop box to said HID to be combined with an HID identification number associated with the home identification device to generate said verification signal.
18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including program instructions that instruct a computer to perform a method for providing a service flow to at least one display device, comprising:
receiving a verification signal for a user device from a home identification device (HID);
evaluating, at the user device, said verification signal for determining whether said service flow is to be provided to said at least one display device associated with the user device; and
transmitting a code having an address of the settop box to said HID to be combined with an HID identification number associated with the home identification device to generate said verification signal.
19. A method for providing a service flow to at least one display device, comprising:
receiving, by a home identification device, a service flow from a headend device; and
transmitting, by the home identification device, a verification signal to at least one user device for evaluating, by the at least one user device, said verification signal for determining whether said service flow is to be provided to at least one display device coupled to said at least one user device; and
transmitting a code having an address of the settop box to said HID to be combined with an HID identification number associated with the home identification device to generate said verification signal.