IP Library Granted Patent US 11,853,403
Granted Patent B2
US 11,853,403 · App. 17/547,049 · Granted Dec 26, 2023

Pairing devices to prevent digital content misuse

Inventors: James Armand Baldwin (Palo Alto, CA); Prem Akkaraju (Los Angeles, CA); Giorgio Vanzini (Los Angeles, CA)
Assignee: SR LABS, INC.
G06F21/10G06F21/105G06F21/31G06F21/42G06F21/44G06F21/60G06K7/1417G06Q30/0635G06Q50/184H04L63/10H04L63/107H04L67/00H04L67/10H04L67/52H04W4/029G06F2221/0775G06F2221/2101G06F2221/2111
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,853,403
App. No.
17/547,049
Granted
Dec 26, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for preventing digital content misuse can include detecting, by a client-side computing device, that the client-side computing device is paired to a viewing device such that, after being paired, the client-side computing device can cause digital content received from a remote server to be presented on a display of the viewing device; after detecting that the client-side computing device is paired to the viewing device, detecting, by the client-side computing device, that the client-side computing device has been unpaired from the viewing device; and in response to detecting that the client-side computing device has been unpaired from the viewing device, executing a remedial action.

Claims (59)

1. A method comprising:

detecting that a client-side computing device has been initially paired to a viewing device that is separate from the client-side computing device, wherein pairing the client-side computing device to the viewing device creates a communication interface between the client-side computing device and the viewing device and enables the client-side computing device to cause digital movies received from a remote server to be transmitted to the viewing device via the communication interface and presented on a display of the viewing device;

receiving, via the communication interface, a unique identifier associated with the viewing device;

storing the unique identifier in a memory to assign the viewing device as being authorized to operate with the client-side computing device to present digital movies received by the client-side computing device from the remote server;

after detecting that the client-side computing device has been initially paired to the viewing device, receiving a request to cause presentation of a first digital movie;

in response to receiving the request, requesting, via a current communication interface between the client-side computing device and a viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device, a unique identifier of the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device;

determining that the unique identifier of the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device does not match the stored unique identifier indicating that the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device is not the viewing device that was assigned as being authorized to operate with the client-side computing device to present digital movies received by the client-side computing device from the remote server;

in response to determining that the unique identifier of the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device does not match the stored unique identifier, denying the request to cause presentation of the first digital movie.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising subsequently receiving a command from the remote server to allow presentation of the first digital movie, the command received in response to a determination that the first digital movie is not being misused; and

in response to receiving the command, enabling the client-side computing device to cause presentation of the first digital movie.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the client-side computing device has been initially paired to the viewing device comprises:

detecting that a cord has been connected to the client-side computing device and the viewing device.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the cord is a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cord.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the client-side computing device has been initially paired to the viewing device comprises:

determining that the client-side computing device has established a wireless connection with the viewing device utilizing a first communication protocol.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first communication protocol is Bluetooth.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

disabling the client-side computing device from presenting digital content; and

transmitting, to the remote server, a notification indicating that the client-side computing device has been unpaired from the viewing device.

8. A content delivery system comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

one or more computer-readable mediums storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, causes the content delivery system to perform operations comprising:

detecting that a client-side computing device has been initially paired to a viewing device that is separate from the client-side computing device, wherein pairing the client-side computing device to the viewing device creates a communication interface between the client-side computing device and the viewing device and enables the client-side computing device to cause digital movies received from a remote server to be transmitted to the viewing device via the communication interface and presented on a display of the viewing device;

receiving, via the communication interface, a unique identifier associated with the viewing device;

storing the unique identifier in a memory to assign the viewing device as being authorized to operate with the client-side computing device to present digital movies received by the client-side computing device from the remote server;

after detecting that the client-side computing device has been initially paired to the viewing device, receiving a request to cause presentation of a first digital movie;

in response to receiving the request, requesting, via a current communication interface between the client-side computing device and a viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device, a unique identifier of the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device;

determining that the unique identifier of the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device does not match the stored unique identifier indicating that the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device is not the viewing device that was assigned as being authorized to operate with the client-side computing device to present digital movies received by the client-side computing device from the remote server;

in response to determining that the unique identifier of the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device does not match the stored unique identifier, denying the request to cause presentation of the first digital movie.

9. The content delivery system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise subsequently receiving a command from the remote server to allow presentation of the first digital movie, the command received in response to a determination that the first digital movie is not being misused; and

in response to receiving the command, enabling the client-side computing device to cause presentation of the first digital movie.

10. The content delivery system of claim 8 , wherein detecting that the client-side computing device has been initially paired to the viewing device comprises:

detecting that a cord has been connected to the client-side computing device and the viewing device.

11. The content delivery system of claim 10 , wherein the cord is a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cord.

12. The content delivery system of claim 8 , wherein detecting that the client-side computing device has been initially paired to the viewing device comprises:

determining that the client-side computing device has established a wireless connection with the viewing device utilizing a first communication protocol.

13. The content delivery system of claim 12 , wherein the first communication protocol is Bluetooth.

14. The content delivery system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

disabling the client-side computing device from presenting digital content; and

transmitting, to the remote server, a notification indicating that the client-side computing device has been unpaired from the viewing device.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

detecting that a client-side computing device has been initially paired to a viewing device that is separate from the client-side computing device, wherein pairing the client-side computing device to the viewing device creates a communication interface between the client-side computing device and the viewing device and enables the client-side computing device to cause digital movies received from a remote server to be transmitted to the viewing device via the communication interface and presented on a display of the viewing device;

receiving, via the communication interface, a unique identifier associated with the viewing device;

storing the unique identifier in a memory to assign the viewing device as being authorized to operate with the client-side computing device to present digital movies received by the client-side computing device from the remote server;

after detecting that the client-side computing device has been initially paired to the viewing device, receiving a request to cause presentation of a first digital movie;

in response to receiving the request, requesting, via a current communication interface between the client-side computing device and a viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device, a unique identifier of the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device;

determining that the unique identifier of the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device does not match the stored unique identifier indicating that the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device is not the viewing device that was assigned as being authorized to operate with the client-side computing device to present digital movies received by the client-side computing device from the remote server;

in response to determining that the unique identifier of the viewing device that is currently paired to the client-side computing device does not match the stored unique identifier, denying the request to cause presentation of the first digital movie.

16. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise subsequently receiving a command from the remote server to allow presentation of the first digital movie, the command received in response to a determination that the first digital movie is not being misused; and

in response to receiving the command, enabling the client-side computing device to cause presentation of the first digital movie.

17. The medium of claim 16 , wherein detecting that the client-side computing device has been initially paired to the viewing device comprises:

detecting that a cord has been connected to the client-side computing device and the viewing device.

18. The medium of claim 17 , wherein the cord is a High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cord.

19. The medium of claim 15 , wherein detecting that the client-side computing device has been initially paired to the viewing device comprises:

determining that the client-side computing device has established a wireless connection with the viewing device utilizing a first communication protocol.

20. The medium of claim 19 , wherein the first communication protocol is Bluetooth.

21. The medium of claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise:

disabling the client-side computing device from presenting digital content; and

transmitting, to the remote server, a notification indicating that the client-side computing device has been unpaired from the viewing device.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 28, 2022
From: SCREENING ROOM MEDIA, INC.
To: SR LABS, INC.
Reel/Frame 062004/0250 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 25, 2022
From: BALDWIN, JAMES ARMAND; AKKARAJU, PREM; VANZINI, GIORGIO
To: SCREENING ROOM MEDIA, INC.
Reel/Frame 058760/0787 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16520178 · Jul 23, 2019
Continuation 15344278 · Nov 4, 2016
Provisional Application 62250945 · Nov 4, 2015
Related Publication 20220138285A1 · May 5, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,216,743