IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,154,042
Granted Patent B2
US 10,154,042 · App. 15/142,459 · Granted Dec 11, 2018

Account sharing detection

Inventors: Steven Jason Epstein (Hashmonaim, IL); Hillel Michael Solow (Bet Shemesh, IL); Ariel Imber (Tekoa, IL); Roee Friedman (Modi'in, IL); Harel Menachem Cain (Jerusalem, IL); Melvyn Adam Mildiner (Beit Shemesh, IL)
Assignee: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
H04L63/102G06F21/10G06Q10/063G06Q30/0185H04L63/08H04L63/1433H04L63/20
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 10,154,042
App. No.
15/142,459
Filed
Apr 29, 2016
Granted
Dec 11, 2018
Kind
B2
Examiner
DOAN, HUAN V
Art Unit
2437
USPC
726/1
Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving usage data regarding usage of a subscription-based media service account, generating a plurality of sharing scores based on the usage data, each of the plurality of sharing scores being indicative of a confidence that the usage of the subscription-based media service account is subject to a respective type of sharing, comparing each of the plurality of sharing scores to a respective threshold, and, in response to one of the plurality of sharing scores exceeding its respective threshold, presenting a challenge associated with the respective type of sharing.

Claims (35)

1. A method comprising:

receiving usage data regarding usage of a subscription-based media service account;

generating a plurality of sharing scores based on the usage data, each of the plurality of sharing scores being indicative of a confidence that the usage of the subscription-based media service account is subject to a respective type of sharing of a plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account;

comparing each of the plurality of sharing scores to a respective threshold of a plurality of thresholds;

in response to one of the plurality of sharing scores exceeding its corresponding threshold, determining a corresponding one of the plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account and presenting a challenge associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account; and

receiving a media sharing policy via a user interface including the corresponding threshold, wherein the media sharing policy further includes proactive events to be taken if the challenge is failed, wherein an outcome of the challenge is used to provide feedback in generating the plurality of sharing scores.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the usage data includes information indicative of content selected for consumption, a time or duration content was consumed, presence or absence of subtitles in consumed content, or usage of trick modes during content consumption.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the plurality of sharing scores includes determining a number of users of the account.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the number of users of the account includes applying a classification algorithm to multiple variables of the usage data.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the number of users of the account includes identifying each of the number of users based on a plurality of behavioral features.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the number of users of the account includes identifying an account owner of the account and one or more projected sharers.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising classifying each of the number of users as a child or an adult and determining a confidence that the number of users belong to a single family or household.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account include collusive sharing and parasitical sharing.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the challenge includes transmitting a question to a user and receiving an answer from the user.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein presenting the challenge includes determining a time between transmitting the question and receiving the answer.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein presenting the challenge includes transmitting a question to the user regarding usage of the subscription-based media service account by another user.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to determining that the challenge has been failed, warning an owner of the account, suspending the account, or blacklisting a user of the account.

13. A system comprising:

a network interface;

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory memory comprising instructions that when executed cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via the network interface, usage data regarding usage of a subscription-based media service account;

generating a plurality of sharing scores based on the usage data, each of the plurality of sharing scores being indicative of a confidence that the usage of the subscription-based media service account is subject to a respective type of sharing of a plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account;

comparing each of the plurality of sharing scores to a respective threshold of a plurality of thresholds;

in response to one of the plurality of sharing scores exceeding its corresponding threshold, determining a corresponding one of the plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account and presenting, via the network interface, a challenge associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account; and

receiving, via the network interface, a media sharing policy including the corresponding threshold, wherein the media sharing policy further includes proactive events to be taken if the challenge is failed, wherein an outcome of the challenge is used to provide feedback in generating the plurality of sharing scores.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a number of users of the account by applying a classification algorithm to multiple variables of the usage data.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the respective types of sharing include two or more of collusive sharing, parasitical sharing, casual sharing, business sharing, or stolen account sharing.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein presenting the challenge includes transmitting, via the network interface, a question to a user and receiving, via the network interface, an answer from the user.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that when executed by a processor cause a device to:

receive usage data regarding usage of a subscription-based media service account;

generate a plurality of sharing scores based on the usage data, each of the plurality of sharing scores being indicative of a confidence that the usage of the subscription-based media service account is subject to a respective type of sharing of a plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account;

compare each of the plurality of sharing scores to a respective threshold of a plurality of thresholds;

in response to one of the plurality of sharing scores exceeding its corresponding threshold, determine a corresponding one of the plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account and present a challenge associated with the corresponding one of the plurality of types of sharing of the subscription-based media service account; and

receive a media sharing policy via a user interface including the corresponding threshold, wherein the media sharing policy further includes proactive events to be taken if the challenge is failed, wherein an outcome of the challenge is used to provide feedback in generating the plurality of sharing scores.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 22, 2017
From: MILDINER, MELVYN ADAM
To: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 042458/0799 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2016
From: EPSTEIN, STEVEN JASON; SOLOW, HILLEL MICHAEL; IMBER, ARIEL; FRIEDMAN, ROEE; CAIN, HAREL MENACHEM
To: CISCO TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 039106/0365 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62274671 · Jan 4, 2016
Related Publication 20170195337A1 · Jul 6, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,581,394