IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,739,237
Granted Patent B2
US 12,739,237 · App. 18/137,364 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Multiple terminals with rotating license management

Inventors: Dhananjay Lal (Englewood, CO); Ville Ollikainen (Vihti, FI); Pekka Koskela (Oulu, FI); Markku Kylanpaa (Helsinki, FI); Anni Karinsalo (Oulu, FI)
Assignee: Adeia Guides Inc.
H04L63/0815H04L63/108
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,739,237
App. No.
18/137,364
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods of rotating content license management for multiple terminals associated with the same content service subscription user account are disclosed. An ephemeral master device (EMD) is selected from a domain of client devices associated with the same user account. The content service generates an Ephemeral Personal Credential (EPC) associated with the user account, which is temporary and is updated periodically or randomly. The EMD role rotates among the devices in the domain periodically or randomly. The updated EPC is sent to the current EMD. A client device can access content via the user account by providing 1) the account credentials and 2) a valid EPC. Account credentials may be shared with the client device. The EPC is shared with the client device when the client device moves within a particular range of the EMD (or another device in the domain which has the EPC) to synchronize the EPC.

Claims (53)

1 . A method comprising:

generating an ephemeral personal credential (EPC) associated with a user account associated with a content provider;

transmitting the EPC to a first device of a plurality of devices, wherein the first device is authorized to access content from the content provider via the user account, and wherein a second device of the plurality of devices is unauthorized to access content from the content provider via the user account;

based at least in part on determining that the first device is located within a particular distance of the second device such that the first device and the second device can communicate with each other by way of short range communication, causing the second device to synchronize the EPC with the first device;

receiving account credentials from the second device of the plurality of devices;

determining that the account credentials are associated with the user account;

receiving the EPC from the second device; and

based at least in part on determining the EPC received from the second device is valid, authorizing the second device to access content from the content provider via the user account.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of devices is associated with the user account.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is randomly selected from the plurality of devices.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device is at least one of most recently used from the plurality of devices, most frequently used from the plurality of devices, or which received a most recent EPC associated with the user account.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

periodically generating a subsequent EPC associated with the user account, wherein each subsequent EPC is valid during a corresponding subsequent time period.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the EPC and the subsequent EPC is valid during the subsequent time period.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises one of the plurality of devices that is associated with the account credentials for at least an onboarding period.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based at least in part on determining the account credentials received during a first login attempt from the second device are associated with the user account and that the second device is not associated with the user account, generating a temporary EPC associated with the user account;

transmitting the temporary EPC to the second device;

receiving the temporary EPC from the second device during at least the first login attempt or subsequent login attempts;

based at least in part on determining the temporary EPC received from the second device is valid, authorizing the second device to access content from the content provider via the user account.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the temporary EPC is valid during a time period.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

causing a QR code to be displayed on the first device;

receiving the QR code from the second device; and

based at least in part on determining that the second device is within the particular distance of the first device based on the received QR code, transmitting the EPC to the second device.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

updating the QR code;

causing the updated QR code to be displayed on the first device; and

based at least in part on receiving the updated QR code from the second device, transmitting the EPC to the second device.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based at least in part on determining that the EPC has not been received from at least one device during a time period:

generating a second EPC; and

transmitting the second EPC to a third device of the plurality of devices.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based at least in part on determining that a number of logins to the user account using the EPC is over a threshold number of logins during a time period:

generating a second EPC; and

transmitting the second EPC to the second device.

14 . A system comprising:

processing circuitry configured to:

generate an ephemeral personal credential (EPC) associated with a user account associated with a content provider;

transmit the EPC to a first device of a plurality of devices, wherein the first device is authorized to access content from the content provider via the user account, and wherein a second device of the plurality of devices is unauthorized to access content from the content provider via the user account;

based at least in part on determining that the first device is located within a particular distance of the second device such that the first device and the second device can communicate with each other by way of short range communication, cause the second device to synchronize the EPC with the first device;

receive account credentials from the second device of the plurality of devices;

determine that the account credentials are associated with the user account;

receive the EPC from the second device; and

based at least in part on determining the EPC received from the second device is valid, authorize the second device to access content from the content provider via the user account.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of devices is associated with the user account.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first device is randomly selected from the plurality of devices.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first device is at least one of most recently used from the plurality of devices, most frequently used from the plurality of devices, or which received a most recent EPC associated with the user account.

18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

periodically generate a subsequent EPC associated with the user account, wherein each subsequent EPC is valid during a corresponding subsequent time period.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the EPC and the subsequent EPC is valid during the subsequent time period.

20 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first device comprises one of the plurality of devices that is associated with the account credentials for at least an onboarding period.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 13, 2023
From: LAL, DHANANJAY; OLLIKAINEN, VILLE; KOSKELA, PEKKA; KYLANPAA, MARKKU; KARINSALO, ANNI
To: ADEIA GUIDES INC.
Reel/Frame 064886/0393 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240356907A1 · Oct 24, 2024
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