Apparatus and methods for providing content to an ip-enabled device in a content distribution network

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing content to IP-enabled devices in a content distribution network. In one embodiment, a network architecture is disclosed which enables delivery of content to such IP-enabled devices without the use of a high-speed data connection This capability allow the managed network operator to provide content services to an IP-enabled device associated with a non-data subscriber. In one implementation, requests for content from user IP-enabled devices are received, authenticated, and content processed into a series of encrypted segments. Once the requesting user/device is authenticated, the segments are provided with a playlist. The rendering device is also provided access to a decryption key (e.g., via a URL to a managed key server). Variants providing (i) user access to the MSO distribution network via an indigenous modem or gateway; and (ii) user access to the MSO core via a gateway and a third party unmanaged network are described.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for providing content to an IP-enabled consumer device, the method comprising:
 receiving a request for a content element;   processing said content element into a plurality of segments;   cryptographically protecting at least a portion of said plurality of segments;   generating a playlist for playback of said plurality of segments; and   providing said playlist and said plurality of protected segments to said consumer device via a content distribution network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said content distribution network comprises a managed network having a plurality of subscribers, said consumer device comprising a device associated with at least one of said subscribers. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said managed network is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a cable television network; (ii) a satellite network; and (iii) a hybrid fiber copper (HFCu) network. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said request is received directly or indirectly from said consumer device, and said method further comprises authenticating said consumer device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said method further comprises evaluating an entitlement for a user associated with said user device to access the requested content. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said method further comprises evaluating an entitlement for said user device to access the requested content. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a cryptographic element in response to said received request; and   transmitting at least a portion of said cryptographic element to said consumer device, said transmitted at least portion enabling said consumer device to said plurality of protected segments.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cryptographic protection comprises encryption of said plurality of segments utilizing a symmetric encryption key approach. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of segments comprises a plurality of MPEG transport stream (.ts) files. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least said plurality of protected segments and said playlist are provided as part of a common data structure to said consumer device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said common data structure further comprises a cryptographic key enabling said consumer device to access said plurality of protected segments. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing comprises providing access to at least one of said plurality of protected segments and playlist via a URL provided to said consumer device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing for access to a cryptographic key by said consumer device via a URL provided to said consumer device, said cryptographic key enabling access to said plurality of protected content elements. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing said consumer device access to a cryptographic element enabling access to said plurality of protected content elements, said cryptographic element having a predetermined use period after which said cryptographic element is no longer valid. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said cryptographically protecting at least a portion of said plurality of segments comprises using a first key to encrypt said segments during a first period, and a second key to encrypt said segments during a second, subsequent period. 
     
     
         16 . A method for ensuring the protection of content provided to one or more IP-enabled user devices, the method comprising:
 receiving a request for a content element from a first user device;   authenticating said first user device to access said content element;   obtaining said content element as a plurality of segments;   generating a first cryptographic element to protect at least some of the plurality of segments;   protecting said at least some of said plurality of segments using said first cryptographic element;   providing said protected at least some segments to said first user device;   providing access to a second cryptographic element to said first user device;   after a period of time, generating a third cryptographic element;   encrypting the at least some segments using the third element; and   providing access to said third cryptographic element to a second user device requesting said content element.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said act of protecting comprises protecting using a symmetric encryption process, and said first and second cryptographic elements comprise the same symmetric encryption/decryption key. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said act of protecting comprises protecting using an asymmetric encryption process, and said first and second cryptographic elements comprise different encryption/decryption keys. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said first and second user devices comprise the same device. 
     
     
         20 . Apparatus for the delivery of content to a plurality of users of a distribution network, the apparatus comprising:
 first apparatus configured to receive and decode encoded data from at least one content source;   second apparatus in communication with the first apparatus and configured to selectively enable at least one of re-encoding and rate adaptation of the decoded data;   third apparatus in communication with the second apparatus and configured to monitor the decoded data; and   server apparatus configured to serve the re-encoded and/or rate adapted content to the plurality of users.   
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the first apparatus comprises a plurality of integrated receiver and decoder apparatus. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the second apparatus comprises:
 a switch apparatus; and   a plurality of transcoder apparatus in communication with the switch apparatus.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the transcoder apparatus comprise linear transcoder apparatus each configured to trancode the decoded content into a format different than the others. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein a first portion of the plurality of transcoder apparatus comprises rate-adaptive transcoder apparatus, and a second portion of the plurality of transcoder apparatus comprises non-rate-adaptive transcoder apparatus. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , further comprising an acquisition server in communication with at least one of said transcoder apparatus, the acquisition server configured to multicast at least a portion of the decoded content according to a digital rights management (DRM) paradigm. 
     
     
         26 . A method of operating a client device in order to obtain content, the method comprising:
 placing the client device in direct or indirect communication with an access network, the access network capable of authenticating the client device in order to determine its entitlement to receive the content;   placing the client device in direct or indirect communication with a content cache, the content cache being configured to provide content to the client device upon authentication by the access network;   generating a request for the content, the request transmitted to the access network; and   in response to said request, receiving the content from the content cache.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said receiving the content comprises:
 receiving a plurality of encrypted content segments; and   receiving a playlist providing at least information on the playback of the plurality of encrypted content segments.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising obtaining from the access network a decryption key capable of decrypting the plurality of encrypted content segments. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein said access network comprises a managed network with a plurality of subscribers, the client device being associated with a subscriber of the managed network. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein said authenticating the client device in order to determine its entitlement to receive the content comprises checking the subscription level of the subscriber. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein said authenticating the client device in order to determine its entitlement to receive the content comprises verifying at least one of a MAC address and/or IP address. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein communication between the client device and access network is conducted at least in part according to a secure HTTP protocol, and communication between the client device and said content cache is conducted at least in part according to an HTTP protocol.