Linked User Accounts

Abstract

Separate user accounts can be linked into a group of linked user accounts so that content items assigned to each of the user accounts can be accessed by each user account in the group. Linking user accounts in this way allows the individual user accounts to share content items while also retaining their individual properties such as username, password, preference data, etc. Linking user accounts allows each user account to retain the content items assigned to the user account when the user account is unlinked from the group. Linking user accounts can be restricted according to linking rules that dictate how many user accounts can be included in a group, when a user account can be added or removed from a group, etc. A master user account can set parameters restricting content items accessible to the user accounts in the group, as well as money spent be each user account.

1 . A system comprising:
 at least one computing device; and   at least one memory containing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one computing device to:
 receive a first request to link a first media access account with a second media access account to form linked media access accounts, wherein the first media access account can access a first set of content items including a first content item, and wherein the second media access account does not have access to the first content item; 
 link the first media access account with the second media access account by associating a first account identifier of the first media access account with a second account identifier of the second media access account based on the first request; 
 receive a second request, from the first media access account, to share the first content item with the linked media access accounts; 
 associate the first content item with the second media access account based on the second request to share the first content item and the association of the first account identifier with the second account identifier; 
 receive a third request, from the second media access account, to access the first content item; and 
 transmit, in response to the third request, at least a portion of the first content item to a second device associated with the second media access account based on the association between the first content item and the second media access account. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each account is associated with a unique account identifier and associating the first account identifier with the second account identifier by adding the first account identifier to a linked accounts field of the second account identifier. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second media access account can access a second set of content items, including a second content item and the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one computing device to:
 associate the second content item with the first media access account based on the second request to share the first content item;   receive a fourth request, from the first media access account, to access the second content item; and   transmit, in response to the fourth request, at least a portion of the second content item to a first device associated with the first media access account based on the association between the second content item and the first media access account.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one computing device to:
 receive a fifth request to remove the second media access account from the linked media access accounts;   removing, in response to the fifth request, the second media access account from the linked media access accounts;   receive, from the second media access account after the removing, a sixth request to access the second content item; and   transmit, in response to the sixth request, at least a portion of the second content item to the second device.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second media access account cannot be linked to any media access account that is not included in the linked media access accounts. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one computing device to:
 receive a fourth request to remove the second media access account from the linked media access accounts;   remove the second media access account from the linked media access accounts in response to the fourth request; and   remove, in response to the fourth request, the association between the second media access account and the first content item so that the second media access account no longer has access to the first content item.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one computing device to:
 receive a fourth request to add a third media access account to the linked media access accounts;   compare, in response to the fourth request, a total number of media access accounts included in the linked media access accounts to a predetermined limit;   determine, based on the comparing, that the third media access account cannot be added to the linked media access accounts; and   transmit a response denying the request to add the third media access account to the linked media access accounts.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second media access account is a manager account, wherein the manager account can add or remove media access accounts from the linked media access accounts. 
     
     
         9 . A method for accessing a shared content item performed by one or more computing devices comprising:
 receiving a first request to link a first media access account with a second media access account to form linked media access accounts, wherein the first media access account can access a first set of content items including a first content item, and wherein the second media access account does not have access to the first content item;   linking the first media access account with the second media access account by associating a first account identifier for the first media access account with a second account identifier of the second media access account based on the first request;   receiving a second request, from the first media access account, to share the first content item with the linked media access accounts;   associating the first content item with the second media access account based on the second request to share the first content item and the association of the first account identifier with the second account identifier;   receiving a third request, from the second media access account, to access the first content item; and   transmitting, in response to the third request, at least a portion of the first content item to a second device associated with the second media access account based on the association between the first content item and the second media access account.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each account is associated with a unique account identifier and associating the first account identifier with the second account identifier by adding the first account identifier to a linked accounts field of the second account identifier. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second media access account can access a second set of content items, including a second content item and the method further comprising:
 associating the second content item with the first media access account based on the request to share the first content item;   receiving a fourth request, from the first media access account, to access the second content item; and   transmitting, in response to the fourth request, at least a portion of the second content item to a first device associated with the first media access account based on the association between the second content item and the first media access account.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving a fifth request to remove the second media access account from the linked media access accounts;   removing, in response to the fifth request, the second media access account from the linked media access accounts;   receiving, from the second media access account after the removing, a sixth request to access the second content item;   transmitting, in response to the sixth request, at least a portion of the second content item to the second device.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second media access account cannot be linked to any media access account that is not included in the linked media access accounts. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving a fourth request to remove the second media access account from the linked media access accounts;   removing the second media access account from the linked media access accounts in response to the fourth request; and   removing, in response to the fourth request, the association between the second media access account and the first content item such that the second media access account no longer has access to the first content item.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving a fourth request to add a third media access account to the linked media access accounts;   comparing, in response to the fourth request, a total number of media access accounts included in the linked media access accounts to a predetermined limit;   determining, based on the comparing, that the third media access account cannot be added to the linked media access accounts; and   transmitting a response denying the request to add the third media access account to the linked media access accounts.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the second media access account is a manager account, wherein the manager account can add or remove media access accounts from the linked media access accounts. 
     
     
         17 . At least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, upon being executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
 receive a first request to link a first media access account with a second media access account to form linked media access accounts, wherein the first media access account can access a first set of content items including a first content item, and wherein the second media access account does not have access to the first content item;   link the first media access account with the second media access account by associating a first account identifier for the first media access account with a second account identifier of the second media access account based on the first request;   receive a second request, from the first media access account, to share the first content item with the linked media access accounts;   associate the first content item with the second media access account based on the second request to share the first content item and the association of the first account identifier with the second account identifier;   receive a third request, from the second media access account, to access the first content item; and   transmit, in response to the third request, at least a portion of the first content item to a second device associated with the second media access account based on the association between the first content item and the second media access account.   
     
     
         18 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein each account is associated with a unique account identifier and associating the first account identifier with the second account identifier by adding the first account identifier to a linked accounts field of the second account identifier. 
     
     
         19 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the second media access account can access a second set of content items, including a second content item and the stored instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:
 associate the second content item with the first media access account based on the second request to share the first content item;   receive a fourth request, from the first media access account, to access the second content item; and   transmit, in response to the fourth request, at least a portion of the second content item to a first device associated with the first media access account based on the association between the second content item and the first media access account.   
     
     
         20 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the stored instructions, when executed, further cause the one or more processors to:
 receive a fifth request to remove the second media access account from the linked media access accounts;   removing, in response to the fifth request, the second media access account from the family media access accounts;   receive, from the second media access account after the removing, a sixth request to access the second content item; and   transmit, in response to the sixth request, at least a portion of the second content item to the second device.