Automatically updating subscriber information in a content delivery network

Abstract

Disclosed herein is content delivery system that delivers content to one or more remote devices. In some cases, the content that is provided by the content delivery system is protected content. As such, prior to accessing the content, the one or more remote devices may need to register or otherwise be associated with the content delivery system. The content delivery system utilizes a first communication path to allow the one or more remote devices to register with the content delivery system and/or verify that it is authorized to access the content. The content delivery system also utilizes a second communication path to deliver the content to the authorized remote devices.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for delivering content, comprising:
 receiving, over a first communication path of an open network connected to a device via the open network, information corresponding to the device;   comparing the received information to authorized accessor information;   after determining that the received information is not included in the authorized accessor information, adding the received information to the authorized accessor information, the device being operable to communicate via the open network regardless whether the received information is included in the authorized accessor information; and   after determining that the received information is included in the authorized accessor information, delivering the content to the device over a second communication path of a closed network using a gateway that is connected to the device via the closed network and that determines whether to deliver the content in response to a request received from the device over the second communication path, the device being unable to communicate with the gateway via the closed network until the received information is included in the authorized accessor information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising blocking additional received information received from an additional device after determining not to add the additional received information to the authorized accessor information. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the authorized accessor information includes at least one communication address. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second communication path is monitored by a firewall. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gateway is operable to route communications. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device is a content access device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein adding the received information to the authorized accessor information comprises automatically updating a range of internet protocol addresses associated with the received information. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing the received information from the authorized accessor information after determining not to allow the device access to the content. 
     
     
         9 . A system for providing content, comprising:
 a provisioning device configured to:
 receive information from a device over a first communication channel of an open network, the first communication channel connecting the provisioning device and the device via the open network; and 
 associate the received information with authorization to access content; and 
   a gateway configured to permit the device to access the content over a second communication channel of a closed network in response to a request received from the device over the second communication channel after the received information is associated with the authorization to access the content, the second communication channel connecting the gateway and the device via the closed network; wherein the device is:   operable to communicate via the open network regardless whether the received information is associated with the authorization to access the content; and   unable to communicate with the gateway via the closed network before the received information is associated with the authorization to access the content.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the gateway implements a firewall. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the provisioning device communicates the authorization to access the content to the firewall. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the provisioning device is further configured to remove the authorization to access the content. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the provisioning device communicates the authorization to access the content to the gateway. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the gateway is operable to communicably connect the device to at least one of a content delivery network and a digital rights manager. 
     
     
         15 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoding instructions executable by at least one processor to:
 receive, over a first communication channel of an open network connected to a device via the open network, information from the device;   after determining to include the information to authorized accessor information, include the information to the authorized accessor information, the device being operable to communicate via the open network regardless whether the information is authorized accessor information; and   provide content to the device over a second communication channel of a closed network using a router that uses the authorized accessor information to determine whether to provide the content in response to a request received from the device over the second communication channel, the second communication channel connecting the router and the device via the closed network, the device being unable to communicate via the closed network before the information is included in the authorized accessor information.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processing unit to provide the information to the router. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processing unit to determine whether the device is currently accessing the content over the second communication channel. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions are further executable by the at least one processing unit to remove the information from the authorized accessor information upon determining to no longer allow the device to access the content. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the information is at least one of an identification number, a block of communication addresses, an internet protocol address, or a media access control address. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the router stores the authorized accessor information.