(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (Η» Pub. No.: US 2011/0314378 Al
`Nijim et al.
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Dec. 22,2011
`
`US 20110314378A1
`
`(54) CONTENT PURCHASES AND RIGHTS
`STORAGE AND ENTITLEMENTS
`
`(75)
`
`Inventors:
`
`Yousef Wasef Nijim, Roswell, GA
`(US); Francisco Gonzalez, Atlanta,
`GA (US); Terry Douglas Lee,
`Lawrenceville, GA (US); Charlotte
`Lee McLure, Alpharetta, GA (US)
`
`(73) Assignee:
`
`COX COMMUNICATIONS,
`INC., Atlanta, GA (US)
`
`(21)
`
`Appl.No
`.:
`
`13/048,216
`
`(22) Filed:
`
`Mar. 15, 2011
`
`Related U.S. Application Data
`(60) Provisional application No. 61/356,431, filed on Jun.
`18, 2010.
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`(2006.01)
`G06F 3/01
`(2006.01)
`G06F 17/30
`(52) U.S. Cl............ ........... 715/716; 707/827; 707/E17.01
`
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`Storing asset ID and entitlement data of purchased and rented
`media from various sources in a media contents account and
`allowing access to the stored asset ID and entitlement data
`from various devices is provided. A user may access a media
`contents account via a network-connected device to view
`his/her purchased and rented media. The network-connected
`device may be a device that has been registered with the
`account. A user may select a title of purchased or rented media
`to stream or download. Upon verification of entitlement
`rights, the media may be streamed or downloaded to the user.
`
`EX1027
`Roku V. Media Chain
`U.S. Patent No. 10,489,560
`
`

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`Patent Application Publication Dec. 22, 2011 Sheet 1 of 5
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`US 2011/0314378 Al
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`FIG 1
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`Patent Application Publication Dec. 22, 2011 Sheet 2 of 5
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`J
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`FIG 2
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`Patent Application Publication Dec. 22, 2011 Sheet 3 of 5
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`J
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`305
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`FIG 3
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`Patent Application Publication Dec. 22, 2011 Sheet 4 of 5
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`Patent Application Publication Dec. 22, 2011 Sheet 5 of 5
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`US 2011/0314378 Al
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`Computing Device
`500
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`FIG 5
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`US 2011/0314378 Al
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`Dec. 22, 2011
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`1
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`CONTENT PURCHASES AND RIGHTS
`STORAGE AND ENTITLEMENTS
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Pro-
`visional Patent Application No. 61/356,431 filed Jun. 18,
`2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference.
`
`BACKGROUND
`[0002] In today’s digital age, many users use an on demand
`(OD) system to select and view or listen to media content.
`Media content may be streamed through various devices,
`such as set-top boxes (STB), computers, Internet televisions,
`smartphones, gaming consoles, or other types of network-
`connected devices. Many media content providers offer OD
`streaming whereby a user purchases a piece of media content,
`and the content is available to the user for viewing for a
`limited period of time (i.e., rental digital content), or for an
`indefinite period of time (i.e., purchased digital content).
`Media content providers may offer OD downloading
`whereby a user purchases a piece of media content, and the
`content is available for downloading onto a designated num-
`ber of authorized devices.
`[0003] In current systems, if a user purchases a piece of
`media content from a content provider, an account may be
`provided by the content provider for allowing the user to view
`content purchased from the content provider, to select pur-
`chased content to watch, to initiate a download, and to view
`available licenses for his/her content. While a media account
`may be useful for managing media content purchased from a
`given content provider, oftentimes, users purchase content
`from a plurality of content providers via various platforms
`(e.g., mobile, web, STB, etc.) and/or purchase content from
`one content provider, but want to be able to access the content
`via various platforms.
`[0004] Thus, there is a need for methods, systems and com-
`puter readable media for storing entitlements associated with
`a user’s OD media rentals and purchases so that the rented and
`purchased media may be available to the user from various
`platforms on various devices. It is with respect to these and
`other considerations that the present invention has been made.
`
`SUMMARY
`[0005] The above and other problems are solved by provid-
`ing for storing asset identification (ID) and entitlement data of
`purchased and rented media from various sources and for
`allowing access to the stored asset ID and entitlement data
`form various devices.
`[0006] Media content, which may include, but is not lim-
`ited to, video, audio, image, and data files, may be purchased
`or rented from various media providers. Embodiments of the
`present invention provide for a media contents folder/account
`that may store asset ID and entitlement data of purchased and
`rented media from various media providers. The stored asset
`ID and entitlement data may be accessed by various user
`devices, such as a smart phone, a computer, Internet television
`(TV), a set-top box (STB), a game console, a tablet computer,
`a BLU-RAY player, or other type of network-connected
`device. A user may access purchased and rented media con-
`tent from any registered device regardless of where the media
`was purchased/rented or from what device the purchase/
`rental was made.
`
`[0007] The details of one or more embodiments are set
`forth in the accompanying drawings and description below.
`Other features and advantages will be apparent from a reading
`of the following detailed description and a review of the
`associated drawings. It is to be understood that the following
`detailed description is explanatory only and is not restrictive
`of the invention as claimed.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`[0008] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example
`system with which embodiments of the present invention may
`be implemented.
`[0009] FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example method
`of receiving and storing asset ID and entitlement data asso-
`ciated with a purchase or rental of media content.
`[0010] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example method
`of accessing purchased or rented media content via a “My
`Contents” folder.
`[0011] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example method
`of accessing purchased or rented media content via an On
`Demand menu.
`[0012] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a computing
`device with which embodiments of the present invention may
`be implemented.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION
`[0013] As briefly described above, embodiments of the
`present invention are directed to allowing a user to purchase
`or rent on demand content from a plurality of platforms and to
`access the purchased content from a plurality of registered
`devices.
`[0014] Embodiments of the present invention provide for a
`media contents folder/account for storing asset ID and entitle-
`ment data associated with purchased and rented media con-
`tent. Media content may be purchased from a plurality of
`media providers via various platforms (e.g., web, mobile,
`set-top box). The web-based folder may be accessible to a
`user via various platforms and devices so that the user may
`have access to all his/her purchased and rented media from a
`single library.
`[0015] According to embodiments, a user may allow for a
`communication of a purchase or rental of media from a media
`provider to a “My Contents” account. Asset ID and entitle-
`ment data may be provided to the account, where the data may
`be stored. A user may access his/her “My Contents” account
`via a network-connected device to view his/her purchased
`media. The network-connected device may be a device that
`has been registered with the account. A user may select a title
`of purchased or rented media from his/her “My Contents”
`folder to stream or download. Upon verification of entitle-
`ment rights, the media may be streamed or downloaded to the
`user.
`[0016] Other embodiments provide for a “My Contents”
`folder to be available to a user through an On Demand menu.
`Available On Demand media may be displayed to the user
`through an On Demand menu. A determination may be made
`to identify if any of the content available through the On
`Demand menu is content that the user has previously pur-
`chased or rented and is stored in the user’s “My Contents”
`folder. If there is media available that the user has previously
`purchased or rented, and if the rights and privileges allow for
`accessing it, the media content may be provided to the user
`free of charge.
`
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`2
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`[0017] These embodiments may be combined, other
`embodiments may be utilized, and structural changes may be
`made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present
`invention. The following detailed description is therefore not
`to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present
`invention is defined by the appended claims and their equiva-
`lents. Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals
`refer to like elements throughout the several figures, embodi-
`ments of the present invention and an exemplary operating
`environment will be described.
`[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example
`system 100 with which embodiments of the present invention
`may be implemented. As illustrated in the example of FIG. 1,
`the system 100 includes various user devices which a user
`may use to purchase, download, and/or stream media content
`112 including, but not limited to, a smart phone 105, a com-
`puter 140, Internet television (TV) 115, a set-top box (STB)
`155, a game console, a tablet computer, a BLU-RAY player,
`or other type of network-connected device. The user devices
`105,140,115,155 may access media content 112 via various
`network interfaces such as a local area network (LAN), wide
`area network (e.g., Internet) 120, or other type of network.
`The network interface 120 may receive signals according to
`various technologies including, but not limited to, wireless
`network 110 technologies, hybrid fibre-coaxial (HFC) net-
`work 150 technologies, etc.
`[0019] Media content 112 may be provided by a cable
`television (CATV) services or telephone services system
`(telco) services headend 145, by a VOD server connected to a
`CATV headend, or by various third party media provider
`servers 180, which may be computer systems storing video,
`audio, or other digital media content 112 for sending to users’
`devices 105,140,115,155. Media content may include, but is
`not limited to, video, audio, image, and data files. For
`example, media content may include movies, music, photo-
`graphs, electronic books, etc. Media content 112 may be
`streamed from an OD provider 145, 180, wherein the media
`content may be compressed and sent over a network 120,150.
`The media content 112 may then be decompressed by a
`receiving device 105,140,115,155 for display. Alternatively,
`media content 112 may be in the form of a media file that may
`be downloaded to a user’s device 105, 140, 115, 155 to be
`played.
`[0020] A media provider system 145, 180 may comprise
`data services, which may include a number of services oper-
`ated by the services provider and which may include data on
`a given customer. Data services may include one or more of a
`billing system 170, an email system, a digital rights manage-
`ment system (e.g., license server) 165, and a customer infor-
`mation database. A digital rights management (DRM) system
`165 may include information such as secure user names and
`passwords utilized by customers for access to network ser-
`vices or content. According to embodiments, the DRM sys-
`tem 165 may be an encryption/decryption management
`method for controlling a user’s access to digital media. The
`DRM system 165 may offer security for purchases and other
`transactions, and may store entitlement data including, but
`not limited to, licenses or usage rights to digitally protected
`media, access permissions, keys to decrypt encrypted media
`content, and a list of device identifications associated with
`devices 105, 140, 115, 155 that are authorized to access
`digital media content.
`[0021] According to some licenses for purchased or rented
`digital media, a user may be authorized to stream or download
`
`content by way of a predefined number of authorized devices
`105,140,115,155. Device identification data may be authen-
`ticated by a service and/or media content provider 145,180.
`As mentioned, device identification and authentication data
`may be stored in a DRM system 165, but may alternatively be
`stored in a customer information database or in a media
`contents folder/account 125 as will be described below.
`[0022] The data services systems comprising the data ser-
`vices may operate as separate data services systems, which
`communicate with a web services along a number of different
`communication paths and according to a number of different
`communication protocols. A web services system serving as
`a collection point for data requested from each of the dispar-
`ate data services systems comprising the data services may be
`included.
`[0023] An application server located at a cable headend 145
`or at a third party media provider 180 may require customer
`profile data from one or more of the data services for prepa-
`ration or update of a customer profile, and may pass a data
`query to the web services system. The web services system
`formulates a data query to each of the available data services
`systems for obtaining any available data for a given customer
`as identified by a set-top box identification associated with
`the customer. The web services system serves as an abstrac-
`tion layer between the various data services systems and the
`application server. That is, the application server is not
`required to communicate with the disparate data services
`systems, nor is the application server required to understand
`the data structures or data types utilized by the disparate data
`services systems. The web services system is operative to
`communicate with each of the disparate data services systems
`for obtaining necessary customer profile data. The customer
`profile data obtained by the web services system is assembled
`and is returned to the application server for ultimate process-
`ing via a middleware layer.
`[0024] The system 100 may comprise a web-based media
`contents folder/account, hereafter referred to as a “My Con-
`tents” folder 125, for storing entitlements of purchased and
`rented media content 112, including unique asset IDs associ-
`ated with purchased/rented media content and a list of device
`identifications associated with devices 105,140,115,155 that
`are authorized to access purchased/rented media content. A
`“My Contents” folder 125 may be accessible across various
`platforms including, but not limited to STB 155, web portal/
`PC 140,115, and via mobile devices 105. Although the “My
`Contents” folder 125 is illustrated as a remote system, it may
`be integrated with a service provider headend 145 or billing
`system 170.
`[0025] According to embodiments, a piece of media con-
`tent 112 may be purchased or rented from a CATV service
`provider 145 or from a third party media provider 180 via a
`variety of platforms (e.g., STB 155, web-based 140,115,
`mobile 105). Entitlements of the purchased/rented media
`content 112 may be maintained in a “My Contents” folder 125
`regardless of where it was purchased 145,180 or from what
`platform it was purchased/rented (e.g., mobile, web, STB).
`When a piece of media content 112 is purchased/rented from
`a content provider 145,180, the purchase/rental may be
`recorded and stored to allow unlimited access to the content
`from any available platform as allowed according to the
`entitlement data. According to embodiments, a “My Con-
`tents” folder 125 may comprise a subfolder for purchases and
`a subfolder for rentals.
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`[0026] According to some digital rights, a specified type
`and/ or number of devices may be allowed by a media provider
`145,180 to stream or download media content 112. A device
`105,115,140,155 may be authorized by a given media pro-
`vider before streaming or downloading of media 112 is
`allowed. A device may be identified via a unique identifier,
`such as a MAC address or an IP address. Upon authentication,
`device identification information associated with a user may
`be stored in a media provider database 145, billing system
`170, or in the “My Contents” folder 125. According to
`embodiments, one or more devices 105,115,140,155 may be
`associated with a “My Contents” folder 125. Device identi-
`fication information may be entered manually by a user, may
`be automatically captured upon accessing the “My Contents”
`folder 125, or may be automatically captured upon purchas-
`ing a piece of media content 112 from a media content pro-
`vider 145,180.
`[0027] Purchased and rented media content 112 may have a
`unique asset ID by which the content may be identified,
`managed, and accessed. Entitlement data may be stored and
`maintained in a “My Contents” folder 125 based on the
`unique asset ID of the media content. A user may access
`purchased media content 112 as many times as allowed on
`his/her authorized devices 105,140,115,155. For example, a
`user may purchase a movie A from online store A on the user’s
`mobile phone 105, movie B from a VOD menu via the user’s
`STB 155, and movie C from online store C via the user’s
`personal computer 140. The asset IDs and entitlement data
`associated with movies A, B, and C may collectively be stored
`in the user’s “My Contents” folder 125, and accessible from
`any of the user’s registered devices 105,115,140,155.
`[0028] Embodiments of the present invention may include
`an automatic detection of purchased and rented media 112. A
`user may have an account with or purchase/rent media 112
`from one or more media content providers 145,180. A user
`may wish to associate an account or folder associated with a
`media content provider 145,180 with a “My Contents” folder
`125. Upon receiving access rights to share data from a media
`content provider 145,180 account with a “My Contents”
`folder 125, the “My Contents” folder may be automatically
`populated with unique asset ID and entitlement data of media
`content 112 purchased or rented from the media content pro-
`vider 145,180. According to other embodiments, a user may
`manually add media content 112 purchased/rented from a
`third party media provider 180 to a “My Contents” folder 125.
`[0029] Other media content associated content may be pro-
`vided and stored in a “My Contents” folder 125 such as poster
`arts of titles and extras such as cut scenes, reviews, etc. When
`allowed by a content provider 145,180, high level/personal
`metadata may be edited by a user. Metadata changes may be
`local to the user, may be added, but may not replace the
`metadata that is associated with the media content 112 (e.g.,
`title, price, rating, crew, etc.).
`[0030] Purchases and rentals may be updated and synchro-
`nized across the different platforms in real time. According to
`embodiments, bookmarks may be stored per user so that
`when a user views a piece of media content 112 from a “My
`Contents” folder 125, and the user presses STOP or when a
`PAUSE functionality times out, the user may access and
`resume watching the content from the point at which he/she
`stopped watching previously.
`[0031] When a user accesses a “My Contents” folder 125
`from a given device, for example, a STB 155, the user may be
`automatically provided with a format suitable to the platform.
`
`For example, if a user is trying to watch a movie 112 from a
`television 160, the user may be automatically provided with
`the highest format available (e.g., high-definition) unless the
`user decides to view a lower format version of the media.
`[0032] According to embodiments, a “My Contents” folder
`125 may be a category in an On Demand menu. If a piece of
`media content 112 has been purchased by a user, either
`though a CATV service provider 145 or via another third
`party provider 180, and the specified media content is avail-
`able and listed in an On Demand menu, the media content
`may be selected by the user from the menu and accessed for
`no charge. That is, a record of the purchase or rental of the
`media content 112 and entitlement data will be stored in a
`“My Contents” folder 125. A communication of the purchase
`will allow the provider of the OD content 112 to provide a
`streaming of the content without charging the user again. If a
`purchased or rented media 112 is no longer available in an OD
`menu category, the user may still access the content through
`his/her “My Contents” folder 125. The media content 112
`may be streamed or pushed to the user based on the requesting
`device 105,115,140,155.
`[0033] When media content 112 is rented by a user, limited
`rights and licenses may be granted to the user. For example,
`the user may only be allowed to stream or download the
`rented content 112 to one authorized device 105,115,140,
`155, and may be available to the user for a limited time period
`(e.g., a specified number of days from the time of rental; or a
`specified amount of time from when the user starts viewing
`the rented media). Embodiments of the present invention
`provide for allowing a user to purchase rented media 112 both
`during the rental period and after the rental period has
`expired. According to embodiments, the user may purchase
`the media from the same provider 145,180 from which he/she
`rented the media, or alternatively, may purchase the media
`from another provider. The another provider may be a pro-
`vider which has been associated with the user’s “My Con-
`tents” folder 125 so that a communication of rental and pur-
`chase information and entitlement rights may be shared
`between billing systems 170. A purchase of media 112 may
`occur on the same device 105,115,140,155 the user rented the
`media, or alternatively may occur on another device associ-
`ated with the user’s “My Contents” folder 125. A discounted
`price may be provided to the user. For example, if a user
`chooses to purchase a rented movie 112 during the rental time
`period, the price to purchase the movie may be equal to the
`purchase price minus the rental fee already paid by the user. If
`the user chooses to purchase a piece of media content 112
`after a rental time period has expired, a discount may be
`provided to the user according to a media provider’s 145,180
`business plan.
`[0034] According to embodiments, various views of media
`titles may be provided, so that when a user accesses a “My
`Contents” folder 125, he/she may be able to sort his/her
`purchases and rentals via title, release date, price, ratings, etc.
`Additionally, a user may group media content 112 based on
`studio or content provider 145,180, based on genre, or by
`category (e.g., children, drama, horror, etc.).
`[0035] According to another embodiment, media content
`112 may be downloaded by a user, authenticated by service
`provider 145, and stored on a local or remote computer-
`readable storage medium. The entitlement data may be stored
`in a “My Contents” folder 125, wherein the user may access
`the downloaded content 112 from his/her various devices
`105,115,140,155. For example, a user may purchase a DVD
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`of a movie 112, authenticate the purchase of the movie, and
`download the content to a storage medium at a service pro-
`vider headend 145. The user may want to watch the movie
`112 on his/her Internet-connected television 115. He/she may
`access his “My Contents” folder 125, select the movie title,
`and have the content streamed to his/her Internet television
`115.
`[0036] Having described a system architecture for embodi-
`ments of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flow diagram
`illustrating a method for receiving and storing identification
`and entitlement data associated with purchased/rented media
`content 112 in a unified account 125 that may be accessed
`from various devices 105,115,140,155. The method starts at
`OPERATION 205 and proceeds to OPERATION 210 where
`a “My Contents” folder 125 is set up. According to embodi-
`ments, the “My Contents” folder 125 may be maintained by a
`media content provider 145,180, or alternatively may not be
`affiliated with a content provider system. Setting up a “My
`Contents” folder 125 may include entering credential data,
`such as a username and password.
`[0037] At OPERATION 215, one or more user devices
`105,115,140,155 are associated with the “My Contents”
`folder 125. According to embodiments, a user device may be
`associated with a “My Contents” folder by manually entering
`a unique identification of a user device 105,115,140,155, by
`automatically capturing a unique identification of a user
`device upon accessing the “My Contents” folder 125, or by
`automatically capturing a unique identification of a user
`device upon purchasing/renting a piece of media content 112
`from a media content provider 145,180.
`[0038] At OPERATION 220, media content 112 may be
`purchased or rented. According to embodiments, media con-
`tent may include, but is not limited to, video, audio, image,
`and data files. Media content 112 may be a piece of physical
`media, such as a DVD, CD, BLU-RAY, etc., or may be in a
`digital format that may be downloaded or streamed to a device
`105,115,140,155. Media content 112 may be purchased or
`rented in a physical store, via a web-based media provider
`180, or via an On Demand (OD) menu associated with a
`media services provider (e.g., CATV 145).
`[0039] At OPERATION 225, the purchased or rented
`media 112 is identified. The media may be identified via a
`unique asset ID. According to embodiments, purchased or
`rented media 112 may be identified manually, wherein a user
`enters a unique asset ID associated with a piece of purchased/
`rented media 112 into his/her “My Contents” folder 125.
`Alternatively, purchased/rented media 112 may be automati-
`cally identified upon purchase/rental ofthe media if the media
`is purchased/rented via a networked device 105,115,140,155
`associated with the user’s “My Contents” folder 125. Accord-
`ing to another embodiment as was described above, pur-
`chased/rented media 112 may be automatically identified
`upon purchase/rental of the media if the media is purchased/
`rented from a media provider 145,180 which has been asso-
`ciated with the user’s “My Contents” folder 125.
`[0040] Upon identification of purchased/rented media 112,
`entitlement data associated with the media may be received
`from the media provider 145,180 and stored in the user’s “My
`Contents” folder 125. The method ends at OPERATION 235.
`[0041] Referring now to FIG. 3, a process flow of a method
`for accessing purchased/rented media 112 via a “My Con-
`tents” folder 125 is illustrated. The method starts at OPERA-
`TION 305 and proceeds to OPERATION 310 where a user
`accesses his/her “My Contents” folder 125. According to
`
`embodiments, the folder 125 may be accessed via various
`types of network-connected devices 105,115,140,155.
`Access to the “My Contents” folder 125 may include entering
`credential data, such as a user ID and/or password. Alterna-
`tively, access to the “My Contents” folder 125 may be granted
`upon recognition of a registered device 105,115,140,155
`from which the user is accessing the folder.
`[0042] At OPERATION 315, titles of purchased/rented
`media content 112 are displayed in a user interface. As was
`described above, various views may be provided, so that
`when a user accesses a “My Contents” folder 125, he/she may
`be able to sort his/her purchases via title, release date, price,
`ratings, etc. Additionally, a user may group media content 112
`based on studio or content provider 145,180, based on genre,
`or by category (e.g., children, drama, horror, etc.). Other
`media content associated content may be provided and stored
`in a “My Contents” folder 125 such as poster arts of titles and
`extras such as cut scenes, reviews, etc.
`[0043] At OPERATION 320, a title of a purchased/rented
`piece of media content 112 may be selected by the user. At
`OPERATION 325, entitlement rights may be verified. Veri-
`fying entitlement rights may include, but is not limited to,
`verifying that the media content 112 may be accessed by the
`device 105,115,140,155 that is requesting the content, veri-
`fying that the type of access the user is requesting is allowed
`(e.g., downloading of content vs. streaming), and verifying
`that a rental period of a rental piece of media content has not
`expired.
`[0044] At OPERATION 325, the requested media content
`112 may be provided to the requesting device 105,115,140,
`155 according to the entitlement rights verified at OPERA-
`TION 320. According to embodiments, a format suitable to
`the requesting device may be automatically provided. For
`example, if a user is trying to watch a movie 112 from a
`television 160, the user may be automatically provided with
`the highest format available (e.g., high-definition) unless the
`user decides to view a lower format version of the media. The
`method ends at OPERATION 335.
`[0045] Referring now to FIG. 4, a process flow of a method
`for accessing purchased/rented media 112 via an On Demand
`(OD) menu is illustrated. Generally, media content 112 may
`be purchased or rented from various sources 145,180, and
`asset ID and entitlement rights and privilege data associated
`with the purchased/rented media is stored in a folder 125 that
`is accessible to various devices 105,115,140,155. When a
`user views media titles of available media 112 through an On
`Demand menu, a determination is made whether any of the
`content available through the On Demand menu is content
`that the user has previously purchased or rented and is stored
`in the user’s “My Contents” folder 125. If there is media
`available that the user has previously purchased or rented, and
`if the rights and privileges allow for accessing it, the media
`content 112 may be provided to the user free of charge.
`[0046] The method starts at OPERATION 405 and pro-
`ceeds to OPERATION 410 where an OD menu is accessed by
`a user. An OD menu may include titles of media 112 that may
`be available to view, purchase, and/or rent.
`[0047] At DECISION OPERATION 415, a determination
`may be made as to whether any of the available media 112
`included in the OD menu matches any titles included in the
`user’s “My Contents” folder 125. If none of the available OD
`media 112 included in the OD menu matches any of the media
`associated with the user’s “My Contents” folder 125, at
`OPERATION 435, the available OD media titles may be
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`US 2011/0314378 Al
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`Dec. 22, 2011
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`5
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`displayed in the OD menu as they would typically be dis-
`played. If there are one or more matches between media 112
`available through the OD menu and media associated with the
`user’s “My Contents” folder 125, at OPERATION 420, the
`matching title(s) of the media content may be displayed to the
`user as being available to view/access for free. For example,
`a user may purchase video A 112 through media provider A
`180, and the asset ID and entitlement data associated with
`video A is stored in the user’s “My Contents” folder 125. The
`user may subscribe to a CATV service 145, and may be
`viewing a Video On Demand menu on his/her television 160
`connected to a STB 155. He/she may see video A listed as a
`movie that is available through his/her CATV services pro-
`vider. Because he/she has already purchased video A through
`another provider 180, and the asset ID and entitlement data
`are stored in his/her “My Contents” folder 125, video A may
`be listed in the VOD menu, and may include information
`letting the user know that video A is available to access
`through the menu and that he/she will not be charged addi-
`tionally for accessing the video if he/she chooses to select it to
`watch.
`[0048] According to another embodiment, if a user has
`rented a piece of media content 112 from a media provider
`145,180 and later decides to purchase the media through the
`same or another media provider associated with a “My Con-
`tents” folder 125 via any one of his/her registered devices
`105,115,140,155 associated with the folder 125, a discounted
`price may be provided to the user.
`[0049] At OPERATION 425, the user selects a previously
`purchased media title 112 from the OD menu. At OPERA-
`TION 430, the user is provided with the media content 112
`according to entitlement rights associated with the media
`content without being charged for the media again. The
`method ends at OPERATION 440.
`[0050] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example
`computing device 500 with which embodiments of the
`present invention may be implemented. In some embodi-
`ments, the “My Contents” folder 125, the user devices 105,
`115.140.15