Patent ID: 9264774
Filing Date: 2016-02-16
CPC Classification: H04N

Claim Text:
1. A method, comprising: receiving, at a first network device, a first set of multiple user-selected content channels selected by a first user for accessing via one or more first mobile devices, wherein the first set of multiple user-selected content channels is different than a second set of content channels subscribed to by the first user for access via a first set-top box connected to a television, and wherein each of the multiple user-selected content channels of the first set involves content deliverable by a different one of multiple content providers, wherein each of the multiple content providers is associated with a different content delivery device of multiple content delivery devices, and wherein the first network device is a different device than the multiple content delivery devices; receiving, at the first network device, a first unique device identifier (UDID) associated with a first mobile device, of the one or more first mobile devices, associated with the first user; storing, by the first network device, the first UDID in a database; storing, in association with the first UDID in the database, first channel subscription data that identifies each of the multiple user-selected content channels of the first set; receiving, at the first network device, the first UDID and a first channel identifier (ID) from a first content application executing at the first mobile device, wherein the first channel ID identifies a first content channel, deliverable by a first content provider of the multiple content providers via a first content delivery device of the multiple content delivery devices, that the first user wants to receive at the first mobile device; accessing, at the first network device, the database with the first UDID and the first channel ID to analyze the first channel subscription data to verify that the first content channel identified by the first channel ID is among the multiple user-selected content channels of the first set selected by the first user for accessing via the one or more first mobile devices; sending, if the first content channel identified by the first channel ID is among the first set of multiple user-selected content channels, a first channel permission and a first timestamp, from the first network device to the first mobile device, such that the first mobile device is able to access content at the first content provider of the multiple content providers corresponding to the first channel ID prior to a first expiration time that is based on the first timestamp; receiving, at the first network device, the first UDID and a second channel identifier (ID) from the first content application executing at the first mobile device, wherein the second channel ID identifies a second content channel, deliverable by a second content provider of the multiple content providers via a second content delivery device of the multiple content delivery devices, that the first user wants to receive at the first mobile device; accessing, at the first network device, the database with the first UDID and the second channel ID to analyze the first channel subscription data to verify that the second content channel identified by the second channel ID is among the multiple user-selected content channels of the first set; and sending, if the second content channel identified by the second channel ID is among the first set of multiple user-selected content channels, a second channel permission and the first timestamp, from the first network device to the first mobile device, such that the first mobile device is able to access content at the second content provider, of the multiple content providers, corresponding to the second channel ID prior to a second expiration time that is based on the first timestamp.