Abstract:
A remote access management service for enabling remote access to an item of media content stored in a network device from a remote device, said network device including a remote access server application program and account information identifying said remote device, and said remote device including a remote access client application program, the service including: an interface configured to provide network connections to said network device and said remote device; and a remote access management application program to collect information on remote access analysis by monitoring remote access transactions between said remote device and said network device, said remote access management application program operating to receive a remote access request from said remote access client application program including said account information and a content identifier indicating said item of media content.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of a co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/120,809, filed May 2, 2005, entitled “REMOTE ACCESS MANAGEMENT”, which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/667,329, filed Mar. 31, 2005, entitled “REMOTE ACCESS MANAGEMENT”. The disclosures of the above-referenced patent applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     A need exists for providing remote access to data by authorized users. For example, many consumers today have amassed substantial music collections in the compact disk (CD) audio format. The physical aspect of such a large collection however means that consumers wishing to enjoy their collections from any place other than where the collection is located must make a choice as to which CDs to take with them. This means less than the entire collection is remotely available for the consumer&#39;s enjoyment. 
     Electronic security systems have been configured to manage access to data so that only authorized users can remotely access the data. However, there is a need for remote access monitoring and management of authorized users for appropriate remote use of data according to usage rights. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention provides systems, methods, and programs for remote access monitoring that tracks and analyzes remote access use of media stored in a home network. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a remote access management system that enables and monitors remote access to music, movie, and/or program files from server(s)/device(s) storing the content. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  is a flowchart showing a remote access management method that enables and monitors remote access to music, movie, and/or program files (i.e., media) from home network server(s)/device(s). 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention provides systems, methods, and programs for remote access monitoring that tracks and analyzes remote access use of media stored in a home network. Access could also be made to content not stored on the home network, but accessible to the home network, e.g., live TV channels or other streamed content. Based on that analysis, an entity that produced the media (i.e., the media company) can control how the remote access is being used and limit inappropriate remote access. 
     Several illustrative examples of implementations are presented below. These examples are not exhaustive and additional examples and variations are also described later. 
       FIG. 1  shows a remote access management system  100  that enables and monitors remote access to music, movie, and/or program files from server(s)/device(s)  112 ,  114  storing the content. Examples of music files include audio files in uncompressed formats such as wave and audio files in compressed formats such as mp3. Examples of movie file include files in AVI, mpeg, and QuickTime formats. Examples of program files include audio processing programs such as ACID Pro and Sound Forge. Examples of servers include computing devices such as a computer. Examples of devices include network enabled devices such as phone, set-top box, and personal digital assistant (PDA). The music, movie, or program files are collectively referred to as media. In addition, the remote access server may distribute licenses only to portable players where the content has been distributed by alternative means including super distribution or has been delivered by the remote access system previously but the license is no longer available. Super distribution is a process by which consumers help increase the distribution and sales of packaged files by sharing them with other consumers. 
     In the illustrated implementation of  FIG. 1 , the server(s)/device(s)  112 ,  114  storing the media are configured into a home network  110 ; and the media can be remotely accessed from a remote device  130 ,  140 , or  150  in the office, hotel, vacation home, or other sites whose physical locations are different from the home network. The remote access to the home network  110  is then enabled through a wide area network such as the Internet. Remote access to the home network  110  can be enabled through other means such as a cellular network. The home network  110  can be either a wired or wireless network. 
     The remote access management system  100  also includes a remote access management service  120  that tracks and analyzes remote access use of the media stored in the home network  110  by the remote device  130 ,  140 , or  150 . In one example, the remote access management service  120  comprises a network server including a storage and software to analyze, track, and authorize remote access. Based on that analysis, the media company can control how the remote access is being used and limit inappropriate remote access. The remote access is typically enabled by remote access server software residing on each of the server(s)/device(s)  112 ,  114  of the home network  110  and remote access client software residing on the remote device  130 ,  140 , or  150 . 
     In one example, the consumer stores an item of media on a home network device, such as a personal computer (PC)  112 . The personal computer  112  includes a connection to the Internet (e.g., through a router and a broadband modem). The personal computer  112  also includes remote access server software so that an authorized remote device  130 ,  140 , or  150  can access the media stored on the personal computer  112 . Typically, the item of media is stored as an encrypted file and the authorized remote device can decrypt the encrypted file. 
     To initiate the remote access, the consumer generates account information with remote access server software on the personal computer  112 . The account information includes information about the consumer, such as a name, and authentication information, such as a password. The consumer also attaches or associates one or more devices with the account by providing identifying information to the server software (e.g., a MAC address or unique device ID). The consumer then causes the server software to make the media available to authorized remote devices  130 ,  140 , or  150  for this account. 
     Specifically, the server software opens a connection to a remote access management service  120 , which is connected to the Internet. The server software sends information identifying the home network  110  and the available media to the remote access management service  120 . 
     The consumer also has a remote device (e.g., the office device) such as a laptop computer  130  including remote access client software. The consumer takes the laptop computer  130  to a different location from the home network  110  and accesses the Internet using the laptop computer  130 . The consumer uses the remote access client software to request remote access to the home network  110 . The request may also include a content identifier to identify the media to access remotely. To access the home network  110 , the client software establishes a connection between the laptop computer  130  and the remote access management service  120 . 
     Once the connection is made, the management service  120  requests authentication information from the client software on the laptop computer  130 . In response to the request, the client software sends authentication information to the management service  120  identifying the consumer, the laptop computer  130 , and the home network  110  to access. The management service  120  opens a connection with the personal computer  112  in the home network  110  and requests authentication of the consumer by sending the authentication information received from the laptop computer  130  to the server software on the personal computer  112 . 
     In one example, after the server software on the personal computer  112  has authenticated the consumer and the laptop computer  130 , the management service  120  evaluates the current request in light of recent activity for this account. The management service  120  uses a set of rules (e.g., stored as data by the management service  120 ) to determine if the requested access is appropriate or not. 
     In another example, a set of rules is selected based on the content identifier that identifies the media to access. In this example, a different set of rules is selected for each media. 
     The management service  120  analyzes collected data on remote access use and the provided rules to determine whether to authorize the remote access request or not. The management service  120  utilizes statistical analysis to evaluate the remote access transactions and use patterns. The rules are set for the management service  120  by the media company. However, rules for other content and accounts can be set by other companies. 
     Different rules can be applied for different implementations. For example, in a particular implementation, one rule is to prevent simultaneous access by the same account from different remote devices. Another rule is to prevent simultaneous access by the same account from different remote networks. Another rule is to prevent access by the same account from multiple remote networks at a very high frequency (e.g., multiple accesses in a short period of time from multiple remote networks). Different physical locations of the remote device can be estimated from the network address. Another rule is to base access authorization on usage time of day pattern so that, in one example, remote accesses between 10 pm and 1 am are prevented. Another rule could allow the management system to require delays between content (media) acquisition and remote access. For example, a four-hour delay is required after the end of a television program before allowing remote access. Another rule could specify restrictions on remote access to certain geographical areas, e.g., US only, or certain TV broadcast areas. Various other rules can also be applied. 
     The management service  120  performs a statistical analysis of remote access configurations and usages based on the provided rules and determine whether the remote access request is appropriate. In one example, the remote access usages are based on prior and/or current remote access usages. If the management service  120  determines that the request is not appropriate, the management service  120  denies the request for access. If the management service  120  determines that the request is appropriate, the management service  120  grants the request and authorizes the remote access. 
     The client software on the laptop computer  130  receives the authorization and establishes a connection between the laptop computer  130  and the personal computer  112  of the home network  110 . The server software on the personal computer  112  then provides access to the requested media (e.g., by streaming or downloading). 
     In one implementation, the server software confirms with the management service  120  before granting access. In another implementation, the server software can check for license rules of the media to determine whether the remote access should be allowed under the terms of license agreements. 
     In some implementations, access can be indirect. For example, once the client software on the laptop computer  130  receives the authorization, the server software on the personal computer  112  can provide access to media on device  114 . 
     In managing remote access, the remote access management service  120  receives and transmits various data related to the remote access use. In one implementation, the client software in the remote laptop computer  130  and the server software in the personal computer  112  of the home network  110  send logs and/or updates to the management service  120  while the connection is open and active. The management service  120  stores the updates for future use in authorizing remote access. The management service  120  also stores the results of the analysis for future evaluation. 
     In another implementation, the management service  120  does not prevent access but only monitors the remote access logs and/or updates for fraudulent activity. The management service  120  can then report the fraudulent activity to the media company. In other implementations, the management service  120  can report all activities to the media company. 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  show a remote access management method that enables and monitors remote access to music, movie, and/or program files (i.e., media) from home network server(s)/device(s). To initiate the remote access, the consumer generates, at  200 , account information with a remote access server software on a home network device. The account information includes information about the consumer, such as a name, and authentication information, such as a password. The consumer also attaches or associates one or more devices with the account by providing identifying information to the server software. The consumer then makes the media available to authorized remote devices for this account, at  202 . 
     The consumer also has a remote device such as a laptop computer including remote access client software. The consumer takes the laptop computer to a different location from the home network and accesses the Internet using the laptop computer. The consumer uses the remote access client software to request remote access to the home network, at  204 . The request is sent to a remote access management service, at  206 . 
     In response to a request from the management service, the client software on the laptop computer sends authentication information to the management service identifying the consumer, the laptop computer, and the home network to access. A determination is made, at  208 , whether the consumer client has been authenticated. If the consumer client has not been authenticated, an attempt is made, at  210 , to authenticate the client. 
     If it is determined that the consumer client has been authenticated, the remote access management service determines, at  212 , the rules for remote access for this account defined by the media company. The remote access management service performs, at  214 , statistical analysis of remote access configurations and usages based on the defined rules. The stored remote access usage information is periodically updated with new usage information. 
     Based on the analysis, the remote access management service determines, at  216 , whether the remote access request is appropriate. If the management service determines that the request is not appropriate, the management service denies the request for access, at  218 . If the management service determines that the request is appropriate, the management service grants the request and authorizes the remote access, at  220 . The remote access activity is continuously monitored and updated by the management service, at  222 . 
     In the above examples, a consumer has accessed media from a remote location while the media company that provided the media to the consumer maintains control over the remote access through the management service  120 . The consumer has achieved flexibility in use of the purchased media and so is encouraged to purchase and enjoy more media. The media company has achieved security in controlling remote access to inhibit inappropriate use of media and so is encouraged to support remote access. 
     The various implementations of the invention are realized in electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of these technologies. Some implementations include one or more computer programs executed by a programmable processor or computer, such as the server software and the client software mentioned above. In general, each computer includes one or more processors, one or more data-storage components (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory modules and persistent optical and magnetic storage devices, such as hard and floppy disk drives, CD-ROM drives, and magnetic tape drives), one or more input devices (e.g., mice and keyboards), and one or more output devices (e.g., display consoles and printers). 
     The computer programs include executable code that is usually stored in a persistent storage medium and then copied into memory at run-time. The processor executes the code by retrieving program instructions from memory in a prescribed order. When executing the program code, the computer receives data from the input and/or storage devices, performs operations on the data, and then delivers the resulting data to the output and/or storage devices. 
     Various illustrative implementations of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will see that additional implementations are also possible and within the scope of the present invention. For example, while the above description illustrates connecting the home network  110  and/or remote devices  130 ,  140 , or  150  to the remote access management service  120  through a wide area network such as the Internet, the connection between the home network/remote devices and the management service  120  can be configured as direct connection(s). In a further example, the management service  120  can be configured as a server in the home network  110 , or as part of a server or device in the home network (e.g., as software on server  112 ). In another example, although the above description refers to media content being stored in server(s)/device(s) in a “home” network, the term “home” refers to any local area network, whether the network is set up at home or not. 
     Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to only those implementations described above.