Patent ID: 8671274

Claim:
In a system including a media device that receives content or services from one or more media content providers, a method performed by a service center for providing authentication information to the media device so that the media device may receive the content or services from the one or more media content without first communicating with the one or more media content providers, the method comprising: receiving, at a service center, a request from a media device, the request requesting access to media content or services provided by a selected media content provider, the selected media content provider being a separate entity from the service center, the request from the media device being sent from the media device to the service center before the media device has communicated any request to the selected media content provider; determining, by the service center, authentication information that is required by the selected media content provider in order for the media device to receive media content from the selected media content provider; generating an authentication token that includes authentication information for allowing the media device to authenticate to the selected media content provider without having communicated previously any request to the selected media content provider; and providing the authentication token to the media device, wherein the authentication token is configured to allow the media device to authenticate directly to the selected media content provider, without having previously communicated any request to the selected media content provider and without further communication with the service center and by sending the authentication token to the selected media content provider, to authenticate the media device to receive media content or services directly from the selected media content provider.