US-12627644-B2 - Systems and methods for service entitlement authorization

US12627644B2US 12627644 B2US12627644 B2US 12627644B2US-12627644-B2

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for streamlined entitlement authorization. After a new device joins a network, a network device may provide the new device with the option to automatically authenticate the new device for a plurality of services that are available to other devices on the network. A user may choose the option, and the new device may automatically send login requests to the plurality of services, to automatically authenticate the new device.

Inventors

Mumin Ransom
Sunil Verma
Michael Winslow

Assignees

COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20221102

Claims (20)

1 . A method comprising: retrieving, by a computing device, based on a user device newly joining a premises network, and from connected user devices that are already connected to the premises network, login credentials for one or more user profiles for each of a plurality of video streaming services associated with the premises network; sending, to the newly-joining user device, the login credentials for the one or more user profiles for each of the plurality of video streaming services; receiving authentication information indicating successful login to the plurality of video streaming services; and using the authentication information to provide the plurality of video streaming services at the newly-joining user device.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the retrieving is based on account information indicating entitled services retrieved via an entitlement repository.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, receiving, via an interface, a selection of a login credential for use with at least one service of the plurality of video streaming services associated with the premises network.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining that the newly-joining user device is missing one or more applications associated with the plurality of video streaming services; and downloading the one or more missing applications.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device retrieving the login credentials is via a gateway comprising an authorization entitlement repository.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the login credentials comprise a password, and the method further comprises: causing output of an interface that identifies the login credentials by identifying a user name associated with the password.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising: retrieving data indicating failure to authorize at least one of the plurality of video streaming services; outputting, to a user, a message indicating an error in authorizing the at least one of the plurality of video streaming services; and repairing, based on user input, the failed authorization.
8 . A method comprising: retrieving, by a computing device, based on a user device newly joining a premises network, and from connected user devices that are already connected to the premises network, login credentials for one or more user profiles for each of a plurality of video streaming services associated with the premises network; sending, to the user device, the login credentials for the one or more user profiles for each of the plurality of video streaming services; causing, via the computing device, output of a user interface that: identifies the plurality of video streaming services; and identifies the one or more user profiles for each of the plurality of video streaming services, wherein two user profiles are identified for one of the plurality of video streaming services; receiving, via the user interface: selection of one or more of the pluralit of video streaming services; and for the selected one or more of the plurality of video streaming services, selection of the one or more user user profiles; and sequentially sending login requests, via the computing device, to authorize the user device to receive the selected one or more of the plurality of video streaming services.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising receiving, via the user interface, information indicating that the user device is not to be authorized for at least one of the plurality of video streaming services.
10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising causing output of status messages indicating login process as the selected one or more of the plurality of video streaming services are sequentially authorized.
11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising: automatically causing output of the user interface based on the user device initially connecting to a wireless network.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the user interface also indicates that at least one of the plurality of video streaming services is available via a service package.
13 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising updating the user interface to indicate sequential successful logins for the selected one or more of the plurality of video streaming services.
14 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising causing output of a second user interface listing the plurality of video streaming services, and indicating success or failure for logins of the plurality of video streaming services.
15 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising causing output of a second user interface listing the plurality of video streaming services, and indicating success or failure for logins of the plurality of video streaming services, wherein a successful login is indicated with an identification of a user profile used for the successful login.
16 . An apparatus comprising: at least one processor; a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, configure the apparatus to: retrieve, based on a user device newly joining a premises network, and from connected user devices that are already connected to the premises network, login credentials, for one or more user profiles for each of a plurality of video streaming services associates with the premises network; send, to the newly-joining user device, the login credentials for the one or more user profiles for each of the plurality of video streaming services; receive authentication information indicating successful login to the plurality of video streaming services; and use the authentication information to provide the plurality of video streaming services at the newly-joining user device.
17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the apparatus to: receive, via an interface, a selection of the login credentials for use with at least one service of the plurality of video streaming services associated with the premises network.
18 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the login credentials are retrieved via a gateway comprising an authorization entitlement repository.
19 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, further configure the apparatus to: determine that the newly-joining user device is missing one or more applications associated with the plurality of video streaming services; and download the one or more missing applications.
20 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein retrieving the login credentials is via a gateway comprising an authorization entitlement repository.

Description

BACKGROUND New devices (e.g., televisions) support execution of various applications (e.g., for content delivery services such as PEACOCK, NETFLIX, etc.), but when a user adds such a new device to their network, the user may find it inconvenient to initialize those applications (e.g., logging into the applications with the user's credentials to authorize the applications on the new device). SUMMARY The following summary presents a simplified summary of certain features. The summary is not an extensive overview and is not intended to identify key or critical elements. Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for simplified entitlement authorization. An entitlement repository may store user credentials for a variety of services. After a new device joins a network, an authentication aggregator may coordinate with the entitlement repository to automatically guide the new device through a process of authorizing various services for use by the user. Also or alternatively, after a new device joins a network, authentication and entitlement information may begin to be pre-authorized for the new device prior to a user inputting login credentials. A gateway may begin the automatic authorization process after a new device joins its network. A user may be prompted to select one or more applications for authorization associated with services to which the user may be entitled. The authentication aggregator may retrieve user entitlement data from a repository, automatically initiate communication sessions with service providers for the applications, and obtain authorization for the new device to use the applications. Authorizations of entitled services may be performed for multiple services together (e.g., batch-processed). Batch-processing the entitlement authorizations may allow for more efficient configuration of devices, and may provide for a more user-friendly installation of the new device. Some streaming services may have their entitlements linked with other services. For example, the streaming service for HBOMAX may be made available to users who include the HBO service in their channel subscription lineup with their local service provider. The authentication aggregator may use account information for one service (e.g., the channel subscription lineup that includes HBO) to automatically authenticate associated streaming services (e.g., the HBOMAX streaming application). These and other features and advantages are described in greater detail below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Some features are shown by way of example, and not by limitation, in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like numerals reference similar elements. FIG. 1 shows an example communication network. FIG. 2 shows hardware elements of a computing device. FIG. 3 shows an example of an environment for entitlement authorization for devices. FIG. 4 shows an example graphical user interface indicating detected services for automatic authorization. FIG. 5 shows an example graphical user interface for configuring automatic authorization of services. FIG. 6A shows an example of authorization progress messages. FIG. 6B shows another example of authorization progress messages. FIG. 7 shows example results of authorization requests. FIGS. 8A and 8B show example interfaces for user profiles and dashboards, respectively. FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example method for authorizing services for devices joining networks. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing an example workflow for authorizing services. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The accompanying drawings show examples of the disclosure. It is to be understood that the examples shown in the drawings and/or discussed herein are non-exclusive and that there are other examples of how the disclosure may be practiced. FIG. 1 shows an example communication network 100 in which features described herein may be implemented. The communication network 100 may comprise one or more information distribution networks of any type, such as, without limitation, a telephone network, a wireless network (e.g., an LTE network, a 5G network, a WiFi IEEE 802.11 network, a WiMAX network, a satellite network, and/or any other network for wireless communication), an optical fiber network, a coaxial cable network, and/or a hybrid fiber/coax distribution network. The communication network 100 may use a series of interconnected communication links 101 (e.g., coaxial cables, optical fibers, wireless links, etc.) to connect multiple premises 102 (e.g., businesses, homes, consumer dwellings, train stations, airports, etc.) to a local office 103 (e.g., a headend). The local office 103 may send downstream information signals and receive upstream information signals via the communication links 101. Each of the premises 102 may comprise devices, described below, to receive, send, and/or otherwise process those signals and information contained therein. The communication links 101 may originate from the local office 103 and may compr