Abstract: An approach is presented for performing a transaction via a sponsor account. The transaction manager receives a request to sponsor payment for one or more client accounts by a sponsor account. Further, the transaction manager determines payment information associated with the sponsor account. Then, the transaction manager determines to associate the payment information with the one or more client accounts.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing and distributing legal text information allow content providers to distribute legal text to terminals receiving broadcast content. The legal text may include terms and conditions associated with content that a user may want to purchase or subscribe. Upon receiving a content selection that a user wishes to purchase, a terminal may determine whether the content is associated with legal text information. If so, the legal text may be obtained and rendered for the user. The terminal may further determine whether user consent is required and if so, prompt the user with a consent agreement. Legal text information may be obtained in a variety of manners including from a service provisioning system, from a local cache in the terminal and/or from a file delivery server. Communication of legal text information may further be conducted using messages storing legal text attributes and elements.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing and distributing legal text information allow content providers to distribute legal text to terminals receiving broadcast content. The legal text may include terms and conditions associated with content that a user may want to purchase or subscribe. Upon receiving a content selection that a user wishes to purchase, a terminal may determine whether the content is associated with legal text information. If so, the legal text may be obtained and rendered for the user. The terminal may further determine whether user consent is required and if so, prompt the user with a consent agreement. Legal text information may be obtained in a variety of manners including from a service provisioning system, from a local cache in the terminal and/or from a file delivery server. Communication of legal text information may further be conducted using messages storing legal text attributes and elements.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, apparatuses, and systems for delivering protected multi-media content to a receiving device. Protected multi-media content and key information are inserted in a same time slice burst. A receiving device receives the time slice burst with the content datagrams and the key information and decrypts the content datagrams with the key information. Key datagrams may be associated with a higher priority level than content datagrams. Consequently, a receiving device can process a key datagram in order to extract a key before routing associated content datagrams to a message stack. A key may be encrypted at one or two levels of encryption. Additionally, a new security plug-in software module may be deployed at a receiving device. The new security plug-in software module is configured as an installation package that is encrypted as a protected message and that is decrypted by the receiving device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing and distributing legal text information allow content providers to distribute legal text to terminals receiving broadcast content. The legal text may include terms and conditions associated with content that a user may want to purchase or subscribe. Upon receiving a content selection that a user wishes to purchase, a terminal may determine whether the content is associated with legal text information. If so, the legal text may be obtained and rendered for the user. The terminal may further determine whether user consent is required and if so, prompt the user with a consent agreement. Legal text information may be obtained in a variety of manners including from a service provisioning system, from a local cache in the terminal and/or from a file delivery server. Communication of legal text information may further be conducted using messages storing legal text attributes and elements.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, method and computer program product for providing a user of a terminal with broadcast services. A terminal controller is configured to use data forming the whole of or part of an electronic service guide, and store information concerning the accessibility of services. That information is used to then generate a list of selectable services available to the user. A user interface presents at least part of the list in a selectable manner. Service accessibility display options are included either as a setting in the terminal or as a user input. Subscribed services are presented to the user on a display differently than non-subscribed services. If a non-subscribed service is selected, payment data is retrieved from the terminal and a suitable subscription is purchased without significant user involvement. The purchase of a subscription results in the terminal receiving subscription data, which is then stored for future use.

Abstract: Methods and systems for transmitting electronic service guide (ESG) data to a mobile terminal are described. The method for delivery of ESG data comprises steps of receiving ESG data, encapsulating metadata associated with the ESG data to generate a new ESG object, replacing a current ESG object with the new ESG object, transmitting the new ESG object in a carousel, and transmitting a notification of a change in the carousel. Another method for receiving ESG data comprises steps of receiving a notification of a change in a carousel, receiving a new ESG object in the carousel, replacing a current ESG object with the new ESG object, extracting metadata associated with ESG data from the new ESG object, storing the ESG data and metadata, and updating an ESG on a mobile terminal with the ESG data.

Abstract: An electronic device, including: a storage device operable to store first priority data associated with a first signal, and second priority data associated with a second signal; and a processor operable to compare the first priority data and the second priority data, and when the second priority data is indicative of a higher priority than the first priority data, to use the second signal while suspending use of the first signal.

Abstract: The invention provides a middleware component usable in a mobile terminal device, where the middleware component mediates between an application program and network interfaces and/or hardware to manage the interaction between disparate applications across heterogeneous platforms. The middleware component coordinates scanning for available broadcast, multicast, and/or conditional access platforms, networks, and/or services, as well as obtaining electronic service guide (ESG) data for the available services. The middleware component may use a variety of discovery protocols to identify services, and may use security protocols to manage authorized access to received services. When incorporated into a mobile terminal device, the middleware may interface with multiple radios to establish communications over on or more data networks in addition to receiving data via the broadcast network.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses, methods, and user interfaces for requesting access to a program or service, receiving the requested program or service and displaying the requested program or service at a user terminal. In one example, a request for a period of time for access to the program or service is transmitted from a user terminal via a broadcast network. The period of time may be converted to a key decryption count corresponding to the period of time and key interval, the key interval being a period of time separating adjacent key stream messages in a key stream corresponding to a content data stream for the program or service. The encrypted program or service may be decrypted at the user terminal based on the period of access, key interval, and/or key decryption count.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing and distributing legal text information allow content providers to distribute legal text to terminals receiving broadcast content. The legal text may include terms and conditions associated with content that a user may want to purchase or subscribe. Upon receiving a content selection that a user wishes to purchase, a terminal may determine whether the content is associated with legal text information. If so, the legal text may be obtained and rendered for the user. The terminal may further determine whether user consent is required and if so, prompt the user with a consent agreement. Legal text information may be obtained in a variety of manners including from a service provisioning system, from a local cache in the terminal and/or from a file delivery server. Communication of legal text information may further be conducted using messages storing legal text attributes and elements.

Abstract: A data receiving device (2a) is arranged to run a media guide application through which a user may access a service provided over broadcast network (3). Should reception of the service be interrupted, for example, by an incoming telephone call over telecommunications network (4), the data receiving device (2a) operates in a first resource saving mode where data is received by receiver (11) but neither processed nor output. The received data may be stored for later output or simply discarded. The service can then be resumed, with minimal delay, by restarting processing and outputting of received data, as it is not necessary to reactivate or resynchronise the receiver (11). After operating in said first resource saving mode for a predetermined time period, the receiver (11) may be deactivated in order to further save power. Applications used in receiving, processing and/or outputting the received data, may be closed down following the expiry of one or more further predetermined time periods.

Abstract: Provided are apparatuses, methods, and user interfaces for requesting access to a program or service, receiving the requested program or service and displaying the requested program or service at a user terminal. In one example, a request for a period of time for access to the program or service is transmitted from a user terminal via a broadcast network. The period of time may be converted to a key decryption count corresponding to the period of time and key interval, the key interval being a period of time separating adjacent key stream messages in a key stream corresponding to a content data stream for the program or service. The encrypted program or service may be decrypted at the user terminal based on the period of access, key interval, and/or key decryption count.

Abstract: The invention provides a middleware component usable in a mobile terminal device, where the middleware component mediates between an application program and network interfaces and/or hardware to manage the interaction between disparate applications across heterogeneous platforms. The middleware component coordinates scanning for available broadcast, multicast, and/or conditional access platforms, networks, and/or services, as well as obtaining electronic service guide (ESG) data for the available services. The middleware component may use a variety of discovery protocols to identify services, and may use security protocols to manage authorized access to received services. When incorporated into a mobile terminal device, the middleware may interface with multiple radios to establish communications over on or more data networks in addition to receiving data via the broadcast network.

Abstract: Methods and systems for transmitting electronic service guide (ESG) data to a mobile terminal are described. The method for delivery of ESG data comprises steps of receiving ESG data, encapsulating metadata associated with the ESG data to generate a new ESG object, replacing a current ESG object with the new ESG object, transmitting the new ESG object in a carousel, and transmitting a notification of a change in the carousel. Another method for receiving ESG data comprises steps of receiving a notification of a change in a carousel, receiving a new ESG object in the carousel, replacing a current ESG object with the new ESG object, extracting metadata associated with ESG data from the new ESG object, storing the ESG data and metadata, and updating an ESG on a mobile terminal with the ESG data.

Abstract: The present invention provides methods, apparatuses, and systems for delivering protected multi-media content to a receiving device. Protected multi-media content and key information are inserted in a same time slice burst. A receiving device receives the time slice burst with the content datagrams and the key information and decrypts the content datagrams with the key information. Key datagrams may be associated with a higher priority level than content datagrams. Consequently, a receiving device can process a key datagram in order to extract a key before routing associated content datagrams to a message stack. A key may be encrypted at one or two levels of encryption. Additionally, a new security plug-in software module may be deployed at a receiving device. The new security plug-in software module is configured as an installation package that is encrypted as a protected message and that is decrypted by the receiving device.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program is provided to control user access, by one or more users each having associated therewith a wireless communications device, to content transmitted or receivable across a communications medium. The system, method and computer program perform a detection of a presence of one or more users in at least one region in which the receivable content may be consumed via the one or more users' wireless communications devices by wireless communications, and a determination of access rights to content based on the detected one or more users, the access rights defining a suitability or unsuitability of one or more users to consume content. Access or consumption of receivable content by the one or more detected users may be selectively controlled according to at least one of the determined access rights and access rating of receivable content.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, method and computer program product for providing a user of a terminal with broadcast services. A terminal controller is configured to use data forming the whole of or part of an electronic service guide, and store information concerning the accessibility of services. That information is used to then generate a list of selectable services available to the user. A user interface presents at least part of the list in a selectable manner. Service accessibility display options are included either as a setting in the terminal or as a user input. Subscribed services are presented to the user on a display differently than non-subscribed services. If a non-subscribed service is selected, payment data is retrieved from the terminal and a suitable subscription is purchased without significant user involvement. The purchase of a subscription results in the terminal receiving subscription data, which is then stored for future use.

Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention the Network Operator (NO) manages the available bandwidth of the digital broadcast network in time-dependent manner. The NO announces the available bandwidth to the datacast operator (DCO) via an interface for a certain period of time. The interface is a data connection intermediator between the NO and the DCO. A network of computing systems couples the NO with the DCO. Advantageously, the network of computing systems comprises Internet. The DCO, which makes use of the NO's bandwidth for distributing electronic media to end-users, reserves some bandwidth for a certain period of time in accordance with the need, which the DCO obtains from a Content Provider (CP). The content is broadcast to the end-user in accordance with a schedule which is based on the bandwidth availability. Thus, the content is multicast via the digital broadcast network which is maintained by the network operator (NO).