Method and apparatus for mobile communication based ordering of on-demand digital content

摘要

A computer implemented method and apparatus for mobile communication based ordering of on-demand digital content (such as video content in a network-based pay TV service). In some embodiments the mobile communication is via an SMS cell phone text and payment of the ordered content is by billing a financial account associated with the owner of the cell phone. The method generates for display to the user, upon selection of digital content desired to be ordered by the user and accessed by a specific network-enabled device associated with the user, a unique video activation request number (VARN), the VARN comprising a first component which uniquely identifies a specific one or more Internet-enabled devices and a second component that uniquely identifies the ordered digital content. Access by the Internet-enabled device to the ordered digital content is authorized only after receipt from a message-based mobile communication device of a communication message which includes the VARN is associated with the owner of the cell phone.

主权项

1. A computer implemented message-based mobile communication ordering and billing method for user ordering of video content for display on a specific network-enabled device, comprising:
providing information to a user relating to video content available to be ordered from a service provider for access by a network-enabled device; receiving a selection of video content desired to be ordered by the user and accessed by a specific network-enabled device that does not have a customer account with the service provider for the selection of video content; generating a unique video activation request number (VARN) comprising a first component which uniquely identifies the specific network-enabled device and a second component that uniquely identifies the video content desired to be ordered from the service provider and transmitting the VARN to the user; receiving a communication message transmitted from a mobile device of the user, the communication message comprising at least the VARN; processing the received communication message by decrypting the VARN to identify the mobile device that sent the communication message and the selection of video content; determining a financial account to which ownership costs associated with operation of the mobile device are billed; and authorizing access by the specific network-enabled device to the selection of video content when charging the financial account is complete, to which ownership costs of the message-based mobile communication device are billed, wherein the access is authorized by the service provider, wherein the specific network-enabled device and the mobile device are not the same device.