Privaris Patents: U.S. 8,327,152

Among the patents assigned from Privaris to Apple is U.S. 8,327,152, assigned on Oct. 14, 2014. The patent is entitled "System and methods for assignation and use of media content subscription service privileges."

The gist of this patent is that one can use biometrics to authenticate users and allow sharing of digital media based on this authentication. Among other things, this allows sharing of media among authorized users, from one device to another.

For example, here is claim 13:

13. A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code representing instructions to cause a processor to perform a process, the code comprising code to:

authenticate, at a first personal identification device, a biometric input of a first user based on a biometric template of the first user stored at the first personal identification device, the first personal identification device storing a first certificate having a plurality of subscription privileges associated with the first user;

generate, at the first personal identification device, a second certificate associated with a second user based on the first certificate, the second certificate having at least one subscription privilege from the plurality of subscription privileges associated with the first user; and

send the first certificate and the second certificate from the first personal identification device to a second personal identification device associated with the second user such that the second user is permitted to access media associated with the at least one subscription privilege of the second certificate from a media provider based on the first certificate and the second certificate.

The first limitation after the preamble discusses authenticating, using biometrics, a first user. Presumably this would including something like using Touch ID to log into an iPhone.

The next limitation, discusses creating a certificate for a second user based on information relating to the first user. Conceivably this could include creating a certificate based on Family Sharing, for example. So if a parent uses Touch ID, the parent can generate permissions for a child to receive and use digital media (such as a song from Apple Music, one would imagine).

The final limitation involves sending the information about the authorized user (e.g. the parent) and the second user (e.g. the child) to another device (e.g. a child's iPad) and allowing that other user (the child) to use the media (i.e. play the song).

One could also imagine allowing sharing of media with friends (presumably some sort of time-limited loan) and various other situations.

 

 

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