Secure file downloading

• US 20020107802A1
• Filed: 12/06/2000
• Published: 08/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lydstrom, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Lydstrom, Inc.
• Inventors: Philips, Ashwin
• Application Number:
  US09/732,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20020107802A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An audio/video track is downloaded over an electronic network. Initially, a request for an audio/video track is received from a device connected to an electronic network. An identification code corresponding to the device which distinguishes the device from other devices on the network is obtained, and the audio/video track is encrypted using an encryption key that is based on the identification code corresponding to the device, so as to obtain an encrypted audio/video track. The encrypted audio/video track is then transferred to the device over the electronic network. At the receiving end, an apparatus is provided for downloading an audio/video track over a network, the apparatus including means for connecting to a network and means for storing an identification code that distinguishes the apparatus from other apparatuses connected to the network. An audio/video track is requested over the network and then the audio/video track is received in an encrypted format. The received audio/video track is decrypted using a decryption key that is based on the identification code.

Claims

1. A method for downloading an audio/video track over an electronic network, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a request for an audio/video track from a device connected to an electronic network;

(b) obtaining an identification code corresponding to the device which distinguishes the device from other devices on the network;

(c) encrypting the audio/video track using an encryption key that is based on the identification code corresponding to the device, so as to obtain an encrypted audio/video track; and

(d) transmitting the encrypted audio/video track to the device over the electronic network.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identification code uniquely identifies the device.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the identification code is obtained from the device over the network.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the encryption key is retrieved from a database by indexing into the database using the identification code.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the encryption key is the identification code.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the request from the device is to purchase a copy of the audio/video track.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the audio/video track comprises at least one of music and video.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

encrypting the audio/video track prior to the encrypting in step (c); and

encrypting the encrypted audio/video track prior to transmission in step (d).

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the electronic network comprises an Internet.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said method is for execution by a first entity, and wherein the first entity is at least affiliated with a second entity that provides the device.

11. An apparatus for downloading an audio/video track over a network, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for connecting to a network;

(b) means for storing an identification code that distinguishes said apparatus from other apparatuses connected to the network;

(c) means for requesting an audio/video track over the network;

(d) means for receiving the audio/video track in an encrypted format; and

(e) means for decrypting the received audio/video track using a decryption key that is based on the identification code.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for storing the received audio/video track in the encrypted format, and wherein said means (e) decrypts the stored audio/video track each time playback of the audio/video track is desired.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said identification code is stored in a read-only memory.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the network comprises an Internet.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for decrypting the received audio/video track using a second decryption key that is different than the decryption key.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for transferring the received audio/video track to a device outside of said apparatus.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising means for identifying when the device outside of said apparatus is disabled from playing the received audio/video track.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising means for making the received audio/video track unavailable for playback by said apparatus during a time period starting when the received audio/video track has been transferred to the device and ending when the device is disabled from playing the received audio/video track.

19. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising means for connecting said apparatus to a home stereo system.

20. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said apparatus is enclosed within a single box.

21. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising storage means for storing the audio/video track in the encrypted format.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising playback means for retrieving the audio/video track from the storage means and playing the audio/video track.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said means (e) decrypts the audio/video track on-the-fly as the audio/video track is played by said playback means.

24. An apparatus for downloading files over an electronic network, said apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a request for a file from a device connected to an electronic network;

(b) means for obtaining an identification code corresponding to the device which distinguishes the device from other devices on the network;

(c) means for encrypting the file using an encryption key that is based on the identification code corresponding to the device, so as to obtain an encrypted file; and

(d) means for transmitting the encrypted file to the device over the electronic network.