License management system, license management device, relay device and terminal device

• US 20030140009A1
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lilly Pathway LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsuo, Takashi, Uesaka, Yasushi, Namba, Takaaki, Murakami, Hiroki, Nakahara, Tohru, Miura, Kouji, Higashi, Akio, Nakanishi, Masanori
• Granted Patent: US 7,359,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A management device 10 of a license management system 1 acquires a usage request of a content from an SD card 40 or a printer 50 via a relay device 30, analyzes the acquired usage request, acquires usage environment information of the SD card 40 or the printer 50 from the relay device 30, analyzes the acquired usage environment information, generates license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information, generates instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information, embeds the generated instruction information in the license information, and sends the license information to the relay device 30. The relay device 30 receives the license information in which the instruction information is embedded, and transfers the received license information to the SD card 40 or the printer 50 according to the instruction information which is embedded in the license information with performing certain processing or without performing any processing to the license information.

Claims

1. A license management system that distributes license information which makes it possible to use a content under a certain usage rule from a management device to a terminal device used by a user who requests a use of a content via a communication network and a relay device, the license management system comprising the management device, the relay device and the terminal device,

wherein the management device includes:

a usage request analyzing unit operable to acquire a usage request of a content from the terminal device via the relay device and analyze the acquired usage request;

a usage environment information analyzing unit operable to acquire usage environment information indicating a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device from the relay device and analyze the acquired usage environment information;

a license information generating unit operable to generate license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information;

an instruction information generating unit operable to generate instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information; and

a license information sending unit operable to embed the generated instruction information in the license information and send the license information to the relay device, and

the relay device includes;

a license information receiving unit operable to receive the license information in which the instruction information is embedded; and

a transferring unit operable to transfer the received license information to the terminal device according to the instruction information which is embedded in the license information with performing certain processing or without performing any processing to the license information.

2. The license management system according to claim 1,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a usage environment information holding unit operable to hold the usage environment information of the terminal device in advance; and

a notifying unit operable to notify the management device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit.

3. The license management system according to claim 2,

wherein the usage environment information holding unit further holds usage environment information of the relay device itself in advance,

the notifying unit notifies the management device of the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit,

the usage environment information analyzing unit analyzes the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device,

the instruction information generating unit compares the usage environment of the relay device with the usage environment of the terminal device based on the usage environment information, and generates first instruction information for having the relay device pass through license information when a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device is higher than the usage rule processing capability of the relay device as a result of the comparison, and

the transferring unit transfers the license information to the terminal device according to the first instruction information which is embedded in the license information without performing any processing.

4. The license management system according to claim 3,

wherein the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device includes versions of these devices, and

the instruction information generating unit compares the version of the relay device with the version of the terminal device, and generates the first instruction information when the version of the terminal device is newer than the version of the relay device as a result of the comparison.

5. The license management system according to claim 3,

wherein the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device includes content usage types which are to be handled in these devices and numbers of usage times for these types, and

the instruction information generating unit compares the content usage type and the number of usage times for the type of the relay device with the content usage type and the number of usage times for the type of the terminal device, and generates the first instruction information when the relay device does not support the content usage type of the terminal device or when the number of usage times of the terminal device is more than the number of usage times which the relay device supports as a result of the comparison.

6. The license management system according to claim 2,

wherein the license information generating unit generates license information that is a bulk of a plurality of usage rules with same contents and different usage manners when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown,

the instruction information generating unit generates second instruction information for having the relay device select one usage rule among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown, and

the transferring unit selects one usage rule among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules according to the second instruction information which is embedded in the license information, and transfers the license information in which the selected usage rule is embedded to the terminal device.

7. The license management system according to claim 1,

wherein the terminal device includes:

a usage environment information holding unit operable to hold the usage environment information of the terminal device itself in advance; and

a notifying unit operable to notify the relay device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit, and

the relay device further includes;

a usage environment information holding unit operable to hold the usage environment information which is notified by the terminal device; and

a notifying unit operable to notify the management device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit.

8. The license management system according to claim 7,

wherein the usage environment information holding unit further holds the usage environment information of the relay device itself in advance,

the notifying unit notifies the management device of the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit,

the usage environment information analyzing unit analyzes the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device,

the instruction information generating unit compares the usage environment of the relay device with the usage environment of the terminal device based on the usage environment information, and generates first instruction information for having the relay device pass through license information when the usage rule processing capability of the terminal device is higher than the usage rule processing capability of the relay device as a result of the comparison, and

the transferring unit transfers the license information to the terminal device according to the first instruction information which is embedded in the license information without performing any processing.

9. The license management system according to claim 8,

wherein the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device includes versions of these devices, and

the instruction information generating unit compares the version of the relay device with the version of the terminal device, and generates the first instruction information when the version of the terminal device is newer than the version of the relay device as a result of the comparison.

10. The license management system according to claim 8,

wherein the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device includes content usage types which are to be handled in these devices and numbers of usage times for these types, and

the instruction information generating unit compares the content usage type and the number of usage times for the type of the relay device with the content usage type and the number of usage times for the type of the terminal device, and generates the first instruction information when the relay device does not support the content usage type of the terminal device or when the number of usage times of the terminal device is more than the number of usage times which the relay device supports as a result of the comparison.

11. The license management system according to claim 7,

wherein the license information generating unit generates license information that is a bulk of a plurality of usage rules with same contents when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown,

the instruction information generating unit generates second instruction information for having the relay device select one usage rule among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown, and

the transferring unit selects one usage rule among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules according to the second instruction information which is embedded in the license information, and transfers the license information in which the selected usage rule is embedded to the terminal device.

12. The license management system according to claim 1,

wherein the management device further includes an encrypting unit operable to encrypt at least a part of the license information, and

the terminal device further includes a decrypting unit operable to decrypt an encrypted part of the license information.

13. The license management system according to claim 12 wherein the encrypting unit embeds the license information in a content as digital watermark data.

14. The license management system according to claim 12,

wherein the relay device further includes:

a decrypting unit operable to decrypt an encrypted part of the received license information;

a judging unit operable to judge whether or not the usage rule of the decrypted license information includes free information indicating no usage restraint;

an encrypting unit operable to re-encrypt a part of the usage rule when the judging unit judges that free information is included; and

a storing unit operable to store license information including the usage rule which is encrypted by the encrypting unit.

15. The license management system according to claim 1, wherein the license information is binary data.

16. The license management system according to claim 1, wherein the license information is data which is described in markup language.

17. A license management device that distributes license information which makes it possible to use a content under a certain usage rule to a terminal device used by a user who requests a use of a content via a communication network and a relay device, the license management device comprising:

a usage request analyzing unit operable to acquire a usage request of a content from the terminal device via the relay device and analyze the acquired usage request;

a usage environment information analyzing unit operable to acquire usage environment information indicating a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device from the relay device and analyze the acquired usage environment information;

a license information generating unit operable to generate license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information;

an instruction information generating unit operable to generate instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information; and

a license information sending unit operable to embed the generated instruction information in the license information and send the license information to the relay device,

wherein the relay device transfers the sent license information to the terminal device according to the instruction information which is embedded in the license information with performing certain processing or without performing any processing to the license information.

18. The license management device according to claim 17,

wherein the relay device sends usage environment information of the relay device itself to the license management device in addition to the usage environment information of the terminal device,

the usage environment information analyzing unit analyzes the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device,

the instruction information generating unit compares the usage environment of the relay device with the usage environment of the terminal device based on the usage environment information, and generates first instruction information for having the relay device pass through license information when a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device is higher than the usage rule processing capability of the relay device as a result of the comparison, and

the relay device transfers the license information to the terminal device according to the first instruction information which is embedded in the license information without performing any processing.

19. The license management device according to claim 18,

wherein the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device includes versions of these devices, and

the instruction information generating unit compares the version of the relay device with the version of the terminal device, and generates the first instruction information when the version of the terminal device is newer than the version of the relay device as a result of the comparison.

20. The license management device according to claim 19,

wherein the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device includes content usage types which are to be handled in these devices and numbers of usage times for these types, and

the instruction information generating unit compares the content usage type and the number of usage times for the type of the relay device with the content usage type and the number of usage times for the type of the terminal device, and generates the first instruction information when the relay device does not support the content usage type of the terminal device or when the number of usage times of the terminal device is more than the number of usage times which the relay device supports as a result of the comparison.

21. The license management device according to claim 17,

wherein the license information generating unit generates license information that is a bulk of a plurality of usage rules with same contents and different usage manners when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown,

the instruction information generating unit generates second instruction information for having the relay device select one usage rule among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown, and

the relay device selects one usage rule among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules according to the second instruction information which is embedded in the license information, and transfers the license information in which the selected usage rule is embedded to the terminal device.

22. A relay device that is connected via a communication network between a terminal device which uses a content and a management device which issues license information which makes it possible to use a content under a certain usage rule, the relay device comprising:

a usage request relaying unit operable to receive a usage request of a content from the terminal device and send the usage request to the management device;

a license information receiving unit operable to receive license information in which instruction information is embedded; and

a transferring unit operable to transfer the received license information to the terminal device according to the instruction information which is embedded in the license information with performing certain processing or without performing any processing to the license information,

wherein the management device includes;

a usage request analyzing unit operable to acquire the usage request via the relay device and analyze the acquired usage request;

a usage environment information analyzing unit operable to acquire usage environment information indicating a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device from the relay device and analyze the acquired usage environment information;

a license information generating unit operable to generate license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information;

an instruction information generating unit operable to generate instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information; and

a license information sending unit operable to embed the generated instruction information in the license information and send the license information to the relay device.

23. The relay device according to claim 22 further comprising:

a usage environment information holding unit operable to hold the usage environment information of the terminal device in advance; and

a notifying unit operable to notify the management device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit.

24. The relay device according to claim 23,

wherein the usage environment information holding unit further holds usage environment information of the relay device itself in advance,

the notifying unit notifies the management device of the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit,

the usage environment information analyzing unit analyzes the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device,

the instruction information generating unit compares the usage environment of the relay device with the usage environment of the terminal device based on the usage environment information, and generates first instruction information for having the relay device pass through license information when a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device is higher than the usage rule processing capability of the relay device as a result of the comparison, and

the transferring unit transfers the license information to the terminal device according to the first instruction information which is embedded in the license information without performing any processing.

25. The relay device according to claim 23,

wherein the license information generating unit generates license information that is a bulk of a plurality of usage rules with same contents and different usage manners when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown,

the instruction information generating unit generates second instruction information for having the relay device select one usage rule among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown, and

the transferring unit selects one usage rule among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules according to the second instruction information which is embedded in the license information, and transfers the license information in which the selected usage rule is embedded to the terminal device.

26. The relay device according to claim 22,

wherein the terminal device includes:

a usage environment information holding unit operable to hold the usage environment information of the terminal device itself in advance; and

a notifying unit operable to notify the relay device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit, and

the relay device further includes;

a usage environment information holding unit operable to hold the usage environment information which is notified by the terminal device; and

a notifying unit operable to notify the management device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit.

27. A terminal device in a license management system that distributes license information which makes it possible to use a content under a certain usage rule from a management device to a terminal device used by a user who requests a use of a content via a communication network and a relay device, the terminal device comprising:

a usage environment information holding unit operable to hold usage environment information of the terminal device itself in advance; and

a notifying unit operable to notify the relay device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit,

wherein the management device includes;

a usage request analyzing unit operable to acquire a usage request of a content from the terminal device via the relay device and analyze the acquired usage request;

a usage environment information analyzing unit operable to acquire usage environment information indicating a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device from the relay device and analyze the acquired usage environment information;

a license information generating unit operable to generate license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information;

an instruction information generating unit operable to generate instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information; and

a license information sending unit operable to embed the generated instruction information in the license information and send the license information to the relay device, and

the relay device includes;

a license information receiving unit operable to receive the license information in which the instruction information is embedded; and

a transferring unit operable to transfer the received license information to the terminal device according to the instruction information which is embedded in the license information with performing certain processing or without performing any processing to the license information.

28. A license management method in a system that distributes license information which makes it possible to use a content under a certain usage rule from a management device to a terminal device used by a user who requests a use of a content via a communication network and a relay device, the license management method comprising:

a step (A) which is executed by the management device; and

a step (B) which is executed by the relay device,

wherein the step (A) includes;

a usage request analyzing step for acquiring a usage request of a content from the terminal device via the relay device and analyzing the acquired usage request;

a usage environment information analyzing step for acquiring usage environment information indicating a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device from the relay device and analyzing the acquired usage environment information;

a license information generating step for generating license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information;

an instruction information generating step for generating instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information; and

a license information sending step for embedding the generated instruction information in the license information and sending the license information to the relay device, and

the step (B) includes;

a license information receiving step for receiving the license information in which the instruction information is embedded; and

a transferring step for transferring the received license information to the terminal device according to the instruction information which is embedded in the license information with performing certain processing or without performing any processing to the license information.

29. The license management method according to claim 28,

wherein the step (B) further includes:

a holding step for holding the usage environment information of the terminal device in a usage environment information holding unit in advance; and

a notifying step for notifying the managing device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit.

30. The license management method according to claim 29,

wherein in the holding step, the usage environment information of the relay device itself is further held in advance,

in the notifying step, the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit is notified to the management device,

in the usage environment information analyzing step, the usage environment information of the relay device and the terminal device is analyzed,

in the instruction information generating step, the usage environment of the relay device is compared with the usage environment of the terminal device based on the usage environment information, and first instruction information for having the relay device pass through license information is generated when the usage rule processing capability of the terminal device is higher than the usage rule processing capability of the relay device as a result of the comparison, and

in the transferring step, the license information is transferred to the terminal device according to the first instruction information which is embedded in the license information without performing any processing.

31. The license management method according to claim 29,

wherein in the license information generating step, license information that is a bulk of a plurality of usage rules with same contents and different usage manners is generated when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown,

in the instruction information generating step, second instruction information for having the relay device select one usage rule among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules is generated when the usage environment information of the terminal device is unknown, and

in the transferring step, one usage rule is selected among the bulk of the plurality of usage rules according to the second instruction information which is embedded in the license information, and the license information in which the selected usage rule is embedded is transferred to the terminal device.

32. The license management method according to claim 28 further comprising a step (C) which is executed by the terminal device,

wherein the step (C) includes:

a holding step for holding the usage environment information of the terminal device itself in a usage environment information holding unit; and

a notifying step for notifying the relay device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit, and

the step (B) further includes;

a holding step for holding the usage environment information which is notified by the terminal device in the usage environment information holding unit; and

a notifying step for notifying the management device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit.

33. A program for a license management device that distributes license information which makes it possible to use a content under a certain usage rule to a terminal device used by a user who requests a use of a content via a communication network and a relay device,

the program causing a computer to function as:

a usage request analyzing unit operable to acquire a usage request of a content from the terminal device via the relay device and analyze the acquired usage request;

a usage environment information analyzing unit operable to acquire usage environment information indicating a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device from the relay device and analyze the acquired usage environment information;

a license information generating unit operable to generate license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information;

an instruction information generating unit operable to generate instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information; and

a license information sending unit operable to embed the generated instruction information in the license information and send the license information to the relay device,

wherein the relay device transfers the sent license information to the terminal device according to the instruction information which is embedded in the license information with performing certain processing or without performing any processing to the license information.

34. A program for a relay device which is connected via a communication network between a terminal device which uses a content and a management device which issues license information which makes it possible to use a content under a certain usage rule,

the program causing a computer to function as:

a usage request relaying unit operable to receive a usage request of a content from the terminal device and send the usage request to the management device;

a license information receiving unit operable to receive license information in which instruction information is embedded; and

a transferring unit operable to transfer the received license information according to the instruction information which is embedded in the license information with performing certain processing or without performing any processing to the license information,

wherein the management device includes;

a usage request analyzing unit operable to acquire the usage request via the relay device and analyze the acquired usage request;

a usage environment information analyzing unit operable to acquire usage environment information indicating a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device from the relay device and analyze the acquired usage environment information;

a license information generating unit operable to generate license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information;

an instruction information generating unit operable to generate instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information; and

a license information sending unit operable to embed the generated instruction information in the license information and send the license information to the relay device.

35. A program for a terminal device in a license management system that distributes license information which makes it possible to use a content under a certain usage rule from a management device to a terminal device used by a user who requests a use of a content via a communication network and a relay device,

the program causing a computer to function as:

a usage environment information holding unit operable to hold usage environment information of the terminal device itself in advance; and

a notifying unit operable to notify the relay device of the usage environment information of the terminal device which is read out from the usage environment information holding unit,

wherein the management device includes;

a usage request analyzing unit operable to acquire a usage rule of a content from the terminal device via the relay device and analyze the acquired usage request;

a usage environment information analyzing unit operable to acquire usage environment information indicating a usage rule processing capability of the terminal device from the relay device and analyze the acquired usage environment information;

a license information generating unit operable to generate license information including a usage rule corresponding to the analysis results of the usage request and the usage environment information;

an instruction information generating unit operable to generate instruction information indicating how to handle the license information in the relay device based on the analysis result of the usage environment information; and

a license information sending unit operable to embed the generated instruction information in the license information and send the license information to the relay device, and

the relay device includes;

a license information receiving unit operable to receive the license information in which the instruction information is embedded; and

a transferring unit operable to transfer the received license information to the terminal device according to the instruction information which is embedded in the license information with performing certain processing or without performing any processing to the license information.