Information processing apparatus

• US 20030185399A1
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishiguro, Ryuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,336,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/281
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00166 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00181 using a content identifier, e.g. an international standard recording code [ISRC] or a digital object identifier [DOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00507 wherein consecutive physical data units of the record carrier are encrypted with separate encryption keys, e.g. the key changes on a cluster or sector basis
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00731 involving a digital rights management system for enforcing a usage restriction
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0836 using tree structure or hierarchical structure
• 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 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• 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

Abstract

Upon receipt of a service data request from a client, a license server offering a key to decrypt a content transmits a user information request to the client. On receiving the user information request, the client displays a message prompting its user to enter such user information as the user'"'"'s personal information and accounting information. The user information thus entered is sent from the client to the license server. On receiving the user information, the license server assigns a leaf of a key-managed hierarchical tree structure to the client, generates a set of node keys as a device node key, sends to the client the device node key together with a leaf ID and a private key of the client in question, and records the user information in correspondence with the leaf ID.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for providing a second information processing apparatus with a key to decrypt an encrypted content when said information processing apparatus is accessed by said second information processing apparatus, said information processing apparatus comprising:

receiving means for receiving a key request from said second information processing apparatus;

generating means for generating a device node key by assigning said second information processing apparatus to a leaf of a key-managed hierarchical tree structure; and

transmitting means for transmitting to said second information processing apparatus said device node key generated by said generating means.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting means further transmits leaf identification information for identifying said leaf assigned to said second information processing apparatus.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said transmitting means further transmits a private key assigned to said second information processing apparatus.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said receiving means further receives user information about a user of said second information processing apparatus.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising recording means for recording user information received by said receiving means, in correspondence with leaf identification information for identifying said leaf assigned to said second information processing apparatus.

6. An information processing method for use with an information processing apparatus for providing a second information processing apparatus with a key to decrypt an encrypted content when said information processing apparatus is accessed by said second information processing apparatus, said information processing method comprising the steps of:

receiving a key request from said second information processing apparatus;

generating a device node key by assigning said second information processing apparatus to a leaf of a key-managed hierarchical tree structure; and

transmitting to said second information processing apparatus said device node key generated in said generating step.

7. A storage medium which stores a computer-readable program for use with an information processing apparatus for providing a second information processing apparatus with a key to decrypt an encrypted content when said information processing apparatus is accessed by said second information processing apparatus, the program comprising the steps of:

receiving a key request from said second information processing apparatus;

generating a device node key by assigning said second information processing apparatus to a leaf of a key-managed hierarchical tree structure; and

transmitting to said second information processing apparatus said device node key generated in said generating step.

8. A program executable by a computer for controlling an information processing apparatus for providing a second information processing apparatus with a key to decrypt an encrypted content when said information processing apparatus is accessed by said second information processing apparatus, said program causing said computer to carry out the steps of:

receiving a key request from said second information processing apparatus;

generating a device node key by assigning said second information processing apparatus to a leaf of a key-managed hierarchical tree structure; and

transmitting to said second information processing apparatus said device node key generated in said generating step.