Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program used therewith

• US 20040025058A1
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuriya, Shinobu, Kitaya, Yoshimichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Service data or usage right information, used as purchased content or license information, is set so as to be re-acquired on condition that an acquirer is an authorized content-purchasing client . A leaf ID as a client identifier in an enabling-key-block distribution tree, and a restoring-processing requesting file including verification data for the leaf ID are used as client identifying data, whereby it is ensured that an authorized content-purchasing client is verified.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for controlling, based on a usage right issued from a license server, the decryption and use of encrypted content for the usage right, said information processing apparatus comprising:

means for transmitting, to said license server, a restoring request including client identifying information for identifying one of said information processing apparatus and the user thereof, and verification data for the client identifying information;

means for receiving a response to the restoring request from said license server, the response including usage-right identifying information corresponding to at least one usage right already issued to one of said information processing apparatus and the user thereof;

means for transmitting, to said license server, a usage-right request including the usage-right identifying information; and

means for receiving, from said license server, in response to the usage-right request, the usage right corresponding to the usage-right identifying information.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes content identifying information for identifying the content for the usage right; and

said information processing apparatus further comprises;

means for transmitting, to a content server, a content request based on the content identifying information; and

means for receiving content transmitted from the content server in response to the content request.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the usage right includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies said information processing apparatus or the user thereof, in which the identified apparatus or user can use content for the usage right.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the verification data is obtained by performing hash processing on information including the client identifying information.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

said information processing apparatus further comprises;

means for transmitting, to said license server, a registering request including the transaction ID; and

means for receiving registering information including the encryption key required for decrypting the content, the registering information being transmitted from said license server in response to the registering request; and

the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

6. A license server for issuing, to clients, usage rights to permit the use of content, said license server comprising:

means for storing usage-right identifying information on the issued usage rights in units of the clients;

means for receiving a restoring request including client identifying information for identifying each of the clients and verification data for the client identifying information;

means for, when verification of the verification data confirms that the restoring request is valid, performing acquisition based on the client identifying information of usage-right identifying information on usage rights already issued to the clients, and transmitting the acquired usage-right identifying information as a response to the restoring request;

means for receiving a usage-right request including the usage-right identifying information; and

means for transmitting, in response to the usage-right request, a usage right corresponding to the usage-right identifying information.

7. A license server according to claim 6, wherein each of the usage rights includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies an information processing apparatus or the user thereof capable of using content for the usage right.

8. A license server according to claim 6, wherein the verification data is obtained by performing hash processing on information including the client identifying information.

9. A license server according to claim 6, wherein:

a response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

said license server further comprises;

means for receiving a registering request including the transaction ID; and

means for transmitting, in response to the registering request, registering information including the encryption key required for decrypting the content; and

the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

10. An information processing method for controlling, based on a usage right issued from a license server, the decryption and use of encrypted content for the usage right, said information processing method comprising the steps of:

transmitting, to said license server, a restoring request including client identifying information for identifying one of an information processing apparatus and the user thereof, and verification data for the client identifying information;

receiving a response to the restoring request from said license server, the response including usage-right identifying information corresponding to at least one usage right already issued to one of said information processing apparatus and the user thereof;

transmitting, to said license server, a usage-right request including the usage-right identifying information; and

receiving, from said license server, in response to the usage-right request, the usage right corresponding to the usage-right identifying information.

11. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes content identifying information for identifying the content for the usage right; and

said information processing method further comprises the steps of;

transmitting, to a content server, a content request based on the content identifying information; and

receiving content transmitted from the content server in response to the content request.

12. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein the usage right includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies said information processing apparatus or the user thereof, in which the identified apparatus or user can use content for the usage right.

13. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein the verification data is obtained by performing hash processing on information including the client identifying information.

14. An information processing method according to claim 10, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

said information processing method further comprises the steps of;

transmitting, to said license server, a registering request including the transaction ID; and

receiving registering information including the encryption key required for decrypting the content, the registering information being transmitted from said license server in response to the registering request; and

the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

15. A method for controlling a license server for issuing, to clients, usage rights to permit the use of content, said method comprising the steps of:

storing usage-right identifying information on the issued usage rights in units of the clients;

receiving a restoring request including client identifying information for identifying each of the clients and verification data for the client identifying information;

performing, when verification of the verification data confirms that the restoring request is valid, acquisition based on the client identifying information of usage-right identifying information on usage rights already issued to the clients, and transmission of the acquired usage-right identifying information as a response to the restoring request;

receiving a usage-right request including the usage-right identifying information; and

transmitting, in response to the usage-right request, a usage right corresponding to the usage-right identifying information.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein each of the usage rights includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies an information processing apparatus or the user thereof capable of using content for the usage right.

17. A method according to claim 15, wherein the verification data is obtained by performing hash processing on information including the client identifying information.

18. A method according to claim 15, wherein:

a response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

said method further comprises the steps of;

receiving a registering request including the transaction ID; and

transmitting, in response to the registering request, registering information including the encryption key required for decrypting the content; and

the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

19. A program for causing a computer to control, based on a usage right issued from a license server, the decryption and use of encrypted content for the usage right, said program comprising the steps of:

transmitting, to said license server, a restoring request including client identifying information for identifying one of an information processing apparatus and the user thereof, and verification data for the client identifying information;

receiving a response to the restoring request from said license server, the response including usage-right identifying information corresponding to at least one usage right already issued to one of said information processing apparatus and the user thereof;

transmitting, to said license server, a usage-right request including the usage-right identifying information; and

receiving, from said license server, in response to the usage-right request, the usage right corresponding to the usage-right identifying information.

20. A program according to claim 19, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes content identifying information for identifying the content for the usage right; and

said program further comprises the steps of;

transmitting, to a content server, a content request based on the content identifying information; and

receiving content transmitted from the content server in response to the content request.

21. A program according to claim 19, wherein the usage right includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies said information processing apparatus or the user thereof, in which the identified apparatus or user can use content for the usage right.

22. A program according to claim 19, wherein the verification data is obtained by performing hash processing on information including the client identifying information.

23. A program according to claim 19, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

said program further comprises the steps of;

transmitting, to said license server, a registering request including the transaction ID; and

receiving registering information including the encryption key required for decrypting the content, the registering information being transmitted from said license server in response to the registering request; and

the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

24. A program for controlling a license server for issuing, to clients, usage rights to permit the use of content, said program comprising the steps of:

storing usage-right identifying information on the issued usage rights in units of the clients;

receiving a restoring request including client identifying information for identifying each of the clients and verification data for the client identifying information;

performing, when verification of the verification data confirms that the restoring request is valid, acquisition based on the client identifying information of usage-right identifying information on usage rights already issued to the clients, and transmission of the acquired usage-right identifying information as a response to the restoring request;

receiving a usage-right request including the usage-right identifying information; and

transmitting, in response to the usage-right request, a usage right corresponding to the usage-right identifying information.

25. A program according to claim 24, wherein each of the usage rights includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies an information processing apparatus or the user thereof capable of using content for the usage right.

26. A program according to claim 24, wherein the verification data is obtained by performing hash processing on information including the client identifying information.

27. A program according to claim 24, wherein:

a response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

said program further comprises the steps of;

receiving a registering request including the transaction ID; and

transmitting, in response to the registering request, registering information including the encryption key required for decrypting the content; and

the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.