Real-time delivery of license for previously stored encrypted content

• US 20040139027A1
• Filed: 01/13/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Molaro, Donald Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,820 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• 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 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• 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

Content is stored as ClearText by a content provider within a trusted area. Specific content is requested by an end user, preferably via a service provider, and the requested content is encrypted and then delivered over a secure communications channel to a home server system. While the encrypted content is stored on the home server system, the associated encryption keys are stored as a license with the content provider. When a playback device on the home server system is instructed to play back the encrypted content, the encrypted content is streamed from local storage within the home server system while the associated encrypted keys are simultaneously streamed from the content provider to the playback device.

Claims

1. A method of securely providing content from a content source to a local device, the method comprising:

a. downloading and storing encrypted content from the content source to a local storage;

b. storing one or more encryption keys corresponding to the encrypted content at the content source; and

c. utilizing the encrypted content by streaming the encrypted content from the local storage to a processing circuit within the local device while the one or more encryption keys are simultaneously streamed from the content source to the processing circuit.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more encryption keys are streamed from the content source to the processing circuit over a secure connection.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein utilizing the encrypted content comprising playing the content on an audio or display device.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the processing circuit decrypts the encrypted content using the one or more encryption keys.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the encrypted content is not downloaded from the content source to the local storage in real-time.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the content comprises audio, video, or image data.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the one or more encryption keys are stored at the content source as encrypted encryption keys.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising utilizing a secure clock to synchronize streaming of the encrypted content and the one or more encryption keys.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the secure clock ensures the enforcement of time-based rules associated with the one or more encryption keys.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the secure clock is located at the content source.

11. A network of devices to securely process content the network of devices comprising:

a. a remote content source;

b. a local storage coupled to the remote content source to store encrypted content received from the remote content source; and

c. a local device coupled to the local storage to receive the encrypted content streamed from the local storage while one or more encryption keys are simultaneous streamed from the content source to the local device, wherein the local device decrypts the encrypted content according to the one or more encryption keys.

12. The network of devices according to claim 11 wherein the local storage resides within a home server.

13. The network of devices according to claim 12 wherein the local device comprises the home server.

14. The network of devices according to claim 12 wherein the local device comprises a set-top box coupled to the home server.

15. The network of devices according to claim 12 wherein the local device comprises a television coupled to the home server.

16. The network of devices according to claim 11 further comprising an audio or display device coupled to the local device, wherein the local device sends the decrypted content to the audio or display device for playback.

17. The network of devices according to claim 11 wherein the content source includes a secure clock and the local device utilizes the secure clock to synchronize the decryption of the encrypted content according to the one or more encryption keys.

18. The network of devices according to claim 11 wherein the local device and the local storage are coupled via a home network.

19. The network of devices according to claim 18 wherein the home network and the content server are coupled to the internet.

20. The network of devices according to claim 19 wherein the home network is coupled to the internet via a broadband connection.

21. The network of devices according to claim 18 wherein the home network comprises an ethernet network.

22. The network of devices according to claim 18 wherein the home network comprises a wireless network.

23. The network of devices according to claim 11 wherein the one or more encryption keys are stored at the content source as encrypted encryption keys.

24. The network of devices according to claim 11 wherein the content comprises audio, video, or image data.

25. A device to securely process content, the device comprising:

a. an input/output interface to receive a stream of encrypted content from a local storage and to receive a stream of one or more encryption keys from a content source; and

b. a processing circuit coupled to the input/output interface to receive the stream of encrypted content and the stream of one or more encryption keys, and to decrypt the encrypted content according to the one or more encryption keys.

26. The device according to claim 25 wherein the device comprises a home server.

27. The device according to claim 25 wherein the device comprises a set-top box.

28. The device according to claim 25 wherein the device comprises a television.

29. The device according to claim 25 wherein the local storage resides within the device.

30. The device according to claim 25 wherein the device is coupled to an audio or display device, and the processing circuit sends the decrypted content to the audio or display device via the interface for playback.

31. The device according to claim 25 wherein a secure clock is utilized to synchronize the decryption of the encrypted content according to the one or more encryption keys.

32. The device according to claim 31 wherein the secure clock is located on the content source.

33. The device according to claim 25 wherein the device resides within a home network.

34. The device according to claim 25 wherein the device is coupled to the content source via the internet.

35. The device according to claim 25 wherein the content comprises audio, video, or image data.