Prevention of unauthorized software distribution

• US 20040187011A1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lee, Long K., Thai, Hung D., Mitchell, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US10/391,108
• Publication Number:
  US 20040187011A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• 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 21/125 by manipulating the program code, e.g. source code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/033 Test or assess software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity

Abstract

Royalty and other fee collection for software upgrades and updates is facilitated by generating a software package that is unique to the system on which it is to be installed. As a result, when a consumer purchases a software upgrade, the upgrade can only be used on one particular system. In one implementation, distribution of upgrades and updates for a vehicle audio system is controlled by encrypting the vehicle identification number (VIN) of a vehicle into the software package used for the upgrade or update. The software package can only be used to upgrade software residing on the vehicle corresponding to the VIN. As a result, unauthorized distribution of the software package is prevented.

Claims

1. A method to generate a medium to configure a processor-controlled system operating in an operating environment, the method comprising:

receiving a set of instructions to configure the processor-controlled system; and

encrypting the set of instructions as a function of an identification code unique to the operating environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating environment comprises a vehicle and the identification code comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor-controlled system comprises an audio system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the identification code.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising using the Internet to receive the identification code.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the encrypted set of instructions using the Internet.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the encrypted set of instructions using a data storage medium.

8. A method to configure a processor-controlled system operating in an operating environment, the method comprising:

receiving an encrypted set of instructions;

decrypting the encrypted set of instructions to generate a validation code;

comparing the validation code with a identification code unique to the operating environment; and

configuring the processor-controlled system as a function of the decrypted set of instructions only if the validation code matches the identification code.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the operating environment comprises a vehicle and at least one of the validation and identification codes comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the processor-controlled system comprises an audio system.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring the audio system to recognize a compressed audio format.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the identification code from the processor-controlled system.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the identification code from another system operating in the operating environment.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the encrypted set of instructions using at least one of a data storage medium and a wireless signal.

15. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions for:

receiving a set of instructions to configure a processor-controlled system operating in an operating environment; and

encrypting the set of instructions as a function of an identification code unique to the operating environment.

16. The processor-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the operating environment comprises a vehicle and the identification code comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN).

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the processor-controlled system comprises an audio system.

18. A processor-readable medium having processor-executable instructions for:

receiving an encrypted set of instructions;

decrypting the encrypted set of instructions to generate a validation code;

comparing the validation code with a identification code unique to an operating environment; and

configuring a processor-controlled system operating in the operating environment as a function of the decrypted set of instructions only if the validation code matches the identification code.

19. The processor-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the operating environment comprises a vehicle and at least one of the validation and identification codes comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN).

20. The processor-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the processor-controlled system comprises an audio system.

21. The processor-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the decrypted set of instructions comprises processor-executable instructions for configuring the audio system to recognize a compressed audio format.

22. A processor-readable medium comprising:

a set of processor-executable instructions for configuring a processor-controlled system operating in an operating environment; and

a validation code encrypted into the set of processor-executable instructions,

wherein the set of processor-executable instructions is configured to be executed only if the validation code matches an identification code unique to the operating environment.

23. The processor-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the operating environment comprises a vehicle and at least one of the validation and identification codes comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN).

24. The processor-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the processor-controlled system comprises an audio system.

25. The processor-readable medium of claim 24, wherein the set of processor-executable instructions comprises processor-executable instructions for configuring the audio system to recognize a compressed audio format.

26. A processor-controlled system operating in an operating environment, the processor-controlled system comprising:

an input subsystem configured to receive an encrypted set of instructions; and

a processor coupled to the input subsystem and configured to

decrypt the encrypted set of instructions to generate a validation code,

compare the validation code with a identification code unique to the operating environment, and

configure the processor-controlled system as a function of the decrypted set of instructions only if the validation code matches the identification code.

27. The processor-controlled system of claim 26, wherein the operating environment comprises a vehicle and at least one of the validation and identification codes comprises a vehicle identification number (VIN).

28. The processor-controlled system of claim 26, wherein the processor-controlled system comprises an audio system.

29. The processor-controlled system of claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to configure the audio system to recognize a compressed audio format.

30. The processor-controlled system of claim 26, wherein the processor is further configured to receive the identification code from another system operating in the operating environment.

31. The processor-controlled system of claim 26, wherein the input subsystem comprises at least one of a CD player configured to read a CD-ROM disc and a wireless communication device configured to receive a wireless signal.