Method and apparatus for identifying trusted devices

• US 20040193919A1
• Filed: 03/31/2003
• Published: 09/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Messerges, thomas S., Dabbish, Ezzat A., Kuhlman, Douglas A.
• Application Number:
  US10/403,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20040193919A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/8
• 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 21/57 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: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263

Abstract

To address the need for a communicating electronic device (102) to identify other trusted devices (103) and allow for applications, such as digital-rights management, and the easy transfer of content and commands (217) among devices, a method and apparatus for identifying trusted devices (103) is disclosed herein. Each electronic device wishing to share digital content will comprise a database (209) containing a list of trusted and/or non-trusted devices. The list of trusted and non-trusted devices is similar to a master list of trusted and non-trusted devices that exists at the certificate authority or an equivalent trusted server. However, in order to limit the size of the database existing on the electronic device, only a portion of the master list will be stored locally.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

digital content or a digital command;

means for transferring the digital content or the digital command to another device;

a database coupled to the means for transferring, the database comprising only a portion of a second database existing on a remote server, the database comprising a list of trusted and/or non-trusted devices; and

means for limiting the size of the database.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for limiting the size of the database comprises means for limiting the size of the database to those other devices recently encountered.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for limiting the size of the database comprises means for limiting the size of the database to those devices most frequently encountered.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for limiting the size of the database comprises means for choosing those devices designated by the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the remote server comprises a certificate authority or equivalent trusted server within a digital-rights management system.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the digital content and the database exist within an apparatus taken from the group consisting of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs), a cellular telephone, a portable music players, a medical monitoring systems, and a remote control device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the digital content and the database exist within an apparatus taken from the group consisting of a wireless-controlled lamp, a heating and ventilation system, and a home security system.

8. A method comprising the steps of:

determining that a digital command or digital content needs to be transferred from a first device to a second device;

determining if the second device exists within an internal database, wherein the internal database comprises only a portion of a second database existing on a remote server, the internal database comprising a list of trusted and/or non-trusted devices; and

transferring the digital command or digital content to the second device based on the determination if the second device exists within the internal database.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

limiting a size of the internal database to devices most recently encountered.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

limiting a size of the internal database to devices most frequently encountered.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

limiting a size of the internal database to devices designated by a user.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of determining if the second device exists within the internal database, comprises the step of determining if the second device exists within the internal database, wherein the internal database comprises only the portion of the second database existing on a certificate authority or equivalent trusted server within a digital-rights management system.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of determining that the digital command or digital content needs to be transferred from the first device to the second device comprises the step of determining that the digital command or digital content needs to be transferred from a device taken from a group consisting of a Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs), a cellular telephone, a portable music players, a medical monitoring systems, and a remote control device.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of determining that the digital command or digital content needs to be transferred from the first device to the second device comprises the step of determining that the digital command or digital content needs to be transferred to a device taken from a group consisting of a wireless-controlled lamp, a heating and ventilation system, a home security system, computer equipment.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of transferring the digital command or digital content to the second device based on the determination that the second device exists within the internal database comprises the steps of:

if the device exists within the internal database;

transferring the digital command or digital content if the device is identified as trusted by the internal database; and

if the device does not exist within the internal database;

accessing an external database and transferring the digital command or digital content if the device is identified as trusted by the external database.

16. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of:

periodically updating the internal database by accessing a remote database on a periodic basis.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of periodically updating the internal database comprises the step of:

periodically updating the internal database by accessing a remote database and retrieving status information for other devices recently encountered.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of periodically updating the internal database comprises the step of:

periodically updating the internal database by accessing a remote database and retrieving status information for those devices designated by a user.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of periodically updating the internal database comprises the step of:

periodically updating the internal database by accessing a remote database and retrieving status information for those devices most recently encountered.