Method and system for distributing electronic content to multi-party users in mobile communication network

• US 20050148322A1
• Filed: 12/21/2004
• Published: 07/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Jei, Dae-Gunn
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.100
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/32 using local area network [LAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/201 Playing authorisation given at platform level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/404 characterized by a local network connection
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 : Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 : using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

Disclosed is a method and a system for efficiently distributing electronic content such as game software to a plurality of users in a mobile communication network or a system including a plurality of mobile stations. In order to distribute an electronic content to a plurality of mobile stations after one mobile station receives and stores the electronic content having a license or a copyright from a server or a system having content, the mobile station distributes duplicates of the electronic data to other mobile stations. In addition, when the distributed content is executed, each mobile station determines whether or not operational grant is permitted so as to use the electronic content. Furthermore, when the distributed electronic content is executed in each mobile station, the mobile station uses electronic content after determining whether or not a mobile station distributing the content permits operational grant.

Claims

1. A system for distributing electronic content to a plurality of users in a mobile communication network, the system comprising:

a server for adding distribution management data to content and transmitting content having the distribution management data if a request for content from an external system exists;

a primary mobile station for storing, executing, copying, and transmitting the content received from the server; and

at least one secondary mobile station for storing and executing the content received from the primary mobile station.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary mobile station is connected to the secondary mobile station through a local network.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server wirelessly communicates with the primary mobile station through a base station.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary mobile station and the secondary mobile station inspect the distribution management data if a content execution request is detected, and then, executes the content if content execution is permitted.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary mobile station transmits an operational grant permission/forbiddance response if a content execution request is detected and an operational grant is detected from the external system, inspects the distribution management data if the operational grant is not detected, and if execution of the content is permitted executes the content, and the secondary mobile terminal requests the operational grant to the primary mobile station if the content execution request is detected and executes the content if the content execution is permitted.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the server inspects the distribution management data and transmits a content execution permission/forbiddance response if an operational grant request is detected from the external system, and the primary mobile station requests operational grant to the server if the content execution request is detected and executes the content if content execution is permitted.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the distribution management data includes copy frequency data representing a frequency approved in such a manner that original content can be copied, time condition data representing a date or a time in which copy of the content is permitted or forbidden, a content server identification representing an identification of the server storing the content or an identification of the base station delivering the content, digital authentication data, or a local network identification.

8. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the distribution management data includes copy frequency data representing a frequency approved in such a manner that original content can be copied, time condition data representing a date or a time in which copy of the content is permitted or forbidden, a content server identification representing an identification of the server storing the content or an identification of the base station delivering the content, digital authentication data, or a local network identification.

9. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the distribution management data includes copy frequency data representing a frequency approved in such a manner that original content can be copied, time condition data representing a date or a time in which copy of the content is permitted or forbidden, a content server identification representing an identification of the server storing the content or an identification of the base station delivering the content, digital authentication data, or a local network identification.

10. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the distribution management data includes copy frequency data representing a frequency approved in such a manner that original content can be copied, time condition data representing a date or a time in which copy of the content is permitted or forbidden, a content server identification representing an identification of the server storing the content or an identification of the base station delivering the content, digital authentication data, or a local network identification.

11. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the distribution management data includes copy frequency data representing a frequency approved in such a manner that original content can be copied, time condition data representing a date or a time in which copy of the content is permitted or forbidden, a content server identification representing an identification of the server storing the content or an identification of the base station delivering the content, digital authentication data, or a local network identification.

12. The system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the distribution management data includes copy frequency data representing a frequency approved in such a manner that original content can be copied, time condition data representing a date or a time in which copy of the content is permitted or forbidden, a content server identification representing an identification of the server storing the content or an identification of the base station delivering the content, digital authentication data, or a local network identification.

13. A method for distributing electronic content in a mobile communication network which includes a server for storing electronic content having distribution management data, a primary mobile station capable of communicating with the server, and at least one secondary mobile station capable of communicating with the primary mobile station, the method comprising the steps of:

1) transmitting a request for electronic content to the server by the primary mobile station;

2) receiving and storing by the primary mobile station the electronic content transmitted from the server in response to an electronic content request;

3) copying and transmitting by the primary mobile station the electronic content and receiving and storing by the secondary mobile station the electronic content; and

4) executing the electronic content by the primary mobile station and the secondary mobile station.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein step 4) includes the steps of:

1-1) checking by the primary mobile station and the secondary mobile station whether a content execution request by a user exists;

1-2) inspecting by the primary mobile station and the secondary mobile station the distribution management data if the content execution request exists; and

1-3) executing by the primary mobile station and the secondary mobile station the electronic content if content execution is permitted.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein, in step 4), the primary mobile station performs the steps of:

2-1) checking whether a request for content execution of a user exists;

2-2) inspecting the distribution management data if the request for the content execution of the user exists and executing the electronic content if the content execution is permitted; and

2-3) transmitting a content execution permission/forbiddance response to the secondary mobile station when an operational grant request is received from the secondary mobile station if the request for the content execution of the user does not exist, and

the secondary mobile station performs the steps of;

3-1) checking whether a request for content execution of a user exists;

3-2) requesting an operational grant to the primary mobile station if the request for the content execution of the user exists; and

3-3) executing the electronic content if the content execution permission/forbiddance response is received from the primary mobile station and the content execution is permitted.

16. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein step 4) includes the steps of:

4-1) checking by the primary mobile station or the secondary mobile station whether a user has requested content execution and requesting an operational grant to the server if the request for the content execution exists;

4-2) inspecting the distribution management data if the server receives a request for the operational grant and transmitting a content execution permission/forbiddance response; and

4-3) receiving by the primary mobile station or the secondary mobile station the content execution permission/forbiddance response and executing the

electronic content if the content execution has been permitted.