Dual virtual machine architecture for media devices

• US 20050204126A1
• Filed: 07/12/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Watson, Scott F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,469,346 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/150
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1064 Restricting content processing at operating system level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• 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 9/45504 Abstract machines for programme code execution, e.g. Java virtual machine [JVM], interpreters, emulators

Abstract

A software computing based environment for providing secured authentication of media downloaded from a network or loaded from a media player includes two peer-mode operating virtual machines. The low-level virtual machine provides decoding and decryption functions whereas the high-level virtual machine provides application level functions such as user interface, input/output.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a low-level virtual machine to perform security functions;

providing a high-level virtual machine to perform user interface and application level functions;

wherein the low-level virtual machine has a peer relationship with the high-level virtual machine;

and wherein the computing environment is configured to interact with a media source comprising media data, authorize use of the media data, and permit playback of the media data to a user.

11. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 10 further including an application program with the high-level virtual machine for interfacing with an user.

12. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 10 wherein the application level functions include at least one of providing a graphical interface to a user or communicating over a network.

13. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 10 further including delivering a security code, available from the media, by the high-level virtual machine to the low-level virtual machine for decryption.

14. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 13 wherein the media is available from at least one of a DVD, an optical disk, a network, or a solid state device.

15. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 10 further including a processing module that provides at least one decryption key.

16. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 15 wherein the processing module performs secure cryptographic computations.

17. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 15 further including monitoring the computing environment by the processing module.

18. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 10 wherein the computing environment includes a central processing unit (CPU).

19. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 10 further including delivering a boot code, available from the media, to the low-level virtual machine, wherein said boot code is encrypted.

20. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 10 further including delivering information related to synchronization events by the low level virtual machine to the bight level virtual machine.

21. A method of providing procedural copy protection for media players independent of a computing environment of claim 10 wherein peer level communication between the virtual machines occurs through at least one of a remote procedure call (RPC) interface, message passing system, socket, or an inter-process communication (IPC) protocol.

22. A media player comprising:

a computing environment having a dual virtual machine architecture, the dual virtual machine architecture comprising a low-level virtual machine for performing security functions and a high-level virtual machine for performing application level functions, the low-level virtual machine configured to have a peer relationship with the high-level virtual machine, wherein the computing environment is further configured to interact with a media source comprising media data, authorize use of the media data, and permit playback of the media data to a user.

23. The media player of claim 22 wherein the low level virtual machine is designed to be relatively volatile/fragile.

24. The media player of claim 22 wherein the high-level virtual machine is designed to be relatively stable.

25. The media player of claim 22 wherein unauthorized access to the media data leads to failure of the low-level virtual machine.

26. The media player of claim 22 wherein the media source is removable media

27. The media player of claim 26 wherein the removable media comprises a DVD or CD.

28. The media player of claim 22 wherein security functions comprise decryption and decoding.

29. The media player of claim 22 wherein application level functions comprise user interface and networking.

30. The media player of claim 22 wherein the high-level virtual machine includes an application program for interfacing with a user.

31. The media player of claim 22 wherein the application level functions include at least one of providing a graphical interface to a user or communicating over a network.

32. The media player of claim 22 wherein a security code from the media source is delivered by the high-level virtual machine to the low-level virtual machine for decryption.

33. The media player of claim 22 further including a processing module that includes at least one decryption key.

34. The media player of claim 33 wherein the processing module performs secure cryptographic computations.

35. The media player of claim 33 wherein the processing module is used for monitoring the computing environment.

36. The media player of claim 22 wherein the computing environment includes a central processing unit (CPU).