System, method, and apparatus for secure sharing of multimedia content across several electronic devices

• US 20060020960A1
• Filed: 09/06/2005
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khare, Rajendra, Mishra, Brajabandhu, Relan, Sandeep
• Application Number:
  US11/220,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20060020960A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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

Disclosed herein is a secure, media exchange network and a method of securely exchanging media between electronic devices across the network. In an embodiment according to the present invention, media may be securely and simultaneously exchanged between friends, family members, business associates, government entities, military entities, law enforcement entities, and 3rd party media providers over a closed and secure media exchange network. The media may include, for example, digital video, digital audio, digital images, digital data, or any other form of digital information. Security features may include security techniques, associated security hardware, and associated security software.

Claims

1. An electronic device supporting secure exchange of multimedia information via a cable television (CATV) network, the electronic device comprising:

at least one processor communicatively coupled to transmit/receive circuitry for sending and receiving multimedia information via the cable television (CATV) network, and to decoder circuitry adapted for converting multimedia information for consumption by a first user;

memory capable of storing multimedia information, the memory operably coupled to the at least one processor;

wherein the electronic device, at a first location, is adapted to exchange multimedia information in a peer-to-peer fashion with a second electronic device of a second user, at a second location, via a broadband network comprising the cable television (CATV) network; and

wherein the exchange of multimedia information between the electronic devices at the first location and second location is enabled based upon verification of user-related security information.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the user-related security information comprises a physical location of a mobile terminal associated with a user.

3. The electronic device according to claim 2 wherein the physical location is determined based upon operation of the mobile terminal within a wireless network infrastructure.

4. The electronic device according to claim 2 wherein the physical location is determined using a satellite-based geo-location system.

5. The electronic device according to claim 2 wherein verification comprises comparing a predefined physical location to the physical location of a mobile terminal associated with a user.

6. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the user-related security information comprises one of the following:

a password and a digital certificate.

7. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device at the first location comprises a set top box for interfacing a cable television network to a television.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device at the first location comprises a personal computer.

9. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the second electronic device comprises a set top box for interfacing a cable television network to a television.

10. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the second electronic device comprises a personal computer.

11. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the multimedia information comprises one of the following:

streaming video, broadcast video, digitized video, digitized audio, digitized still image(s), digitized music, text, and data.

12. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the broadband network comprises the Internet.

13. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the cable television (CATV) network distributes one of a plurality of cable programming channels, to the first location, based upon selection of the cable programming channel by a user at the first location.

14. A method of securely exchanging multimedia information via a broadband network comprising a cable television (CATV) network capable of distributing a plurality of channels of cable programming, each channel occupying a corresponding portion of cable television (CATV) network bandwidth, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first location, a request for exchange of multimedia information with a second location;

receiving user-related information associated with authentication of the request;

verifying whether the first location is authorized to engage in the exchange of the multimedia information with the second location, using the user-related information;

enabling exchange of multimedia information between the first location and the second location, if it is determined that the first location is authorized;

refraining from enabling exchange of multimedia information between the first location and the second location, if it is determined that the first location is not authorized; and

wherein the exchange is performed in a peer-to-peer fashion between the first location and the second location, via the cable television (CATV) network.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the user-related information comprises a physical location of a mobile terminal associated with a user.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the physical location is determined based upon operation of the mobile terminal within a wireless network infrastructure.

17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the physical location is determined using a satellite-based geo-location system.

18. The method according to claim 15 wherein verification comprises comparing a predefined physical location to a physical location of the mobile terminal associated with a user.

19. The method according to claim 14 wherein the user-related information comprises one of the following:

a password and a digital certificate.

20. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first location comprises a set top box for interfacing the cable television (CATV) network to a television.

21. The method according to claim 14 wherein the first location comprises a personal computer.

22. The method according to claim 14 wherein the verification is performed at the second location.

23. The method according to claim 14 wherein the verification is performed at a third location that is remote from the first location and the second location.

24. The method according to claim 14, wherein the multimedia information comprises one of the following:

streaming video, broadcast video, digitized video, digitized audio, digitized still image(s), digitized music, text, and data.

25. The method according to claim 14, wherein the broadband network comprises the Internet.

26. The method according to claim 14, wherein the enabling comprises:

allocating an unoccupied portion of cable television (CATV) network bandwidth for the exchange of the multimedia information.