Methods and apparatus for title protocol, authentication, and sharing

• US 20060036548A1
• Filed: 05/15/2003
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: API Market, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Navio Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Collins, Kevin, Bruce, James, Clark, Alex F., Ding, Josh C., Roever, Stefan
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,025 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 Intellectual property management

Abstract

A title management apparatus resident on a first computer including a memory for storing a control program and data, and a processor for executing the control program and for managing the data. The apparatus includes a title object resident in the memory including a title structure, the title structure further comprising a content element, a set of attributes, and a set of title object security indicia. The apparatus further includes an authorization structure configured to selectively redeem the content element based at least in part on the user security indicia, and further configured to use a set of protocols. The apparatus also includes a title management structure configured to associate a user with the title object based at least in part on the user data and the title attributes.

Claims

1. A title management apparatus resident on a first computer including a memory for storing a control program and data, and a processor for executing said control program and for managing said data, comprising:

a title object resident in said memory including a title structure, said title structure further comprising a content element, a set of attributes, and a set of title object security indicia;

an authorization structure configured to selectively redeem said content element based at least in part on said user security indicia, and further configured to use a set of protocols; and

,

a title management structure configured to associate a user with said title object based at least in part on said user data and said title attributes.

2. The title management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said title object is one of a tag, a ticket, and a token.

3. The title management apparatus of claim 2, wherein said content element comprises a pointer that is indicative of a digital content file.

4. The title management apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a content proxy structure coupled to said content element, wherein said authorization structure is configured to redeem said content element from said content proxy structure.

5. The title management apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a resolver structure coupled to said content proxy structure, wherein said resolver structure is configured to validate said title object.

6. The title management apparatus of claim 4, wherein said resolver structure is further configured to authenticate said title object.

7. The title management apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a state server structure coupled to said resolver structure and said content proxy structure, wherein said state server authenticates said title object.

8. The title management apparatus of claim 7, wherein said resolver structure is further coupled to said title management structure.

9. The title management apparatus of claim 8, wherein a consumer device is coupled to said title management structure and said content proxy structure, wherein said authorization structure redeems said content element to said consumer device.

10. The title management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said set of protocols comprises a message that includes a header portion and a body portion.

11. The title management apparatus of claim 10, wherein said message comprises a SOAP envelop element.

12. The title management apparatus of claim 10, wherein said message comprises XML.

13. The title management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said set of protocols comprise SMTP.

14. The title management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said set of protocols comprise TCP.

15. The title management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said set of protocols comprise UDP.

16. The title management apparatus of claim 10, wherein said body portion comprises said title object.

17. A method of managing title objects in a first computer having a memory, comprising:

configuring user data resident in said memory including a set of user security indicia;

configuring a title object resident in said memory including a title structure, said title structure further comprising a content element, a set of attributes, and a set of title object security indicia;

configuring an authorization structure configured to selectively redeem said content element based at least in part on said user security indicia, and further configured to use a set of protocols; and

,

configuring a title management structure configured to associate a user with said first title object based at least in part on said user data and said title attributes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said title object is one of a tag, a ticket, and a token.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said content element comprises a pointer that is indicative of a digital content file.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising a content proxy structure coupled to said content element, wherein said authorization structure is configured to redeem said content element from said content proxy structure.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising a resolver structure coupled to said content proxy structure, wherein said resolver structure is configured to validate said title object.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said resolver structure is further configured to authenticate said title object.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising a state server structure coupled to said resolver structure and said content proxy structure, wherein said state server authenticates said title object.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said resolver structure is further coupled to said title management structure.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein a consumer device is coupled to said title management structure and said content proxy structure, wherein said authorization structure redeems said content element to said consumer device.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein said set of protocols comprises a message that includes a header portion and a body portion.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said message comprises a SOAP envelop element.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said message comprises XML.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein said set of protocols comprise SMTP.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein said set of protocols comprise TCP.

31. The method of claim 17, wherein said set of protocols comprise UDP.

32. The method of claim 26, wherein said body portion comprises said title object.