Methods and apparatus for enforcing application level restrictions on local and remote content

• US 20060107327A1
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Sprigg, Stephen A., Lundblade, Laurence
• Application Number:
  US10/990,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20060107327A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26603 for automatically generating descriptors from content, e.g. when it is not made available by its provider, using content analysis techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for enforcing application level restrictions on local and remote content rendered on a device. One method comprises receiving a permissions list associated with the content, receiving a content descriptor that identifies the content, and receiving a modification detection indicator that was created by an authority, wherein the modification detection indicator binds the permissions list and the content descriptor. The method further comprises retrieving the content identified by the content descriptor, and rendering the content on the device, wherein the content is restricted based on the permissions list.

Claims

1. A method for use in a device to enforce restrictions on content rendered by the device, the method comprising:

receiving a permissions list associated with the content;

receiving a content descriptor that identifies the content;

receiving a modification detection indicator that was created by an authority, wherein the modification detection indicator binds the permissions list and the content descriptor;

retrieving the content identified by the content descriptor; and

rendering the content on the device, wherein the content is restricted based on the permissions list.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of retrieving comprises retrieving the content from a data network at a location identified by the content descriptor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the content descriptor includes the content and the step of retrieving comprises retrieving the content from the content descriptor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the permissions list comprises receiving the permissions list from the authority.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the content descriptor comprises receiving the content descriptor from the authority.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving the permissions list comprises receiving the permissions list from a content provider.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification detection indicator is a digital signature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a wireless device.

9. A device for rendering content, comprising:

receiving logic that operates to obtain a permissions list, content descriptor, and a modification detection indicator that was created by an authority;

rendering logic that operates to verify the modification detection indicator, obtain content identified by the content descriptor, and render the content on the device, wherein the content is restricted based on the permissions list.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the device is a wireless device.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the modification detection indicator is a digital signature.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the content descriptor includes the content and the rendering logic operates to obtain the content from the content descriptor.

13. A device that operates to enforce restrictions on downloadable content that is rendered on the device, the device comprising:

means for receiving a permissions list associated with the content;

means for receiving a content descriptor that identifies the content;

means receiving a modification detection indicator that was created by an authority, wherein the modification detection indicator binds the permissions list and the content descriptor;

means for retrieving the content identified by the content descriptor; and

means for rendering the content on the device, wherein the content is restricted based on the permissions list.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the means for retrieving comprises means for retrieving the content from a data network at a location identified by the content descriptor.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the content descriptor includes the content and the means for retrieving comprises means for retrieving the content from the content descriptor.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving the permissions list comprises means for receiving the permissions list from the authority.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving the content descriptor comprises means for receiving the content descriptor from the authority.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the means for receiving the permissions list comprises means for receiving the permissions list from a content provider.

19. The device of claim 13, wherein the modification detection indicator is a digital signature.

20. The device of claim 13, wherein the device is a wireless device.

21. A computer-readable media comprising instructions that when executed by a processor in a wireless device enforces restrictions on content rendered by the device, the computer readable media comprising:

instructions for receiving a permissions list associated with the content;

instructions for receiving a content descriptor that identifies the content;

instructions receiving a modification detection indicator that was created by an authority, wherein the modification detection indicator binds the permissions list and the content descriptor;

instructions for retrieving the content identified by the content descriptor; and

instructions for rendering the content on the device, wherein the content is restricted based on the permissions list.

22. The computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the instructions for retrieving comprises instructions for retrieving the content from a data network at a location identified by the content descriptor.

23. The computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the content descriptor includes the content and the instructions for retrieving comprises instructions for retrieving the content from the content descriptor.

24. The computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the instructions for receiving the permissions list comprises instructions for receiving the permissions list from the authority.

25. The computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the instructions for receiving the content descriptor comprises instructions for receiving the content descriptor from the authority.

26. The computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the instructions for receiving the permissions list comprises instructions for receiving the permissions list from a content provider.

27. The computer readable media of claim 21, wherein the modification detection indicator is a digital signature.

28. A method for generating a content package that is used to enforce restrictions on content rendered on a device, the method comprising:

authorizing a permissions list associated with the content;

receiving a content descriptor that describes the content; and

generating a modification detection indicator that binds the permissions list and the content descriptor.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of authorizing the permissions list comprises generating the permissions list.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of receiving the content descriptor comprises receiving the content descriptor which includes the content.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of generating a modification detection indicator is a step of generating a digital signature.

32. Apparatus for generating a content package that is used to enforce restrictions on content rendered on a device, the apparatus comprising:

approval logic that operates to authorize a permissions list associated with the content;

receiving logic that operates to receive a content descriptor that describes the content; and

generating logic that operates to generate a modification detection indicator that binds the permissions list and the content descriptor.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the approval logic comprises logic to generate the permissions list.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the content descriptor includes the content.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the generating logic comprises logic to generate a digital signature as the detection modification indicator.

36. Apparatus for generating a content package that is used to enforce restrictions on content rendered on a device, comprising:

means for authorizing a permissions list associated with the content;

means for receiving a content descriptor that describes the content; and

means for generating a modification detection indicator that binds the permissions list and the content descriptor.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for authorizing the permissions list comprises means for generating the permissions list.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the content descriptor includes the content.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the means for generating a modification detection indicator comprises means for generating a digital signature.

40. A computer-readable media comprising instructions that when executed by a processor generate a content package that is used to enforce restrictions on content rendered on a device, the computer readable media comprising:

instructions for receiving a permissions list associated with the content;

instructions for receiving a content descriptor that identifies the content; and

instructions generating a modification detection indicator that binds the permissions list and the content descriptor.

41. The computer readable media of claim 40, wherein the instructions for receiving the permissions list comprise instructions for generating the permissions list.

42. The computer readable media of claim 40, wherein the content descriptor includes the content.

43. The computer readable media of claim 40, wherein the instructions for generating a modification detection indicator comprise instructions for generating a digital signature.

44. The computer readable media of claim 40, further comprising instructions for authorizing the permissions list.