Methods and apparatuses for management of entitlement to digital security operations

• US 20070030965A1
• Filed: 07/19/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: VE Networks Canada Incorporated
• Original Assignee: VE Networks Canada Incorporated
• Inventors: Mansz, Robert, Wiseman, Curtis
• Application Number:
  US11/185,191
• Publication Number:
  US 20070030965A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3234 involving additional secure or trusted devices, e.g. TPM, smartcard, USB or software token network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using an additional device in a packet data network H04L63/0853

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for management of entitlement to security operations. In one aspect of an embodiment, a method to secure digital content against unauthorized access, includes: receiving a request in a security application to invoke an operation on a digital artefact; and determining an entitlement to the operation in the security application, where the entitlement to the operation is not dependent upon entitlement to the digital artefact. In one embodiment, the entitlement to the operation in the security application is in addition to the entitlement to the digital artefact. In one embodiment, the entitlement to the operation is separate from the entitlement to the digital artefact. In one embodiment, the operation in the security application relates to confidentiality of the digital artefact.

Claims

1. A machine readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause said system to perform a method to secure digital content against unauthorized access, the method comprising:

receiving a request in a security application to invoke an operation on a digital artefact; and

determining an entitlement to the operation in the security application, wherein the entitlement to the operation is not dependent upon entitlement to the digital artefact.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operation in the security application relates to confidentiality of the digital artefact.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operation includes specifying entitlement to the digital artefact for protection against unauthorized access.

4. The medium of claim 3, wherein the operation further includes encrypting at least a portion of the digital artefact.

5. The medium of claim 4, wherein the operation further includes storing a portion of the digital artefact on a network based server in an encrypted form.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the operation includes determining entitlement to the digital artefact.

7. The medium of claim 6, wherein the operation further includes authenticating access to the digital artefact according to the entitlement to the digital artefact.

8. The medium of claim 7, wherein the operation further includes decrypting the digital artefact in accordance with the entitlement to the digital artefact.

9. The medium of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

charging an account to obtain the entitlement to the operation on the digital artefact in the security application.

10. The medium of claim 1, wherein the security application runs on a mobile device;

and the digital artefact comprises one of;

a Short Message Service (SMS) message; and

a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the mobile device comprises a wireless communication device;

the mobile device has an account chargeable for telecommunication usage; and

the account is further chargeable for entitlement to operations of the security application regardless of entitlement to digital artefact to be operated on.

12. A method to secure digital content against unauthorized access, the method comprising:

receiving a request in a security application to invoke an operation on a digital artefact; and

determining an entitlement to the operation in the security application, where the entitlement to the operation is not dependent upon entitlement to the digital artefact.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

performing the operation after obtaining the entitlement to the operation to enforce privacy and confidentiality.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said performing the operation comprises:

specifying entitlement to the digital artefact for protection against unauthorized access; and

encrypting at least a portion of the digital artefact.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said performing the operation comprises:

decrypting the digital artefact in accordance with the entitlement to the digital artefact.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

charging an account to obtain the entitlement to the operation on the digital artefact in the security application.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the account is charged one of:

a per-use fee;

a subscription fee for a period of time; and

a fee based at least partially on a size of the digital artefact.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

purchasing an amount for the account, the account to be debited for the entitlement to an operation in the security application.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the security application runs on a mobile device with a cellular communication transceiver;

and the digital artefact comprises one of;

a Short Message Service (SMS) message; and

a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the mobile device has an account chargeable for telecommunication usage;

and the account is further chargeable for entitlement to operations of the security application regardless of entitlement to digital artefact to be operated on.

21. A data processing system to secure digital content against unauthorized access, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request in a security application to invoke an operation on a digital artefact; and

means for purchasing an entitlement to the operation in the security application, the entitlement to the operation being separate from entitlement to the digital artefact.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the operation includes specifying entitlement to the digital artefact for protection against unauthorized access, encrypting at least a portion of the digital artefact, and storing a portion of the digital artefact on a network based server in an encrypted form.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the operation includes determining entitlement to the digital artefact, authenticating access to the digital artefact according to the entitlement to the digital artefact, and decrypting the digital artefact in accordance with the entitlement to the digital artefact.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the entitlement to the operation is purchased through one of:

a per-use fee;

a subscription fee for a period of time; and

a fee based at least partially on a size of the digital artefact.

25. The system of claim 21, further comprises:

a cellular communication transceiver;

wherein the digital artefact comprises one of;

a Short Message Service (SMS) message; and

a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the system has an account chargeable for telecommunication usage;

and the account is further chargeable for entitlement to operations of the security application.