Binding content to a user

• US 20070094737A1
• Filed: 10/27/2004
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Andersson, Stefan, Larsson, Bo
• Application Number:
  US10/595,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20070094737A1
• 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: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

Providing information about digital rights management features in relation to an electronic communication device comprising the steps of -in a content providing device (16) providing a downloadable content (42) for a particular user of the communication device (10), -providing information about digital rights management such as a rights object (RO) 40, -providing a constraint (43) defining in what way the particular user is allowed to use the content (42) related to the information about digital rights management and -binding the content (42) to the user by means of information in the constraint (43), or -binding automatically the information about digital rights management, such as binding content (42) to the user, such that a content provider can ensure that downloaded content only can be used by the intended user, or group of users. A user can be identified by its personal subscriber module (e.g. SIM/USIM/), which ensures secure portability of the user'"'"'s identity.

Claims

1. A method of providing information about digital rights management features in relation to an electronic communication device comprising the steps of:

in a content providing device (16) providing a downloadable content (42) for a particular user of the communication device (10),

providing information about digital rights management such as a rights object (RO) 40,

providing a constraint (43) defining in what way the particular user is allowed to use the content (42) related to the information about digital rights management and

binding the content (42) to the user by means of information In the constraint (43), or

binding automatically the information about digital rights management, such as binding content (42) to the user, such that the content provider can ensure that content only can be used by the intended user.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of:

providing the constraint (43) to be treated and enforced as an integrated part of the digital rights management information.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the constraint (43) is bound in the content providing device (16).

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the constraint (43) is bound automatically in the communication device (10).

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the right object (RO) is bound to a personal indentification module, such as a SIM or USIM, when the right object (RO) first arrives in the communication device (10).

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the right object (RO) is always bound to the SIM.

8. The method according to claim 1 or 7, wherein the rights object (40) is bound to a group of SIMs.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein wild card character(s) is/are used to denote IMSI values.

7. A method of generating rights objects (40) for provision to an electronic communication device (10) comprising the steps of:

in a content providing unit (16),

receiving a request for content (35),

generating a rights object (40) for the content, said rights object (40) comprising a constraint (43) defining in what way the particular user is allowed to use the content (42) related to the information about digital rights management and

binding the content (42) to the user by means of information in the constraint (43) such that the content provider can ensure that content only can be used by the intended user.

10. Electronic communication device for communication with a content provider providing a downloadable content (42) for a particular user of the communication device (10) and comprising:

a digital rights management control unit (22) arranged to provide a digital rights management scheme associated with the phone,

a media content store (24), and

an application unit (26) connected to the media content store (24) for the user of the device (10) to be able to use content that has been downloaded to the media content store (24), wherein the digital rights management control unit (22) is arranged to use a constraint (43) defining in what way the particular user is allowed to use the content (42) related to the information about digital rights management that is bound to the downloadable content (42), such that the content provider can ensure that content only can be used by the Intended user.

11. Electronic communication device according to claim 10, wherein the digital rights management control unit (22) is arranged to use a constraint (43) that has been bound to a right object (40) in the content providing unit (16).

12. Electronic communication device according to claim 10, wherein the digital rights management control unit (22) is arranged to use a constraint (43) that has been automatically bound to a rights object (40) in the device (10) itself.

13. Electronic communication device according to claim 12, wherein the rights object (40) is arranged to be bound to the SIM even if not Indicated by the constraint (43).

14. Electronic communication device according to claim 13, wherein it is a portable communication device.

15. Electronic communication device according to claim 14, wherein it is a mobile phone.

16. Content providing device for generating rights objects to electronic communication devices and arranged to:

from an electronic communication device (10),

receive a request for content (35), and

generate a rights object (40) for the content, said rights object (40) comprising a constraint (43) defining in what way the particular user is allowed to use the content (42) related to the Information about digital rights management, such that the content provider can ensure that content only can be used by the intended user.

17. System for managing digital rights management features in relation to an electronic communication device comprising:

an electronic communication device (10) for communication with a content providing unit (16) and comprising;

a digital rights management control unit (22) arranged to provide a digital rights management scheme associated with the device (10),

a media content store (24), and

an application unit (26) connected to the media content store (24) for the user of the device (10) to be able to use content that has been downloaded to the media content store (24), wherein the digital rights management control unit (22) is arranged to use a constraint (43) defining in what way the particular user is allowed to use the content (42) related to the information about digital rights management that is bound to the downloadable content (42) a right object (RO), and

a content providing device (16) for generating rights objects (40) to electronic communication devices (10) and arranged to;

from the electronic communication device (10),

receive a request for content (35), and

generate a rights object (40) for the content, said rights object (40) comprising a constraint (43) defining in what way the particular user is allowed to use the content (42) related to the information about digital rights management, such that the content provider can ensure that content only can be used by the intended user.

18. Computer program product for providing information about digital rights management features in relation to an electronic communication device (10) comprising

a computer readable medium having thereon:

computer program code means, to make the electronic communication device execute, when said program is loaded in the electronic communication device (10);

transmit a request for content (35) to a content providing device (16), to

generate a rights object (40) for the content, said rights object comprising a constraint (43) defining in what way the particular user is allowed to use the content (42) related to the Information about digital rights, such that the content provider can ensure that content only can be used by the intended user.

19. Computer program product for generating rights objects for provision of an electronic communication device (10), having:

computer program code means, to make a computer execute, when said program element Is loaded in the computer;

generate a rights object (40) for the content, said rights object comprising a constraint (43) defining in what way the particular user is allowed to use the content (42) related to the information about digital rights management, such that the content provider can ensure that content only can be used by the intended user.