Restriction of broadcast session key use by secure module decryption policy

• US 20070140488A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Roundbox, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Roundbox, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Hong, Villanueva, Edgar, Mataga, Peter, Torkelson, Cary, Dharmaji, Srinivas
• Application Number:
  US11/641,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20070140488A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• 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 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A method is provided for restricting or enhancing broadcast content access on a per-subscriber basis across a population of subscribers, all of whom have a valid content access key to such content, without necessitating changes to the current standard schemes and protocols for distributing content access keys and broadcasting the traffic keys associated with the broadcast data itself, and without trusting the application that processes the data. A method of handling a multimedia broadcast in a device comprises receiving broadcast content in a media stream encrypted using a traffic key, receiving the traffic key encrypted using a session key, and receiving broadcast attributes encrypted using the traffic key and the session key, wherein use of the media stream by the device is controlled using the broadcast attributes and using an access policy in the device.

Claims

1. A method of handling a multimedia broadcast in a device comprising:

receiving broadcast content in a media stream encrypted using a traffic key;

receiving the traffic key encrypted using a session key; and

receiving broadcast attributes encrypted using the traffic key and the session key, wherein use of the media stream by the device is controlled using the broadcast attributes and using an access policy in the device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the access policy defines restrictions on use of the media stream.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the defined restrictions on viewing of the media stream are on a subscriber-by-subscriber basis.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the broadcast attributes to evaluate whether the access policy is satisfied for a current broadcast content; and

preventing decryption of the traffic key if the access policy is not satisfied for the current broadcast content.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein using the broadcast attributes to evaluate whether the access policy is satisfied for a current broadcast content is based on an age of a user of the device and on a rating of the broadcast content.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein using the broadcast attributes to evaluate whether the access policy is satisfied for a current broadcast content is based on geographic area.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the geographic area includes at least one of a city, a road, an airport, a public transportation terminal, a sports arena, an amusement park, a museum, and a public or private place of business.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein using the broadcast attributes to evaluate whether the access policy is satisfied for a current broadcast content is based on a time of day.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein using the broadcast attributes to evaluate whether the access policy is satisfied for a current broadcast content is based on additional data included in the media stream.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein using the broadcast attributes to evaluate whether the access policy is satisfied for a current broadcast content is based on additional data included in the broadcast content that is only made available to selected members.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the additional data includes at least one of:

fantasy sporting even information, sporting event information, information related to characters or actors playing those characters, information related to locations or props, information related to writers, directors, producers, or others involved in production of the broadcast content, commentary concerning the broadcast content, and additional languages for the broadcast content.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein using the broadcast attributes to evaluate whether the access policy is satisfied for a current broadcast content is based on expiration information of a user subscription.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein using the broadcast attributes to evaluate whether the access policy is satisfied for a current broadcast content is based on allowing a user to view a particular broadcast stream for only a specified amount of time, based on a count of a number of traffic keys decrypted.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using at least one of the broadcast attributes, local device information, user profile information, and history information to evaluate whether the access policy is satisfied for a current broadcast content; and

preventing decryption of the traffic key if the access policy is not satisfied for the current broadcast content.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast content comprises data used by an application on the device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is mobile device capable of displaying or otherwise using the media stream.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the session key and the access policy are used to enable or restrict access to one or more related media streams or broadcast channels, wherein rights for each related media stream or broadcast channel are different.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the access policy is received and securely stored in the device, such that the access policy can not be manipulated by applications on the device and cannot subsequently be used to decrypt a media stream.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the access policy is made available to applications on the device for purposes including at least one of displaying the access policy to a user of the device, or altering a user interface by which the user gains access to the media stream or broadcast channel or views the media stream or broadcast channel.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the access policy includes at least one of a set of parameter values, a set of ranges of parameter values, a set of regular expressions, a matching predicate, or a matching algorithm.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the traffic key using the broadcast attributes, thereby binding the broadcast attributes to the traffic key such that neither the traffic key nor the broadcast attributes can be modified by any application on the device and result in successful decryption of the media stream.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast attributes are encrypted using the traffic key, thereby binding them to the traffic key such that neither the traffic key nor the broadcast attributes can be modified by any application on the device and result in successful decryption of the media stream.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the broadcast attributes encrypted using the traffic key are available to an application on the device for purposes including modifying the user-interface based on the broadcast attributes or otherwise informing the user of the broadcast attributes.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein an application on the device is unable to use non-corresponding broadcast attributes and traffic keys to successfully satisfy the access policy and decrypt the media stream.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast attributes are embedded in the encrypted traffic key, and the broadcast attributes are not received separately from the encrypted traffic key.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the received broadcast attributes include metadata relating to the media stream, including at least one of a content type of the media stream, and a content rating of the media stream.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the received broadcast attributes include network environment data, including at least one of as a broadcast tower location, a time of day, traffic information, and network status data.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using additional profile information not included with the media stream to determine whether the device can decrypt the received traffic keys, wherein the additional profile information includes at least one of;

local network environment data, including at least one of;

a GPS location of the device, a quality of service, a time zone, a signal strength, and other local network environment data of the device;

device-specific data, including at least one of;

an ability of the device to record a media stream, an ability of the device to retransmit a media stream, and other device-specific capabilities;

user-specific profile data, including at least one of;

a gender of a user of the device, an age of the user of the device, and interest of the user of the device, and other data relating to a user of the device; and

usage history of the device, including at least one of;

usage of a media stream or broadcast channel, usage of applications on the device, and other data relating to how the device has been previously used.