METHOD FOR SYNCHRONOUS ENCRYPTION BETWEEN A CLIENT AND A LICENSING AGENT

• US 20070198429A1
• Filed: 01/10/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GraphOn Nes Sub, LLC (Hopto Inc.)
• Original Assignee: GraphOn Nes Sub, LLC (Hopto Inc.)
• Inventors: Coley, Christopher, Wesinger, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0838 Key agreement, i.e. key establishment technique in which a shared key is derived by parties as a function of information contributed by, or associated with, each of these network architectures or network communication protocols for key exchange in a packet data network H04L63/061
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/12 Transmitting and receiving encryption devices synchronised or initially set up in a particular manner
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps

Abstract

A licensing system is disclosed for performing synchronous encryption with a client over an IP-compliant network. In disclosed embodiments, the system includes a licensing agent configured to pass a data structure unencrypted in an initial communication between the licensing agent/client pair and pass a first key to said client responsive to an initial communication. The licensing agent then receives the data structure from the client having designated fields encrypted according to the first key. The licensing agent then sends a second key to the client for use in subsequent communications.

Claims

1. A method for synchronous encryption between a client and a licensing agent comprising:

establishing a connection between a licensing agent/client pair over an IP-compliant network;

passing a data structure unencrypted in an initial communication between the licensing agent/client pair, the licensing agent passing a first key to said client responsive to the initial communication;

resending, by said client, said data structure having designated fields of said data structure encrypted according to said first key; and

sending, by said license agent, a second key to said client for use in subsequent communications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said client and licensing agent maintain encryption synchronization by supplying the same key to their respective encryption engines.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the act of reverting back to the most recent encryption key.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein unencrypted fields of said data structure are used to determine the most recent key.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the act of returning said client to an initial message state in the event of a lack of synchronization in keys between said licensing agent/client pair.

6. An apparatus for synchronizing encryption between a client and a licensing agent comprising:

means for establishing a connection between a licensing agent/client pair over an IP-compliant network;

means for passing a data structure unencrypted in an initial communication between the licensing agent/client pair;

means for passing a first key to said client responsive to the initial communication;

means for resending said data structure having designated fields of said data structure encrypted according to said first key; and

means for sending a second key to said client for use in subsequent communications.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising means for maintaining encryption synchronization by supplying the same key to their respective encryption engines.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising means for reverting back to the most recent encryption key.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein unencrypted fields of said data structure are used to determine the most recent key.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising means for returning said client to an initial message state in the event of a lack of synchronization in keys between said licensing agent/client pair.

11. A licensing system for performing synchronous encryption with a client over an IP-compliant network comprising:

a licensing agent configured to;

pass a data structure unencrypted in an initial communication between the licensing agent/client pair;

pass a first key to said client responsive to the initial communication;

receive said data structure from the client having designated fields of said data structure encrypted according to said first key; and

send a second key to said client for use in subsequent communications.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said client and licensing agent maintain encryption synchronization by supplying the same key to their respective encryption engines.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising the act of reverting back to the most recent encryption key.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein unencrypted fields of said data structure are used to determine the most recent key.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising the act of returning said client to an initial message state in the event of a lack of synchronization in keys between said licensing agent/client pair.

16. A computer readable device for causing a computer to perform a method for synchronous encryption between a client and a licensing agent, the method comprising:

establishing a connection between a licensing agent/client pair over an IP-compliant network;

passing a data structure unencrypted in an initial communication between the licensing agent/client pair, the licensing agent passing a first key to said client responsive to the initial communication;

resending, by said client, said data structure having designated fields of said data structure encrypted according to said first key; and

sending, by said license agent, a second key to said client for use in subsequent communications.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising the act of reverting back to the most recent encryption key.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein unencrypted fields of said data structure are used to determine the most recent key.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising the act of returning said client to an initial message state in the event of a lack of synchronization in keys between said licensing agent/client pair.