Systems and methods for conditional access and digital rights management

• US 20090007240A1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Keystone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digital Keystone Incorporated
• Inventors: Vantalon, Luc, Siccardo, Paolo
• Granted Patent: US 8,474,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• 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: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• 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 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

Conditional access (CA) and digital rights management (DRM) in digital media delivery, processing, and storage systems. Methods and apparatuses are provided for managing digital rights under the protection of multiple CA and/or DRM systems. Some embodiments provide secure and robust methods for bridging multiple DRM systems in the digital media content distribution and playback systems. The present invention simplifies content repurposing, after it has been bridged to a secondary DRM system, but still under the control of the original DRM system.

Claims

1. A method for repurposing a media originated from an original digital rights management system and passed through a bridge to be under the protection of a secondary digital rights management system, the method comprising:

upgrading the media access from the secondary digital rights management system with permission from the original digital rights management system.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system comprises an approval from the original digital rights management system during a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system is pre-approved.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein upgrading access comprises at least one of extending the lifetime of the license, enabling new rights, enabling new exports, enabling move operation or restoration operation to another machine, or any combination thereof.

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be included in a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system to get permission for upgrading media access.

6. A method for a client of a secondary digital rights management system to get upgraded access to a media originated from an original digital rights management system, the media stored within the access of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, and the media sent through a bridge from the original to the secondary digital rights management systems, the method comprising:

contacting the secondary digital rights management system to get an upgraded license or rights;

upgrading the access to the media of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, the access upgrading process achieved with permission from the original digital rights management system.

7. A method as in claim 6 wherein the contacting process comprises sending a request from a client of the secondary digital rights management system to an upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system;

communicating between the upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system to get the upgrade license or rights.

8. A method as in claim 7 wherein the upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system comprises the server in the bridge, or a separate independent server.

9. A method as in claim 7 wherein the original digital rights management system for the communication comprising the server sending the media, or a separate billing or upgrade server of the original digital rights management system.

10. A method as in claim 7 wherein the communication comprises passing information through the bridge, or to an independent server of the secondary digital rights management system before reaching the original digital rights management system.

11. A method as in claim 7 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system comprises an approval from the original digital rights management system during a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system.

12. A method as in claim 7 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system is pre-approved.

13. A method as in claim 7 wherein upgrading access comprises at least one of extending the lifetime of the license, enabling new rights, enabling new exports, enabling move operation or restoration operation to another machine, or any combination thereof.

14. A method as in claim 7 wherein enabling new rights comprises allowing additional copy.

15. A method as in claim 7 wherein enabling new exports comprises additional bridging.

16. A method as in claim 7 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be included in a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system to get permission for upgrading the media access.

17. A method as in claim 7 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be extracted and replaced with an upgrade license.

18. A method as in claim 7 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be used to log or authorize the upgrade access transaction.

19. A method for a client of a secondary digital rights management system to get upgraded access to a media originated from an original digital rights management system, the media stored within the access of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, the media sent through a bridge from the original to the secondary digital rights management system and being translated so that the secondary digital rights management system can modify the access, the method comprising:

contacting an upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system to get new rights to the media;

upgrading the access to the media of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, the access upgrading achieved with permission from the original digital rights management system.

20. A method as in claim 19 wherein the translation process through the bridge comprises adding a license from the secondary digital rights management system.

21. A method as in claim 19 wherein the license from the secondary digital rights management system comprises additional license renewal data.

22. A method as in claim 19 wherein the license renewal data are cryptographically linked to the license.

23. A method as in claim 19 wherein the license renewal data are secured by the secondary digital rights management system, the original digital rights management system, or both.

24. A method as in claim 19 wherein the license renewal data comprise subscriber identification data, event identification data, time stamp, device identification data, renewal traceability data, restore data, encrypted content key, or any combination thereof.

25. An apparatus repurposing a media, the media originated from an original digital rights management system and passed through a bridge to be under the protection of a secondary digital rights management system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with said processor, said memory having contained therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to perform;

upgrading the media access from the secondary digital rights management system with permission from the original digital rights management system.

26. An apparatus as in claim 25 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system comprises an approval from the original digital rights management system during a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system.

27. An apparatus as in claim 25 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system is pre-approved.

28. An apparatus as in claim 25 wherein upgrading access comprises at least one of extending the lifetime of the license, enabling new rights, enabling new exports, enabling move operation or restoration operation to another machine, or any combination thereof.

29. An apparatus as in claim 25 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be included in a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system to get permission for upgrading media access.

30. An apparatus for a client of a secondary digital rights management system to get upgraded access to a media originated from an original digital rights management system, the media stored within the access of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, and the media sent through a bridge from the original to the secondary digital rights management systems, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with said processor, said memory having contained therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to perform;

contacting the secondary digital rights management system to get an upgraded license or rights;

upgrading the access to the media of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, the access upgrading process achieved with permission from the original digital rights management system.

31. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein the contacting process comprises

sending a request from a client of the secondary digital rights management system to an upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system;

communicating between the upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system to get the upgrade license or rights.

32. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein the upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system comprises the server in the bridge, or a separate independent server.

33. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein the original digital rights management system for the communication comprising the server sending the media, or a separate billing or upgrade server of the original digital rights management system.

34. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein the communication comprises passing information through the bridge, or to an independent server of the secondary digital rights management system before reaching the original digital rights management system.

35. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system comprises an approval from the original digital rights management system during a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system.

36. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system is pre-approved.

37. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein upgrading access comprises at least one of extending the lifetime of the license, enabling new rights, enabling new exports, enabling move operation or restoration operation to another machine, or any combination thereof.

38. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein enabling new rights comprises allowing additional copy.

39. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein enabling new exports comprises additional bridging.

40. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be included in a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system to get permission for upgrading the media access.

41. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be extracted and replaced with an upgrade license.

42. An apparatus as in claim 30 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be used to log or authorize the upgrade access transaction.

43. An apparatus for a client of a secondary digital rights management system to get upgraded access to a media originated from an original digital rights management system, the media stored within the access of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, the media sent through a bridge from the original to the secondary digital rights management system and being translated so that the secondary digital rights management system can modify the access, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled with said processor, said memory having contained therein sequences of instructions which, when executed by said processor, cause said processor to perform;

contacting an upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system to get new rights to the media;

upgrading the access to the media of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, the access upgrading achieved with permission from the original digital rights management system.

44. An apparatus as in claim 43 wherein the translation process through the bridge comprises adding a license from the secondary digital rights management system.

45. An apparatus as in claim 43 wherein the license from the secondary digital rights management system comprises additional license renewal data.

46. An apparatus as in claim 43 wherein the license renewal data are cryptographically linked to the license.

47. An apparatus as in claim 43 wherein the license renewal data are secured by the secondary digital rights management system, the original digital rights management system, or both.

48. An apparatus as in claim 43 wherein the license renewal data comprise subscriber identification data, event identification data, time stamp, device identification data, renewal traceability data, restore data, encrypted content key, or any combination thereof.

49. A machine readable medium containing machine executable program instructions which, when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method for repurposing a media, the media originated from an original digital rights management system and passed through a bridge to be under the protection of a secondary digital rights management system, the method comprising:

upgrading the media access from the secondary digital rights management system with permission from the original digital rights management system.

50. A medium as in claim 49 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system comprises an approval from the original digital rights management system during a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system.

51. A medium as in claim 49 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system is pre-approved.

52. A medium as in claim 49 wherein upgrading access comprises at least one of extending the lifetime of the license, enabling new rights, enabling new exports, enabling move operation or restoration operation to another machine, or any combination thereof.

53. A medium as in claim 49 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be included in a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system to get permission for upgrading media access.

54. A machine readable medium containing machine executable program instructions which, when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method, the method to be used for a client of a secondary digital rights management system to get upgraded access to a media originated from an original digital rights management system, the media stored within the access of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, and the media sent through a bridge from the original to the secondary digital rights management systems, the method comprising:

contacting the secondary digital rights management system to get an upgraded license or rights;

upgrading the access to the media of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, the access upgrading process achieved with permission from the original digital rights management system.

55. A medium as in claim 54 wherein the contacting process comprises

sending a request from a client of the secondary digital rights management system to an upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system;

communicating between the upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system to get the upgrade license or rights.

56. A medium as in claim 54 wherein the upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system comprises the server in the bridge, or a separate independent server.

57. A medium as in claim 54 wherein the original digital rights management system for the communication comprising the server sending the media, or a separate billing or upgrade server of the original digital rights management system.

58. A medium as in claim 54 wherein the communication comprises passing information through the bridge, or to an independent server of the secondary digital rights management system before reaching the original digital rights management system.

59. A medium as in claim 54 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system comprises an approval from the original digital rights management system during a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system.

60. A medium as in claim 54 wherein the permission from the original digital rights management system is pre-approved.

61. A medium as in claim 54 wherein upgrading access comprises at least one of extending the lifetime of the license, enabling new rights, enabling new exports, enabling move operation or restoration operation to another machine, or any combination thereof.

62. A medium as in claim 54 wherein enabling new rights comprises allowing additional copy.

63. A medium as in claim 54 wherein enabling new exports comprises additional bridging.

64. A medium as in claim 54 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be included in a communication between the secondary digital rights management system and the original digital rights management system to get permission for upgrading the media access.

65. A medium as in claim 54 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be extracted and replaced with an upgrade license.

66. A medium as in claim 54 wherein the media comprises an original license which is to be used to log or authorize the upgrade access transaction.

67. A machine readable medium containing machine executable program instructions which, when executed by a data processing system, cause the data processing system to perform a method, the method to be used for a client of a secondary digital rights management system to get upgraded access to a media originated from an original digital rights management system, the media stored within the access of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, the media sent through a bridge from the original to the secondary digital rights management system and being translated so that the secondary digital rights management system can modify the access, the method comprising:

contacting an upgrade server of the secondary digital rights management system to get new rights to the media;

upgrading the access to the media of the client of the secondary digital rights management system, the access upgrading achieved with permission from the original digital rights management system.

68. A medium as in claim 67 wherein the translation process through the bridge comprises adding a license from the secondary digital rights management system.

69. A medium as in claim 67 wherein the license from the secondary digital rights management system comprises additional license renewal data.

70. A medium as in claim 67 wherein the license renewal data are cryptographically linked to the license.

71. A medium as in claim 67 wherein the license renewal data are secured by the secondary digital rights management system, the original digital rights management system, or both.

72. A medium as in claim 67 wherein the license renewal data comprise subscriber identification data, event identification data, time stamp, device identification data, renewal traceability data, restore data, encrypted content key, or any combination thereof.

73. A method of repurposing a media originated from an original digital rights management (DRM) system and passed through a bridge to be under the protection of a secondary DRM, the method performed by at least one system of the original DRM, the method comprising:

receiving a request to upgrade the media from a system in the secondary DRM;

transmitting a permission from the at least one system of the original DRM in response to the request.

74. A method of repurposing a media originated from an original digital rights management (DRM) system and passed through a bridge to be under the protection of a secondary DRM, the method performed by at least one component of the bridge, the method comprising:

receiving a request to upgrade the media from a system in the secondary DRM;

transmitting the request to a system in the original DRM;

receiving a response to the request to upgrade the media.