Secure personal content server

• US 20090089427A1
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wistaria Trading Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blue Spike, Inc.
• Inventors: Berry, Mike, Moskowitz, Scott A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,171,561 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1012 to domains
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4183 providing its own processing capabilities, e.g. external module for video decoding
• 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 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• 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

A local content server system (LCS) for creating a secure environment for digital content is disclosed, which system comprises: a communications port in communication for connecting the LCS via a network to at least one Secure Electronic Content Distributor (SECD), which SECD is capable of storing a plurality of data sets, is capable of receiving a request to transfer at least one content data set, and is capable of transmitting the at least one content data set in a secured transmission; a rewritable storage medium whereby content received from outside the LCS may be stored and retrieved; a domain processor that imposes rules and procedures for content being transferred between the LCS and devices outside the LCS; and a programmable address module which can be programmed with an identification code uniquely associated with the LCS. The LCS is provided with rules and procedures for accepting and transmitting content data. Optionally, the system may further comprise: an interface to permit the LCS to communicate with one or more Satellite Units (SU) which may be connected to the system through the interface, which SUs are capable of receiving and transmitting digital content; at least one SU; and/or at least one SECD. The SECD may have a storage device for storing a plurality of data sets, as well as a transaction processor for validating the request to purchase and for processing payment for a request to retrieve one of the data sets. The SECD typically includes a security module for encrypting or otherwise securitizing data which the SECD may transmit.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A local content server system (LCS) for managing information, comprising:

a) a communications port connected via a network to at least one Secure Electronic Content Distributor (SECD), said SECD configured to store and exchange at least one of a plurality of data sets;

b) a rewritable storage medium configured to receive data sets from outside the LCS for storage and retrieval;

c) a domain processor configured to impose rules and procedures for data sets being exchanged between the LCS and devices outside the LCS; and

d) a programmable address module programmed with an identification code uniquely associated with the LCS; and

said domain processor configured to determine if the at least one data set to be exchanged with the LCS is one of an unsecured data set, a secured data set and/or a legacy data set.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising

e) an interface configured to enable the LCS to communicate with one or more Satellite Units (SU) through the interface, said SUs configured to exchange data sets;

and

said domain processor configured to permit exchange of at least one data set at a predetermined quality level based on whether the at least one data set is determined to be one of an unsecured data set, a secured data set, and/or a legacy data set.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein said domain processor comprises a watermark extractor to determine whether the data set is authorized for use by extracting a watermark from the data set to be exchanged.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein said domain processor comprises:

an analyzer to analyze to determine if the SU is an authorized device for communicating with the LCS;

said analyzer further configured to analyze at least one data set received from an SU;

said system permitting the data set to be stored in the LCS if

i) an analysis of the data set received from the SU determines the data set is authorized, or ii) an analysis of the data set received from the SU concludes that the data set is not authorized because no authentication data is associated with the data set, and

said system preventing the data set from being stored in the LCS if

i) an analysis of the data set received from the SU determines the data set is not authorized for said LCS.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein said analyzer comprises a digital watermark extractor for analyzing an extracted digital watermark to determine if the data set has been previously watermarked with a unique identification code of the LCS.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein said analyzer comprises a verifier for verifying the data set to determine if the data set is associated with a different LCS and/or LCS Domain.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein said system permits the data set to be stored in the LCS at a degraded quality level if an analysis of the data set received from the SU determines that the data set received from the SU cannot be validated because i) no authentication information is associated with said data set and/or ii) no authentication information is embedded in the data set.

39. The system of claim 32, further comprising at least one Satellite Unit (SU), each such SU configured to communicate with the LCS.

40. The system of claim 32, wherein the domain processor is configured to enable renewability of the LCS, SECD, or both the LCS &

SECD.

41. The system of claim 32, wherein the domain processor is configured to enable updates associated with the LCS, SECD, or both the LCS &

SECD as determined by a user of said system.

42. A system for managing legacy relationships, comprising:

a) a communications port connected via a network to at least one Secure

Electronic Content Distributor (SECD), said SECD configured to store and exchange at least one copy of a plurality of content;

b) a rewritable storage medium configured to receive content from outside the Local Content Server (LCS) for storage and retrieval;

c) a domain processor configured to impose rules and procedures for content being exchanged between the LCS and devices outside the LCS; and

d) a programmable address module programmed with an identification code uniquely associated with the LCS; and

said domain processor configured to modify the quality and/or quantity of the at least one copy of the content to be exchanged based on the origin of the content and a predetermined reference level.

43. The system of claim 42, further comprising said domain processor determining if the at least one copy of content to be exchanged with the LCS is one of unsecured content, secured content and/or legacy content.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein said domain processor comprises a watermark extractor to determine whether the content is authorized for use by extracting a watermark from the content to be exchanged.

45. A method for managing information with a personal server, comprising:

a) connecting via a network to at least one Secure Electronic Content Distributor (SECD), said SECD configured to store and exchange at least one of a plurality of data sets;

b) retrieving data sets from outside the Local Content Server (LCS) for potential storage and subsequent retrieval from said LCS;

c) imposing rules and procedures for data sets to be exchanged between the LCS and devices outside the LCS; and

d) associating an identification code to uniquely identify the LCS; and

said step of imposing rules and procedures comprising at least the step of determining if the at least one data set to be exchanged with the LCS is one of an unsecured data set, a secured data set and/or a legacy data set.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising

e) enabling the LCS to communicate with one or more Satellite Units (SU), said SUs configured to exchange data sets;

and

permitting exchange of at least one data set at a predetermined quality level based on whether the at least one data set is one of an unsecured data set, a secured data set, and/or a legacy data set.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the step of imposing rules and procedures, comprises extracting at least one to determine whether the data set is authorized for use.

48. The method of claim 46, further comprising:

determining if the SU is an authorized device for communicating with the LCS;

analyzing at least one data set received from an SU;

said method permitting the data set to be stored in the LCS if

i) the analysis of the data set received from the SU determines the data set is authorized, or ii) the analysis of the data set received from the SU concludes that the data set is not authorized because no authentication data is associated with the data set, and

said method preventing the data set from being stored in the LCS if

i) the analysis of the data set received from the SU determines the data set is not authorized for said LCS.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said analysis comprises extracting a digital watermark to determine if the data set has been previously watermarked with a unique identification code.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein said analysis comprises verifying the data set to determine if the data set is associated with a different LCS and/or LCS Domain.

51. The method of claim 48, wherein said method permits the data set to be stored in the LCS at a degraded quality level if the analysis of the data set received from the SU determines that the data set received from the SU cannot be validated because i) no authentication information is associated with said data set and/or ii) no authentication information is embedded in the data set.

52. The method of claim 45, further comprising at least one Satellite Unit (SU), each such SU configured to communicate with the LCS.

53. The method of claim 45, wherein imposing rules and procedures comprises enabling renewability of the LCS, SECD, or both the LCS &

SECD.

54. The method of claim 45, wherein imposing rules and procedures comprises enabling updates associated with the LCS, SECD, or both the LCS &

SECD as determined by a user.