CONTENT MANAGEMENT AND METHOD

• US 20100017501A1
• Filed: 05/02/2007
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer Cloud Technology, Inc. (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadon Communications Corp. (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lo, Raymond, Yen, Wei, Srinivasan, Pramila, Princen, John, Ho, Wilson
• Granted Patent: US 10,664,575 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1014 to tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/128 involving web programs, i.e. using technology especially used in internet, generally interacting with a web browser, e.g. hypertext markup language [HTML], applets, java
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3236 using cryptographic hash functions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A technique for content management involves storing runtime state of content externally. A system created according to the technique may include a state server that receives runtime state of content from a playback device, and provides the runtime state to that or another playback device upon request. A playback device constructed according to the technique may include a content state recovery engine for recovering runtime state that was previously stored externally to the playback device. A method according to the technique may include generating the runtime state locally, storing the runtime state externally, and re-acquiring the runtime state.

Claims

1. A method comprising

providing storage and retrieval services for title content and user-generated state data owned by the user;

cryptographically authenticating a signed ticket, including at least a title and a user or device identity, to validate a request for a title or state data associated with the user;

cryptographically authenticating a device or user-generated signature to establish the validity of state data before accepting the storage of user-generated state data.

2. A system comprising:

a network;

a license server, wherein in operation, the license server provides an E-ticket to a playback device;

a content server, wherein in operation, the content server provides content to the playback device;

a state server, wherein in operation, the state server provides application save data associated with the content to the playback device;

wherein the playback device has permission to execute the content in association with the application save data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the playback device is selected from the group of devices consisting of mobile device, game console, PDA, cellular phone, smart phone, computer, appliance, and electronic device that includes a computer readable medium.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a user database coupled to the license server, including data associated with the playback device or a user of the playback device.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising a content database coupled to the content server, including known or convenient content.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising a state database coupled to the state server, including application save data associated with the content and the playback device, a user of the playback device, or both.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the license server and the content server are relatively local with respect to one another.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the state server and the content server are relatively local with respect to one another.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein a request for content from the playback device triggers a response that includes content and application save data associated with the content.

10. A method comprising:

generating state by executing content on a playback device;

uploading the state and recording it in a state server;

re-acquiring the state using the information in a license associated with the content.

11. The method of claim 10, where the state is generated and uploaded from one device, and re-acquired on a different device.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

obtaining an E-ticket for the content;

acquiring the content using information in an E-ticket.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

obtaining an E-ticket for the content;

re-acquiring the runtime state using information in an E-ticket.

14. A device comprising:

an interface coupled to a bus;

an E-ticket database coupled to the bus, wherein in operation, the E-ticket database includes an E-ticket that is associated with content;

a content state recovery engine implemented in a computer-readable medium and coupled to the bus, wherein in operation, the content state recovery engine re-acquires application save data associated with the content;

wherein the E-ticket is received via the interface and stored in the E-ticket database, and wherein the application save data is received via the interface.

15. The device of claim 14, further comprising a content database that includes the content, wherein in operation, the content may be downloaded one or more times using the E-ticket associated with the content.

16. The device of claim 14, further comprising a content state database that includes the application save data associated with the content, wherein in operation, the content state recovery engine sends the application save data associated with the content over the interface to external storage.