Trusted Infrastructure Support Systems, Methods and Techniques for Secure Electronic Commerce Electronic Transactions and Rights Management

• US 20110047054A1
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Inventors: Ginter, Karl L., Weber, Robert P., Spahn, Francis J., Shear, Victor H., Van Wie, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,590,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 : Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 : for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 : Digital right managament [DRM]
• 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 2463/102 : applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 : applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 : using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 : involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 : involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 : involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 : by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 : Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• 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 21/2547 : Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 : involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 : embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 : Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 : Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 : involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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 21/4753 : for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83555 : using a structured language for describing usage rules of the content, e.g. REL
• 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 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

An integrated, modular array of administrative and support services are provided for electronic commerce and electronic rights and transaction management. These administrative and support services supply a secure foundation for conducting transaction-related capabilities over electronic networks, and can also be adapted to the specific needs of electronic commerce value chains. In one embodiment a Distributed Commerce Utility having a secure, programmable, distributed architecture provides these administrative and support services. The Distributed Commerce Utility may comprise a number of Commerce Utility Systems. These Commerce Utility Systems provide a web of infrastructure support available to, and reusable by, the entire electronic community and/or many of its participants. Different support functions can be collected together in hierarchical and/or networked relationships to suit various business models or other objectives. Modular support functions can be combined in different arrays to form different Commerce Utility Systems for different design implementations and purposes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at an end user'"'"'s electronic appliance, an electronic secure container including one or more digital properties and associated controls, the associated controls indicating one or more permitted uses of the one or more digital properties;

making at least one use of at least one of the one or more digital properties, the at least one use being made in accordance with the associated controls, the associated controls being enforced by a protected processing environment running on the end user'"'"'s electronic appliance; and

storing information relating to the at least one use; and

sending auditing information to a remote site for use in compensating a holder of rights in the at least one of the one or more digital properties.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the protected processing environment includes a secure processing unit, the secure processing unit including memory, the memory storing one or more cryptographic keys for use, directly or indirectly, in decrypting one or more of the digital properties.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the auditing information includes at least one of (a) an identification of the end user'"'"'s electronic appliance, (b) an indication of an amount of payment, (c) an identification of the end user, (d) an identification of the holder of rights, (e) an identification of the at least one use, and/or (f) an identification of the at least one of the one or more digital properties.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the auditing information includes at least two of (a) an identification of the end user'"'"'s electronic appliance, (b) an indication of an amount of payment, (c) an identification of the end user, (d) an identification of the holder of rights, (e) an identification of the at least one use, and/or (f) an identification of the at least one of the one or more digital properties.

5. The method of claim 1, in which the auditing information includes at least three of (a) an identification of the end user'"'"'s electronic appliance, (b) an indication of an amount of payment, (c) an identification of the end user, (d) an identification of the holder of rights, (e) an identification of the at least one use, and/or (f) an identification of the at least one of the one or more digital properties.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the one or more permitted uses of the one or more digital properties comprise one or more of:

copying at least one of the one or more digital properties;

modifying at least one of the one or more digital properties;

viewing at least one of the one or more digital properties; and

printing at least one of the one or more digital properties.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the controls include an indication of a first time period during which use of the one or more digital properties is permitted.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, separately from the electronic secure container, one or more additional controls, the one or more additional controls including an indication of a second time period during which use of the one or more digital properties is permitted.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the sending step is performed in response to occurrence of a predefined event.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the predefined event comprises at least one of (a) exhaustion of a budget, and/or (b) passage of a predefined amount of time.

11. A method comprising:

at a consumer'"'"'s electronic appliance, receiving a secure container including a digital property, the digital property having one or more controls associated therewith, and the consumer'"'"'s electronic appliance including a protected processing environment operable to use the one or more controls to govern use of the digital property;

at the consumer'"'"'s electronic appliance, making at least one use of the digital property in accordance with the one or more controls;

sending, from the consumer'"'"'s electronic appliance to a clearinghouse, information regarding the digital property and/or the at least one use of the digital property;

at the clearinghouse, effecting a crediting of a financial account associated with a first entity holding rights in the digital property.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

at the clearinghouse, effecting a debiting of a financial account associated with the consumer.

13. The method of claim 11, in which the first entity comprises a creator, distributor, or owner of the digital property.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

at the clearinghouse, effecting a crediting of a financial account associated with a second entity.

15. The method of claim 14, in which the second entity is selected from the group consisting of:

a governmental authority, a creator of the digital property, an owner of the digital property, a distributor of the digital property, and a clearinghouse operator.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

at the clearinghouse, generating a report based at least in part on the information; and

sending the report to the first entity.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

at the clearinghouse, generating a report based at least in part on the information; and

sending the report to the consumer.

18. The method of claim 11, in which the step of effecting a crediting of a financial account associated with a first entity holding rights in the digital property includes crediting the account of the first entity by an amount determined by aggregating auditing information received from one or more consumers'"'"' electronic appliances.

19. The method of claim 11, in which the step of effecting a crediting of a financial account associated with a first entity holding rights in the digital property is performed at a predefined interval, and in which the crediting includes crediting the account of the first entity by an amount determined by aggregating auditing information received from one or more consumers'"'"' electronic appliances.

20. The method of claim 11, in which the digital property comprises digital audio content, digital video content, textual content, and/or software.

21. The method of claim 11, in which the sending step is performed in response to occurrence of a predefined event.

22. The method of claim 21, in which the predefined event comprises at least one of (a) exhaustion of a budget, and/or (b) passage of a predefined amount of time.

23. The method of claim 11, in which the information includes at least one of (a) an identification of the consumer'"'"'s electronic appliance, (b) an indication of an amount of payment, (c) an identification of the consumer, (d) an identification of the first entity, (e) an identification of the at least one use, and/or (f) an identification of the digital property.