LICENSE INFORMATION EXCHANGE SYSTEM

• US 20120047559A1
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lilly Pathway LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Oho, Masahiro, Miura, Kouji, YAMAMOTO, Masaya
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,751 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• 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 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

When license information is transferred between a server machine and a client machine, an identifier which is unique to a series of communication sequences is provided. The identifier is sent when a communication is performed between the two machines, as well as when the license information is updated. Therefore, when a message for transferring the license information is received by the use of the same identifier, a response message is returned without updating the license information.

Claims

1-6. -6. (canceled)

7. A rights information transmission system comprising a server device and a client device, said rights information transmission system being for transmitting rights information indicating usage rights of a content, from said server device to said client device, via a communication network,

wherein said server device includes:

a first authentication unit configured to receive, from said client device, device unique information that is unique to said client device, and perform authentication with said client device, using the device unique information;

a receiving unit configured to receive communication identification information and a request message, from said client device, the communication identification information being for identifying a series of communications with said client device, and the request message including request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a first data storing unit configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between said server device and said client device, the communication identification information being stored in association with the received device unique information of said client device, at least until the rights information is transmitted to said client device;

a generating unit configured to generate rights information according to the request information included in the request message; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to said client device, a response message including the generated rights information, and

wherein said client device includes;

a first storing unit configured to store the rights information;

a second storing unit configured to store the device unique information that is unique to said client device;

a second authentication unit configured to send the device unique information to said server device, and perform the authentication with said server device, using the device unique information;

a request information generating unit configured to generate the request information;

a communication identification information generating unit configured to generate the communication identification information to be transmitted to said server device;

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to said server device, the communication identification information and the request message including the request information;

a second data storing unit configured to store the communication identification information generated by said communication identification generating unit at least until the rights information is received from said server device;

a receiving unit configured to receive, from said server device, the transmitted response message including the generated rights information; and

an updating unit configured to store, in said first storing unit, the generated rights information included in the received response message when said receiving unit receives the response message.

8. The rights information transmission system according to claim 7,

wherein said client device further includes a commit processing unit configured to generate and transmit a commit message to said server device when said updating unit completes the storing of the generated rights information in said first storing unit.

9. A rights information transmission method for transmitting rights information indicating usage rights of a content, the rights information being transmitted from a server device to a client device via a communication network, and said rights information transmission method comprising:

(i) steps performed by the server device including;

a first authentication step of receiving, from the client device, device unique information that is unique to the client device, and performing authentication with the client device, using the device unique information;

a receiving step of receiving communication identification information and a request message, from the client device, the communication identification information being for identifying a series of communications with the client device, and the request message including request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a generating step of generating rights information according to the request information included in the request message; and

a transmission step of transmitting, to the client device, a response message including the generated rights information,

wherein the server device includes a first data storing unit configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between the server device and the client device, the communication identification information being stored in association with the received device unique information of the client device, at least until the rights information is transmitted to the client device, and

wherein the client device includes;

a first storing unit configured to store the rights information;

a second storing unit configured to store the device unique information that is unique to the client device; and

a second data storing unit configured to store the communication identification information at least until the rights information is received from the server device; and

(ii) steps performed by the client device including;

a second authentication step of sending the device unique information to the server device, and performing the authentication with the server device, using the device unique information;

a request information generating step of generating the request information;

a communication identification information generating step of generating the communication identification information to be transmitted to the server device;

a transmission step of transmitting, to the server device, the communication identification information and the request message including the request information;

a receiving step of receiving, from the server device, the transmitted response message including the generated rights information; and

an updating step of storing, in the first storing unit, the generated rights information included in the received response message when the response message is received in said receiving step.

10. A rights information transmission apparatus comprising a server device and a client device, said rights information transmission system being for transmitting rights information indicating usage rights of a content, from said server device to said client device, via a communication network,

wherein said server device includes:

a first authentication unit configured to receive, from said client device, device unique information that is unique to said client device, and perform authentication with said client device, using the device unique information;

a receiving unit configured to receive communication identification information and a request message, from said client device, the communication identification information being for identifying a series of communications with said client device, and the request message including request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a first data storing unit configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between said server device and said client device, the communication identification information being stored in association with the received device unique information of said client device, at least until the rights information is transmitted to said client device;

a generating unit configured to generate rights information according to the request information included in the request message; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to said client device, a response message including the generated rights information, and

wherein said client device includes;

a first storing unit configured to store the rights information;

a second storing unit configured to store the device unique information that is unique to said client device;

a second authentication unit configured to send the device unique information to said server device, and perform the authentication with said server device, using the device unique information;

a request information generating unit configured to generate the request information;

a communication identification information generating unit configured to generate the communication identification information to be transmitted to said server device;

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to said server device, the communication identification information and the request message including the request information;

a second data storing unit configured to store the communication identification information generated by said communication identification generating unit at least until the rights information is received from said server device;

a receiving unit configured to receive, from said server device, the transmitted response message including the generated rights information; and

an updating unit configured to store, in said first storing unit, the generated rights information included in the received response message when said receiving unit receives the response message.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program for transmitting rights information indicating usage rights of a content, the rights information being transmitted from a server device to a client device via a communication network, and the program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

(i) steps performed by the server device including;

a first authentication step of receiving, from the client device, device unique information that is unique to the client device, and performing authentication with the client device, using the device unique information;

a receiving step of receiving communication identification information and a request message, from the client device, the communication identification information being for identifying a series of communications with the client device, and the request message including request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a generating step of generating rights information according to the request information included in the request message; and

a transmission step of transmitting, to the client device, a response message including the generated rights information,

wherein the server device includes a first data storing unit configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between the server device and the client device, the communication identification information being stored in association with the received device unique information of the client device, at least until the rights information is transmitted to the client device, and

wherein the client device includes;

a first storing unit configured to store the rights information;

a second storing unit configured to store the device unique information that is unique to the client device; and

a second data storing unit configured to store the communication identification information at least until the rights information is received from the server device; and

(ii) steps performed by the client device including;

a second authentication step of sending the device unique information to the server device, and performing the authentication with the server device, using the device unique information;

a request information generating step of generating the request information;

a communication identification information generating step of generating the communication identification information to be transmitted to the server device;

a transmission step of transmitting, to the server device, the communication identification information and the request message including the request information;

a receiving step of receiving, from the server device, the transmitted response message including the generated rights information; and

an updating step of storing, in the first storing unit, the generated rights information included in the received response message when the response message is received in said receiving step.