Secure authorization and control method and apparatus for a game delivery service
First Claim
1. A communications system for the delivery of digital data programs to a remote location, said system comprising:
- a transmitter for transmitting a signal comprising said digital data programs;
a communications terminal located at said remote location and having a control circuit responsive to authorization data for authorizing said communications terminal to access an authorized one of the digital data programs in one of a first and a second authorization mode, said first authorization mode for authorizing said communications terminal to access authorized digital programs on an unlimited basis during a predetermined calendar time period regardless of program access time and said second authorization mode for authorizing said communications terminal to access authorized digital data programs for a predetermined program access time period regardless of calendar time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A communications system for the delivery of digital data programs to a remote location includes a transmitter for transmitting a signal having the digital data programs and a communications terminal located at the remote location. The communications terminal includes a control circuit including authorizing circuitry responsive to authorization data for authorizing the communications terminal to access authorized ones of the digital data programs in one of a first and a second authorization mode. For example, automatic authorization modes for game play may comprise an arcade mode and a rental mode, simulating manual access methods i.e. paying for play at a video arcade or for rental of games from a video game store. Moreover, new games may be accessed without charge by the game player if authorized according to a free service authorization map. Furthermore, parents may limits game play to children prior to a particular time of day such as bed-time or to a maximum playtime limit according to a secret downloadbale password known only to the parents. A game player may only read and not write authorization and control data.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A communications system for the delivery of digital data programs to a remote location, said system comprising:
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a transmitter for transmitting a signal comprising said digital data programs; a communications terminal located at said remote location and having a control circuit responsive to authorization data for authorizing said communications terminal to access an authorized one of the digital data programs in one of a first and a second authorization mode, said first authorization mode for authorizing said communications terminal to access authorized digital programs on an unlimited basis during a predetermined calendar time period regardless of program access time and said second authorization mode for authorizing said communications terminal to access authorized digital data programs for a predetermined program access time period regardless of calendar time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 26)
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22. A communications system for the delivery of digital data programs to a remote location, said system comprising:
- a transmitter for transmitting a signal comprising said digital data programs and a communications terminal located at said remote location wherein said digital data programs are arranged in services, wherein each service comprises one or more digital data programs, and said communications terminal comprises a control circuit responsive to service authorization data for authorizing said communications terminal to access authorized ones of said services, said control circuit for receiving service identification data of said service authorization data specifically addressed to said terminal and for receiving service definition data for defining service identification data of said one or more distal data programs addressed to a plurality of terminals including said specifically addressed terminal.
- View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35)
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34. A communications system for the delivery of digital data programs to a plurality of remote locations, said system comprising:
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communications terminals located at said remote locations; a transmitter for transmitting a signal comprising said digital data programs, first authorization data for authorizing all of said communications terminals to access first authorized ones of said digital data programs for predetermined program access periods, and second authorization data for authorizing respective ones of said communications terminals to access second authorized ones of said digital data programs regardless of said predetermined program access periods.
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36. A communications system for the delivery of digital data programs to a remote location, said system comprising:
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a control system for transmitting a signal comprising said digital data programs and authorization transactions, said authorization transactions including identifier data corresponding to one or more of said digital data programs, load phase data, and memory slot data; and a communications terminal located at said remote location, said communications terminal including; a memory for storing an authorization table for authorizing said communications terminal to access authorized ones of said digital data programs, said authorization table including a plurality of memory slots, each slot including a first field for storing load phase data and a second field for storing identifier data; and a control circuit for processing said authorization transactions using said memory slot data to access one of said memory slots of said authorization table, wherein said identifier data is loaded into the corresponding memory slot (1) if identifier data currently stored in the corresponding memory slot corresponds to the identifier data in the processed authorization transaction and load phase data currently stored in the corresponding memory slot differs from the load phase data in the processed authorization transaction or (2) if identifier data currently stored in the corresponding memory slot differs from the identifier data in the processed authorization transaction. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of providing video game program services from a central service center to a plurality of remotely located communications terminals, wherein each video game program service comprises one or more video game programs, the method comprising:
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a first step of transmitting from said central service center a signal including video game program data; a second step of transmitting from said central service center a first authorization transaction for defining first video game program services which are accessible to all of said communications terminals for predetermined periods of program access time; and a third step of transmitting from said central service center second authorization transactions, each second authorization transaction being respectively addressed to a corresponding communications terminal and defining second additional video game program services which are accessible to the respective corresponding communication terminal for variable periods of program access time. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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46. A secure home communications terminal for game services comprising
a secure game controller for 1) tuning to a game channel frequency 2) demodulating a game data and authorization and control data stream, an authorization and control data stream comprising globally addressed and specifically addressed game service authorization data 3) deserializing and deinterleaving received data 4) decrypting received data and 5) storing certain of said authorization data in secure memory and a game player adapted for plug-in connection to said game controller, said game player for retrieving game data only upon authorization, said authorization data, stored in secure memory of said secure game controller, being accessible by a controller of said game player for reading and not writing.
Specification