Broadcast software distribution

• US 5,894,516 A
• Filed: 07/10/1996
• Issued: 04/13/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation
• Inventors: Brandenburg, Barbara B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US08/679,638
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 380/4, 380/21, 380/9, 380/10, 380/20, 380/49, 380/50, 380/59, 380/23, 380/25, 705/26, 705/27, 348/6, 348/7, 348/8, 348/9, 348/12, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.3
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for broadcasting encrypted software to a target computer enables simultaneous transmission to a plurality of licensed target computers. An encryption key is generated to encrypt a software package. The encryption key is then itself encrypted using a target computer identification code, and the encrypted encryption key is loaded onto the target computer. The encrypted software is broadcast, for example, via satellite, and received at the target computer. The target computer uses its identification code to decrypt the encrypted encryption key (i.e., unlock the encryption key). Once the target computer unlocks the encryption key, it uses the encryption key to decrypt the software to be installed on the target computer.

Claims

1. A method of distributing software encrypted by a software encryption key to a target computer, comprising the steps of:

receiving a number unique to the target computer;

encrypting the software encryption key using the number unique to the target computer unique number;

transmitting the encrypted software encryption key to the target computer;

communicating a timeslot and channel for broadcasting the encrypted software to the target computer; and

broadcasting a message at the communicated timeslot and channel, the message comprising the encrypted software.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast timeslot is periodically scheduled according to a user request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission timeslot is regularly scheduled.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the message further comprises a version packet notifying the target computer that an upgraded version of the software is being transmitted and enabling the target computer to download upgraded versions of software already installed on the target computer; and

the method further comprises the step of decrypting the software using the target computer unique number when the version indicator indicates that an upgraded version of software already installed on the target computer is being broadcast.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the message further comprises a vendor header packet enabling the target computer to monitor broadcasts for software products offered by a vendor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

decrypting the software in the target computer using the target computer unique number;

determining if there are peripheral computers coupled to the target computer to receive the decrypted software; and

distributing the decrypted software to the peripheral computers when there are peripheral computers coupled to the target computer to receive the decrypted software.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the message further comprises a checksum packet for determining if the target computer received the encrypted software without error, and the method further comprises the steps of:

receiving the checksum packet in the target computer;

processing the checksum packet in the target computer to determine if the encrypted software was received without error;

providing the target computer information regarding a next broadcast of the software when the encrypted software was not received without error; and

waiting for retransmission of the encrypted software.

8. An apparatus for distributing software encrypted by a software encryption key to a target computer, comprising:

means for receiving a number unique to the target computer;

means for encrypting the software encryption key using the number unique to the target computer unique number;

means for transmitting the encrypted software encryption key to the target computer;

means for communicating a timeslot and channel for broadcasting the encrypted software to the target computer; and

means for broadcasting a message at the communicated timeslot and channel, the message comprising the encrypted software.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for providing a timeslot and channel for broadcasting the encrypted software to the target computer comprises means for periodically scheduling the timeslot according to a user request.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for providing a timeslot and channel for broadcasting the encrypted software to the target computer comprises means for regularly scheduling the transmission time.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

the message further comprises a version packet notifying the target computer that an upgraded version of the software is being transmitted and enabling the target computer to download upgraded versions of software already installed on the target computer; and

the apparatus further comprises means for decrypting the software using the target computer unique number when the version indicator indicates that an upgraded version of software already installed on the target computer is being broadcast.

12. The apparatus of claim 8,wherein the message further comprises a vendor header packet enabling the target computer to monitor broadcasts for software products offered by a vendor.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

means for decrypting the software in the target computer using the target computer unique number;

means for determining if there are peripheral computers coupled to the target computer to receive the decrypted software; and

means for distributing the decrypted software to the peripheral computers when there are peripheral computers coupled to the target computer to receive the decrypted software.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the message further comprises a checksum packet for determining if the target computer received the encrypted software without error, and the apparatus further comprises:

means for receiving the checksum packet in the target computer;

means for processing the checksum packet in the target computer to determine if the encrypted software was received without error;

providing the target computer information regarding a next broadcast of the software when the encrypted software was not received without error; and

waiting for retransmission of the encrypted software.

15. A program storage device, readable by computer, tangibly embodying one or more programs of instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps of distributing software encrypted by a software encryption key to a target computer, the method steps comprising the steps of:

receiving a number unique to the target computer;

encrypting the software encryption key using the number unique to the target computer unique number;

transmitting the encrypted software encryption key to the target computer;

communicating a timeslot and channel for broadcasting the encrypted software to the target computer; and

broadcasting a message at the communicated timeslot and channel, the message comprising the encrypted software.

16. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the broadcast timeslot is periodically scheduled according to a user request.

17. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the transmission timeslot is regularly scheduled.

18. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein:

the message further comprises a version packet notifying the target computer that an upgraded version of the software is being transmitted and enabling the target computer to download upgraded versions of software already installed on the target computer; and

the method steps further comprises the method step of decrypting the software using the target computer unique number when the version indicator indicates that an upgraded version of software already installed on the target computer is being broadcast.

19. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein:

the message further comprises a vendor header packet enabling the target computer to monitor broadcasts for software products offered by a vendor.

20. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the method steps further comprise the method steps of:

decrypting the software in the target computer using the target computer unique number;

determining if there are peripheral computers coupled to the target computer to receive the decrypted software; and

distributing the decrypted software to the peripheral computers when there are peripheral computers coupled to the target computer to receive the decrypted software.

21. The program storage device of claim 15, wherein the message further comprises a checksum packet for determining if the target computer received the encrypted software without error, and the method steps further comprise the method steps of:

receiving the checksum packet in the target computer;

processing the checksum packet in the target computer to determine if the encrypted software was received without error;

providing the target computer information regarding a next broadcast of the software when the encrypted software was not received without error; and

waiting for retransmission of the encrypted software.