Method and apparatus for targeting a digital information playback device

• US 6,170,060 B1
• Filed: 10/03/1997
• Issued: 01/02/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Audible Incorporated (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pai, Samuel Hong-Yen, Kocher, Paul, Jun, Benjamin Che-Ming, Story, Guy, Mott, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Hua, Ly V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Baderman, Scott T.
• Application Number:
  US08/943,582
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 713/160-161, 713/176, 713/201, 380/236, 380/237, 380/259, 707/104, 709/219
• US Class Current: 726/29
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/006 Identification G06F11/2289 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• 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 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for targeting a digital information playback device. A device ID and or a group ID is embedded in the playback device. A device ID or a group ID is also embedded in a digital information file. Upon receiving the digital information file, the device ID or the group ID of the playback device is compared to that contained in the digital information file. The digital information file is then played if either the device ID or the group ID of the digital information file matches that of the playback device.

Claims

1. A method for targeting a digital information playback device comprising:

embedding a first device identifier in the playback device;

embedding a second device identifier in a digital information file;

providing the digital information file to the playback device;

comparing the first device identifier to the second device identifier;

computing a first hash value for a section of the digital information file;

embedding the first hash value in the digital information file;

computing a second hash value when the digital information file is provided to the playback device; and

playing the digital information file if the first hash value matches the second hash value and the first device identifier matches the second device identifier.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein embedding the first device identifier comprises embedding a unique identifier in the playback device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein embedding the second device identifier comprises embedding the second device identifier in a header block of the digital information file.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording a first group identifier in the playback device;

embedding a second group identifier in the digital information file;

comparing the first group identifier to the second group identifier; and

if the first group identifier matches the second group identifier, playing the digital information file.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein recording the first group identifier comprises electronically receiving the first group identifier from a remote electronic source.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein embedding the second group identifier comprises embedding the second group identifier in a header block of the digital information file.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising executing a digital signature algorithm to authenticate the header block.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing a digital signature algorithm to authenticate the digital information file.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising executing a digital signature algorithm to authenticate a section of the digital information file.

10. A system for targeting a digital information playback device, the system comprising:

means for embedding a first device identifier in the playback device;

means for embedding a second device identifier in a digital computer for embedding a second device identifier in a digital information file;

means for computing a first hash value for a section of the digital information file;

means for embedding the first hash value in the digital information file;

means for providing the digital information file to the playback device;

means for computing a second hash value when the digital information file is provided to the playback device;

means for executing a digital signature algorithm to authenticate a header block of the digital information file;

means for comparing the first device identifier to the second device identifier; and

means for playing the digital information file if the first device identifier matches the second device identifier and if the first hash value matches the second hash value.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the means for embedding a first device identifier further comprises means for embedding a unique identifier in the playback device.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein the means for embedding the second device identifier further comprises means for embedding the second device identifier in the header block of the digital information file.

13. The system of claim 10 further comprising:

means for recording a first group identifier in the playback device;

means for recording a second group identifier in the digital information file;

means for comparing the first group identifier to the second group identifier; and

means for playing the digital information file if the first group identifier matches the second group identifier.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for recording the first group identifier further comprises means for electronically receiving the first group identifier from a remote electronic source.

15. The system of claim 13 wherein the means for recording the second group identifier further comprises means for recording the second group identifier in the header block of the digital information file.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for executing a digital signature algorithm to authenticate the header block of the digital information file.

17. The system of claim 10 further comprising means for executing a digital signature algorithm to authenticate a subsection of the digital information file.

18. A system for targeting an audio playback device comprising:

means for embedding a device identifier in an audio file;

means for embedding a group identifier in the audio file;

means for computing a first hash value for a section of the audio file;

means for embedding the first hash value in the audio file;

means for executing a digital signature algorithm to authenticate a header block of the audio file;

means for providing the audio file to the playback device; and

means for playing the audio file if the first hash value matches the second hash value.

19. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause one or more electronic devices to:

embed a first device identifier in a playback device;

embed a second device identifier in a digital information file;

provide the digital information file to the playback device;

compare the first device identifier to the second device identifier;

compute a first hash value for a section of the digital information file;

embed the first hash value in the digital information file;

compute a second hash value when the digital information file is provided to the playback device; and

play the digital information file if the first hash value matches the second hash value and the first device identifier matches the second device identifier.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the sequences of instruction that cause the one or more electronic devices to embed the first device identifier comprises sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to embed in the playback device.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 wherein the sequences of instructions that cause the one or more electronic devices to embed the second device identifier comprises sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to embed the second device identifier in a header block of the digital information file.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 further comprising sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to:

record a first group identifier in the playback device;

embed a second group identifier in the digital information file;

compare the first group identifier to the second group identifier; and

play the digital information file, if the first group identifier matches the second group identifier.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 22 wherein the sequences of instructions that cause the one or more electronic devices to record the first group identifier comprise sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to receive the first group identifier from a remote source.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 23 wherein the sequences of instructions that cause the one or more electronic devices to embed the second group identifier comprise sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to embed the second group identifier in a header block of the digital information file.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 24 further comprising sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to execute a digital signature algorithm to authenticate the header block.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 further comprising sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to execute a digital signature algorithm to authenticate the digital information file.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 19 further comprising sequences of instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more electronic devices to execute a digital signature algorithm to authenticate a section of the digital information file.