Authorization and access control of software object residing in set-top terminals

• US 6,256,393 B1
• Filed: 02/24/1999
• Issued: 07/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Safadi, Reem, Vince, Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Tod
• Assistant Examiner(s): Callahan, Paul E.
• Application Number:
  US09/257,274
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 380/211, 380/229, 380/231, 380/232, 380/233, 380/234, 380/241, 380/242, 705/58, 705/59, 705/77, 713/165, 713/166, 713/167, 713/187, 713/191
• US Class Current: 380/232
• 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 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems

Abstract

A method for providing authentication, authorization and access control of software object residing in digital set-top terminals creates a fingerprint (“signature”) for each software object, associates each fingerprint with a service tier, encodes each association and creates an association table containing the information and downloads the association table to the digital set-top terminal. In addition, the method utilizes an entitlement management message, sent to each set-top terminal, indicating what software objects the set-top terminal may utilize, and provides a system routine at the digital set-top terminal that is invoked whenever software object is about to be utilized. The entitlement management message contains the access rights given to a particular set-top terminal, which must match the software object'"'"'s access requirements for the software object to be utilized. The entitlement management message may also contain set-top terminal resource control access rights that a given software object may utilize. When the software object requires the utilization of a set-top resource, a second conditional access routine may be invoked to determine the authorization rights for using the resource. Measures to protect such means are also described. As such the method provides multiple system cable operators (MSO'"'"'s) with additional capabilities to maintain secure control of features and applications running on their networks and within the associated set-top terminals.

Claims

1. A method for providing authorization and access control of software object residing in digital set-top terminals, comprising the steps of:

creating a fingerprint for each software object;

associating each fingerprint with a service tier;

encoding each association made in said associating step;

creating an association table containing the information generated in said encoding step;

downloading the association table to the digital set-top terminal;

transmitting a message, providing an indication of what software the set-top terminal may utilize, to the digital set-top terminal; and

providing a system routine at the digital set-top terminal that is invoked whenever software object has been downloaded or is about to be utilized,

wherein the system routine uses the association table to determine if the software object about to be invoked has been authorized for the set-top terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, further wherein the software object has been verified and validated prior to the recited steps.

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

recording a lifetime of the software object; and

starting with a first use, checking the lifetime of the software object for expiration.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if a determination is made in said checking step that the software object lifetime has expired, further comprising the step of disabling the software object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if a plurality of software objects are associated with a service, further comprising the step of:

creating a fingerprint for the plurality of software objects as a group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitted message further indicates which set-top terminal resources the software object is authorized to utilize.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein an impulse authorization service tier may be assigned to facilitate immediate authorization of a resource.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the impulse authorization service tier has a time duration associated with it.

9. The method of claim 1, further wherein the transmitted message in said transmitting step provides the indication by setting the corresponding service tiers.

10. The method of claim 1, further wherein if the service tier has not been authorized, the software object is not executed.

11. The method of claim 1, further wherein if the service tier has been authorized, the system routine checks determines if the software object about to be utilized passes a corresponding fingerprint check.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein if the software object about to be utilized passes the corresponding fingerprint check, further comprising the step of:

determining if the use of a set-top terminal resource has been requested.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein if a determination is made in said determining step that the use of a set-top terminal resource has been requested, further comprising the step of:

providing a second system routine at the digital set-top terminal.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein if a determination is made in said determining step that the use of a set-top terminal resource has been requested, further comprising the step of:

determining if it is the first time that use of the set-top terminal resource by the software object has been requested,

wherein if it is the first time that use of the resource has been requested, providing a second system routine at the digital set-top terminal.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second system routine uses the transmitted messages to determine if the software object may utilize the requested set-top terminal resource.

16. The method of claim 11, further wherein if the software object about to be utilized does not have a corresponding fingerprint, the software object is not executed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the fingerprint of the software object residing in the set-top terminal is periodically compared to a reference value and an indication of a deviation is provided.

18. A method for providing authorization and access control of applications executing in digital set-top terminals, comprising the steps of:

associating each application with a service tier;

encoding each association made in said associating step;

creating an association table containing the information generated in said encoding step;

downloading the association table to the digital set-top terminal; and

providing a system routine at the digital set-top terminal that is invoked whenever an application is invoked,

wherein the system routine uses the application association or the association table to determine if an invoked application is associated with a service tier, and

wherein if the invoked application is not associated with a service tier, the application is not utilized.

19. The method of claim 18, further wherein if an invoked application is associated with a service tier, the system routine further determines if the tier corresponding to the service/application has been authorized.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein when set-top terminal resource control is desired for a single application across all set-tops, further comprising the step of:

providing an indication of the set-top terminal resource control in the encoded associations, wherein a second system routine uses the association table to determine if the software object may utilize the requested set-top terminal resource.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein set-top terminal resource control indications are conveyed to each set-top individually.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the software memory size of critical software components of the digital set-top terminal are periodically compared to a reference value and an indication of a deviation is provided.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the software size of the operating system of the digital set-top terminal is periodically compared to a reference value and an indication of a deviation is provided.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the software object memory size of the application code image in the digital set-top terminal is periodically compared to a reference value and an indication of a deviation is provided.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the checksum of critical software components of the digital set-top terminal is periodically compared to a reference value and an indication of a deviation is provided.

26. The method of claim 18, wherein the checksum of the operating system of the digital set-top terminal is periodically compared to a reference value and an indication of a deviation is provided.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the checksum of the software object in the digital set-top terminal is periodically compared to a reference value and an indication of a deviation is provided.

28. A system for providing authorization and access control of software object residing in digital set-top terminals, comprising:

a multiple system cable operator site comprising;

means for creating a fingerprint for each software object;

means for assigning each fingerprint to a service tier;

encoding means for encoding each association made in said associating step;

means for creating an association table/message containing the information generated in said encoding step;

means for downloading the association table to the digital set-top terminal;

means for transmitting a message, providing an indication of what software the set-top terminal may utilize, to the digital set-top terminal; and

a digital set-top terminal comprising;

a system routine that is invoked whenever software object has been downloaded or is about to be utilized,

wherein the system routine uses the association table/message to determine if the software object about to be invoked has been authorized for the set-top terminal.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein said means for creating a fingerprint comprises an independent software/HW object authentication.signature device (OASD).

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the OASD comprises said means for assigning each fingerprint to a service tier.

31. A digital set-top terminal, operating together with a multiple system cable operator system to provide authorization and access control of software object residing in the digital set-top terminal, the set-top terminal comprising:

a system routine that is invoked whenever software object has been downloaded or is about to be utilized,

wherein the system routine uses an association table/message, created at the MSO and downloaded to the set-top terminal, to determine if the software object about to be invoked has been authorized for the set-top terminal,

and further wherein the association table/message comprises an encoded fingerprint to service tier association corresponding to the software object.