Digital content management system and apparatus

• US 6,424,715 B1
• Filed: 06/03/1997
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Piracy Protection LLC (LF Capital Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Corporation
• Inventors: Saito, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DARROW, JUSTIN T
• Application Number:
  US08/868,488
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: 395/704, 395/712, 380/4, 380/5, 380/3, 380/23, 380/201, 380/278, 380/279, 380/277, 709/224, 709/225, 709/302, 709/217, 705/51-52, 705/54, 705/57, 705/59, 713/164-165, 713/154, 713/167, 713/193, 713/201
• US Class Current: 380/201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/008 Public Key, Asymmetric Key, Asymmetric Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 : Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56
• 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 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 : for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• 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 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

There are provided a digital content management apparatus which further embodies a digital content management apparatus used with a user terminal, and a system which protects the secrets of a digital content. The system and the apparatus are a real time operating system using a microkernel, which is incorporated in the digital content management apparatus as an interruption process having high priority. When a user uses the digital content, whether there is an illegitimate usage or not, is watched by interrupting the usage process. In the case where illegitimate usage is carried out, a warning is given or the usage is stopped. The decryption/re-encryption functions of the digital content management apparatus having the decryption/re-encryption functions are not restricted to the inside of the user apparatus. By providing the decryption/re-encryption functions between the networks, the exchange of secret information between different networks is secured. By using this apparatus for converting a crypt algorithm, information exchange is made possible between systems which adopt different algorithms.

Claims

1. A digital content management system which uses digital contents, said system having:

a server in which a watch program which watches illegitimate usage of the digital content is stored, said watch program having a high interruption priority, and being constituted as a real time operating system using a micro-kernel, in a network.

2. A digital content management apparatus used with a user terminal which uses a digital content, said digital content management apparatus comprising a microprocessor, a microprocessor bus, a read-only semiconductor memory, an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory, and a read/write memory, wherein:

said microprocessor, said read-only semiconductor memory, said electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory and said read/write memory are connected to said microprocessor bus, and a system bus of said user terminal is capable of being connected to said microprocessor bus;

a crypt algorithm and a watch program watching illegitimate usage of the digital content, are components of an operating system stored in said read-only semiconductor memory, said watching program having a high interruption priority; and

a user'"'"'s first public-key, a user'"'"'s first private-key, a user'"'"'s second public-key, a user'"'"'s second private-key, a digital content management program, a database'"'"'s first secret-key, a database'"'"'s second secret-key and copyright information are stored in said electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory.

3. The digital content management apparatus according to claim 2 is configured on an IC chip.

4. The digital content management apparatus according to claim 2 is configured in an IC card.

5. The digital content management apparatus according to claim 2 is configured in a PC card.

6. The digital content management apparatus according to claim 2 is configured in an inserted board.

7. A digital content management apparatus which protects the secrets of a digital content in a network, said digital content management apparatus comprising a microprocessor, a microprocessor bus, a read-only semiconductor memory, an electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory and a read/write memory, wherein:

said microprocessor, said read-only semiconductor memory, said electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory and said read/write memory are connected to said microprocessor bus, and a system bus of said user terminal is capable of being connected;

a crypt algorithm and a watch program watching illegitimate usage of the digital content, are components of an operating system stored in said read-only semiconductor memory, said watching program having a high interruption priority; and

a user'"'"'s first public-key, a user'"'"'s first private-key, a user'"'"'s second public-key, a user'"'"'s second private-key, a digital content management program, a database'"'"'s first secret-key, a database'"'"'s second secret-key and copyright information are stored in said electrically erasable and programmable read-only memory.

8. The digital content management apparatus according to claim 7 is configured on an IC chip.

9. The digital contents management apparatus according to claim 7 is configured in an IC card.

10. The digital contents management apparatus according to claim 7 is configured in a PC card.

11. The digital contents management apparatus according to claim 7 is configured in an inserted board.