Downloading files from approved web site

• US 6,813,711 B1
• Filed: 01/04/2000
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Dimenstein, Zachary David
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kim
• Assistant Examiner(s): KLIMACH, PAULA W
• Application Number:
  US09/477,413
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 705/51, 709/233, 709/4, 709/5, 707/3, 707/10, 707/200, 707/204, 707/4, 707/5
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A method and apparatus for insuring that a digital storage device will only be able to download or play files that were obtained from sources deemed by the manufacturer of the device or by an overseeing organization to be acceptable. The files are downloaded in an unencrypted from and then encrypted prior to storage in a memory. The stored encrypted files are unencrypted prior to being transferred from the memory to the digital storage device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a command from a user to download at least one file from a selected web site, receiving a command from the user to either save the at least one file as is or open the at least one file;

retrieving an address of the selected web site in response to the command from the user to open the at least one file;

forwarding a query to at least one server to determine if the retrieved address is within an approved web site database;

notifying the user that the selected web site is not within the approved web site database upon a determination that the selected web site is not within the approved web site database and downloading the at least one file in an unencrypted format in response to a command from the user to download the at least one file in an unencrypted format to a selected folder of the user;

forwarding user information and information with regard to the at least one file to the at least one server upon a determination that the selected web site is within the approved web site database, and receiving encryption information from the at least one server in response thereto,

the user downloading the at least one file in an unencrypted format from the selected web site and converting the at least one file to an encrypted format in accordance with the encryption information from the at least one server; and

storing the at least one file in the encrypted format.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

downloading and saving the at least one file as is in an unencrypted format upon a command from the user to save the at least one file as is.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a command from the user to at least one of either play or display the at least one file stored in the encrypted format;

retrieving the at least one file stored in the encrypted format and decrypting the at least one file stored in the encrypted format with a previously stored encryption key in response to the user to at least one of either play or display the at least one file stored in the encrypted format; and

playing or displaying to the user the now decrypted at least one file.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the address of the selected web site comprises an Internet address of the selected web site.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising transferring the at least one file as is in an unencrypted format to a digital storage device.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising transferring the now decrypted at least one file to a digital storage device prior to playing or displaying to the user the now decrypted at least one file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising previously storing the approved web site database on the at least one server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a file from an external source and encrypting the received file from the external source into an encrypted format prior to storing the file.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a command from the user to at least one of either play or display the at least one file stored in the-encrypted format;

retrieving the at least one file stored in the encrypted format and decrypting the at least one file stored in the encrypted format with a previously stored encryption key in response to the user to at least one of either play or display the at least one file stored in the encrypted format; and

playing or displaying to the user the now decrypted at least one file.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising transferring the now decrypted at least one file to a digital storage device prior to playing or displaying to the user the now decrypted at least one file.

11. An apparatus comprising:

at least one server;

a computer including;

at least one user input device adapted to receive an input from a user;

at least one of a display and an audio output device adapted to respectively

display or provide an audio output in response to data of a file; and

a memory adapted to store files;

a digital storage device adapted to be connected to the computer to receive files therefrom; and

a network interface adapted to be connected to the computer to receive files from the at least one server via a network;

wherein, upon the computer receiving a command from the user via the at least one user input device to download at least one file from a selected web site and to either save the at least one file as is or open the at least one file, the computer retrieves the address of the selected web site in response to the command from the user to open the at least one file;

wherein, upon the computer retrieving the address, the computer forwards a query to the at least one server via the network and a network adapter to determine if the retrieved address is within an approved web site database;

wherein, the computer notifies the user that the selected web site is not within the approved web site database upon a determination that the selected web site is not within the approved web site database and downloads the at least one file in an unencrypted format in response to a command from the user to download the at least one file in an unencrypted format to a selected folder of the user;

wherein, the computer forwards user information and information with regard to the at least one file to the at least one server upon a determination that the selected web site is within the approved web site database, and receives encryption information from the at least one server in response thereto;

wherein, the computer downloads the at least one file in an unencrypted format from the selected web site and converts the at least one file to an encrypted format in accordance with the encryption information from the at least one server; and

wherein the computer stores the at least one file in the encrypted format in the memory of the computer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the computer downloads and saves the at least one file as is in an unencrypted format upon a command from the user to save the at least one file as is.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the computer:

upon receiving a command from the user via the at least one user input device to at least one of either play or display the at least one file stored in the memory in the encrypted format, retrieves the at least one file stored in the memory in the encrypted format and decrypts the at least one file stored in the encrypted format with a previously stored encryption key in response to the user to at least one of either play or display the at least one file stored in the memory in the encrypted format; and

plays or displays to the user the now decrypted at least one file.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the computer transfers the at least one stored now decrypted file from the memory to the digital storage device.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer transfers the unencrypted at least one stored file from the memory to the digital storage device.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the address of the selected web site comprises an Internet address of the selected web site.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer transfers the at least one file as is in an unencrypted format stored in the memory to a digital storage device.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the computer transfers the now decrypted at least one file stored in the memory to a digital storage device prior to playing or displaying to the user the now decrypted at least one file.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one server stores the approved web site database therein.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the computer is adapted to receive a file from an external source and to encrypt the received file from the external source into an encrypted format prior to storing the file.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the computer:

receives a command from the user to at least one of either play or display the at least one file stored in the encrypted format;

retrieves the at least one file stored in the encrypted format and decrypt the at least one file stored in the encrypted format with a previously stored encryption key in response to the user to at least one of either play or display the at least one file stored in the encrypted format; and

plays or displays to the user the now decrypted at least one file.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the computer transfers the now decrypted at least one file stored in the memory to a digital storage device prior to playing or displaying to the user the now decrypted at least one file.