Application rights management in a mobile environment

• US 7,089,594 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: July Systems, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Reddy, Rajesh T S, Chakravorthy, Jyothirmoy, Lal, Vishal, Singhal, Umesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Application Number:
  US10/623,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 726/31, 713/200, 380/247
• US Class Current: 726/31
• 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: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content

Abstract

The present invention provides a technique for implementing digital rights management for digital content that can be used on Java enabled mobile devices. It enables the controlled usage of the digital content on the mobile device after it is downloaded from a content provider. This is achieved by a mobile service provider that generates a license based on a rights workflow and applies charging policies to prevent the downloaded digital content from being forwarded to other users. The digital content cannot be used without the license. The digital content can be delivered to the user either through combined or separate delivery, depending on whether the license is sent along with the digital content or not. On expiry of the license, the user is prompted for updating the license. The user can then use the digital content once the license is updated.

Claims

1. A method for enabling the distribution and usage of digital content protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies, the digital content being distributed to mobile users through a mobile service provider, the digital content being used by mobile users through their respective mobile devices, the mobile devices being Java enabled, the DRM policies being implemented by a wrapper which is added to the digital content, the DRM policies further being implemented without the need of a DRM agent on the mobile device, the method comprising:

a. the mobile service provider associating Digital Rights Management policies with the digital content wherein the wrapper is added to the digital content for facilitating implementation of DRM policies on the mobile device;

b. downloading the digital content along with the wrapper onto the mobile device;

c. the wrapper facilitating download of a license onto the mobile device, the license being generated on the basis of Digital Rights Management policies associated with the downloaded digital content;

d. the mobile user fulfilling preconditions for the use of the digital content, the preconditions being defined in accordance with the license; and

e. the wrapper implementing the DRM policies on the mobile device wherein the wrapper allows the mobile user using to use the digital content in accordance with the license; and

f. the wrapper allowing a purchase of a license when the existing license expires without the need to download the digital content again.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the digital content to be downloaded is provided by a content provider to the mobile service provider.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the digital content to be downloaded is hosted by the mobile service provider.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the license is downloaded onto the mobile device along with the wrapper and the digital content, allowing the mobile user to use the digital content in accordance with the license.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of registering the digital contents with the mobile service provider.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 wherein the step of registering the digital content with the mobile service provider comprises the steps of:

a. obtaining digital content files from the content provider;

b. generating the wrapper for the digital content for implementing the DRM policies;

c. generating a license file with default settings;

d. associating a rights workflow with the digital content;

e. updating the digital content files with the wrapper and the license; and

f. hosting the digital content files with the wrapper and the license on a download server.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of the wrapper allowing a purchase of a license when the existing license expires, if any further comprises the steps of:

a. wrapper contacting the mobile service provider for updating the license;

b. wrapper getting the next set of license options from the mobile service provider based on the rights workflow associated with the digital content;

c. wrapper prompting the mobile user for payment based on the user'"'"'s choice of license update;

d. wrapper updating the license according to the user'"'"'s choice; and

e . wrapper informing the mobile service provider of the user'"'"'s action.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein no license is downloaded on the mobile device along with the wrapper and the digital content, forcing the mobile user to use the digital content only after purchasing the license separately.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the license is delivered to the user after charging the user based upon the charging policies of the service.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the wrapper implements DRM policies on the digital content based on constraint parameters wherein the constraint parameters comprise a count of the number of times the digital content can be used, and a shelf life of the digital content.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein the wrapper presents the license options to the user for license renewal if the constraint parameters are violated.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the digital content comprises J2ME applications.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprises the step of using the rights workflow wherein the set of license options that are presented to the user for purchase are based to the current license that the user has purchased, if any.

14. A system suitable for enabling the distribution and usage of digital content protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies, the DRM policies being implemented by a wrapper which is added to the digital content, the DRM policies further being implemented without the need of a DRM agent on the mobile device, the system comprising:

a. at least one mobile service provider for implementation of Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies and distribution of the digital content, the mobile service provider further comprising;

i. a server for generating a license for the digital content to be downloaded, the license being generated on the basis of Digital Rights Management policies associated with the digital content to be downloaded;

ii. means for packaging the digital content with the license;

iii. means for delivering the digital content to the mobile device; and

iv. means for updating the license on its expiry, the updating being done after fulfillment of preconditions as defined by the DRM policies; and

b. at least one Java enabled mobile device for using the digital content provided through the mobile service provider.

15. The system as recited in claim 14 further comprising a content provider to provide the digital content.

16. The system as recited in claim 14 wherein the mobile service provider further comprises:

a. means for informing a user of the digital content hosted;

b. means for prompting the user for fulfilling preconditions for the digital content to be downloaded, the preconditions being defined in accordance with the license; and

c. means for charging the user for the digital content to be downloaded.

17. A system suitable for enabling the distribution and usage of digital content protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies, the system being implemented on or in association with a mobile service provider, the mobile service provider having access to the digital content, the digital content being used by any Java-enabled mobile device, the DRM policies being implemented by a wrapper which is added to the digital content, the DRM policies further being implemented without the need of a DRM agent on the mobile device, the system comprising:

a. a server for generating a license for the digital content to be downloaded, the license being generated on the basis of Digital Rights Management policies and a rights workflow associated with the digital content;

b. means for packaging the digital content with the license to generate a rights protected digital content;

c. means for updating the license on its expiry after the preconditions are fulfilled, the preconditions being defined in accordance with the license; and

d. means for delivering the digital content to the mobile device.

18. The system as recited in claim 17 wherein the mobile service provider further includes:

a. means for informing a user of the digital content hosted;

b. means for prompting the user for fulfilling preconditions for the digital content to be downloaded, the preconditions being defined in accordance with the license; and

c. means for charging the user for the digital content to be downloaded.

19. A computer program product for enabling distribution and usage of digital content associated with Digital Rights Management (DRM) policies, a mobile service provider implementing the DRM policies on the digital content, the digital content being used by mobile users through their respective mobile devices, the mobile devices being Java enabled, the DRM policies being implemented by a wrapper which is added to the digital content, the DRM policies further being implemented without the need of a DRM agent on the mobile device, the computer program product comprising:

a. a computer readable program means for associating Digital Rights Management policies with the digital content wherein the wrapper is added to the digital content for facilitating implementation of DRM policies on the mobile device;

b. a computer readable program means for downloading the digital content along with the wrapper onto the mobile device;

c. a computer readable program means for facilitating download of a license onto the mobile device, the license being generated on the basis of Digital Rights Management policies associated with the downloaded digital content;

d. a computer readable program means for enabling fulfillment of preconditions for the digital content to be used, the preconditions being defined in accordance with the license;

e. a computer readable program means for implementing the DRM policies on the mobile device wherein the wrapper allows the mobile user to use the digital content in accordance with the license; and

f. a computer readable program means for allowing purchase of a license when the existing license expires without the need to download the digital content again.

20. The computer program product as recited in claim 19 further including a computer readable program means for downloading the generated license onto the mobile device along with the wrapper and the digital content, allowing the mobile user to use the digital content in accordance with the license.

21. The computer program product as recited in claim 19 further including a computer readable program means for registering the digital contents with the mobile service provider.

22. The computer program product as recited in claim 19 further including a computer readable program means for delivering the digital content separately to the mobile user wherein no license is downloaded on the mobile device along with the wrapper and the digital content, forcing the mobile user to use the digital content only after purchasing the license separately.

23. A system for implementing DRM policies by adding a wrapper to digital content, the DRM policies being implemented without the need of a DRM agent on the mobile device, the system comprising:

a. at least one content provider for providing the digital content;

b. at least one mobile service provider for implementing DRM policies and distributing the digital content, the mobile service provider further comprising;

i. a packager for generating the wrapper around the digital content wherein the wrapper facilitates implementation of DRM policies on the Java enabled mobile device;

ii. a licensing server for generating a license for the digital content to be downloaded, the license being generated on the basis of DRM policies associated with the digital content to be downloaded; and

iii. a content server for delivering the digital content to the Java enabled mobile device; and

c. at least one Java enabled mobile device for using the digital content provided through the mobile service provider.