System for dynamically encrypting information for secure internet commerce and providing embedded fulfillment software

• US 7,124,437 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 10/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Arvato Digital Service LLC (Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA)
• Original Assignee: Protexis, Inc. (Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA)
• Inventors: Byrne, Shannon, Muecke, Innes, Patterson, Andrew, Silk, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CALLAHAN, PAUL E
• Application Number:
  US11/035,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20060015460A1
• Time in Patent Office: 641 Days
• Field of Search: 380/231, 380/282, 705/52, 705/56, 705/51, 713/153, 713/163, 726/27, 726/29, 726/28, 726/33, 726/26, 726/30, 726/31, 726/19
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• 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 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0611 Request for offers or quotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A data distribution system is provided which supplies customers with an executable for requested secured data files to provide the customer with fulfillment software, obviating the need for the customer to download fulfillment software prior to requesting secure data. The data distribution system is characterized by server technology which can dynamically encrypt secured data files just prior to a customer request to download the data file. A framework for building a universal data distribution infrastructure is provided which employs Requesters.

Claims

1. A method of delivering encrypted content to a user computer via a communication network comprising the steps of:

reviewing a dataset using said user computer, said dataset being provided to said user computer by an information provider via a communication network;

selecting at least one item available for acquisition and provided in said dataset;

generating a machine-dependent product code at said user computer, said product code comprising a unique identifier corresponding to at least a part of said user computer to uniquely identify said user computer; and

transmitting a request for said at least one item and said product code to said information provider; and

encrypting said at least one item in response to said request;

wherein said information provider encrypts said at least one item in said dataset using an encryption method comprising the steps of

generating said key cryptographically to encrypt data comprising said at least one item;

storing the encrypted data in a database at a selected location;

assigning a unique code to the encrypted data that is generated using a hash algorithm on the location of the encrypt data; and

storing the location of the encrypted data, the key and the hashed code in a key management database.

2. A method of delivering encrypted content to a user computer via a communication network comprising the steps of:

reviewing a dataset using said user computer, said dataset being provided to said user computer by an information provider via a communication network;

selecting at least one item available for acquisition and provided in said dataset;

generating a machine-dependent product code at said user computer, said product code comprising a unique identifier corresponding to at least a part of said user computer to uniquely identify said user computer; and

transmitting a request for said at least one item and said product code to said information provider; and

encrypting said at least one item in response to said request, said information provider encrypting said at least one item in said dataset using a key and generating a release code for said item using said product code and said key in response to said request, said release code being machine-dependent with respect to said user computer;

storing said at least one item at said user computer in an encrypted format; and

decrypting said at least one item at said user computer using said release code whenever access to said item is desired.

3. A method of delivering encrypted content to a user computer via a communication network comprising the steps of:

reviewing a dataset using said user computer, said dataset being provided to said user computer by an information provider via a communication network;

selecting at least one item available for acquisition and provided in said dataset;

generating a machine-dependent product code at said user computer, said product code comprising a unique identifier corresponding to at least a part of said user computer to uniquely identify said user computer; and

transmitting a request for said at least one item and said product code to said information provider; and

encrypting said at least one item in response to said request, said information provider encrypting said at least one item in said dataset using a key and generating a release code for said item using said product code and said key in response to said request, said release code being machine-dependent with respect to said user computer;

wherein said dataset comprises a plurality of items available for acquisition that have been packaged together into a single file, and further comprising the steps of

encrypting the entire said file with a single key;

generating a release code using said single key and said product code; and

decrypting said plurality of items using only one said product code and one said release code.

4. A method of delivering a set of data items from a server database to a client computer via a digital medium comprising the steps of:

searching for data items in said server database via said client computer;

selecting desired data items via said client computer and sending the selection results to said server;

packaging the selected data items via said server into a single compound file, encrypting it with a package key, and storing the key in a key database along with a unique package identifier;

attaching executable client fulfillment software to the package file via said server;

receiving the package of encrypted data items at said client computer from said server and executing the client fulfillment software;

generating a product code via said client fulfillment software that comprises said unique package identifier and transmitting said product code to said server;

after receiving said product code, generating a release code at said server that comprises said package key and transmitting said release code to said client computer;

receiving said release code and decrypting the data items via said client fulfillment software for storage on said client computer;

wherein said generating step for generating a release code comprises the step of generating a release code that is useful to decrypt the data items for only a predetermined period of time.

5. A method of delivering a set of data items from a server database to a client computer via a digital medium comprising the steps of:

searching for data items in said server database via said client computer;

selecting desired data items via said client computer and sending the selection results to said server;

packaging the selected data items via said server into a single compound file, encrypting it with a package key, and storing the key in a key database along with a unique package identifier;

attaching executable client fulfillment software to the package file via said server;

receiving the package of encrypted data items at said client computer from said server and executing the client fulfillment software;

generating a product code via said client fulfillment software that comprises said unique package identifier and transmitting said product code to said server;

after receiving said product code, generating a release code at said server that comprises said package key and transmitting said release code to said client computer;

receiving said release code and decrypting the data items via said client fulfillment software for storage on said client computer;

wherein said data items are subject to a license, and further comprising the step of generating license windows via said client fulfillment software to allow a user to acquire a license for at least one of said data items.

6. A method of delivering a set of data items from a server database to a client computer via a digital medium comprising the steps of:

searching for data items in said server database via said client computer;

selecting desired data items via said client computer and sending the selection results to said server;

packaging the selected data items via said server into a single compound file, encrypting it with a package key, and storing the key in a key database along with a unique package identifier;

attaching executable client fulfillment software to the package file via said server;

receiving the package of encrypted data items at said client computer from said server and executing the client fulfillment software;

generating a product code via said client fulfillment software that comprises said unique package identifier and transmitting said product code to said server;

after receiving said product code, generating a release code at said server that comprises said package key and transmitting said release code to said client computer;

receiving said release code and decrypting the data items via said client fulfillment software for storage on said client computer;

wherein said data items are subject to a license, and further comprising the step of generating windows via said client fulfillment software to allow a user to acquire at least one of said data items via site license network-based purchasing.

7. A method of delivering a set of data items from a server database to a client computer via a digital medium comprising the steps of:

searching for data items in said server database via said client computer;

selecting desired data items via said client computer and sending the selection results to said server;

packaging the selected data items via said server into a single compound file, encrypting it with a package key, and storing the key in a key database along with a unique package identifier;

attaching executable client fulfillment software to the package file via said server;

receiving the package of encrypted data items at said client computer from said server and executing the client fulfillment software;

generating a product code via said client fulfillment software that comprises said unique package identifier and transmitting said product code to said server;

after receiving said product code, generating a release code at said server that comprises said package key and transmitting said release code to said client computer;

receiving said release code and decrypting the data items via said client fulfillment software for storage on said client computer;

storing said single compound file at said user computer in an encrypted format; and

decrypting said single compound file at said user computer using said release code whenever access to said single compound file is desired.