Using a first device to engage in a digital rights management transaction on behalf of a second device

• US 7,185,363 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2002
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Technologies Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Narin, Attila, DeMello, Marco A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wright, Norman M.
• Application Number:
  US10/265,437
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 726 5- 7, 726/18, 726/9
• US Class Current: 726/6
• 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: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A first device is used to initiate and direct a rights-management transaction, such as content licensing, acquisition, or activation, on behalf of a second device. The first device may, for example, be a desktop computer, laptop computer, or electronic kiosk at a bricks-and-mortar store. The second device may, for example, be a handheld computer that is cradled to establish communicative connectivity with the first device. A user interacts with the first device to initiate a transaction on behalf of the second device. The first device then obtains the information from the second device that is necessary to perform the transaction on behalf of the second device, communicates with a server, and provides the result of the server communication to the first device. Thus, the first device acts as a proxy for the second device.

Claims

1. A method of using a first device to enable the use of access-restricted content on a second device, the second device having associated therewith a first key pair comprising a first public key and a first private key, the method comprising:

establishing a communication connection between the first device and the second device;

engaging in a user interaction with the first device to initiate acquisition of the content;

at the first device, obtaining data that enables the use of the content in the presence of the first private key; and

transmitting the data to the second device,

wherein the second device is further associated with a second key pair comprising second public key and a second private key, and wherein the first private key is stored on the second device in a form that requires the second private key for decryption, wherein the second private key is built into hardware of the second device.

2. A method of using a first device to enable the use of access-restricted content on a second device, the second device having associated therewith a first key pair comprising a first public key and a first private key, the method comprising:

establishing a communication connection between the first device and the second device;

engaging in a user interaction with the first device to initiate acquisition of the content;

at the first device, obtaining data that enables the use of the content in the presence of the first private key; and

transmitting the data to the second device,

wherein the second device is further associated with a second key pair comprising second public key and a second private key, and wherein the first private key is stored on the second device in a form that requires the second private key for decryption, wherein the second device is further associated with one or more substantially unique hardware features, and wherein the second devices stores a software module that is adapted to perform decryption using the second private key only in the presence of said substantially unique hardware features.

3. A method of using a first device to enable the use of access-restricted content on a second device, the second device having associated therewith a first key pair comprising a first public key and a first private key, the method comprising:

establishing a communication connection between the first device and the second device;

engaging in a user interaction with the first device to initiate acquisition of the content;

at the first device, obtaining data that enables the use of the content in the presence of the first private key;

transmitting the data to the second device; and

on an output component of the first device, notifying the user of completion of a transaction.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

on an output component of the second device, notifying the user of completion of said transaction.

5. A method of using a first device to enable the use of access-restricted content on a second device, the second device having associated therewith a first key pair comprising a first public key and a first private key, the method comprising:

establishing a communication connection between the first device and the second device;

engaging in a user interaction with the first device to initiate acquisition of the content;

at the first device, obtaining data that enables the use of the content in the presence of the first private key; and

transmitting the data to the second device,

wherein said obtaining act comprises obtaining said data from a server device that is distinct from the first and second devices, and wherein the first device and the server device are on a network that provides communicative connectivity between the first device and the server device, wherein the second device is not on said network, and wherein the method further comprises;

using said communicative connectivity to obtain at least said data from said server device on behalf of said second device.

6. A method of using a first device to prepare a second device for consumption of access-restricted content on a second device, the second device having substantially unique information associated therewith, the method comprising:

establishing a communication connection between the first device and the second device;

engaging in a user interaction with the first device to initiate preparation of the second device for consumption of access-restricted content;

at the first device, obtaining first data that relates to the use of access-restricted content, the first data being based at least in part on the substantially unique information; and

transmitting the first data to the second device,

wherein the substantially unique information comprises one or more hardware features of the second device, and wherein the method further comprises;

at the first device, receiving second data indicative of the one or more hardware features from the second device,

wherein the first data that relates to the use of access-restricted comprises;

a software module that is associated with a first key pair comprising a first public key and a first private key, the software module being adapted to apply the first private key only in the presence of said one or more hardware features; and

a second key pair comprising a second public key and a second private key, wherein the second private key is in a form that requires the first private key for decryption.

7. A method of using a first device to prepare a second device for consumption of access-restricted content on a second device, the second device having substantially unique information associated therewith, the method comprising:

establishing a communication connection between the first device and the second device;

engaging in a user interaction with the first device to initiate preparation of the second device for consumption of access-restricted content;

at the first device, obtaining first data that relates to the use of access-restricted content, the first data being based at least in part on the substantially unique information;

transmitting the first data to the second device; and

on an output component of the first device, notifying the user of completion of a transaction.

8. A method of using a first device to prepare a second device for consumption of access-restricted content on a second device, the second device having substantially unique information associated therewith, the method comprising:

establishing a communication connection between the first device and the second device;

engaging in a user interaction with the first device to initiate preparation of the second device for consumption of access-restricted content;

at the first device, obtaining first data that relates to the use of access-restricted content, the first data being based at least in part on the substantially unique information;

transmitting the first data to the second device; and

on an output component of the second device, notifying the user of completion of said transaction.

9. A method of using a first device to prepare a second device for consumption of access-restricted content on a second device, the second device having substantially unique information associated therewith, the method comprising:

establishing a communication connection between the first device and the second device;

engaging in a user interaction with the first device to initiate preparation of the second device for consumption of access-restricted content;

at the first device, obtaining first data that relates to the use of access-restricted content, the first data being based at least in part on the substantially unique information; and

transmitting the first data to the second device,

wherein said act of obtaining first data that relates to the use of access-restricted content comprises obtaining said first data from a server device distinct from said first device and said second device, and wherein the first device and the server device are on a network that provides communicative connectivity between the first device and the server device, wherein the second device is not on said network, and wherein the method further comprises;

using said communicative connectivity to obtain at least said first data from said server device on behalf of said second device.

10. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer-executable instructions to perform a method of using a first device to engage in a rights management transaction on behalf of a second device that is communicatively connected to the first device, the method comprising:

using the first device to engage in a user interaction to initiate a transaction on behalf of the second device;

obtaining first information at the first device from the second device, the first information being associated with the second device;

requesting that a third device perform an operation in furtherance of the transaction, the third device being remote from the first and second devices, the request being based on the first information, whereby the operation generates second information;

receiving the second information from the third device; and

providing the second information to the second device,

wherein the rights management transaction comprises preparing the second device to use rights-managed content, and wherein the second information comprises a first certificate that permits rights-managed content to be consumed on the second device.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first information comprises one or more hardware features or identifiers of the second device, and wherein the obtaining act comprises obtaining the identifiers or information indicative of the hardware features.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the first information comprises a second certificate that is physically associated with the second device, and wherein the obtaining act comprises obtaining at least a portion of the certificate.