Method and apparatus for validating security components through a request for content

• US 7,206,941 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2003
• Issued: 04/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Wu, Hsi-Cheng, Raley, Michael, Ta, Thanh, Chen, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr.; Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nobahar; Abdulhakim
• Application Number:
  US10/425,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20030196091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,448 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1083 Partial license transfers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• 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 63/045 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply hybrid encryption, i.e. combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements using a plurality of keys or algorithms H04L9/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A system and method of controlling use of content in accordance with usage rights associated with the content. A request for content is analyzed by looking for a signature from a user device making the request to determine if the user device has security components for enforcing the usage rights. If the request does not have the signature, a software agent is sent to the user device to determine if the user device is secure and the request is resent with the signature if the user device is secure. Content is rendered with a rendering engine of the user device in accordance with the usage rights in response to the resent request.

Claims

1. A system of controlling use of content in accordance with usage rights associated with the content, said system comprising:

means for analyzing a request for content by looking for a signature from a user device making the request to determine if the user device has security components for enforcing the usage rights, the user device including a standard application program having a rendering engine capable of being accessed to render content;

means for determining if the request does not have the signature, sending a software agent to the user device to determine if the user device, including the rendering engine of the standard application program, is secure and resending the request with the signature if the user device is secure; and

means for rendering the content with the rendering engine of the standard application program of the user device in accordance with the usage rights in response to the resent request.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for installing the security components on the user device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said means for installing comprises means for sending installation instructions having address information of the security components to the user device.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for validating the signature of the resent request.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for analyzing comprises means for analyzing at least one of a rendering engine and one or more software components of the client.

6. A method of controlling use of content in accordance with usage rights associated with the content, said method comprising:

analyzing a request for content by looking for a signature from the user device making the request to determine if the user device has security components for enforcing the usage rights, the user device including a standard application program having a rendering engine capable of being accessed to render content;

if the request does not have the signature, sending a software agent to the user device to determine if the user device, including the rendering engine of the standard application program, is secure and resending the request with the signature if the user device is secure; and

rendering the content with the rendering engine of the standard application program of the user device in accordance with the usage rights in response to the resent request.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising installing the security components on the user device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the installing step comprises sending installation instructions having address information of the security components.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising validating the signature of the resent request.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said analyzing step comprises analyzing at least one of a rendering engine and one or more software components of the client.