Method and apparatus for controlling the distribution of digitally encoded data in a network

• US 7,318,099 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2003
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Stahl, Thomas Anthony, Carlsgaard, Eric Stephen, Duffield, David Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US10/517,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20050198282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,678 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229, 709/231, 709/238, 709/245, 709/225, 726/3, 726 26- 27, 713/155
• US Class Current: 709/229
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for controlling distribution of digital content from an device attached to a network to another device outside the network. The device receives a digital signal containing content, the digital signal having an authorization field indicative of a first transport mode authorizing the content for distribution outside the network, and of a second transport mode wherein the content is not authorized for transmission outside the network. The method comprises the steps of receiving location information of a router on the network for routing content to devices outside the network, receiving destination data indicative of location information associated with a destination device to which the device intends to distribute the content, determining whether the destination device is outside the network based on the router location information and the received destination data examining the authorization field and, inhibiting transmission of the content if the destination device is outside the network and the digital signal is in the inhibit mode.

Claims

1. In an access device attached to a network, a method for controlling distribution of data from the device to another device via the network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a digital signal representative of program content, the digital signal having an authorization field indicative of a first transport mode authorizing distribution of the digital signal outside the network, and of a second transport mode inhibiting distribution of the digital signal outside the network;

determining whether a destination device to which the digital signal is to be distributed is outside the network;

determining whether the authorization field is indicative of the first or second transport mode by parsing the authorization field at the access device; and

inhibiting transmission of the digital signal from the access device to the destination device in response to determining that the authorization field is indicative of the second transport mode and the destination device is outside the network, otherwise, transmitting the digital signal to the destination device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first determining step comprises the steps of:

receiving location information of a router on the network that is used for routing data to devices outside the network;

receiving destination data indicative of location information associated with a destination device to which the program content is to be distributed; and

determining whether the destination device is outside the network by determining whether the destination data corresponds to the location information of the router.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the digital signal comprises transport stream packets.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein for each transport stream packet, a payload portion is examined to determine whether the authorization field associated with that packet indicates whether the content is authorized for transmission outside the network when the destination device is outside the network, and wherein the inhibiting step comprises discarding the packet in response to the determination.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of receiving location information of the router comprises receiving a physical address of the router and storing the address in memory.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of receiving destination data comprises receiving a physical address of a device on the network in response to a broadcast ARP request from the device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first determining step comprises comparing the received physical address of the device on the network with the physical address of the router.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein method further comprises the step of accessing the digital signal from a broadcast source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signal comprises an MPEG-2 transport stream.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the authorization field is included in the PMT.

11. An access device coupled to a network and adapted to distribute data to other devices connected to the network, the device comprising:

means for receiving a digital signal representing program content, to digital signal including an authorization field indicative of a first transport mode wherein distribution of the digital signal outside of the network is authorized, and of a second transport mode wherein distribution of the digital signal outside of the network is inhibited;

memory encoded with computer code for executing a send operation for transmitting data on the network;

a processor for controlling data receiving and transmitting operations of the access device, the processor including data storage means for storing address information of devices connected to the network; and

data interface means, coupled to the network, for receiving data from devices attached to the network, and for distributing the digital signals on the network, wherein the processor is configured to parse the authorization field at the access device and the processor inhibits transmission of the digital signal on the network from the access device to the destination device in response to a determination that a destination device is outside the network and that the authorization field is indicative of the second transport mode, otherwise, the processor enables transmission of the digital signal on the network.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the data interface means is adapted to receive address information associated with a router attached to the network that is used to routing data to devices outside the network and to receive address information associated with the destination device, and the processor determines whether the destination device is outside the network by comparing the address information of the router and the addressing information of the destination device.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the computer code comprises:

computer program code for formatting an IP packet containing content to be distributed to the destination device;

computer program code for comparing a physical address of the destination device with a physical address associated with the router on the network to determine whether the destination device is outside the network; and

computer program code for inhibiting transmission of packet data in response to a determination that the authorization field is in the second transport mode and the destination device is outside the network.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the digital signal comprises an MPEG-2 open data stream.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the authorization field is included in the PMT.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the receiving means comprises means for receiving the digital signal from a broadcast source.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising means for authenticating the destination device using an authentication protocol.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein interface means discards the data packets in response to the determination of the second transport mode and the destination device being outside the network.