Method and system for controlled media sharing in a network

• US 7,426,637 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2003
• Issued: 09/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Music Public Broadcasting, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Music Public Broadcasting, Inc.
• Inventors: Fitzgerald, Edward Vincent, Risan, Hank
• Primary Examiner(s): Moise, Emmanuel L
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH DIEU T
• Application Number:
  US10/443,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: 713/165, 726/26, 380/255, 705 57- 58, 725/61, 725/87
• US Class Current: 713/165
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1077 Recurrent authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones

Abstract

A method for controlling media sharing among a plurality of nodes in a network. The present method is comprised of availing to the network an instance of media content for sharing among the plurality of nodes by a source node communicatively coupled to the network. The present method further includes decrypting the instance of media content from an encryption local to the source node. The present method further includes encrypting the instance of media content into an intermediate encryption. The present method further includes transferring the instance of media content to a node while the instance of media content is in the intermediate encryption. The node is associated with the network. The decrypting and the encrypting and the transferring are in response to receiving a request for the instance of media content from the node.

Claims

1. A method for controlling media sharing among a plurality of nodes in a network, said method comprising:

availing to said network an instance of media content for sharing among said plurality of nodes by a source node communicatively coupled to said network;

decrypting said instance of media content from a first encryption local to said source node;

encrypting said decrypted instance of media content into an intermediate encryption from a second encryption local to an intermediary node; and

transferring said encrypted instance of media content to said intermediary node for delivery to a destination node while said instance of media content is in said intermediate encryption and wherein said destination node and said intermediary node are associated with said network, wherein said decrypting, said encrypting and said transferring are in response to receiving a request at said intermediary node for said instance of media content from said destination node.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving by said source node an intermediate encryption key for encrypting said instance of media content into said intermediate encryption.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein said intermediate encryption key is received in response to requesting said intermediate encryption key from an administrative node in said network.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said encrypting further comprises utilizing an intermediate encryption key to encrypt said instance of media content into said intermediate encryption for transfer of said instance of media content to said destination node.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a client application coupled to said source node performs said decrypting and said encrypting.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein a secure player application coupled to said source node avails said instance of media content to said network.

7. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising:

disabling said secure player application when said source node is no longer associated with said network, said disabling preventing said source node from availing to said network said instance of media content.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising complying with a usage restriction applicable to said instance of media content with a usage compliance mechanism coupled to said source node.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

storing said instance of media content in a custom file system on a memory unit coupled to said source node, said custom file system accessible to a secure player application coupled to said source node.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said source node and an administrative node in said plurality of nodes are the same node.

11. A system for controlled media sharing among a plurality of nodes in a network comprising:

a source node in said network, said source node having a secure player application installed and operable thereon;

a client application coupled to said source node for communicating with said plurality of nodes; and

wherein said source node is configured to transfer an instance of media content to a node in said network in response to a request from said node to receive said instance of content, said instance of media content decrypted from an encryption local to said source node and encrypted into an intermediate encryption for transfer to said node.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

a custom file system disposed on a memory unit coupled to said source node, said custom file system for storing said instance of media content.

13. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein said client application is configured to request an intermediate encryption key from an administrative node in said plurality of nodes, said intermediate encryption key for enabling said client application to encrypt said instance of media content into said intermediate encryption.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said source node and said administrative node are the same node in said plurality of nodes.

15. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein said client application is further configured to decrypt said instance of media content from said encryption local to said source node and to encrypt said instance of media into said intermediate encryption subsequent to receiving said intermediate encryption key.

16. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein said secure player application is configured to avail said instance of media content on said source node to said network.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said secure player application is disableable to prevent availing of said instance of media content to said network when said source node is no longer associated with said network.

18. The system as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

a usage compliance mechanism coupled to said source node for providing compliance with a usage restriction applicable to said instance of media content.

19. A computer readable storage medium storing computer implemented instructions, said instructions for causing a computer system to perform a method of controlling media sharing among a plurality of nodes in a network, said method comprising:

availing to said plurality of nodes by a source node communicatively coupled with said network an instance of media content for sharing among said plurality of nodes;

decrypting said instance of media content from an encryption local to said source node;

receiving an intermediate encryption key from an administrative node in said plurality of nodes, said intermediate encryption key to encrypt said decrypted instance of media content into an intermediate encryption for transfer to said administrative node for delivery to a destination node in said plurality of nodes; and

transferring said instance of media content to said administrative node for delivery to said destination node while in said intermediate encryption, said transferring in response to said administrative node receiving a request for said instance of media content from said destination node.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 further comprising:

requesting said intermediate encryption key from said administrative node.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein a client application coupled to said source node performs said decrypting and encrypting of said instance of media content.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein a secure player application, coupled to said source node, avails said instance of media content to said plurality of nodes.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22 further comprising:

disabling said secure player application to prevent presentation of said instance of media content to said source node when said source node is no longer associated with said network.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 22 further comprising:

preventing said secure player application from availing said instance of media content to said plurality of nodes when said source node is no longer associated with said network.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 19 further comprising:

complying with a usage restriction applicable to said instance of media content via a usage compliance mechanism coupled to said source node.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein said source node and said administrative node are the same node in said plurality of nodes.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein said further comprising:

storing said instance of media content in a custom file system on a memory unit coupled with said source node.