Synchronizing for digital content access control

• US 7,512,972 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 03/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: de Jong, Eduard, Bostrom, Jon, Cooley, Aaron
• Primary Examiner(s): Revak; Christopher A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moorthy; Aravind K
• Application Number:
  US10/243,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20040054628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 726/9
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A method and apparatus for digital content access control comprises determining the occurrence of a synchronization event that triggers synchronization of information used by one or more content provisioners to create an authenticated digital content request that is based at least in part on a digital content request comprising a request for digital content with information used by one or more content repositories to validate the authenticated digital content request and to return the digital content based at least in part on the validation. The method also comprises determining the information in response to the sychronization event and sending the information to at least one of the group comprising the one or more content provisioners and the one or more content repositories.

Claims

1. A method for distributing digital content access control information, the method comprising:

applying a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating a plurality of tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

said plurality of tokens are each redeemable for access to said protected digital content; and

sending said token chain key to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said each of said plurality of tokens.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises a content domain indicator.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator; and

a content directory indicator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator;

a content directory indicator; and

a content item indicator.

5. A method for distributing digital content access control information, the method comprising:

applying a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating a plurality of tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

each of said plurality of tokens redeemable for access to said protected digital content;

encrypting said token chain key and a chain length value with a shared transport key to create sealed token pool information, said chain length value indicating the length of said token chain; and

sending said sealed token pool information to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said each of said plurality of tokens.

6. A method for distributing digital content access control information, the method comprising:

step for applying a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating a plurality of tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

said plurality of tokens are each redeemable for access to said protected digital content; and

step for sending said token chain key to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said each of said plurality of tokens.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises a content domain indicator.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator; and

a content directory indicator.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator;

a content directory indicator; and

a content item indicator.

10. A method for distributing digital content access control information, the method comprising:

step for applying a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating a plurality of tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

each of said plurality of tokens redeemable for access to said protected digital content;

step for encrypting said token chain key and a chain length value with a shared transport key to create sealed token pool information, said chain length value indicating the length of said token chain; and

step for sending said sealed token pool information to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said each of said plurality of tokens.

11. A program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for distributing digital content access control information, the method comprising:

applying a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating a plurality of tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

said plurality of tokens are each redeemable for access to said protected digital content; and

sending said token chain key to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said each of said plurality of tokens.

12. The program storage device of claim 11 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises a content domain indicator.

13. The program storage device of claim 11 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator; and

a content directory indicator.

14. The program storage device of claim 11 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator;

a content directory indicator; and

a content item indicator.

15. A program storage device readable by a machine, embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for distributing digital content access control information, the method comprising:

applying a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating a plurality of tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

each of said plurality of tokens redeemable for access to said protected digital content;

encrypting said token chain key and a chain length value with a shared transport key to create sealed token pool information, said chain length value indicating the length of said token chain; and

sending said sealed token pool information to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said each of said plurality of tokens.

16. An apparatus for distributing digital content access control information, the apparatus comprising:

means for applying a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating a plurality of tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

said plurality of tokens are each redeemable for access to said protected digital content; and

means for sending said token chain key to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said each of said plurality of tokens.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises a content domain indicator.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator; and

a content directory indicator.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator;

a content directory indicator; and

a content item indicator.

20. An apparatus for distributing digital content access control information, the apparatus comprising:

applying a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating one or more tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

said one or more tokens redeemable for access to said protected digital content;

encrypting said token chain key and a chain length value with a shared transport key to create sealed token pool information, said chain length value indicating the length of said token chain; and

sending said sealed token pool information to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said one or more tokens.

21. An apparatus for distributing digital content access control information, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a shared key; and

a synchronizer configured to;

apply a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating a plurality of tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

said plurality of tokens are each redeemable for access to said protected digital content; and

send said token chain key to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said each of said plurality of tokens.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises a content domain indicator.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator; and

a content directory indicator.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said at least part of a URL comprises:

a content domain indicator;

a content directory indicator; and

a content item indicator.

25. An apparatus for distributing digital content access control information, the apparatus comprising:

a memory for storing a shared key;

a synchronizer configured to;

apply a cryptographic process to at least part of a Universal Resource Locator (URL) together with a secret key to create a token chain key,

wherein said URL identifies protected digital content;

said token chain key is for use in creating a plurality of tokens in a token chain wherein said token chain is associated with said protected digital content; and

each of said plurality of tokens redeemable for access to said protected digital content;

encrypt said token chain key and a chain length value with a shared transport key to create sealed token pool information, said chain length value indicating the length of said token chain; and

send said sealed token pool information to an entity capable of applying said token chain key to validate said each of said plurality of tokens.