System and methods for permitting open access to data objects and for securing data within the data objects

• US 7,813,506 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2009
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Wistaria Trading Inc.
• Original Assignee: Blue Spike, Inc.
• Inventors: Berry, Mike W., Moskowitz, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman; Brandon S
• Application Number:
  US12/383,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20090190754A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 380/252
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0071 involving a purchase action
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00818 wherein the usage restriction limits the signal quality, e.g. by low-pass filtering of audio signals or by reducing the resolution of video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00891 embedded in audio data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00985 the trial version being of lower quality than the original version
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00014 the compressed signal being an audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/34 Encoding or coding, e.g. Huffman coding or error correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/467 characterised by the embedded information being invisible, e.g. watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2351 involving encryption of additional data arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23892 involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 : involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 : Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A system and methods for permitting open access to data objects and for securing data within the data objects is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for securing a data object is disclosed. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for securing a data object is disclosed. The method includes the steps of (1) providing a data object comprising digital data and file format information; (2) embedding independent data into a data object; and (3) scrambling the data object to degrade the data object to a predetermined signal quality level. The steps of embedding and scrambling may be performed until a predetermined condition is met. The method may also include the steps of descrambling the data object to upgrade the data object to a predetermined signal quality level, and decoding the embedded independent data. The additional steps of descrambling and decoding may be performed until a predetermined condition is met. The predetermined condition may include, for example, reaching a desired signal quality of the data object.

Claims

1. A method for creating differential access to a digital signal, comprising:

receiving a digital signal;

selecting at least one signal characteristic of the digital signal;

manipulating the at least one signal characteristic to degrade the digital signal;

associating at least one digital watermark with the degraded digital signal; and

creating differential access based on the manipulation step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the manipulation is associated with information independent of the digital signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the manipulation is associated with the format of the digital signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the manipulation is associated with at least one of a browser, viewer, player, payment facility, or key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated digital watermark may be embedded in the digital signal using at least one of a browser, viewer, player, recorder, or key.

6. A method for distributing accessible digital content, comprising:

providing a digital content comprising digital data and file format information;

selecting a scrambling technique to apply to the digital content;

scrambling the digital content using a predetermined key resulting in perceptibly degraded digital content wherein the scrambling technique is based on a plurality of predetermined criteria including at least the criteria of reaching a desired signal quality level for the digital content; and

distributing the scrambled digital content.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

generating at least one key based on a result of the scrambling of the digital content.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of generating at least one key based on a result of the scrambling of the digital content comprises:

selecting at least one of a plurality of signal characteristics of the digital content; and

ciphering the results of the order of steps of signal characteristic selection.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of scrambling the digital content comprises multiple step scrambling, and an order of the multiple step scrambling is ciphered to generate a key.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating an authorization key that is dependent on a public key and a private key;

wherein the authorization key is further dependent on at least one of a time, a channel, and a copy of a digital content object.

11. A device for creating differential access to an accessible data object, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a data object comprising digital data and file format information;

an encoder for encoding independent data into the data object;

a scrambler for manipulating the data object based on at least one signal characteristic of the data object wherein the scrambling is performed until at least one signal quality threshold is created for the data object; and

a transmitter for transmitting the perceptibly manipulated data object wherein the manipulated data object is associated with at least one selected from the group comprising;

a digital watermark;

a key;

a device;

a subscriber;

a user;

a payment facility;

a distribution channel;

authentication information;

or, combinations thereof.

12. A method for authorizing data objects, comprising:

embedding data into a data object;

scrambling the data object where at least a portion of the embedded data can be authorized from the scrambled data object;

distributing the scrambled data object; and

distributing at least one key that enables authorization of the scrambled data object based on the embedded data.

13. A device for enabling differential access of distributable data objects comprising:

an encoder for encoding the data object with independent information;

a scrambler for scrambling the data object to enable differential access with a scrambling technique selected from the group consisting of;

file format manipulation;

partial encryption;

threshold encryption; and

, probabilistic encryption, where at least a portion of the encoded independent information can be detected from the scrambled data object; and

a key generator for generating a key based on a signal quality threshold that is adjustable in at least one of a time, a frequency, and a bit depth.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein at least one key is used to upgrade the device.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein a decoder is configured to play or view the modified data object.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the decoder is used to modify at least one of the device, the data object, the independent information, or combinations thereof.

17. The device according to claim 13, wherein at least one generated key is associated with at least one of the independent information, the scrambling technique, the data object, or combinations thereof.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein a decoder is configured to play or view the scrambled data object in a plurality of scrambled states.