Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and computer program used therewith

• US 7,836,311 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2003
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kuriya, Shinobu, Kitaya, Yoshimichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Parthasarathy; Pramila
• Application Number:
  US10/624,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20040025058A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,675 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 380/277
• US Class Current: 713/185
• 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: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

Service data or usage right information, used as purchased content or license information, is set so as to be re-acquired on condition that an acquirer is an authorized content-purchasing client. A leaf ID as a client identifier in an enabling-key-block distribution tree, and a restoring-processing requesting file including verification data for the leaf ID are used as client identifying data, whereby it is ensured that an authorized content-purchasing client is verified.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus of a client for receiving a usage right corresponding to an encrypted content, the information processing apparatus comprising:

means for generating, after the client purchases the content, a restoration request file and storing the restoration request file on the information processing apparatus of the client;

means for storing usage right identifying information, the usage right identifying information identifying the usage right corresponding to the content, the usage right being initially issued to the information processing apparatus by a license server;

means for transmitting a restoring request to restore the usage right identifying information using backup data, the restoring request including client identifying information for identifying the information processing apparatus, and data for verifying the restoring request, the data for verifying the restoring request including a hash value calculated based on a first encryption key specific to the information processing apparatus, wherein transmitting the restoring request includes uploading the restoration request file;

means for receiving a response to the restoring request including reissued usage-right identifying information corresponding to the usage right;

means for transmitting, to the license server, a usage-right request including the reissued usage-right identifying information; and

means for receiving the usage right corresponding to the content from the license server.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes content identifying information for identifying the content corresponding to the usage right; and

the information processing apparatus further comprises;

means for transmitting, to a content server, a content request based on the content identifying information; and

means for receiving the content, the content being transmitted from the content server in response to the content request.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the usage right includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies the information processing apparatus or a user of the information processing apparatus permitted to use the content corresponding to the usage right.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

the information processing apparatus further comprises;

means for transmitting, to said license server, a registering request including the transaction ID; and

means for receiving registering information including a second encryption key required for decrypting the content, the registering information being transmitted from said license server in response to the registering request; and

wherein the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

5. A license server for transmitting a usage right to a client, the license server comprising:

means for storing usage-right identifying information corresponding to the usage right, the usage-right identifying information having been initially issued to the client;

means for receiving a restoring request including client identifying information for identifying the client and data for verifying the restoring request, the data for verifying the restoring request including a hash value calculated based on a first encryption key specific to the client, wherein the restoring request includes an uploaded restoration request file stored on the client and generated after the client purchased the content;

means for reissuing the usage right identifying information if the restoring request is valid, by transmitting the usage-right identifying information as a response to the restoring request;

means for receiving a usage-right request including the reissued usage-right identifying information; and

means for transmitting the usage right in response to the usage-right request.

6. A license server according to claim 5, wherein the usage right includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies an information processing apparatus or a user of the information processing apparatus, and the information processing apparatus or the user is permitted to use the content corresponding to the usage right.

7. A license server according to claim 5, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

the license server further comprises;

means for receiving a registering request including the transaction ID; and

means for transmitting, in response to the registering request, registering information including a second encryption key required for decrypting the content; and

the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

8. An information processing method for receiving a usage right corresponding to an encrypted content, the information processing method comprising the steps of:

generating, after a client purchases the content, a restoration request file;

storing the restoration request file on an information processing apparatus of the client;

storing usage right identifying information, the usage right identifying information identifying a usage right corresponding to the content, the usage right being initially issued to the information processing apparatus by a license server;

transmitting a restoring request to restore the usage right identifying information using backup data, the restoring request including client identifying information for identifying the information processing apparatus, and data for verifying the restoring request, the data for verifying the restoring request including a hash value calculated based on a first encryption key specific to the information processing apparatus, wherein transmitting the restoring request includes uploading the restoration request file;

receiving a response to the restoring request including reissued usage-right identifying information corresponding to the usage right;

transmitting, to the license server, a usage-right request including the reissued usage-right identifying information; and

receiving the usage right corresponding to the content from the license server.

9. An information processing method according to claim 8, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes content identifying information for identifying the content corresponding to the usage right; and

the information processing method further comprises the steps of;

transmitting, to a content server, a content request based on the content identifying information; and

receiving the content, the content being transmitted from the content server in response to the content request.

10. An information processing method according to claim 8, wherein the usage right includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies the information processing apparatus or a user, of the information processing apparatus permitted to use the content corresponding to the usage right.

11. An information processing method according to claim 8, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

the information processing method further comprises the steps of;

transmitting, to said license server, a registering request including the transaction ID; and

receiving registering information including a second encryption key required for decrypting the content, the registering information being transmitted from said license server in response to the registering request; and

wherein the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

12. A method for controlling a license server for transmitting a usage right to a client, the method comprising the steps of:

storing usage-right identifying information corresponding to the usage right, the usage-right identifying information having been initially issued to the client;

receiving a restoring request to restore information using backup data, the restoring request including client identifying information for identifying the client and data for verifying the restoring request, the data for verifying the restoring request including a hash value calculated based on a first encryption key specific to the client, wherein the restoring request includes an uploaded restoration request file stored on the client and generated after the client purchased the content;

reissuing the usage right identifying information if the restoring request is valid by transmitting the usage-right identifying information as a response to the restoring request;

receiving a usage-right request including the reissued usage-right identifying information; and

transmitting the usage right in response to the usage-right request.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the usage right includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies the information processing apparatus or the user of the information processing apparatus, and the information processing apparatus or the user is permitted to use the content corresponding to the usage right.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

the method further comprises the steps of;

receiving a registering request including the transaction ID; and

transmitting, in response to the registering request, registering information including a second encryption key required for decrypting the content; and

the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

15. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for performing a method for receiving a usage right corresponding to encrypted content corresponding to a usage right, the method comprising the steps of:

generating, after a client purchases the content, a restoration request file and storing the restoration request file on an information processing apparatus of the client;

storing usage right identifying information, the usage right identifying information identifying a usage right corresponding to the content, the usage right being initially issued to the information processing apparatus by a license server;

transmitting a restoring request to restore the usage right identifying information using backup data, the restoring request including client identifying information for identifying the information processing apparatus, and data for verifying the restoring request, the data for verifying the restoring request including a hash value calculated based on a first encryption key specific to the information processing apparatus, wherein transmitting the restoring request includes uploading the restoration request file;

receiving a response to the restoring request including reissued usage-right identifying information corresponding to the usage right;

transmitting, to the license server, a usage-right request including the reissued usage-right identifying information; and

receiving the usage right corresponding to the content from the license server.

16. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes content identifying information for identifying the content corresponding to the usage right; and

the program further comprises the steps of;

transmitting, to a content server, a content request based on the content identifying information; and

receiving the content, the content being transmitted from the content server in response to the content request.

17. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein the usage right includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies the information processing apparatus or the user of the information processing apparatus permitted to use the content corresponding to the usage right.

18. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 15, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

the method further comprises the steps of;

transmitting, to said license server, a registering request including the transaction ID; and

receiving registering information including a second encryption key required for decrypting the content, the registering information being transmitted from the license server in response to the registering request; and

wherein the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.

19. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for performing a method for transmitting, to a client, a usage right to permit the use of content, the method comprising the steps of:

storing usage-right identifying information corresponding to the usage right, the usage-right identifying information having been initially issued to the client;

receiving a restoring request to restore information using backup data, the restoring request including client identifying information for identifying the client and data for verifying the restoring request, the data for verifying the restoring request including a hash value calculated based on a first encryption key specific to the client, wherein the restoring request includes an uploaded restoration request file stored on the client and generated after the client purchased the content;

reissuing the usage right identifying information if the restoring request is valid, by transmitting the usage-right identifying information as a response to the restoring request;

receiving a usage-right request including the reissued usage-right identifying information; and

transmitting the usage right in response to the usage-right request.

20. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the usage right includes the client identifying information and a signature, and the client identifying information identifies an information processing apparatus or a user of the information processing apparatus, and the information processing apparatus or the user is permitted to use the content corresponding to the usage right.

21. A computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein:

the response to the restoring request includes a transaction ID for identifying a restoring transaction;

the method further comprises the steps of;

receiving a registering request including the transaction ID; and

transmitting, in response to the registering request, registering information including a second encryption key required for decrypting the content; and

the usage-right request includes the transaction ID.