Multimedia storage systems and methods

• US 8,027,471 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mo-DV, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Mo-DV, Inc.
• Inventors: Widergren, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hady; Nabil El
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAIFER HARRIMAN, DANT B
• Application Number:
  US12/397,295
• Publication Number:
  US 20090169004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 380/295
• US Class Current: 380/239
• 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 21/6236 between heterogeneous systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0659 Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• 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 20/00115 wherein the record carrier stores a unique medium identifier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/005 wherein only some specific parts of the content are encrypted, e.g. encryption limited to I-frames
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00659 involving a control step which is implemented as an executable file stored on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00746 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific number
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1254 for mixed data, i.e. continuous and discontinuous data
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content

Abstract

An article of manufacture includes a machine-readable medium that stores a multimedia content file in a first format and multiple program sets. Each program set is a version of software that, when executed by a respective electronic system, produces the multimedia content file in a second format for use in the respective electronic system. A first program set is compatible with a first operating system executed by a first electronic system and a second program set is compatible with a second operating system executed by a second electronic system. The second operating system is distinct from the first operating system.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture, comprising:

A NON-TRANSITORY machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon;

a first data set in a first format, the first data set including a multimedia content file; and

a plurality of second data sets, wherein each second data set is a version of software that, when executed by a respective electronic system, produces the first data set in a second format for use in the respective electronic system,

wherein the plurality of second data sets includes a first software version executable by a first processor in a first electronic system utilizing a first operating system, and a second software version that is distinct from the first software version and that is executable by a second processor in a second electronic system utilizing a second operating system that is distinct from the first operating system.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein each second data set of the plurality of second data sets corresponds to a distinct respective operating system and is executable by a processor that also executes the distinct respective operating system.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 2, wherein each second data set of the plurality of second data sets includes decoder software and decryption software for decoding and decrypting the first data set.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 2, wherein each second data set of the plurality of second data sets includes a respective autoload program that is executable by the processor that also executes the respective operating system.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the first software version includes a first autoload program compatible with the first operating system and the second software version includes a second autoload program compatible with the second operating system.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable storage medium is adapted to be coupled to the respective electronic system and is removable from the respective electronic system.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 1, wherein the machine-readable storage medium is nonvolatile.

8. An electronic system, comprising:

a first processor;

memory coupled to the first processor;

operating system software stored in the memory and executable by the first processor; and

a removable memory device, coupled to the processor by an interface, the removable memory device having stored thereon;

a first data set in a first format, the first data set including a multimedia content file; and

a plurality of second data sets,

wherein each second data set is a version of software that, when executed by a respective electronic system, produces the first data set in a second format for use in the respective electronic system,

wherein the plurality of second data sets includes a first software version executable by a first processor in a first electronic system utilizing a first operating system, and a second software version that is distinct from the first software version and that is executable by a second processor in a second electronic system utilizing a second operating system that is distinct from the first operating system.

9. The electronic system of claim 8, wherein each second data set of the plurality of second data sets corresponds to a distinct respective operating system and is executable by a respective processor that also executes the distinct respective operating system.

10. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein each second data set of the plurality of second data sets includes decoder software and decryption software for decoding and decrypting the first data set.

11. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein each second data set of the plurality of second data sets includes a respective autoload program that is executable by the respective processor that also executes the respective operating system.

12. The electronic system of claim 9, wherein the first software version includes a first autoload program compatible with the first operating system and the second software version includes a second autoload program compatible with the second operating system.

13. The electronic system of claim 8, wherein the removable memory device is a nonvolatile memory device.

14. A method of operating an electronic system having a processor and memory storing operating system software that is executable by the processor, the method comprising:

receiving a removable memory device at an interface, the removable memory device having stored thereon;

a first data set in a first format, the first data set including a multimedia content file; and

a plurality of second data sets,

wherein each second data set is a version of software that, when executed by a respective system, produces the first data set in a second format for use in the respective system,

wherein the plurality of second data sets includes a first software version executable by a first processor in a first electronic system utilizing a first operating system, and a second software version that is distinct from the first software version and that is executable by a second processor in a second electronic system utilizing a second operating system that is distinct from the first operating system; and

executing one of the second data sets, in conjunction with the operating system software, to produce the first data set in the second format for use in the electronic system.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each second data set of the plurality of second data sets corresponds to a distinct respective operating system and is executable by a respective processor that also executes the distinct respective operating system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each second data set of the plurality of second data sets includes decoder software and decryption software for decoding and decrypting the first data set.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

storing a first code associated with the removable memory device on the removable memory device, separate from the first data set and the plurality of second data sets; and

storing a second code in the first data set or the plurality of second data sets, wherein executing one of the second data sets includes comparing the first code to the second code.

18. The method of claim 17, including preventing execution of at least one of the decoder software and decryption software if the first code does not match the second code.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the removable memory device is a nonvolatile memory device.