Mobile telephony content protection

• US 8,184,811 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Williams, Michael, Joseph, Roy, Patten, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMAN, MOHAMMAD L
• Application Number:
  US11/248,689
• Time in Patent Office: 2,414 Days
• Field of Search: 380/3, 380/4, 380/200, 380/201, 380/270, 380/247, 713/160, 713/154, 713/153, 714/1, 714/15, 714/18, 726/17, 726/21, 726 28- 30, 370/395.32
• US Class Current: 380/247
• 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: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity

Abstract

In a digital content management system, a mobile device determines whether it is authorized to use digital content by sending, to a service provider, a hash value that has been pre-stored in the mobile device and that is associated with the digital content. The hash value is generated by combining a user identifier, among other data, into a combined hash. The other data included in the combined hash may be, for example, a service provider key unknown to the user, and a hash of the protected content. A telecommunications service provider, such as a service provider of a CDMA wireless network, determines whether the hash value is valid and, accordingly, whether the mobile device is authorized to use the digital content.

Claims

1. A content management method, comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device, a combined hash associated with digital content;

determining a user identifier associated with the mobile device;

selecting a service provider key from among a plurality of service provider keys, the selection being made based on the user identifier, wherein the service provider key is the same for different user identifiers, and wherein the service provider key is unknown to a user of the mobile device;

generating a benchmark hash by hashing together at least the user identifier and the service provider key;

making a determination of whether the benchmark hash is the same as the combined hash;

if the determination is that the benchmark hash is the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, reporting to the mobile device that the user is authorized to use the content; and

if the determination is that the benchmark hash is not the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, reporting to the mobile device that the user is not authorized to use the content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the benchmark hash is performed after receiving the combined hash.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the user identifier includes determining an electronic serial number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the user identifier includes determining a telephone exchange number.

5. A content management method, comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device, a combined hash associated with digital content;

generating a content hash from the digital content;

determining a user identifier associated with the mobile device;

selecting a service provider key from among a plurality of service provider keys, the selection being made based on the user identifier, wherein the service provider key is the same for different user identifiers, and wherein the service provider key is unknown to a user of the mobile device;

generating a benchmark hash by hashing together the user identifier, the service provider key, and the content hash;

making a determination of whether the benchmark hash is the same as the combined hash;

if the determination is that the benchmark hash is the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, reporting to the mobile device that the user is authorized to use the content; and

if the determination is that the benchmark hash is not the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, reporting to the mobile device that the user is not authorized to use the content.

6. A content management method, comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device, a combined hash associated with digital content;

determining a user identifier associated with the mobile device;

selecting a service provider key from among a plurality of service provider keys, the selection being made based on the user identifier, wherein the service provider key is the same for different user identifiers, and wherein the service provider key is unknown to a user of the mobile device;

generating a benchmark hash by hashing together the user identifier, the service provider key, and the digital content;

making a determination of whether the benchmark hash is the same as the combined hash;

if the determination is that the benchmark hash is the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, reporting to the mobile device that the user is authorized to use the content; and

if the determination is that the benchmark hash is not the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, reporting to the mobile device that the user is not authorized to use the content.

7. A content management method, comprising:

a service provider delivering digital content to a mobile device having an associated user identifier, the service provider including a network interface;

selecting a service provider key from among a plurality of service provider keys, the selection being made based on the user identifier, wherein the service provider key is the same for different user identifiers, and wherein the service provider is unknown to a user of the mobile device;

the service provider generating a combined hash based upon the (i) the digital content, (ii) the user identifier, and (iii) the service provider key, and the service provider delivering the generated combined hash to the mobile device;

the network interface subsequently receiving the combined hash from the mobile device as part of a request from the mobile device for authorization to use the digital content;

the service provider making a determination of whether the received combined hash is valid by carrying out a process comprising (i) determining the user identifier associated with the mobile device, (ii) generating a benchmark hash based upon the digital content, the determined user identifier, and the service provider key, and (iii) determining whether the received combined hash is the same as the benchmark hash;

if the determination is that the benchmark hash is the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, the service provider reporting to the mobile device that the user is authorized to use the content; and

if the determination is that the benchmark hash is not the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, the service provider reporting to the mobile device that the user is not authorized to use the content.

8. A content management system, comprising:

a network interface;

network connection logic; and

service provider authentication logic,

wherein the network interface executes logic stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium to deliver to a mobile device having an associated user identifier (i) digital content and (ii) a combined hash generated based on the digital content, the user identifier, and a service provider key,

wherein the network interface further operates to receive from the mobile device, subsequent to the delivering, the combined hash as part of a request from the mobile device for authorization to use the digital content,

wherein the network connection logic operates to determine the user identifier, and

wherein the service provider authentication logic operates (i) to select the service provider key from among a plurality of service provider keys, the selection being made based on the user identifier, wherein the service provider key is the same for different user identifiers, and wherein the service provider key is unknown to a user of the mobile device, (ii) to generate a benchmark hash based upon the digital content, the determined user identifier, and the service provider key, (iii) to make a determination of whether the received combined hash is the same as the benchmark hash, (iv) if the determination is that the benchmark hash is the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, to report to the mobile device via the network interface that the user is authorized to use the content, and (v) if the determination is that the benchmark hash is not the same as the combined hash, then, directly in response to the determination, to report to the mobile device via the network interface that the user is not authorized to use the content.