Trusted infrastructure support systems, methods and techniques for secure electronic commerce, electronic transactions, commerce process control and automation, distributed computing, and rights management

• US 8,185,473 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2006
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation (Fidelio Acquisition Co LLC)
• Inventors: Ginter, Karl L., Shear, Victor H., Spahn, Francis J., Van Wie, David M., Weber, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin, Evens J
• Application Number:
  US11/405,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20060248016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,231 Days
• Field of Search: 705/52, 705/54, 705/57
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 : Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 : for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 : Digital right managament [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 2463/102 : applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 : applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 : using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 : involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 : involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• 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 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 : Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 : Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 : Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 : involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 : embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 : Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 : Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 : involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 : for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83555 : using a structured language for describing usage rules of the content, e.g. REL
• 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 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

An integrated, modular array of administrative and support services are provided for electronic commerce and electronic rights and transaction management. These administrative and support services supply a secure foundation for conducting transaction-related capabilities functioning over electronic networks can also be adapted to the specific needs of electronic commerce value chains. In one embodiment, a Distributed Commerce Utility having a secure, programmable, distributed architecture provides administrative and support services. The Distributed Commerce Utility may comprise a number of Commerce Utility Systems. These Commerce Utility Systems provide a web of infrastructure support available to, and reusable by, the entire electronic community and/or many of its participants. Different support functions can be collected together in hierarchical and/or networked relationships to suit various business models or other objectives. Modular support functions can be combined in different arrays to form different Commerce Utility Systems for different design implementations and purposes.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a telecommunications switch comprising a processor, a memory, and a security checkpoint system, the security checkpoint system verifying that information received at the telecommunications switch in a secure electronic container was routed through one or more required or authorized security checkpoint systems prior to receipt, and that the secure electronic container was sent in accordance with controls restricting the transmission of the information in the secure electronic container; and

a secure end user node, the end user node being located at a site on a telecommunications network that is remote from the telecommunications switch, the end user node being configured to receive the secure electronic container from the security checkpoint system over the telecommunications network, and to securely enable an end user to use the information in the secure electronic container in accordance with controls included in the secure electronic container;

wherein the security checkpoint system and the end user node are independent from a security perspective, such that a breach of security related to the end user node will not compromise the security of the security checkpoint system.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the security checkpoint system gathers audit information related to at least one of:

(i) an intended recipient of the secure electronic container, (ii) a class of information included in the secure electronic container, a (iii) checksum or other information for use in validating information included in the secure electronic container, or (iv) a sender of the secure electronic container.

3. The system of claim 2, in which at least some of the audit information is encrypted such that it may not be decrypted without the cooperation of a sender of the secure electronic container or an intended or actual recipient of the secure electronic container having authority to access such information.

4. The system of claim 1, in which the security checkpoint system prevents the information included in the secure electronic container from being used upon determining that the secure electronic container was not routed through one or more required or authorized security checkpoint systems prior to receipt at the security checkpoint system.

5. The system of claim 1, in which the security checkpoint system refuses to modify the secure electronic container to make it usable by a user, upon determining that the secure electronic container was not routed through one or more required or authorized security checkpoint systems prior to receipt at the security checkpoint system.

6. The system of claim 1, in which the security checkpoint system modifies the secure electronic container to make it usable by a user, upon determining that the secure electronic container was routed through one or more required or authorized security checkpoint systems prior to receipt at the security checkpoint system.

7. The system of claim 1, in which the security checkpoint system detects secure electronic containers based on secure container header information.

8. The system of claim 1, in which the security checkpoint system modifies at least a portion of the controls included in the secure electronic container to add further limitations on use of the information in the secure electronic container.

9. The system of claim 1, in which the information in the secure electronic container comprises electronic currency.

10. A method performed by a security checkpoint system comprising a processor and a memory encoded with program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, over a telecommunications network, a secure electronic container at the security checkpoint system;

verifying that the secure electronic container was routed through one or more required or authorized security checkpoint systems prior to receipt at the security checkpoint system, and that the secure electronic container was sent in accordance with one or more controls associated with the secure electronic container and restricting the transmission of information in the secure electronic container; and

sending the secure electronic container over the telecommunications network to a secure end user node located remotely from the security checkpoint system configured to access the information in the security electronic container in accordance with the one or more controls ,wherein the sending is performed in accordance with the one or more controls.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the security checkpoint system and the end user node are independent from a security perspective, such that a breach of security related to the end user node will not compromise the security of the security checkpoint system.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

gathering, at the security checkpoint system, audit information related to at least one of;

(i) an intended recipient of the secure electronic container, (ii) a class of information included in the secure electronic container, (iii) checksum or other information for use in validating information included in the secure electronic container, or (iv) a sender of the secure electronic container.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

encrypting at least some of the audit information such that it may not be decrypted without cooperation of a sender of the secure electronic container or an intended or actual recipient of the secure electronic container having authority to access such information.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

upon completion of the verifying step, modifying the secure electronic container to make it usable by a user.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

detecting secure electronic containers at the security checkpoint system based on secure container header information.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

modifying at least a portion of the one or more controls to add further limitations on use of information in the secure electronic container.

17. The method of claim 10, in which the information in the secure electronic container comprises electronic currency.

18. The method of claim 10, in which the one or more controls comprise one or more budgets, limits, or other restrictions related to use of information in the secure electronic container.

19. The method of claim 10, in which the one or more controls comprise a limit on the number of secure electronic containers that can be sent from a given entity in a given amount of time.

20. A telecommunications switch, the telecommunications switch comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a security checkpoint system protected processing environment, the security checkpoint system protected processing environment being configured to;

verify that a piece of electronic information received at the security checkpoint system protected processing environment was routed through a telecommunications network in accordance with controls associated with the piece of electronic information; and

associate a digital certificate with the piece of electronic information upon determining that the piece of electronic information was routed through the telecommunications network in accordance with the controls.

21. The telecommunications switch of claim 20, in which the security checkpoint system protected processing environment is further operable to modify the controls before transmitting the piece of electronic information to an end user.

22. The telecommunications switch of claim 20, in which the security checkpoint system protected processing environment is further configured to record audit information related to the piece of electronic information.

23. The telecommunications switch of claim 22, in which the audit information relates to at least one of:

(i) an intended recipient of the piece of electronic information, (ii) a class of information to which the piece of electronic information belongs, (iii) a checksum or other data for use in validating the piece of electronic information, or (iv) a sender of the piece of electronic information.

24. A method performed by a telecommunications switch comprising a processor and a memory encoded with program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, over a telecommunications network, an electronic container at the telecommunications switch, an electronic container including protected information and having associated control information for governing the protected information, the control information including one or more requirements regarding how the electronic container may be routed;

determining if the electronic container was routed in accordance with the control information; and

upon determining that the electronic container was routed in accordance with the control information, forwarding the electronic container to an end user node over the telecommunications network.

25. The method of claim 24, in which the control information includes a requirement that the electronic container have an associated certificate issued by a security checkpoint system, the method further comprising:

determining if the electronic container has the associated certificate.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

recording auditing information relating to the protected information.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

inserting a certificate into the electronic container.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

recording auditing information relating to the protected information;

wherein the inserting step is performed in response to successful completion of the recording step.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

enforcing a predefined limit on a quantity of secure electronic containers permitted to be transmitted through the telecommunications switch in a predefined time period.

30. A method performed by a telecommunications switch comprising a processor and a memory encoded with program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, over a telecommunications network, an electronic container at the telecommunications switch, the electronic container including protected information and control information for governing the protected information, the control information including one or more auditing requirements;

recording auditing information at the telecommunications switch in accordance with the control information; and

forwarding the electronic container from the telecommunications switch to an end user node over the telecommunications network.

31. The method of claim 30, in which the control information includes a requirement that the electronic container be routed in predefined manner, the method further comprising:

determining if the electronic container has been routed in the predefined manner.

32. The method of claim 30, in which the auditing information relates to at least one of:

(i) an intended recipient of the protected information, (ii) checksum or other information for use in validating the protected information, or (iii) a sender of the protected information.

33. The method of claim 30, in which the auditing requirements include a requirement that information identifying one or more of the following be recorded:

(i) one or more telecommunications switches through which the electronic container was routed, or (ii) a time of receipt of the electronic container at the telecommunications switch.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising:

encrypting at least some of the auditing information such that it may not be decrypted without cooperation of a sender of the electronic container or an intended or actual recipient of the electronic container having authority to access such auditing information.

35. A method performed by a telecommunications switch comprising a processor and a memory encoded with program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, over a telecommunications network, an electronic container at the telecommunications switch, the electronic container including protected information and control information for governing the protected information, the control information including one or more security-related requirements;

determining, at the telecommunications switch, that the one or more security-related requirements have been satisfied; and

upon determining that the one or more security-related requirements have been satisfied, forwarding the electronic container from the telecommunications switch to an end user node over the telecommunications network.

36. The method of claim 35, in which the control information includes one or more requirements regarding how the electronic container may be routed, the method further comprising:

determining if the electronic container was routed in accordance with the requirements included in the control information.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

associating a certificate with the electronic container following completion of the determining step, the certificate attesting to the one or more security-related requirements having been satisfied.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

at the end user node, governing access to the protected information in accordance with the control information, the governing including verifying the association of the certificate with the electronic container.

39. The method of claim 35, further comprising:

recording auditing information at the telecommunications switch.

40. The method of claim 39, in which the auditing information relates to at least one of:

(i) an intended recipient of the protected information, (ii) checksum or other information for use in validating the protected information, or (iii) a sender of the protected information.

41. The method of claim 39, in which the auditing information relates to at least one of:

(i) one or more telecommunications switches through which the electronic container was routed, or (ii) a time of receipt of the electronic container at the telecommunications switch.

42. A method performed by an end user site comprising a processor and a memory encoded with program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, over a telecommunications network, an electronic container at the end user site, the electronic container including protected information and having associated one or more controls for governing the protected information;

determining if the electronic container has an associated certificate, the certificate having been issued by a telecommunications switch on the telecommunications network prior to receipt of the electronic container at the end user site; and

providing an end user with access to the protected information in accordance with the one or more controls;

wherein the end user site includes software and/or hardware for impeding tampering by the end user with performance of at least said step of providing access to the protected information in accordance with the one or more controls.

43. The method of claim 42, in which the one or more controls include one or more requirements regarding how the electronic container may be routed, the method further comprising:

determining if the electronic container was routed in accordance with the one or more requirements included in the one or more controls.

44. The method of claim 42, in which the certificate attests to the performance of an auditing step by the telecommunications switch.

45. A method performed by a telecommunications switch comprising a processor and a memory encoded with program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving a data item at the telecommunications switch, the telecommunications switch being located on a telecommunications network, the data item having control information associated therewith, the control information specifying routing requirements for the data item;

determining if the data item has been routed in accordance with the control information;

sending the data item to a remote site on the telecommunications network upon determining that the data item has been routed in accordance with the control information; and

recording information related to the data item.

46. The method of claim 45, in which the recorded information relates to at least one of:

(i) an intended recipient of the data item, (ii) checksum or other information for use in validating the data item, or (iii) a sender of the data item.

47. The method of claim 45, in which the recorded information relates to one or more telecommunications switches through which the data item was routed.

48. The method of claim 45, in which the recorded information relates to a time of receipt of the data item at the telecommunications switch.

49. A method performed by a security checkpoint system comprising a processor and a memory encoded with program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic purchase order at the security checkpoint system, the security checkpoint system being located on a telecommunications network, the electronic purchase order having been sent by a first site on the telecommunications network to a remote site;

determining if the electronic purchase order complies with requirements relating to the financial amount committed;

determining if the electronic purchase order includes an indication of proper ordering authority; and

sending the electronic purchase order over the telecommunications network to the remote site upon determining that the electronic purchase order complies with the requirements relating to financial amount committed and includes a valid indication of proper ordering authority.

50. The method of claim 49, in which the security checkpoint system comprises a telecommunications switch.

51. A method performed by a security checkpoint system comprising a processor and a memory encoded with program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic container at the security checkpoint system, the security checkpoint system being located on a telecommunications network, the electronic container including protected information and having been sent from a first user site;

at the security checkpoint system, determining if transmission of the electronic container complies with one or more limits relating to the transmission of electronic containers from the user site; and

sending the electronic container to a second user site upon determining that transmission of the electronic container to the second user site complies with the one or more limits.

52. The method of claim 51, in which the one or more limits include a limit on the number of electronic containers that can be sent from the first user site, or an organization including the first user site, in a predefined period of time.

53. The method of claim 51, in which the one or more limits include a limit on the financial amount represented by the protected information in the electronic container.

54. The method of claim 51, further comprising:

associating a certificate with the electronic container upon determining that transmission of the electronic container to the second user site complies with the one or more limits.

55. The method of claim 54, in which the first user site belongs to a first organization and the second user site belongs to a second organization, and in which the one or more limits include a limit on the amount of protected information sent from the first organization to the second organization in a predefined period of time.