Network management in a media network environment

• US 8,230,084 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Pictures Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Singer, Mitch Fredrick, Lakamp, Brian David
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODCHILD, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US10/686,954
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,205 Days
• Field of Search: 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1012 to domains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• 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 21/2543 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2585 Generation of a revocation list, e.g. of client devices involved in piracy acts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 : Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 : involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 : Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 : involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• 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 21/44231 : Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• 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 21/63345 : by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for managing devices and content in a network environment. In one implementation, a method of adding a client as a member of a hub network includes: detecting a client connected to a server in a hub network; authenticating said client; authorizing said client; and adding said client as a member in said hub network.

Claims

1. A method of adding a client as a member of a hub network which includes a plurality of devices, comprising:

detecting a client newly connected to the hub network by a server,

wherein the server periodically polls the plurality of devices for the client;

authenticating the client to determine an identity of the client;

authorizing the client to determine that the client is a compliant device that operates according to rules defined for the hub network,

wherein the compliant device enables a user to present, move, and copy content data to be controlled to reflect guidelines of licenses of the content data set for a licensing authority, and

wherein the client sends a message to the plurality of devices on the hub network indicating that the client is now connected to the hub network;

adding the client as a member in the hub network when it is determined that the client has been detected, authenticated, authorized, and is in a local environment of the server;

providing licenses for the content data bound to the hub network to members of the hub network,

wherein a source version of the content data is stored on the server, and copies of the source versions are stored on the compliant device as sub-copy versions;

comparing a device count of members in said hub network with a member device limit;

confirming said device count by contacting an external device registration server;

sending a device add request to said device registration server;

receiving a device add permission from said device registration server;

wherein said device add request includes said device count;

wherein the device registration server sends the device add permission to add the client as a member if the client has not been added as a member in any other hub network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the client is in the local environment of the server comprises

sending a local environment confirmation request to the client to determine whether the client is in the local environment,

wherein the local environment is a limited area defined relative to the server.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising

receiving a reply from the client in response to the local environment confirmation request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the client is in the local environment of the server comprises

measuring the time between sending the local environment confirmation request and receiving the reply.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

confirming a device count of members in said hub network by comparing said device count with a member device limit;

wherein said client will not be added as a member in said hub network if said device count is greater than or equal to said member device limit.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

increasing said device count after adding said client as a member.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules defined for the hub network comprise

disabling licenses for the sub-copy versions stored on the client when the client is removed as a member of the hub network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules defined for a hub network comprise

disabling a key at the compliant device when the server informs the compliant device that the key has been revoked because the key has been compromised.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the client is added as a member of the hub network when it is further determined that a set of rules has been met.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the client is a compliant device comprises

sending a compliance confirmation request to the client to request information from the client to confirm that the client will abide by the rules defined for a hub network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the client is in the local environment of the server comprises

pinging the client.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising

revoking the authorization of the client device when the server determines that the client has circumvented or broken the rules defined for the compliant device.

13. A method of adding a client as a member of a hub network which includes a plurality of devices, comprising:

periodically polling the plurality of devices of the hub network by a server for a client newly connected to the hub network so that the client can be detected by the server;

sending identification information from said client to said server to authenticate the client;

sending a compliance confirmation from the client to the server that confirms the client is a compliant device that operates according to rules defined for the hub network,

wherein the compliant device enables a user to present, move, and copy content data to be controlled to reflect guidelines of licenses of the content data set for a licensing authority, and

wherein the client sends a message to the plurality of devices on the hub network indicating that the client is now connected to the hub network;

receiving an add confirmation at the client from the server indicating that the client has been added as a member in the hub network as the client has been detected,

authenticated, confirmed compliant, and is in a local environment of the server;

providing licenses for the content data bound to the hub network to members of the hub network,

wherein a source version of the content data is stored on the server, and copies of source versions are stored on the compliant device as sub-copy versions;

comparing a device count of members in said hub network with a member device limit;

confirming said device count by contacting an external device registration server;

sending a device add request to said device registration server;

receiving a device add permission from said device registration server;

wherein said device add request includes said device count;

wherein the device registration server sends the device add permission to add the client as a member if the client has not been added as a member in any other hub network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rules defined for the hub network comprise

disabling licenses for the sub-copy versions stored on the client when the client is removed as a member of the hub network.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the rules defined for the hub network comprise

disabling a key at the compliant device when the server informs the compliant device that the key has been revoked because the key has been compromised.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said compliance information indicates that the compliant device will not decrypt locked content data without a license that is bound to a hub network of which the compliant device is a member.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the client is in the local environment of the server when the client is in a limited area defined relative to the server.

18. A method of adding a client as a member of a hub network which includes a plurality of devices, comprising:

periodically polling the plurality of devices of the hub network by a server for a client newly connected to the hub network through an intermediary device connected to said server so that the client can be detected by the server;

sending identification information from said client to said server through said intermediary device to authenticate the client;

sending a compliance confirmation from the client to the server through the intermediary device that confirms the client is a compliant device that operates according to rules defined for the hub network;

wherein the compliant device enables a user to present, move, and copy content data to be controlled to reflect guidelines of licenses of the content data set for a licensing authority; and

wherein the client sends a message to the plurality of devices on the hub network indicating that the client is now connected to the hub network;

receiving an add confirmation at said client from said server through said intermediary device indicating that the client has been added as a member in said hub network as the client has been detected, authenticated, confirmed compliant, and is in a local environment of the server;

providing licenses for the content data bound to the hub network members of the hub network;

wherein a source version of the content data is stored on the server, and copies of the source versions are stored on the compliant device as sub-copy versions;

comparing a device count of members in said hub network with a member device limit;

confirming said device count by contacting an external device registration server;

sending a device add request to said device registration server;

receiving a device add permission from said device registration server;

wherein said device add request includes said device count;

wherein the device registration server sends the device add permission to add the client as a member if the client has not been added as a member in any other hub network.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the client is in the local environment of the server when the client is in a limited area defined relative to the server.

20. A method of reconnecting a client to a hub network which includes a plurality of devices, comprising:

detecting a client newly connected to a hub network by a server,

wherein the server periodically polls the plurality of devices for the client;

authenticating and authorizing the client as a member of the hub network when it is determined that the client is a compliant device that operates according to rules defined for the hub network, and that the client is in a local environment of the server,

wherein the compliant device enables a user to present, move, and copy content data to be controlled to reflect guidelines of licenses of the content data set for a licensing authority,

wherein the client sends a message to the plurality of devices on the hub network indicating that the client is now connected to the hub network; and

providing licenses for the content data bound to the hub network to members of the hub network,

wherein a source version of the content data is stored on the server, and copies of the source versions are stored on the compliant device as sub-copy versions;

comparing a device count of members in said hub network with a member device limit;

confirming said device count by contacting an external device registration server;

sending a device add request to said device registration server;

receiving a device add permission from said device registration server;

wherein said device add request includes said device count;

wherein the device registration server sends the device add permission to add the client as a member if the client has not been added as a member in any other hub network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein determining that the client is in the local environment of the server comprises

sending a local environment confirmation request to the client to determine whether the client is in a limited area defined relative to the server.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising

receiving a reply from the client in response to the local environment confirmation request.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining that the client is in the limited area defined relative to the server comprises

measuring the time between sending the local environment confirmation request and receiving the reply.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising

refreshing one or more of the licenses for the content data stored on the client.