Application digital rights management (DRM) and portability using a mobile device for authentication

• US 8,353,048 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 01/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Werner, Shane R., Cope, Warren B., McConnell, Von
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAKHIA, VIRAL S
• Application Number:
  US11/461,247
• Time in Patent Office: 2,353 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 726 26- 30, 713163-169, 713/193, 709/213
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1012 to domains
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A method, system, and medium are provided for operating a computing device and a mobile device to access computer software with a secure access and to access a packet network, and for operating a computer software on a mobile device with different computing devices. A mobile device is used to authenticate a user'"'"'s access to computer software. The computer software may reside on the mobile device, the user'"'"'s computing device, or another computing device. A unique identifier is stored in the mobile device associated with the computer software to enable the authentication.

Claims

1. A computer system having a processor and a memory, the computer system operable to execute a method for operating a computing device and a mobile device to access one or more computer software with a secure access, comprising:

communicating between the computing device and the mobile device over a connection, wherein the connection is selected from a group including a USB connection, an Ethernet connection, a serial port connection, a parallel port connection, and a wireless connection, and wherein the wireless connection is selected from a group including Bluetooth, infrared, WiFi, and WiMax;

accessing for an authentication a set of information on the mobile device from the computing device;

authenticating, with authentication information on the mobile device, a user at the computing device by validating at least a digital rights management (DRM) access for the user to execute a computer software installed on the mobile device; and

operating from the computing device the computer software executed on the mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein authenticating with the mobile device the user at the computing device comprises validating a digital rights management (DRM) access for the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein authenticating with the mobile device the user at the computing device comprises verifying a security access for the user to access the first computer software.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein verifying the security access comprises at least one of validating the set of information stored in the mobile device and providing the set of information stored in the mobile device to another computing device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the set of information is selected from a group including a username, a telephone number, a password, an IP address, an ESN, and an IMEI.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the another computing device is a server.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising making a telephone call using at least one of the mobile device and a software program on the computing device.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

disconnecting the mobile device from the computing device;

reconnecting the mobile device to a new computing device;

accessing the set of information on the mobile device from the new computing device for the authentication;

authenticating with authentication information on the mobile device the user at the new computing device to operate the computer software on the mobile device; and

operating from the new computing device the computer software.

9. A computer system having a processor and a memory, the computer system operable to execute a method for operating a computing device and a mobile device to access one or more computer software with a secure access and to access a packet network, comprising:

communicating between the computing device and the mobile device over a connection, wherein the connection is selected from a group including a USB connection, an Ethernet connection, a serial port connection, a parallel port connection, and a wireless connection, and wherein the wireless connection is selected from a group including Bluetooth, infrared, WiFi, and WiMax;

accessing a set of information on the mobile device from the computing device for an authentication;

authenticating, with authentication information on the mobile device, a user at the computing device by validating at least a digital rights management (DRM) access for the user to execute a computer software located on the mobile device;

operating from the computing device the computer software executed on the mobile device; and

accessing from the computing device the packet network through the mobile device.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein authenticating with the mobile device the user at the computing device comprises validating a digital rights management (DRM) access for the user.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein authenticating with the mobile device the user at the computing device comprises verifying a security access for the user to access the computer software.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein verifying the security access comprises at least one of validating the set of information stored in the mobile device and providing the set of information stored in the mobile device to another computing device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of information is selected from a group including a username, a telephone number, a password, an IP address, an ESN, and an IMEI.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the another computing device is a server.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising making a telephone call using at least one of the mobile device or a software program on the computing device.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

disconnecting the mobile device from the computing device;

reconnecting the mobile device to a new computing device;

accessing the set of information on the mobile device from the new computing device for the authentication;

authenticating with authentication information on the mobile device the user at the new computing device to operate the computer software on the mobile device;

operating from the new computing device the computer software; and

accessing from the new computing device the packet network through the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein the packet network is selected from a group including the Internet.

18. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media containing thereon computer-readable code executed by a mobile device for causing the mobile device to perform a method for authenticating a user at a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving at the mobile device one or more notifications that the user at the computing device is attempting to execute a computer software program installed on the mobile device via the computing device;

receiving at the mobile device a set of data associated with the computer software program;

performing, at the mobile device, an authorization for the user at the computing device by validating at least a digital rights management (DRM) access for the user to access the computer software program located on the mobile device from one or more information stored on at least one of the mobile device and another computing device; and

providing one or more other information based on the authorization provided by the mobile device to the computing device to allow the access to the computer software program to allow operation of the computer software program on the computing device via execution of the computer software program on the mobile device.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 18, further comprising providing an access to a packet network.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the packet network is selected from a group including the Internet.

21. The computer-readable media of claim 18, further comprising facilitating a telephone call on the mobile device.

22. A computer system having a processor and a memory, the computer system operable to execute a method for operating a first computer software program located on a mobile device with different computing devices, comprising:

installing the first computer software program onto the mobile device;

providing a unique identifier to associate with the mobile device, wherein the unique identifier is stored with the first computer software program or stored in the mobile device;

configuring the first computer software program to execute from the mobile device with the unique identifier by validating at least a digital rights management (DRM) access for the first computer program; and

connecting the mobile device to a first computing device, wherein the first computing device operates the first computer software program executed on the mobile device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the unique identifier is selected from a group including a username, a telephone number, a password, an IP address, an ESN, and an IMEI.

24. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

disconnecting the mobile device from the first computing device wherein the first computing device no longer operates the first computer software program;

reconnecting the mobile device to a second computing device wherein the second computing device operates the first computer software program.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein configuring the first computer software program to execute from the mobile device with the unique identifier comprises verifying a user access to the first computer software program by accessing a packet network with the mobile device and providing the unique identifier to one or more other computing device for a verification.