Activating licensable component provided by third party to audio video device

• US 8,544,111 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2011
• Issued: 09/24/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Shintani, Peter, Douillet, Ludovic Etienne
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehedi, Morshed
• Assistant Examiner(s): LANE, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US13/034,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20120124678A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 726/29, 715/748
• US Class Current: 726/29
• 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 21/125 by manipulating the program code, e.g. source code, compiled code, interpreted code, machine code
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• 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 21/25816 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 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• 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 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• 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 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/641 : Multi-purpose receivers, e.g. for auxiliary information H04N9/642 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/642 : Multi-standard receivers

Abstract

An audio-video display device can download from a third party server a licensable component on which a royalty is to be paid. Various methods are disclosed for accounting for royalties associated with downloading the licensable component to the client device between the third party server and a client device manufacturer server.

Claims

1. Client device comprising:

processor;

input device configured for communicating with the processor to indicate selection of a link to a third party server (TPS) providing a licensable component;

computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to;

responsive to the selection and prior to accessing the link pursuant to selection of the link, request permission from a client device manufacturer server (CDMS) affiliated with a manufacturer of the client device permission to download the licensable component from the TPS;

responsive to a determination that permission to download the licensable component from the TPS is not granted, not download the licensable component; and

responsive to a determination that permission to download the licensable component from the TPS is granted, download from the TPS the licensable component, wherein the client device receives licensing information and/or a critical piece of the code that must be input to the client device to enable or unlock the licensable component, wherein the licensable component cannot execute a licensable feature associated with the licensable component prior to provision of the critical piece of code, the licensable feature is not merely locked out, but rather is effectively missing altogether, even though other parts of software code needed to execute the licensable feature are vended with the client device, wherein the licensing information and/or the critical piece of code is automatically input to appropriate internal components of the client device or displayed on the client device with a prompt to enter the licensing information and/or critical piece of code; and

wherein license fee data is maintained for use in generating billing information, wherein the license fee data is stored in the client device until uploaded to a licensing entity or agent.

2. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device receives information that the licensable component is available for download over a network from the TPS.

3. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device delays access of the link by a browser executed by the processor pending grant of permission.

4. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device determines that permission is not granted to download the licensable component based on receiving an affirmative “

not granted”

reply from the CDMS.

5. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device determines that permission is not granted to download the licensable component based on not receiving any reply from the CDMS before a timeout period expires.

6. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device determines that permission is granted to download the licensable component based on receiving an affirmative “

granted”

reply from the CDMS.

7. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device determines that permission is granted to download the licensable component based on not receiving any reply from the CDMS before a timeout period expires.

8. Client device comprising:

processor;

input device configured for communicating with the processor to indicate selection of a link to a third party server (TPS) providing a licensable component;

computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to;

obtain the licensable component from the TPS; and

responsive to obtaining the licensable component from the TPS, inform a client device manufacturer server (CDMS) affiliated with a manufacturer of the client device that the licensable component has been obtained from the TPS to facilitate accounting for royalties for the licensable component wherein the client device receives licensing information and/or a critical piece of the code that must be input to the client device to enable or unlock the licensable component, wherein the licensable component cannot execute a licensable feature associated with the licensable component prior to provision of the critical piece of code, the licensable feature is not merely locked out, but rather is effectively missing altogether, even though other parts of software code needed to execute the licensable feature are vended with the client device, wherein the licensing information and/or the critical piece of code is automatically input to appropriate internal components of the client device or displayed on the client device with a prompt to enter the licensing information and/or critical piece of code; and

wherein license fee data is maintained for use in generating billing information, wherein the license fee data is stored in the client device until uploaded to a licensing entity or agent.

9. The client device of claim 8, wherein the client device receives information that the licensable component is available for download over a network from the TPS.

10. The client device of claim 8, wherein the client device informs the CDMS that the client device has obtained the licensable component and has enabled the licensable component.

11. The client device of claim 8, wherein the client device informs the CDMS that the client device has obtained the licensable component and requests permission from the CDMS to enable the licensable component.

12. The client device of claim 11, wherein the client device determines that permission is not granted to enable the licensable component based on receiving an affirmative “

not granted”

reply from the CDMS and responsive thereto does not enable the licensable component.

13. The client device of claim 11, wherein the client device determines that permission is not granted to enable the licensable component based on not receiving any reply from the CDMS before a timeout period expires and responsive thereto does not enable the licensable component.

14. The client device of claim 11, wherein the client device determines that permission is granted to enable the licensable component based on receiving an affirmative “

granted”

reply from the CDMS and responsive thereto enables the licensable component.

15. The client device of claim 11, wherein the client device determines that permission is granted to enable the licensable component based on not receiving any reply from the CDMS before a timeout period expires and responsive thereto enables the licensable component.

16. A third party server (TPS) not affiliated with a manufacturer of a client device, the manufacturer of the client device being associated with a client device manufacturer server (CDMS), comprising:

processor;

computer readable storage medium bearing instructions executable by the processor to;

download to the client device a licensable feature established by a licensable component; and

communicate with the CDMS to inform the CDMS that the client device has obtained the licensable component such that royalty accounting therefor is facilitated wherein the licensable component is established at least in part by licensing information that must be input to the client device to enable or unlock a licensable feature, and/or a critical piece of the code without which the licensable feature cannot be executed by the client device such that prior to provision of the critical piece of code, the licensable feature is not merely locked out, but rather is effectively missing altogether, even though other parts of software code needed to execute the licensable feature are vended with the client device, wherein the licensing information and/or the critical piece of code is automatically input to appropriate internal components of the client device or displayed on the client device with a prompt to enter the licensing information and/or critical piece of code; and

wherein license fee data is maintained for use in generating billing information, wherein the license fee data is stored in the client device until uploaded to a licensing entity or agent.

17. The TPS of claim 16, wherein the TPS downloads the licensable component to the client device responsive to receiving a selection from the client device of a hyperlink provided by the TPS.

18. The TPS of claim 16, wherein the TPS executes royalty accounting associated with downloading the licensable component to the client device.

19. The TPS of claim 16, wherein the TPS does not execute royalty accounting associated with downloading the licensable component to the client device.