Network management in a media network environment

• US 8,589,546 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2009
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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 Frederick, Lakamp, Brian David
• Primary Examiner(s): GOODCHILD, WILLIAM J
• Application Number:
  US12/558,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20100005172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 709/225
• US Class Current: 709/225
• 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 data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• 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 removing a client as a member of a hub network, comprising:

receiving, at a server, a removal request of the client as a member of the hub network;

receiving a revocation notification that the client is no longer authorized to be a member of the hub network,

wherein the revocation notification is received when it is determined that the client has circumvented or broken a rule of the hub network for compliant member devices;

disabling licenses for sub-copy versions of bound instances bound to the hub network of the server,

wherein the sub-copy versions are stored on the client and are copies of source versions of locked content data stored on the server, and

wherein the bound instance is one logical instance represented by the locked content data and corresponding licenses stored on the server of the hub network;

sending a disable request to the client indicating the sub-copy versions stored on the client to be disabled such that the client disables the corresponding licenses; and

removing said client as a member in said hub network so that said client is no longer a member of said hub network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said server provides a license for the locked content data bound to said hub network only to members of said hub network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding said client to a revocation list stored on said server.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending said revocation list including said client to a second client in said hub network.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending said revocation list including said client to a second server in a second hub network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding said client to a revocation list corresponding to a root license stored on said server;

wherein said root license corresponds to locked content data stored on said server and is bound to said hub network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

disabling said licenses includes sending a disable request to said client indicating one or more license to be disabled.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

disabling said licenses includes updating respective root licenses corresponding to said disabled licenses.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

declining to renew said disabled licenses for said client.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

removing said client as a member includes updating respective root licenses corresponding to said disabled licenses.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said server does not remove said client as a member until all of said disabled licenses have expired.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

decreasing a device count after removing said client as a member;

wherein said device count indicates the number of members in said hub network.

13. A method of disconnecting a client from a hub network, comprising:

disconnecting the client from the hub network;

setting expiration times on licenses for sub-copy versions of bound instances stored on said client and bound to the hub network, when the client has disconnected from the hub network,

wherein setting of the expiration times includes resetting the expiration times if the expiration times were previously set to different values,

wherein the sub-copy versions are copies of source versions of locked content data stored on a server, and

wherein the bound instance is one logical instance represented by the locked content data and corresponding licenses stored on the server of the hub network; and

comparing said expiration times to a clock of said client.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

said licenses indicate the expiration periods, and

said expiration periods indicate periods of time for which said sub-copy licenses are valid.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein:

disconnecting said client includes said client leaving a local environment of a server of said hub network, and

said local environment is a limited area defined relative to said server.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein:

said clock is a secure client clock.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

disabling said licenses when comparing said expiration times to said clock indicates that said expiration times have been reached;

wherein said client does not decrypt said locked content data when said licenses are disabled.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

attempting to request new licenses from a server in said hub network.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

attempting to reconnect said client to said hub network.