License information exchange system

• US 8,639,751 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lilly Pathway LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masaya, Oho, Masahiro, Miura, Kouji
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Dhairya A
• Application Number:
  US13/283,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20120047205A1
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/200, 709/224, 709/225, 709/223
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• 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 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

When license information is transferred between a server machine and a client machine, an identifier which is unique to a series of communication sequences is provided. The identifier is sent when a communication is performed between the two machines, as well as when the license information is updated. Therefore, when a message for transferring the license information is received by the use of the same identifier, a response message is returned without updating the license information.

Claims

1. A rights information transmission system comprising a server device and a client device, said rights information transmission system being for transmitting rights information indicating usage rights of a content, from said server device to said client device, via a communication network,

wherein said server device includes:

a receiving unit configured to receive, from said client device, communication identification information for identifying a series of communications with said client device;

a rights information generating unit configured to generate rights information according to a request from said client device;

a first data storing unit configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between said server device and said client device, the communication identification information being stored at least until a message indicating a completion of said client device storing the rights information is received from said client device; and

a first communication unit configured to communicate with said client device,

wherein said client device includes;

a request information generating unit configured to generate request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a communication identification information generating unit configured to generate the communication identification information to be transmitted to said server device;

a second data storing unit configured to store the communication identification information generated by said communication identification information generating unit at least until the rights information is received from said server device; and

a second communication unit configured to communicate with said server device,

wherein said client device stores the generated communication identification information in said second data storing unit, and transmits the communication identification information to said server device using said second communication unit,

wherein said server device stores, in said first data storing unit, the communication identification information received by said receiving unit, and transmits a response message to said client device using said first communication unit, the response message indicating that the communication identification information has been received,

wherein, when said second communication unit receives the response message, said client device generates the request information using said request information generating unit, and transmits a rights information request message to said server device using said second communication unit, the rights information request message including at least the request information and the communication identification information,

wherein, when said first communication unit receives the rights information request message, said server device (i) generates, using said rights information generating unit, the rights information for transmission in response to the request information, (ii) updates the rights information managed by said server device, (iii) stores the communication identification information and the rights information for transmission in said first data storing unit, and (iv) transmits a response message including the rights information for transmission to said client device, using said first communication device,

wherein, when said second communication unit receives the response message, said client device stores the rights information for transmission in said second data storing unit, and transmits, to said server device, a completion message indicating completion of storing the rights information for transmission, and

wherein the communication identification information is;

(i) generated by said client device and transmitted from said client device to said server device, before the request information is transmitted to said server device;

(ii) transmitted again from said client device to said server device, together with the request information, after said client device confirms that the communication identification information is received by said server device;

(iii) held in said server device, from when the communication identification information is received by said server device to when at least the completion message is received by said server device; and

(iv) held in said client device, from when the communication identification information is generated by said client device to when at least the rights information is received by said client device.

2. A rights information transmission method for transmitting rights information indicating usage rights of a content, the rights information being transmitted from a server device to a client device via a communication network, and said rights information transmission method comprising:

(a) steps performed by the server device including;

a receiving step of receiving, from the client device, communication identification information for identifying a series of communications with the client device; and

a rights information generating step of generating rights information according to a request from the client device,

wherein the server device includes;

a first communication unit configured to communicate with the client device; and

a first data storing unit configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between the server device and the client device, the communication identification information being stored at least until a message indicating a completion of the client device storing the rights information is received from the client device; and

(b) steps performed by the client device including;

a request information generating step of generating request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested; and

a communication identification information generating step of generating the communication identification information to be transmitted to the server device,

wherein the client device includes;

a second communication unit configured to communicate with the server device; and

a second data storing unit configured to store the communication identification information generated by the communication identification information generating step at least until the rights information is received from the server device,

wherein the client device stores the generated communication identification information in the second data storing unit, and transmits the communication identification information to the server device using the second communication unit,

wherein the server device stores, in the first data storing unit, the communication identification information received by the first communication unit, and transmits a response message to the client device, the response message indicating that the communication identification information has been received by the first communication unit,

wherein, when the second communication unit receives the response message, the client device generates the request information in said request information generating step, and transmits a rights information request message to the server device using the second communication unit, the rights information request message including at least the request information and the communication identification information,

wherein, when the first communication unit receives the rights information request message, the server device (i) generates, through said rights information generating step, the rights information for transmission in response to the request information, (ii) updates the rights information managed by the server device, (iii) stores the communication identification information and the rights information for transmission in the first data storing unit, and (iv) transmits a response message including the rights information for transmission to the client device, using the first communication device,

wherein, when the second communication unit receives the response message, the client device stores the rights information for transmission in the second data storing unit, and transmits, to the server device, a completion message indicating completion of storing the rights information for transmission, and

wherein the communication identification information is;

(i) generated by the client device and transmitted from the client device to the server device, before the request information is transmitted to the server device;

(ii) transmitted again from the client device to the server device, together with the request information, after the client device confirms that the communication identification information is received by the server device;

(iii) held in the server device, from when the communication identification information is received by the server device to when at least the completion message is received by the server device; and

(iv) held in the client device, from when the communication identification information is generated by the client device to when at least the rights information is received by the client device.

3. A rights information transmission apparatus comprising a server device and a client device, said rights information transmission apparatus being for transmitting rights information indicating usage rights of a content, from said server device to said client device, via a communication network,

wherein said server device includes:

a receiving unit configured to receive, from said client device, communication identification information for identifying a series of communications with said client device;

a rights information generating unit configured to generate rights information according to a request from said client device;

a first data storing unit configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between said server device and said client device, the communication identification information being stored at least until a message indicating a completion of said client device storing the rights information is received from said client device; and

a first communication unit configured to communicate with said client device,

wherein said client device includes;

a request information generating unit configured to generate request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a communication identification information generating unit configured to generate the communication identification information to be transmitted to said server device;

a second data storing unit configured to store the communication identification information generated by said communication identification information generating unit at least until the rights information is received from said server device; and

a second communication unit configured to communicate with said server device,

wherein said client device stores the generated communication identification information in said second data storing unit, and transmits the communication identification information to said server device using said second communication unit,

wherein said server device stores, in said first data storing unit, the communication identification information received by said receiving unit, and transmits a response message to said client device using said first communication unit, the response message indicating that the communication identification information has been received,

(iii) held in said server device, from when the communication identification information is received by said server device to when at least the completion message is received by said server device; and

(iv) held in said client device, from when the communication identification information is generated by said client device to when at least the rights information is received by said client device.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program for transmitting rights information indicating usage rights of a content, the rights information being transmitted from a server device to a client device via a communication network, and the program causing a computer to execute a method comprising:

(a) steps performed by the server device including;

a receiving step of receiving, from the client device, communication identification information for identifying a series of communications with the client device; and

a rights information generating step of generating rights information according to a request from the client device,

wherein the server device includes;

a first communication unit configured to communicate with the client device; and

a first data storing unit configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between the server device and the client device, the communication identification information being stored at least until a message indicating a

wherein, when said second communication unit receives the response message, said client device generates the request information using said request information generating unit, and transmits a rights information request message to said server device using said second communication unit, the rights information request message including at least the request information and the communication identification information,

wherein, when said first communication unit receives the rights information request message, said server device (i) generates, using said rights information generating unit, the rights information for transmission in response to the request information, (ii) updates the rights information managed by said server device, (iii) stores the communication identification information and the rights information for transmission in said first data storing unit, and (iv) transmits a response message including the rights information for transmission to said client device, using said first communication device,

wherein, when said second communication unit receives the response message, said client device stores the rights information for transmission in said second data storing unit, and transmits, to said server device, a completion message indicating completion of storing the rights information for transmission, and

wherein the communication identification information is;

(i) generated by said client device and transmitted from said client device to said server device, before the request information is transmitted to said server device;

(ii) transmitted again from said client device to said server device, together with the request information, after said client device confirms that the communication identification information is received by said server device;

completion of the client device storing the rights information is received from the client device; and

(b) steps performed by the client device including;

a request information generating step of generating request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested; and

a communication identification information generating step of generating the communication identification information to be transmitted to the server device,

wherein the client device includes;

a second communication unit configured to communicate with the server device; and

a second data storing unit configured to store the communication identification information generated by the communication identification information generating step at least until the rights information is received from the server device,

wherein the client device stores the generated communication identification information in the second data storing unit, and transmits the communication identification information to the server device using the second communication unit,

wherein the server device stores, in the first data storing unit, the communication identification information received by the first communication unit, and transmits a response message to the client device, the response message indicating that the communication identification information has been received by the first communication unit,

wherein, when the second communication unit receives the response message, the client device generates the request information in said request information generating step, and transmits a rights information request message to the server device using the second communication unit, the rights information request message including at least the request information and the communication identification information,

wherein, when the first communication unit receives the rights information request message, the server device (i) generates, through said rights information generating step, the rights information for transmission in response to the request information, (ii) updates the rights information managed by the server device, (iii) stores the communication identification information and the rights information for transmission in the first data storing unit, and (iv) transmits a response message including the rights information for transmission to the client device, using the first communication device,

wherein, when the second communication unit receives the response message, the client device stores the rights information for transmission in the second data storing unit, and transmits, to the server device, a completion message indicating completion of storing the rights information for transmission, and

wherein the communication identification information is;

(i) generated by the client device and transmitted from the client device to the server device, before the request information is transmitted to the server device;

(ii) transmitted again from the client device to the server device, together with the request information, after the client device confirms that the communication identification information is received by the server device;

(iii) held in the server device, from when the communication identification information is received by the server device to when at least the completion message is received by the server device; and

(iv) held in the client device, from when the communication identification information is generated by the client device to when at least the rights information is received by the client device.