License information exchange system

• US 8,745,751 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2011
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• 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:
  US13/283,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20120047559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 726/26, 726/27, 726/28, 726/29, 726/30, 726/31
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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
• 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 first authentication unit configured to (i) receive, from said client device, device unique information that is unique to said client device, and (ii) perform authentication with said client device using the device unique information;

a first receiving unit configured to receive communication identification information and a request message, from said client device, the communication identification information being for identifying a series of communications with said client device, and the request message including request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a first data storing device configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between said server device and said client device, the communication identification information being stored in association with the received device unique information of said client device at least until the rights information is transmitted to said client device;

a generating unit configured to generate rights information according to the request information included in the request message; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to said client device, a response message including the generated rights information,

wherein said client device includes;

a storing device including (i) a first storing unit configured to store the rights information and (ii) a second storing unit configured to store the device unique information that is unique to said client device;

a second authentication unit configured to (i) send the device unique information to said server device, and (ii) perform the authentication with said server device using the device unique information;

a request information generating unit configured to generate the request information;

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

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to said server device, the communication identification information and the request message including the request information;

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

a second receiving unit configured to receive, from said server device, the transmitted response message including the generated rights information; and

an updating unit configured to store, in said first storing unit, the generated rights information included in the received response message when said receiving unit receives the response message,

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) held in said server device in association with the device unique information of said client device used in the authentication from when the communication identification information is received by said server device to at least when the rights information is transmitted to said client device; and

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

wherein said first authentication unit, said first receiving unit, said generating unit and said transmission unit are executed by one or more processors included in said server device, and

wherein said second authentication unit, said request information generating unit, said communication identification information generating unit, said transmission unit, said second receiving unit, and said updating unit are executed by one or more processors included in said client device.

2. The rights information transmission system according to claim 1,

wherein said client device further includes a commit processing unit configured to generate and transmit a commit message to said server device when said updating unit completes the storing of the generated rights information in said first storing unit, and

wherein said commit processing unit is executed by the one or more processors included in said server device.

3. 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:

(i) steps performed by the server device including;

a first authentication step of (i) receiving, from the client device, device unique information that is unique to the client device, and (ii) performing authentication with the client device using the device unique information;

a first receiving step of receiving communication identification information and a request message, from the client device, the communication identification information being for identifying a series of communications with the client device, and the request message including request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a generating step of generating rights information according to the request information included in the request message; and

a transmission step of transmitting, to the client device, a response message including the generated rights information,

wherein the server device includes a first data storing device configured to store the received commination identification information transmitted between the server device and the client device, the communication identification information being stored in association with the received device unique information of the client device at least until the rights information is transmitted to the client device, and

wherein the client device includes;

a storing device including (i) a first storing unit configured to store the rights information and (ii) a second storing unit configured to store the device unique information that is unique to the client device; and

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

(ii) steps performed by the client device including;

a second authentication step of (i) sending the device unique information to the server device, and (ii) performing the authentication with the server device using the device unique information;

a request information generating step of generating the request information;

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

a transmission step of transmitting, to the server device, the communication identification information and the request message including the request information;

a second receiving step of receiving, from the server device, the transmitted response message including the generated rights information; and

an updating step of storing, in the first storing unit, the generated rights information included in the received response message when the response message is received in said receiving step, 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) held in the server device in association with the device unique information of the client device used in the authentication from when the communication identification information is received by the server device to at least when the rights information is transmitted to the client device; and

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

4. A rights information transmission apparatus 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 first authentication unit configured to (i) receive, from said client device, device unique information that is unique to said client device, and (ii) perform authentication with said client device using the device unique information;

a first receiving unit configured to receive communication identification information and a request message, from said client device, the communication identification information being for identifying a series of communications with said client device, and the request message including request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a first data storing device configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between said server device and said client device, the communication identification information being stored in association with the received device unique information of said client device at least until the rights information is transmitted to said client device;

a generating unit configured to generate rights information according to the request information included in the request message; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to said client device, a response message including the generated rights information,

wherein said client device includes;

a storing device including (i) a first storing unit configured to store the rights information and (ii) a second storing unit configured to store the device unique information that is unique to said client device;

a second authentication unit configured to (i) send the device unique information to said server device, and (ii) perform the authentication with said server device using the device unique information;

a request information generating unit configured to generate the request information;

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

a transmission unit configured to transmit, to said server device, the communication identification information and the request message including the request information;

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

a second receiving unit configured to receive, from said server device, the transmitted response message including the generated rights information; and

an updating unit configured to store, in said first storing unit, the generated rights information included in the received response message when said receiving unit receives the response message,

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) held in said server device in association with the device unique information of said client device used in the authentication from when the communication identification information is received by said server device to at least when the rights information is transmitted to said client device; and

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

wherein said first authentication unit, said first receiving unit, said generating unit, and said transmission unit are executed by one or more processors included in said server device, and

wherein said second authentication unit, said request information generating unit, said communication identification information generating unit, said transmission unit, said second receiving unit, and said updating unit are executed by one or more processors included in said client device.

5. 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:

(i) steps performed by the server device including;

a first authentication step of (i) receiving, from the client device, device unique information that is unique to the client device, and (ii) performing authentication with the client device, using the device unique information;

a first receiving step of receiving communication identification information and a request message, from the client device, the communication identification information being for identifying a series of communications with the client device, and the request message including request information concerning rights information for which acquisition is requested;

a generating step of generating rights information according to the request information included in the request message; and

a transmission step of transmitting, to the client device, a response message including the generated rights information,

wherein the server device includes a first data storing device configured to store the received communication identification information transmitted between the server device and the client device, the communication identification information being stored in association with the received device unique information of the client device at least until the rights information is transmitted to the client device, and

wherein the client device includes;

a storing device including (i) a first storing unit configured to store the rights information and (ii) a second storing unit configured to store the device unique information that is unique to the client device; and

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

(ii) steps performed by the client device including;

a second authentication step of (i) sending the device unique information to the server device, and (ii) performing the authentication with the server device using the device unique information;

a request information generating step of generating the request information;

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

a transmission step of transmitting, to the server device, the communication identification information and the request message including the request information;

a second receiving step of receiving, from the server device, the transmitted response message including the generated rights information; and

an updating step of storing, in the first storing device, the generated rights information included in the received response message when the response message is received in said receiving step,

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) held in the server device in association with the device unique information of the client device used in the authentication from when the communication identification information is received by the server device to at least when the rights information is transmitted to the client device; and

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