Content keys for authorizing access to content

• US 8,893,299 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Original Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
• Inventors: Diamond, Michael B., White, Jonathan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Powers, William
• Application Number:
  US11/112,364
• Time in Patent Office: 3,497 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28, 705/51
• US Class Current: 726/28
• 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]

Abstract

A method of authorizing access to content, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, includes receiving a request to access an instance of content. A key registry server may provide user accounts, which identify an authorized user of the instance of content and a parameter for accessing the instance of content. A determination is then made that accessing the instance of content is within the parameter and authorized for the user and access to the instance of content is allowed. The content may be local to the use system or accessed remotely (e.g., over a network). Also, the registry may be remote to the user system or local or both (e.g., with updates periodically made).

Claims

1. A method for accessing content, said method comprising:

receiving a request to access an instance of content by a requesting user from a media device, wherein said instance of content comprises;

digital content; and

an embedded content key comprising first values of a plurality of fields, wherein said plurality of fields comprise;

a unique identifier of said instance of content;

access rights associated with said instance of content; and

ownership associated with said instance of content;

responsive to said request, accessing a user account based on said unique identifier, wherein said user account is associated with a registered user and comprises a user content key, wherein said user content key comprises second values of said plurality of fields;

verifying said requesting user'"'"'s rights to access said instance of content by comparing said first values and said second values; and

upon a determination that said requesting user is authorized to access said instance of content, transmitting a message to said media device for enabling said requesting user to access said instance of content.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

storing said user account in said media device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

registering said media device in said user account, wherein said media device is associated with said registered user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

storing said message locally on said media device as a hidden file.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

conveying a corresponding unique identifier via said message, wherein said corresponding unique identifier is associated with said instance of content.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein said verifying comprises:

comparing said unique identifier embedded within said instance of content with said corresponding unique identifier conveyed in said user content key;

determining that current time and date consistent with values of access rights in said user content key; and

allowing access to a decryption key for said instance of content in response to a match resulting from said comparing and further in response to a determination of a compliance resulting from said determination.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

storing said user account in a remote registry server.

8. A system for authorizing access to content, said system comprising:

an access device configured to store an instance of content, wherein said instance of content comprises digital content and an embedded content key comprising first values of a plurality of fields, wherein said plurality of fields comprise;

a unique identifier of said instance of content;

access rights associated with said instance of content; and

ownership associated with said instance of content, wherein said access device is further configured to generate a request to access said instance of content, and wherein said request comprises said unique identifier;

an authorizing device coupled to said access device, wherein said authorizing device is configured to access a user account associated with a registered user based on said unique identifier, wherein said user account comprises a user content key, wherein said user content key comprises second values of said plurality of fields, and wherein said authorizing device is operable to;

verify said requesting user'"'"'s rights to access said instance of content by comparing said first values and said second values; and

upon a determination that said requesting user is authorized to access said instance of content;

transmit a message to said media device for enabling said requesting user to access said instance of content.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said message comprises said user content key.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said plurality of field further comprises an access device identification.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein said message is stored locally in a hidden location of said access device in a protected format.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein said access device is configured to compare current time and date information with time and date information indicated in said user content key.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein said authorizing device comprises a remote registry server.

14. A system for authorizing access to content comprising:

a mass storage device configured to store one or more user accounts; and

a processing unit configured to transmit an instance of content, wherein said instance of content comprises;

digital content; and

an embedded content key comprising first values of a plurality of fields, wherein said plurality of fields comprise;

a unique identifier of said instance of content;

access rights associated with said instance of content; and

ownership associated with said instance of content, wherein said processing unit is further configured to;

receive a request to access said instance of content by a requesting user from a media device;

responsive to said request, access a user account based on said unique identifier from said mass storage device based on said unique identifier, wherein said user account is associated with a registered user and comprises a user content key, wherein said user content key comprises second values of said plurality of fields;

verify said requesting user'"'"'s access rights to said instance of content by comprising said first values and said second values; and

upon a determination that said requesting user is authorized to access said instance of content, transmit a message to said media device for enabling said requesting user to access said instance of content.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said message comprises said user content key.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said message comprises an encrypted key and wherein said encrypted key is hidden on said media device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein said plurality of field further comprises an identification of a media device associated with said instance of content.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein said processing unit is configured to compares current time and date with values of access rights in said user content key.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein said processing unit is further configured to verify an identity of a user accessing said instance of content.

20. A registry for determining access to content, said registry comprising:

a memory component configured to store user accounts, wherein each user account is associated with a user, and wherein each user account comprises a respective user content key associated with an instance of content that said user is authorized to access, and wherein said respective user content key comprises a plurality of fields, said plurality of fields comprising;

a unique identifier of said instance of content;

access rights of said user associated with said instance of content;

ownership associated with said instance of content;

identification of an access device that is associated with said user and said instance of content.

21. A registry as described in claim 20 wherein parameters of said access rights indicate a number of times said user is allowed to access said instance of content.

22. A registry as described in claim 20 wherein parameters of said ownership indicate whether said instance of content is owned or rented by said user.

23. A registry as described in claim 22 wherein said parameters of said ownership is operable to indicate whether said instance of content is transferable between users.

24. A registry as described in claim 20 wherein said user accounts are stored within a registry server, and wherein said registry server is operable to communicate with the Internet.

25. A registry as described in claim 24 wherein a copy of a user account associated with said user is stored within a local user device on which said user accesses said instance of content and wherein said local user device is operable to communicate with said registry server to obtain said user account stored therein.

26. A registry as described in claim 20 wherein said user accounts are stored within a local user device on which said user accesses said instance of content.

27. A registry as described in claim 20 wherein said user content key is operable for extending a rental of said instance of content.