Methods and apparatus for protected distribution of applications and media content
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for accessing content, the method comprising:
- Forwarding a storage device identifier to a network device, wherein the storage device identifier identifies a storage device that includes protected content;
receiving at least a reference to a cryptographic mechanism from the network device based on an association with the storage device identifier, the cryptographic mechanism configured to provide access to less than all of the protected content on the storage device; and
accessing at least a portion of the protected content with the cryptographic mechanism.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods, devices, apparatus, computer-readable media and processors are provided that protect the distribution of media content. Media content is encrypted and the associated cryptographic mechanisms are stored and accessible either remotely at a networked database or internally within a data storage device memory. Access to the cryptographic mechanisms is granted by associating the cryptographic mechanisms with a data storage device identification and, optionally, a computing device identification.
9 Citations
61 Claims
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1. A method for accessing content, the method comprising:
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Forwarding a storage device identifier to a network device, wherein the storage device identifier identifies a storage device that includes protected content; receiving at least a reference to a cryptographic mechanism from the network device based on an association with the storage device identifier, the cryptographic mechanism configured to provide access to less than all of the protected content on the storage device; and accessing at least a portion of the protected content with the cryptographic mechanism. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly storing a sequence of instructions that, when executed, cause a computer device to perform the actions of:
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forwarding a storage device identifier to a network device, wherein the storage device identifier identifies a storage device that includes protected content; receiving at least a reference to a cryptographic mechanism from the network device based on an association with the storage device identifier, the cryptographic mechanism configured to provide access to less than all of the protected content on the storage device; and accessing at least a portion of the protected content with the cryptographic mechanism.
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16. A wireless device, comprising:
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means for forwarding a storage device identifier to a network device, wherein the storage device identifier identifies a storage device that includes protected content; means for receiving at least a reference to a cryptographic mechanism from the network device based on an association with the storage device identifier, the cryptographic mechanism configured to provide access to less than all of the protected content on the storage device; and means for accessing at least a portion of the protected content with the cryptographic mechanism.
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17. A computing device, comprising:
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a processing engine; and a content access initiator module executable by the processing engine, the content access initiator module operable to recognize protected content stored on a storage device, communicate a storage device identifier to a network device, receive from the network device at least a reference to a first cryptographic mechanism associated with the storage device identifier, the first cryptographic mechanism configured to provide access to less than all of the protected content on the storage device, and apply the first cryptographic mechanism to at least a portion of the protected content to convert the portion of the protected content to a portion of un-protected content. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for distributing content in a protected environment, the method comprising:
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obtaining an association between a first storage device identifier and a cryptographic mechanism, the first storage device identifier identifying at least a portion of a storage device; obtaining at least a reference to the cryptographic mechanism; receiving a request from a computing device for access to at least a portion of a protected content, the request comprising a second storage device identifier, the second storage device identifier identifying a different portion of the storage device than the first storage device identifier; and forwarding at least the reference to the cryptographic mechanism to the computing device based on a correspondence between at least a portion of the second storage device identifier and the first storage device identifier. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 61)
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42. A non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly storing a sequence of instructions that, when executed, cause a computer device to perform the actions of:
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obtaining an association between a first storage device identifier and a cryptographic mechanism, the first storage device identifier identifying at least a portion of a storage device; obtaining at least a reference to the cryptographic mechanism; receiving a request from a computing device for access to at least a portion of a protected content, the request comprising a second storage device identifier, the second storage device identifier identifying a different portion of the storage device than the first storage device identifier; and forwarding at least the reference to the cryptographic mechanism to the computing device based on a correspondence between at least a portion of the second storage device identifier and the first storage device identifier.
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43. At least one processor configured to perform the actions of:
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obtaining an association between a first storage device identifier and a cryptographic mechanism, the first storage device identifier identifying at least a portion of a storage device; obtaining at least a reference to the cryptographic mechanism; receiving a request from a computing device for access to at least a portion of a protected content, the request comprising a second storage device identifier, the second storage device identifier identifying a different portion of the storage device than the first storage device identifier; and forwarding at least the reference to the cryptographic mechanism to the computing device based on a correspondence between at least a portion of the second storage device identifier and the first storage device identifier.
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44. A network device, comprising:
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means for obtaining an association between a first storage device identifier and a cryptographic mechanism, the first storage device identifier identifying at least a portion of a storage device; means for obtaining at least a reference to the cryptographic mechanism; means for receiving a request from a computing device for access to at least a portion of a protected content, the request comprising a second storage device identifier, the second storage device identifier identifying a different portion of the storage device than the first storage device identifier; and means for forwarding at least the reference to the cryptographic mechanism to the computing device based on a correspondence between at least a portion of the second storage device identifier and the first storage device identifier.
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45. A network device, comprising:
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a processing engine; and a personalization module executed by the processing engine, the personalization module operable to receive a storage device identifier from a networked computing device, the storage device identifier identifying a storage device that includes protected content, to determine a cryptographic mechanism associated with the storage device identifier and communicate at least a reference to the cryptographic mechanism to the networked computing device, the cryptographic mechanism configured to provide access to less than all of the protected content on the storage device. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method of distributing content, comprising:
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loading unprotected content on a storage device having a storage device identifier, the storage device configured for removable communication with a computing device; obscuring at least a portion of the unprotected content with a cryptographic mechanism, thereby defining at least a portion of a protected content; defining an association between the storage device identifier and the cryptographic mechanism; and forwarding the defined association to a network device operable to provide access to at least the portion of the protected content to a networked computing device having the storage device identifier. - View Dependent Claims (51)
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52. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising:
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a memory comprising a data storage device identifier and protected content, wherein the protected content is convertible to unprotected content based on a cryptographic mechanism that is received from a network device upon receipt of the data storage device identifier, the cryptographic mechanism configured to provide access to less than all of the protected content on the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. - View Dependent Claims (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification