Apparatus, systems and methods for securely storing media content events on a flash memory device

• US 9,047,492 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar UK Holdings Ltd (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Burton, David Robert, Stephens, Matthew, Blythe, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Luu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shayanfar, Ali
• Application Number:
  US13/053,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 726/21, 713/156
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1458 by checking the subject access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/78 to assure secure storage of data address-based protection against unauthorised use of memory G06F12/14; record carriers for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1052 Security improvement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7202 Allocation control and policies

Abstract

Systems and methods are operable to securely store media content events on a flash memory device. An exemplary embodiment receives user-provided authorization information, compares the received user-provided authorization information with authorization information associated with the flash memory device, and permits access to a flash memory of the flash memory device when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the authorization information.

Claims

1. A method for securely storing media content events on a flash memory device, the method comprising:

storing a first media content event received from a first media device into a flash memory of the flash memory device, wherein the flash memory device is slidably coupled to a port of the first media device, wherein the first media device received the first media content event in a media content stream, and wherein first authorization information is saved as a part of the media content event;

storing a second media content event into the flash memory, wherein the second media content event includes second authorization information saved as a part of the second media content event while being stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device, wherein the second authorization information is different from the first authorization information;

receiving, at the flash memory device, user-provided authorization information, wherein the user-provided authorization information is received from one of;

the first media device while the flash memory device is slidably coupled to the first media device, and

a second media device while the flash memory device is slidably coupled to a port of the second media device;

comparing, using a flash memory central processing unit (CPU) of the flash memory device, the received user-provided authorization information with the first authorization information associated with the first media content event stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device; and

permitting access to the first media content event stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device only when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the first authorization information saved as part of the first media content event; and

permitting access to the stored second media content event stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device only when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the second authorization information saved as part of the second media content event,

wherein the method further comprises;

generating a flash memory device electronic program guide (EPG) that identifies at least the first and second media content events stored in the flash memory; and

communicating the flash memory device EPG to a presentation device,

wherein the presented flash memory device EPG indicates at least the stored first and second media content events, indicates that the stored first media content event is secured by the first authorization information that is saved as part of the first media content event, and indicates that the stored second media content event is secured by the second authorization information that is saved as part of the second media content event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing comprises:

receiving the first authorization information at the flash memory device, wherein the first authorization information is received as part of the storing process while the first media content event is being stored into the flash memory of the flash memory device; and

storing the first authorization information into a header of the first media content event as part of the storing process while the first media content event is being stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein permitting access to the flash memory comprises:

communicating at least one of the previously stored first and second media content events to a media device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein permitting access to the flash memory comprises:

erasing at least one of the previously stored first and second media content events from the flash memory.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the flash memory device is a first flash memory device, and further comprising:

communicating the first media content event with the saved first authorization information therein from the first flash memory device into a second flash memory device that has a flash memory CPU therein, wherein the flash memory CPU of the second flash memory device is configured to permit access to the first media content event only in response to receiving the corresponding user-provided authorization information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

denying access to the first media content event residing in the flash memory of the flash memory device when the received user-provided authorization information does not correspond to the first authorization information saved as part of the first media content event.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the storing comprises:

receiving the first authorization information at the flash memory device; and

storing the first authorization information into a metadata file of the first media content event stored in the flash memory device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the flash memory device is a first flash memory device, and further comprising:

communicating the previously stored first media content event with the first authorization information saved therein to a second flash memory device,

wherein the second flash memory device stores the received first media content event with the first authorization information saved therein, and

wherein access to the first media content event is permitted only when newly received user-provided authorization information is provided that corresponds to the first authorization information saved as part of the media content event.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein the flash memory device is a first flash memory device,

wherein the second media content event with the second authorization information saved therein is received from a second flash memory device and is stored in the flash memory of the first flash memory device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the flash memory device is a first flash memory device, and further comprising:

communicating the first media content event with the saved first authorization information therein from the first flash memory device into a second flash memory device that does not have a flash memory CPU configured to permit access to the first media content event only in response to receiving the corresponding user-provided authorization information,

wherein the stored first media content event cannot be accessed by the second media device.

11. A flash memory device, comprising:

a connector configured to communicatively couple to a port of a media device, wherein user-provided authorization information is received by the flash memory device from the media device;

a flash memory comprising;

a first portion configured to store flash memory identification (ID) access logic that is configured to;

compare the user-provided authorization information with first authorization information saved as part of a first media content event residing in the flash memory device and with second authorization information saved as part of a second media content event residing in the flash memory device,

permit access to the first media content event residing in the flash memory only when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the first authorization information,

permit access to the second media content event residing in the flash memory only when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the second authorization information; and

a second portion configured to store at least the first media content event with the first authorization information therein and the second media content event with the second authorization information therein; and

a central processor unit (CPU) communicatively coupled to the flash memory and the connector, and upon executing the flash memory ID access logic, is configured to;

compare the received user-provided authorization information with the stored first authorization information saved as part of the first media content event;

permit access by the media device to the first media content event residing in the flash memory when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the first authorization information, wherein access to the first media content event is provided while the media device is currently slidably coupled to the flash memory device;

deny access to the first media content event residing in the flash memory when the received user-provided authorization information does not correspond to the first authorization information;

permit access by the media device to the second media content event residing in the flash memory when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the second authorization information, wherein access to the second media content event is provided while the media device is currently slidably coupled to the flash memory device;

deny access to the second media content event residing in the flash memory when the received user-provided authorization information does not correspond to the second authorization information;

identify media content events stored on the flash memory;

generate a flash memory device electronic program guide (EPG) that identifies the stored media content events; and

communicating the flash memory device EPG to a presentation device, wherein the presented flash memory device EPG indicates the stored media content events, and indicates which of the stored media content events are secured by the authorization information that is saved as part of the media content event.

12. The flash memory device of claim 11, wherein the connector is a universal serial bus (USB) connector that is configured to communicatively couple to a USB port of the media device.

13. The flash memory device of claim 11, wherein the CPU, upon executing the flash memory ID access logic, is further configured to:

receive the authorization information associated with the first media content event from user provided information; and

store the first media content event with the authorization information therein to the flash memory.

14. The flash memory device of claim 11, wherein the first authorization information is saved into one of a header and a metadata file of the first media content event that is stored in the flash memory.

15. A method for securely accessing media content events stored in a flash memory of a flash memory device by a media device when the flash memory device is slidably coupled to a port of the media device, wherein authorization information is saved as a part of the media content events, and wherein the flash memory device includes a flash memory central processing unit (CPU) that is configured to compare received user-provided authorization information with the authorization information, the method comprising:

receiving, at the flash memory device received from the media device, the user-provided authorization information;

comparing, using the flash memory CPU, the received user-provided authorization information with first authorization information of a first media content event stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device;

comparing, using the flash memory CPU, the received user-provided authorization information with second authorization information of a second media content event stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device;

permitting access by the media device to the first media content event stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device only when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the first authorization information saved as part of the first media content event; and

permitting access by the media device to the second media content event stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device only when the received user-provided authorization information corresponds to the second authorization information saved as part of the second media content event,

wherein the access is permitted only when the received user-provided authorization information is received from the media device while the flash memory device is coupled to the media device,

wherein the method further comprises;

generating a flash memory device electronic program guide (EPG) that identifies at least the first and second media content events stored in the flash memory; and

communicating the flash memory device EPG to a presentation device, wherein the presented flash memory device EPG indicates at least the stored first and second media content events, and indicates that the stored first and second media content events are secured by the respective first and second authorization information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the media device accessing the media content events stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device is a first media device, and wherein at least the first and second media content events were previously stored in the flash memory of the flash memory device by a second media device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first authorization information is saved into a header of the first media content event that is stored in the flash memory device.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first authorization information is saved into a metadata file of the first media content event that is stored in the flash memory device.