Method and system for managing authentication and payment for use of broadcast material

• US 20060048235A1
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Quick, Roy Franklin Jr., Rose, Gregory Gordon, Semple, James, Hawkes, Philip Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• 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: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• 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 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority

Abstract

An authentication system is disclosed. The authentication system includes a content provider configured to distribute encrypted content, wherein the encrypted content is generated using a content key, and a client having a symmetric key and configured to store the encrypted content received from the content provider and issue a request to the content provider, wherein the request includes a cryptographic function configured to have the symmetric key and the encrypted content as input, wherein the content provider is further configured to verify the client via the request to ensure that the client has received the encrypted content.

Claims

1. An authentication system comprising:

a content provider configured to distribute encrypted content, wherein the encrypted content is generated using a content key; and

a client having a symmetric key and configured to;

store the encrypted content received from the content provider; and

issue a request to the content provider, wherein the request includes a cryptographic function configured to have the symmetric key and the encrypted content as input;

wherein the content provider is further configured to verify the client via the request to ensure that the client has received the encrypted content.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the content provider is further configured to forward an encrypted content key to the client in response to successful verification, the encrypted content key being generated by the content provider based on the content key and the symmetric key;

and

wherein the client is further configured to decrypt the encrypted content key to derive the content key that is then usable to decrypt the encrypted content.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the client is further configured to store one or more access conditions and allow a user to access the decrypted content in accordance with the one or more access conditions.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the client is further configured to include payment control logic configured to charge the user for access to the decrypted content.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the decrypted content includes audio/video data or a game.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the cryptographic function includes a collision-resistant hash function or an encryption function.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the client includes a mobile phone.

8. A content broadcast system comprising:

a broadcast service provider configured to generate encrypted content using a content key and distribute the encrypted content; and

a client having a symmetric key and configured to;

store the encrypted content received from the broadcast service provider; and

issue to the broadcast service provider a request having a cryptographic function configured to have the symmetric key and the encrypted content as input;

wherein the broadcast service provider is further configured to verify the client via the request and, in response to successful verification, generate an encrypted content key for the client using the content key and the symmetric key; and

wherein the client is further configured to decrypt the encrypted content key to derive the content key that is usable to decrypt the encrypted content.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the client is further configured to store one or more access conditions and allow a user to access the decrypted content in accordance with the one or more access conditions.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the client is further configured to include payment control logic configured to bill the user for access to the decrypted content.

11. The system of claim 8 wherein the decrypted content includes audio/video data or a game.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the cryptographic function includes a collision-resistant hash function or an encryption function.

13. The system of claim 8 wherein the client includes a mobile phone.

14. An authentication system comprising:

a broadcast service provider having means for generating encrypted content using a content key and distributing the encrypted content; and

a client having a symmetric key and means for;

storing the encrypted content received from the broadcast service provider; and

issuing to the broadcast service provider a request having a cryptographic function configured to have the symmetric key and the encrypted content as input;

wherein the broadcast service provider further includes;

means for verifying the client via the request; and

means for generating an encrypted content key for the client using the content key and the symmetric key and means for forwarding the encrypted content key to the client, in response to successful verification; and

wherein the client further includes means for decrypting the encrypted content key to derive the content key that is usable to decrypt the encrypted content.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the client further includes means for storing one or more access conditions and allowing a user to access the decrypted content in accordance with the one or more access conditions.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the client further includes means for billing the user for access to the decrypted content.

17. A mobile phone comprising:

a symmetric key;

a processor; and

control logic executable by the processor and configured to;

store encrypted content received from a content provider;

issue a request to the content provider, wherein the request includes a cryptographic function configured to have the symmetric key and the encrypted content as input;

decrypt an encrypted content key received from the content provider using the symmetric key in order to derive a content key, wherein the encrypted content key is encrypted using the symmetric key and issued by the content provider in response to the request; and

decrypt the encrypted content using the content key.

18. The mobile phone of claim 17 wherein the control logic is further configured to store one or more access conditions and allow a user to access the decrypted content in accordance with the one or more access conditions.

19. The mobile phone of claim 18 wherein the control logic is further configured to include payment control logic configured to charge the user for access to the decrypted content.

20. The mobile phone of claim 17 wherein the decrypted content includes audio/video data or a game.

21. The mobile phone of claim 17 wherein the cryptographic function includes a collision-resistant hash function or an encryption function.

22. A method for managing authentication between a content provider and a client, the method comprising:

encrypting content with a content key at the content provider;

distributing the encrypted content from the content provider to the client;

generating a request at the client, the request having a cryptographic function configured to receive a symmetric key associated with the client and the encrypted content as input;

forwarding the request from the client to the content provider; and

examining the request at the content provider to verify that the client has received the encrypted content.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

generating an encrypted content key at the content provider based on the symmetric key in response to successful verification;

forwarding the encrypted content key from the content provider to the client; and

decrypting the encrypted content key at the client to derive the content key.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising:

using the content key to decrypt the encrypted content at the client; and

allowing a user to access the decrypted content.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

charging the user for accessing the decrypted content.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein allowing the user to access the decrypted content further comprises:

applying one or more access conditions to the decrypted content; and

allowing the user to access the decrypted content based on the one or more access conditions.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the decrypted content includes audio/video data or a game.

28. The method of claim 22 wherein the cryptographic function includes a collision-resistant hash function or an encryption function.

29. A method for distributing content, the method comprising:

distributing encrypted content from a content provider to a client, wherein the encrypted content is generated by the content provider using a content key;

forwarding a request from the client to the content provider, the request having a cryptographic function configured to receive a symmetric key associated with the client and the encrypted content as input;

examining the request at the content provider to verify that the client has received the encrypted content;

forwarding an encrypted content key from the content provider to the client in response to successful verification, wherein the encrypted content is generated by the content provided based on the symmetric key; and

decrypting the encrypted content key at the client to derive the content key.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

using the content key to decrypt the encrypted content at the client; and

allowing a user to access the decrypted content.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

charging the user for accessing the decrypted content.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein allowing the user to access the decrypted content further comprises:

applying one or more access conditions to the decrypted content; and

allowing the user to access the decrypted content based on the one or more access conditions.