Digital content management system and apparatus

• US 20070033143A1
• Filed: 07/20/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Piracy Protection LLC (LF Capital Partners, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intarsia Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Saito, Makoto
• Granted Patent: US 7,801,817 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

There are provided a digital content management apparatus which further embodies a digital content management apparatus used with a user terminal, and a system which protects the secrets of a digital content. The system and the apparatus are a real time operating system using a micro-kernel, which is incorporated in the digital content management apparatus as an interruption process having high priority. When a user uses the digital content, whether there is an illegitimate usage or not, is watched by interrupting the usage process. In the case where illegitimate usage is carried out, a warning is given or the usage is stopped. The decryption/re-encryption functions of the digital content management apparatus having the decryption/re-encryption functions are not restricted to the inside of the user apparatus. By providing the decryption/re-encryption functions between the networks, the exchange of secret information between different networks is secured. By using this apparatus for converting a crypt algorithm, information exchange is made possible between systems which adopt different algorithms.

Claims

1-53. -53. (canceled)

54. A method, comprising:

watching illegitimate usage of digital content via a watch program incorporated into an operating system; and

interrupting usage of the digital content via said watch program with a high interruption priority if the digital content is being illegitimately edited, stored, copied and/or uploaded.

55. The method according to claim 54, wherein the digital content comprises decrypted digital content.

56. The method according to claim 54, wherein said interrupting usage of the digital content via said watch program with high interruption priority comprises interrupting at a time slice faster than a time slice of the usage of digital content.

57. The method according to claim 54, wherein said watching comprises watching without affecting regular usage by a user.

58. The method according to claim 54, wherein said watching comprises watching illegitimate usage of digital content via remote control.

59. The method according to claim 54, wherein said watching comprises watching illegitimate usage of digital content via periodic broadcast signals from a user.

60. The method according to claim 54, further comprising warning the user of illegitimate usage of digital content.

61. The method according to claim 54, wherein said watch program is incorporated into a micro-kernel of the operating system.

62. An article comprising:

a storage medium having stored thereon instructions, that, if executed, result in;

watching illegitimate usage of digital content via a watch program incorporated into an operating system; and

interrupting usage of the digital content via said watch program with a high interruption priority if the digital content is being illegitimately edited, stored, copied and/or uploaded.

63. The article according to claim 62, wherein the digital content comprises decrypted digital content.

64. The article according to claim 62, wherein said interrupting usage of the digital content via said watch program with high interruption priority comprises interrupting at a time slice faster than a time slice of the usage of digital content.

65. The article according to claim 62, wherein said watching comprises watching without affecting regular usage by a user.

66. The article according to claim 62, wherein said watching comprises watching illegitimate usage of digital content via remote control.

67. The article according to claim 62, wherein said watching comprises watching illegitimate usage of digital content via periodic broadcast signals from a user.

68. The article according to claim 62, further comprising warning the user of illegitimate usage of digital content.

69. The article according to claim 62, wherein said watch program is incorporated into a micro-kernel of the operating system.

70. An apparatus, comprising:

means for watching illegitimate usage of digital content via a watch program incorporated into an operating system; and

means for interrupting usage of the digital content via said watch program with a high interruption priority if the digital content is being illegitimately edited, stored, copied and/or uploaded.

71. The apparatus according to claim 70, wherein the digital content comprises decrypted digital content.

72. The apparatus according to claim 70, wherein said means for interrupting usage of the digital content via said watch program with high interruption priority comprises means for interrupting at a time slice faster than a time slice of the usage of digital content.

73. The apparatus according to claim 70, wherein said means for watching comprises means for watching without affecting regular usage by a user.

74. The apparatus according to claim 70, wherein said means for watching comprises means for watching illegitimate usage of digital content via remote control.

75. The apparatus according to claim 70, wherein said means for watching comprises means for watching illegitimate usage of digital content via periodic broadcast signals from a user.

76. The apparatus according to claim 70, further comprising means for warning the user of illegitimate usage of digital content.

77. The apparatus according to claim 70, wherein said watch program is incorporated into a micro-kernel of the operating system.

78. A system, comprising:

a server capable of watching illegitimate usage of digital content via a watch program incorporated into an operating system, and capable of interrupting usage of the digital content via said watch program with a high interruption priority if the digital content is being illegitimately edited, stored, copied and/or uploaded.

79. The system according to claim 78, wherein the digital content comprises decrypted digital content.

80. The system according to claim 78, wherein the server is capable of interrupting at a time slice faster than a time slice of the usage of digital content.

81. The system according to claim 78, wherein the server is capable of watching without affecting regular usage by a user.

82. The system according to claim 78, wherein the server is capable of watching illegitimate usage of digital content via remote control.

83. The system according to claim 78, wherein the server is capable of watching illegitimate usage of digital content via periodic broadcast signals from a user.

84. The system according to claim 78, wherein the server is capable of warning the user of illegitimate usage of digital content.

85. The system according to claim 78, wherein said watch program is incorporated into a micro-kernel of the operating system.