Metadata Broker

• US 20080133539A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kaarela, Kari, Tervo, Timo P., Koistinen, Kirmo
• Granted Patent: US 7,908,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/10
• 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: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6227 where protection concerns the structure of data, e.g. records, types, queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/562 Brokering proxy services

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for obtaining selected metadata from a user device. The user device has a metadata engine that stores and accesses metadata in response to a metadata query. A metadata broker verifies the authenticity of the metadata query from a service provider and returns selected metadata if the service provider has rights to obtain the metadata. The user device has a communications interface that sends a service request that is indicative of the selected service over a communications channel and receives the metadata request that is indicative of the selected metadata. An authorization center receives a metadata request from a service provider, accesses a rule set to determine selected metadata in accordance with predetermined rights, and returns a signed metadata request to the service provider. The signed metadata request has an electronic signature of an authorizing party and is indicative of the selected metadata.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a metadata engine configured to store and access metadata associated with a user device; and

a metadata broker configured to;

verify an authenticity of a metadata request from a service provider;

determine whether the service provider is permitted access to selected metadata in accordance to a selected service;

obtain the selected metadata from the metadata engine; and

provide the selected metadata to the service provider.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a communications interface configured to;

send a service request that is indicative of the selected service over a communications channel; and

receive the metadata request that is indicative of the selected metadata.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, the communications interface comprising a web interface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, the metadata broker configured to utilize a public key certificate when verifying the authenticity of the metadata request.

5. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a metadata request from a service provider, the metadata request having at least one rule set parameter;

(b) accessing a rule set to obtain a predetermined right of the service provider from the at least one rule set parameter, the predetermined right being associated with first selected metadata stored in a user device; and

(c) returning a signed metadata request to the service provider, the signed metadata request having an electronic signature of an authorizing party and being indicative of the first selected metadata.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

(d) receiving another metadata request from the service provider;

(e) accessing the rule set; and

(f) returning another signed metadata request to the service provider, the signed metadata request being indicative of second selected metadata, the second selected metadata and the first selected metadata being different.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

(d) receiving a different metadata request from a different service provider.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

(d) editing the rule set associated with the service provider.

9. A method comprising:

(a) sending, by a mobile device, a service request for a selected service;

(b) receiving, from the service provider, a signed metadata request having an electronic signature of an authorizing party, the signed metadata request requesting selected metadata stored by the mobile device and associated with the selected service;

(c) verifying the electronic signature in the signed metadata request; and

(d) returning the selected metadata to the service provider.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

(e) using a public key certificate to process the signed metadata request.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

(e) filtering the selected metadata to remove private metadata.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

(e) providing user information in the service request, the user information including a device type or a user identification.

13. A method comprising:

(a) receiving, by a service provider, a service request from a user device, the service request requesting a first selected service;

(b) sending a metadata request to an authorization center for signing, the metadata request having at least one rule set parameter, the at least one rule set parameter being indicative of a predetermined right of the service provider;

(c) in response to (b), receiving a signed metadata request with an electronic signature of an authorizing party;

(d) sending the signed metadata request to the user device, the signed metadata request requesting first selected metadata stored at the user device;

(e) receiving the first selected metadata from the user device; and

(f) returning the first selected service to the user device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(g) receiving another metadata request from the user device for another selected service;

(h) sending another metadata request to the authorization center for signing; and

(i) receiving another signed metadata request, the signed metadata request being indicative of second selected metadata, the second selected metadata and the first selected metadata being different.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(g) obtaining user information from the service request; and

(h) comparing the user information with a user profile.

16. The method of claim 15, the user information being contained in a cookie.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

(i) using the user information to create the metadata request.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

(i) in response to (h), detecting an inconsistency between the user profile and the user information; and

(j) denying the selected service to the user device.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

(g) receiving, by the service provider, another service request from the user device, the other service request requesting another selected service; and

(h) sending another signed metadata request to the user device, the other signed metadata request requesting different selected metadata stored at the user device.

20. Apparatus comprising:

a communications interface configured to;

receive a metadata request from a service provider, the metadata request having at least one rule set parameter; and

return a signed metadata request to the service provider, the signed metadata request having an electronic signature of an authorizing party and being indicative of first selected metadata; and

a processor configured to;

access a rule set to obtain a predetermined right of the service provider from the at least one rule set parameter, the predetermined right being associated with the first selected metadata stored in a user device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein:

the communications interface further configured to;

receive another metadata request from the service provider; and

return another signed metadata request to the service provider, the other signed metadata request being indicative of second selected metadata, the second selected metadata and the first selected metadata being different; and

the processor further configured to;

access the rule set in accordance with the other metadata request.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions comprising:

(a) storing metadata associated with a user device;

(b) verifying an authenticity of a metadata request from a service provider;

(c) determining whether the service provider is permitted access to selected metadata in accordance with a selected service;

(d) obtaining the selected metadata; and

(e) providing the selected metadata to the service provider.

23. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions comprising:

(a) receiving a metadata request from a service provider, the metadata request having at least one rule set parameter;

(b) accessing a rule set to obtain a predetermined right of the service provider from the at least one rule set parameter, the predetermined right being associated with selected metadata stored in a user device; and

(c) returning a signed metadata request to the service provider, the signed metadata request having an electronic signature of an authorizing party and being indicative of the selected metadata.

24. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions comprising:

(a) receiving, by a service provider, a service request from a user device, the service request requesting a selected service;

(b) sending a metadata request to an authorization center for signing, the metadata request having at least one rule set parameter, the at least one rule set parameter being indicative of a predetermined right of the service provider;

(c) receiving a signed metadata request with an electronic signature of an authorizing party;

(d) sending the signed metadata request to the user device, the signed metadata request requesting selected metadata stored at the user device;

(e) receiving the selected metadata from the user device; and

(f) returning the selected service to the user device.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a first communications interface component configured to interact with a user device and further configured to;

receive, by a service provider, a service request from the user device, the service request requesting a selected service;

send a signed metadata request to the user device, the signed metadata request requesting selected metadata stored at the user device;

receive the selected metadata from the user device; and

return the selected service to the user device;

a processor to determine at least one rule set parameter from the service request using a rule set; and

a second communications interface component configured to interact with an authorization center and further configured to;

send a metadata request to the authorization center for signing, the metadata request having the at least one rule set parameter, the at least one rule set parameter being indicative of a predetermined right of the service provider; and

receive the signed metadata request with an electronic signature of an authorizing party.

26. A system comprising:

a user device having;

a metadata engine configured to store and access metadata associated with a user device; and

a metadata broker configured to;

verify an authenticity of a metadata request from a service provider;

determine whether the service provider is permitted access to selected metadata in accordance to a selected service;

obtain the selected metadata from the metadata engine; and

provide the selected metadata to the service provider;

a first server having;

a first communications interface component configured to interact with the user device and further configured to;

receive, by the service provider, a service request from the user device, the service request requesting a selected service;

send a signed metadata request to the user device, the signed metadata request requesting selected metadata stored at the user device;

receive the selected metadata from the user device; and

return the selected service to the user device;

a processor to determine at least one rule set parameter from the service request using a first rule set; and

a second communications interface component configured to interact with an authorization center and further configured to;

send a metadata request to the authorization center for signing, the metadata request having the at least one rule set parameter, the at least one rule set parameter being indicative of a predetermined right of the service provider; and

receive the signed metadata request with an electronic signature of an authorizing party; and

a second server having;

a third communications interface configured to;

receive the metadata request from the service provider, the metadata request having the at least one rule set parameter; and

return the signed metadata request to the service provider, the signed metadata request having the electronic signature of the authorizing party and being indicative of the selected metadata; and

a second processor configured to;

access a second rule set to obtain the predetermined right of the service provider from the at least one rule set parameter, the predetermined right being associated with the selected metadata stored in the user device.