Method and apparatus for operating a transactional server in a proprietary database environment

• US 5,825,884 A
• Filed: 07/01/1996
• Issued: 10/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Consumer Electronics Incorporated (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Zdepski, Joel Walter, Page, Howard Geza
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Application Number:
  US08/674,268
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 380/23, 380/25, 380/30, 380/10, 380/20, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1
• US Class Current: 705/78
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A transactional server system for transferring subscriber information requests to information service providers, and methods of operating the same result in discouraging reconstruction of the subscriber information. The transactional server system comprises a subscriber platform which transfers an encrypted identification and a message request block. A transaction server is coupled to the subscriber platform to initiate a subscriber information request in response to the message request block and the encrypted identification, and transfer the message request block to the information service providers in response to subscriber information. A database server coupled to the transaction server and having a plurality of subscriber information receives the subscriber information request and decrypts the encrypted identification to provide the subscriber information to the transaction server.

Claims

1. A transactional server system for transferring subscriber information requests to information service providers comprising:

a subscriber platform configured to transfer an encrypted identification and a message request block;

a transaction server coupled to the subscriber platform to initiate a subscriber information request in response to the message request block and the encrypted identification, and transfer the message request block to the information service providers in response to subscriber information; and

a database server coupled to the transaction server and having a plurality of subscriber information configured to receive the subscriber information request and decrypts the encrypted identification to provide the subscriber information to the transaction server.

2. The transactional server system according to claim 1, wherein the message request block includes a plurality of informational requests.

3. The transactional server system according to claim 1, wherein the database server authenticates the encrypted identification received from the transaction server to verify that the encrypted identification originated from the subscriber platform.

4. The transactional server system according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber platform includes a database server public key and is configured to generate the encrypted identification with the database server public key.

5. The transactional server system according to claim 4, wherein the database server includes a database server private key to decrypt the encrypted identification.

6. The transactional server system according to claim 1, wherein the subscriber platform includes a subscriber platform private key and is configured to generate a signed hash with the subscriber platform private key from the message request block.

7. The transactional server system according to claim 6, wherein the transaction server is configured to provide a message request block hash in response to the message request block.

8. The transactional server system according to claim 7, wherein:

the message request block includes the signed hash from the subscriber platform and the message request block hash from the transaction server; and

the database server is configured to receive the message request block and includes a subscriber public key to decrypt the signed hash to provide a subscriber signature that is compared with the message request block hash to authenticate the subscriber information request.

9. The transactional server system according to claim 8, wherein the database server is configured to transfer the subscriber information to the transaction server in response to a proper authentication.

10. A method of operating a transactional processor for requesting information in an interactive environment comprising the steps:

transferring an information request having an identification and requested data to a transaction server;

transferring the information request to a database server;

verifying the information request to validate originality of the information request is indeed a subscriber request;

retrieving subscriber information corresponding to the identification;

transferring the subscriber information to the transaction server; and

transferring the subscriber information and the requested data to an application processor which provides the requested data to at least one subscriber based on the subscriber information.

11. A method of operating a transactional processor system for requesting information in an interactive environment comprising the steps:

encrypting an information request to provide an encrypted request information and an encrypted identification

transferring the information request having the encrypted identification and the encrypted request information to a transaction server;

transferring the information request to a database server;

verifying the information request to validate originality of the information request;

retrieving subscriber information corresponding to the encrypted identification;

transferring the subscriber information to the transaction server; and

transferring the subscriber information and the encrypted request information to an application processor.

12. The method of operating the transactional server system according to claim 11 further comprising the step:

generating a verification hash of the encrypted request information; and

encrypting the verification hash with a subscriber private key to provide a signed hash.

13. The method of operating the transactional server system according to claim 12, wherein the step encrypting the information request includes the step encrypting the encrypted identification with a database public key.

14. The method of operating the transactional server system according to claim 13, wherein the step transferring the information request to the transaction server includes the step transferring the encrypted request information, the encrypted identification, and the signed hash.

15. The method of operating the transactional server system according to claim 14, wherein the step transferring the information request to the database server includes the steps:

generating a request information hash from the encrypted request information; and

transferring the request information hash, the signed hash, and the encrypted identification to the database server.

16. The method of operating the transactional server system according to claim 15, wherein the step of verifying the information request includes the steps:

decrypting the encrypted identification with a database private key to provide a serial number;

retrieving a subscriber public key corresponding to the serial number,

decrypting the signed hash with the subscriber public key to provide the verification hash; and

comparing the verification hash with the request information hash to determine a match.

17. The method of operating the transactional server system according to claim 16, wherein the step of retrieving subscriber information includes the step associating the serial number with a subscriber information storage location within the database to provide the subscriber information.

18. The method of operating the transactional server system according to claim 17, wherein the step retrieving the subscriber information includes the steps:

decrypting the encrypted request information to provide requested data; and

transferring the requested data and the subscriber information to the application processor.

19. The method of operating the transactional server system according to claim 18, wherein the requested data includes a plurality of components and the step of retrieving the subscriber information from the database in response to the serial number include splitting the requested data into components to provide application data corresponding to an associated information server.

20. A method of operating a transaction server comprising the steps:

receiving an information request having an identification and requested data wherein the information request includes an encoded message;

decrypting a key with a transaction server private key;

retrieving subscriber information corresponding to the identification; and

transferring the subscriber information and the requested data to an application processor which provides the requested data to a subscriber based on the subscriber information.

21. A method of operating a transaction server comprising the steps:

receiving an information request having an identification and requested data wherein the information request includes a DES encoded message and the step of receiving the information request includes decrypting a DES key with a transaction server private key;

retrieving subscriber information corresponding to the identification; and

transferring the subscriber information and the requested data to an application processor.

22. The method of operating the transaction server according to claim 21, wherein the step of retrieving subscriber information include the step generating a DES hash from the DES encoded message.

23. The method of operating the transaction server according to claim 21, wherein the step of retrieving subscriber information includes the step of decrypting the DES encoded message with the DES key.

24. The method of operating the transaction server according to claim 21, wherein the step of transferring the subscriber information and requested data includes the step of disconcatenating the information request to provide component messages.

25. A method of operating a database server comprising the steps:

retrieving subscriber information in response to a subscriber information request having an identification from a transactional server;

verifying the subscriber information request to validate originality of the subscriber information request is indeed a subscriber request;

retrieving the subscriber information corresponding to the identification; and

transferring the subscriber information to a transaction server.

26. A method of operating a database server comprising the steps:

retrieving subscriber information in response to a subscriber information request having an identification;

decrypting the identification to produce a serial number;

verifying the subscriber information request to validate originality of the subscriber information request;

retrieving the subscriber information corresponding to the identification; and

transferring the subscriber information to a transaction server.

27. The method of operating a database server according to claim 26, wherein the step of retrieving the subscriber information includes retrieving the subscriber information corresponding to the serial number.

28. The method of operating a database server according to claim 27, wherein the subscriber information request includes a subscriber signature and the step of verifying includes the step retrieving a subscriber public key to decrypt a subscriber signature.

29. The method of operating a database server according to claim 28, wherein the step of retrieving the subscriber public key includes the step retrieving the subscriber public key from a location corresponding to the serial number.

30. A transaction server for processing information requests comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an information request having an identification and requested data;

a subscriber information requestor configured to provide an encoded subscriber information request in response to the identification to a data base; and

a processor configured to receive the subscriber information from the database and provide message requests in response to the subscriber information and the requested data to an application server.

31. A transaction server for processing information requests comprising:

a receiver configured to receive an information request including an encoded message having an identification and requested data;

a decryptor configured to decrypt the information request;

subscriber information requestor configured to provide an encoded subscriber information request in response to the identification; and

a processor configured to receive the subscriber information and provide message requests in response to the subscriber information and the requested data.

32. The transaction server according to claim 31, wherein the encoded message includes a DES encoded message and the decryptor is configured to retrieve a transaction server private key and decrypt a DES key for the DES encoded message.

33. The transaction server according to claim 32, wherein the decryptor is configured to generate a DES hash from the DES encoded message.

34. The transaction server according to claim 31 wherein the processor is configured to disconcatenate the information request to provide component messages.

35. A database server for receiving encoded information requests comprising:

a decryptor configured to decrypt a subscriber information request having an identification;

a verifier configured to verify the subscriber information to validate originality of the subscriber information request; and

a retrieve processor configured to retrieve the subscriber information corresponding to the identification and transfer the subscriber information to a transaction server.

36. The database server according to claim 35, wherein the decryptor is configured to decrypt the identification to produce a serial number.

37. The database server according to claim 36, wherein the retrieve processor is configured to cross reference the serial number to provide the subscriber information.

38. The database server according to claim 35, wherein the information request includes a digital signature and the decryptor is configured to decrypt the signature to provide a DES hash.

39. The database server according to claim 38, wherein the information request includes a verify hash and the verifier is configured to compare the verify hash with the DES hash for a match.

40. The database server according to claim 38, wherein the retrieve processor is configured to retrieve a particular public key for the decryptor to decrypt the digital signature.

41. A subscriber platform for providing information requests having a subscriber identification comprising:

a message generator configured to generate a message block;

an encryptor configured to encrypt the message block and generate a digital signature of the message block;

an encrypted identification generator configured to encrypt the subscriber identification to provide an encrypted identification; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the message block, the digital signature and the encrypted identification to provide an information request.

42. The subscriber platform according to claim 41, wherein the encryptor is configured to generate a random DES key and encrypt the message block to provide a DES message block.

43. The subscriber platform according to claim 42, wherein the encryptor is configured to generate a DES hash of the DES message block and sign the DES message block to provide a digital signature.

44. The subscriber platform according to claim 41, wherein the encrypted identification generator is configured to encrypt the identification with a particular public key.

45. A method of operating a subscriber platform having a subscriber identification to provide information requests comprising the steps:

concatenating message requests to provide a message block;

encrypting the message block;

generating a hash of the message block;

signing the hash to provide a digital signature;

encrypting the subscriber identification to provide an encrypted identification; and

transferring the encrypted message block, the digital signature, and the encrypted identification to provide an information request.

46. The method of operating the subscriber platform according to claim 45, wherein the step of encrypting the message block includes the steps:

creating a random DES key; and

encrypting the message block with the DES key to provide an DES message block.

47. The method of operating the subscriber platform according to claim 46, wherein the step of encrypting the message block includes the step encrypting the DES key with a particular public key.

48. The method of operating the subscriber platform according to claim 45, wherein the step of signing includes the step encrypting the hash with a subscriber private key.

49. The method of operating the subscriber platform according to claim 45, wherein the step of encrypting the subscriber identification includes the step of encrypting the subscriber identification with a particular public key.