Repository with security class and method for use thereof

• US 7,209,902 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2005
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc. (Pendrell Corporation)
• Inventors: Pirolli, Peter L. T., Stefik, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdi; Kambiz
• Application Number:
  US11/088,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20050165687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705 50- 57, 726/2, 726/21, 726/27, 726 31- 33, 713/155, 713/168
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0046 with a releasable handle; with handle and operating part separable for prosthetic joint-implanting tools A61F2/4603
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/301 for introducing or steering flexible instruments inserted into the body, e.g. catheters or endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/031 torque limiting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/376 using X-rays, e.g. fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/30 Surgical robots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/37 Master-slave robots A61B34/35 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 25/0113 Mechanical advancing means, e.g. catheter dispensers
• 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 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/184 : Intellectual property management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 : Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 : Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/146 : using digital cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1485 : Tariff-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1496 : involving discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 : Digital right managament [DRM]
• 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 61/00 : Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/45 : Network directories; Name-to-address mapping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 : using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 : using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 : for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 : Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 : Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 : Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 : using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 : involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 : for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 : Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 : Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 : for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 : directed to client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 : directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/83555 : using a structured language for describing usage rules of the content, e.g. REL
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99939 : Privileged access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A trusted system having at least one repository for controlling use of digital works in accordance with usage rights associated with the digital works. The system comprises means for receiving a request to access a digital work in accordance with usage rights associated with the digital work, the usage rights specifying a manner of access and indicating a security class, means for determining a security level of a repository controlling the requested access, and means for granting the request and permitting exercise of the manner of access specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work in accordance with the usage rights if the security level of the repository corresponds to the security class specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work. The security class indicates a security level of a repository that can access the digital work, and the usage rights are expressed with a grammar. In addition, an authorization object is used for identification of the repository, the physical integrity of the repository is secured, and digital works are accessed only through a transmission transaction protocol.

Claims

1. In a system having a server and at least one repository, a method for accessing digital works in accordance with usage rights associated with the digital works, the method comprising:

receiving by a server a request from a repository to access a digital work in accordance with usage rights associated with the digital work, the usage rights specifying a manner of access and indicating a security class of the repository, and identifying the repository as a repository authorized for the requested access;

determining by the server a security level of the repository; and

if the security level of the repository corresponds to the security class specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work, granting by the server the request and permitting exercise of the manner of access specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work in accordance with the usage rights,

wherein the security class indicates a security level of the repository and the usage rights are expressed with a grammar including one or more symbols selected from a set of predetermined symbols to define respective valid sequences of symbols to indicate the manner of access, and the security class,

an authorization object is used for identification of the repository,

the physical integrity of the repository is secured,

the repository and the server communicate with a transmission transaction protocol,

network connectivity between the server and the repository is with the transmission transaction protocol,

the granting step includes permitting the repository to access the digital work only through the transmission transaction protocol, and

the transmission transaction protocol provides no time at which a communication connection between the repository and the server can be broken in a manner which will permit unauthorized use of the digital work by the repository.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the usage rights further specify a digital ticket that must be possessed as a condition for granting the request and permitting exercise of the manner of access specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the usage rights further specify an access specification indicating the security class.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the security level indicated by the security class is a minimum security level of the repository that can exercise the manner of access specified in the usage rights.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the manner of access is copying the digital work to the repository.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the manner of access is rendering the digital work with the repository.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein digital works cannot be stored on removable storage.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital work is a software program and the manner of access is executing the software program.

9. A method as recited in claim 8, wherein the executing step comprises running the computer program in a dedicated address space and preventing access to any memory containing system code or other digital works.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting any attempts at tampering with the repository; and

if a level of attempts at tampering with the repository exceeds a predetermined threshold, causing the repository to save only document description records and destroying any digital identifiers of documents.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the predetermined threshold defines a number of attempts at tampering and wherein the level is a number of attempts at tampering.

12. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising modifying any certificates of authenticity to indicate that the security of the repository has been compromised.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising erasing the contents of designated documents if the level of attempts at tampering with the repository exceed the predetermined threshold.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising the repository communicating attempts at tampering to another device.

15. A method as recited in claim 10, further comprising activating an alarm when tampering is detected.

16. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising maintaining communications with a remote security systems.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the communications comprise at least one of reporting transactions and reporting attempts to circumvent security of the repository.

18. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising a user interface for permitting a user to communicate with the repository.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the user interface and the repository are embedded on the same device.

20. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising recording the history of transactions with the repository.

21. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the repository is password protected.

22. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising preventing setting of a clock of the repository without authorization.

23. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the digital work is a bond or a stock certificate.

24. A system having at least one repository accessing digital works in accordance with usage rights associated with the digital works, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request from a repository to access a digital work in accordance with usage rights associated with the digital work, the usage rights specifying a manner of access and indicating a security class of the repository, and identifying the repository as a repository authorized for the requested access;

means for determining a security level of the repository; and

means for granting the request and permitting exercise of the manner of access specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work in accordance with the usage rights if the security level of the repository corresponds to the security class specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work,

wherein the security class indicates a security level of the repository and the usage rights are expressed with a grammar including one or more symbols selected from a set of predetermined symbols to define respective valid sequences of symbols to indicate the manner of access, and the security class,

an authorization object is used for identification of the repository,

the physical integrity of the repository is secured,

communications with the repository are with a transmission transaction protocol,

network connectivity with the repository is with the transmission transaction protocol,

the repository is permitted access to the digital work only through the transmission transaction protocol, and

the transmission transaction protocol provides no time at which a communication connection can be broken in a manner which will permit unauthorized use of the digital work by the repository.

25. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the usage rights further specify a digital ticket that must be possessed as a condition for granting the request and permitting exercise of the manner of access specified in the usage rights associated with the digital work.

26. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the usage rights further specify an access specification indicating the security class.

27. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the security level indicated by the security class is a minimum security level of the repository that can exercise the manner of access specified in the usage rights.

28. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the manner of access is copying the digital work to the repository.

29. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the manner of access is rendering the digital work with the repository.

30. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein the digital work is a software program and the manner of access is executing the software program by means for executing.

31. A system as recited in claim 30, wherein the means for executing comprises means for running the computer program in a dedicated address space and means for preventing access to any memory containing system code or other digital works.

32. A system as recited in claim 24, wherein digital works cannot be stored on removable storage.

33. A system as recited in claim 24, further comprising:

means for detecting any attempts at tampering with the repository; and

means for causing the repository to save only document description records and destroying any digital identifiers of documents if a level of attempts at tampering with the repository exceeds a predetermined threshold.

34. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein the predetermined threshold defines a number of attempts at tampering and wherein the level is a number of attempts at tampering.

35. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising means for modifying any certificates of authenticity to indicate that the security of the repository has been compromised.

36. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising means for erasing the contents of designated documents if the level of attempts at tampering with the repository exceed the predetermined threshold.

37. A system as recited in claim 33, wherein the repository comprises means for communicating attempts at tampering to another device.

38. A system as recited in claim 33, further comprising means for activating an alarm when tampering is detected.

39. A system as recited in claim 24, further comprising means for maintaining communications with a remote security system.

40. A system as recited in claim 39, wherein the means for maintaining communications comprises at least one of means for reporting transactions and means for reporting attempts to circumvent security of the repository.

41. A system as recited in claim 24, further comprising user interface means for allowing a user to communicate with the repository.

42. A system as recited in claim 41, wherein the user interface means and the repository are embedded in the same device.

43. A system as recited in claim 24, further comprising means for recording the history of transactions with the repository.

44. A system as recited in claim 24, further comprising means for password protecting the repository.

45. A system as recited in claim 24, further comprising means for preventing setting of a clock of the repository without authorization.