Static-or-dynamic and limited-or-unlimited content rights

• US 8,131,649 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Acer Cloud Technology, Inc. (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: iGware Inc (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yen, Wei, Blythe, David, Princen, John, Srinivasan, Pramila
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US10/703,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20050038753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,044 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 59, 463 1- 69, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 705/59
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1077 Recurrent authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/52 during program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode

Abstract

Dynamic assignment of rights to content, such as in a closed distribution system. Noting state information generated by an item of current content, and modifying state or rights of new content in response. Pre-loading or dynamically sending new content to the owner of the current content, with rights being enabled only at a later time, in the playback device, with predetermined conditions. In response to current state information, dynamically sending a license for new content from a server. Conditional or dynamic licenses to new content, including a set of rights associated with a class of possible sets of state information. Assignment of limited rights to a content, with support in a secure player to enforce them; for purposes of rental, bonus content, trials and other business models.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing first content for a playback device;

providing a license that includes rights for the first content and a rule associated with a state of execution of the first content;

executing, according to the rights for the first content, the first content on the playback device to reach a state of execution of the first content;

saving the state;

stopping execution of the first content;

determining rights or permissions for second content based on the saved state and the rule associated with the state of execution, wherein the first content and the second content are distinct;

launching the second content for execution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second content includes the first content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring consumption of content using a secure processor;

maintaining a value associated with the measured consumption in secure internal memory;

comparing the value with quantities associated with the rights or permissions;

enforcing the rights or permissions with the secure processor based on the comparison.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring consumption of content using a secure processor;

maintaining a value associated with the measured consumption in cryptographically secure mass storage;

comparing the value with quantities associated with the rights or permissions;

enforcing the rights or permissions with the secure processor based on the comparison.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring consumption of content using a secure processor;

maintaining a value associated with the measured consumption;

comparing the value with quantities associated with the rights or permissions in runtime using a secure timer interrupt that is set up at content launch;

executing secure code at interrupt intervals to perform the comparison.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing secure code at interrupt intervals;

calling a secure set of code in the secure processor during an interrupt interval;

measuring consumption of content using a secure timer at the interrupt interval;

determining when the measured consumption exceeds a threshold associated with the rights or permissions;

limiting the rights or permissions when the measured consumption is determined to exceed the threshold associated with the rights or permissions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting input from a super-user;

restricting rights or permissions for the second content based on the input.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising using a resident rule associated with the input from the super-user.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising restricting rights or permissions for the second content based upon the input from the super-user.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising saving the super-user input, wherein the license includes a rule that is used to interpret the super-user input.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining state of past transactions, wherein the past transactions are associated with content on the playback device;

providing a license to the playback device for the content based on the state of past transactions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the playback device is a secure playback device, further comprising enforcing the rights or permissions using trusted software.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information associated with the rights or permissions from a license server.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining rights or permissions locally by combining, according to the rule associated with the state of execution, one or more items selected from the group consisting of;

static rights from a server, static resident rights at the playback device, dynamic inputs to the playback device, and state on the playback device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining rights or permissions remotely.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising enforcing time-limited play.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the rights or permissions are encapsulated as data, rules, or codified instructions in a conditional license.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the rights or permissions are conditionally granted depending upon a set of inputs that may vary each time a conditional license associated with the rights or permissions is evaluated.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the first content is media content, further comprising:

determining state data from a player of media on a playback device;

granting rights or permissions to the player for the media based on the state data.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first content is game content, further comprising:

saving game state data related to state of execution of the game content;

granting rights or permissions for the game based on the game state data.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the game state data includes data selected from the group consisting of duration of play, number of times the game has been played, progress of play, assets, score, a combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving dynamic inputs from a player that influence the rights or permissions to the player.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting the second content after determining rights or permissions for the second content based on the saved state.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the second content.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a license, based on prior transactions, for the second content.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising

determining state of past transactions, wherein the past transactions are associated with content on the playback device;

providing a license to the playback device for new content based on the state of past transactions.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining rights or permissions locally by combining static rights with dynamic rights, wherein the dynamic rights are related to the state of execution of the first content.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the first content is game content, wherein the data related to the state of execution of the game content includes data pertaining to the game content, and wherein granting rights or permissions for the game content is based on the game state data.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining rights or permissions for the second content further includes interpreting the saved state in the context of the first content.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the license that includes the rights for the first content includes the license that includes the rights for the second content.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the license that includes the rights for the first content and providing the license that includes the rights for the second content are accomplished in a single transaction.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising interpreting permissions associated with the second content based on the saved state.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing game state data from a player of a game;

cryptographically authenticating the game state data;

granting rights or permissions associated with the game to the player based on the game state data.

34. A system comprising:

a means for providing first content for a playback device;

a means for providing a license that includes rights for the first content;

a means for executing, according to the rights for the first content, the first content on the playback device to reach a state of execution of the first content;

a means for recording the state;

a means for stopping execution of the first content;

a means for determining rights or permissions for second content based on the saved state and a rule associated with the state of execution, wherein the first content and the second content are distinct;

a means for launching the second content for execution.

35. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

a means for processing game state data from a player of a game including the first content;

a means for cryptographically authenticating the game state data;

a means for granting rights or permissions associated with the game including the second content to the player based on the game state data.

36. The system of claim 34, further comprising:

a means for processing game state data from a player of a first game associated with the first content;

a means for cryptographically authenticating the game state data;

a means for granting rights or permissions associated with a second game associated with the second content to the player based on the game state data.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the rule comes from the license.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the rule comes from a license to the second content.