IP Library › Granted Patent US 6,865,555

Granted Patent B2

US 6,865,555 · App. 09/990,098 · Granted Mar 8, 2005

System and method for providing conditional access to digital content

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 6,865,555
App. No.: 09/990,098
Granted: Mar 8, 2005
Kind: B2

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Abstract

In response to a user request to view specific digital content, the user's set top box (STB) accesses a verification entity via a persistent network connection. The STB establishes the user's identity with the verification entity, for instance, by reading identity credentials from a smart card. In response to the verification entity having stored a license for the user to view the digital content, the STB receives a license key from the verification entity. In addition, the STB receives an encrypted access key from an access key source corresponding to a segment of encrypted digital content. The license key is used to decrypt the encrypted access key, which is, in turn, used to decrypt the segment of encrypted digital content. A user may transfer his or her license in whole or in part to another user by sending a transfer request to the verification entity.

Claims (210)

1. A computer-implemented method for providing conditional access to digital content, the method comprising:

accessing a verification entity via a persistent network connection;

establishing a user's identity with the verification entity;

receiving a license including a license key from the verification entity in response to the verification entity having stored a license for the user to view the digital content;

receiving an encrypted access key from an access key source, the encrypted access key corresponding to a segment of encrypted digital content;

decrypting the encrypted access key using the license key;

receiving the segment of encrypted digital content from a content source;

decrypting the segment of encrypted digital content using the decrypted access key;

outputting the decrypted segment of digital content to an output device; and

instructing the verification entity to transfer a sublicense comprising at least a portion of the user's license to another person.

2. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content a set number of times, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person to view the digital content at least a subset of the set number of times.

3. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content during an established time interval, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person view the digital content during at least a subset of the time interval.

4. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the license comprises a license to create a set number of sublicenses based on the license, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person to create at least a subset of the set number of sublicenses based on the license.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request from the user to

transfer at least a portion of the user's license to another person.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing a user's identity comprises:

providing user identity credentials to the verification entity, wherein the verification entity verifies the user identity credentials and determines whether the user has a license to view the digital content.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein providing user identity credentials comprises:

reading the user identity credentials from a smart card in communication with the entertainment device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving an encrypted access key comprises receiving an encrypted access key stream corresponding to a plurality of segments of the encrypted digital content.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the segment of encrypted digital content comprises receiving an encrypted digital content stream from the content source.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verification entity determines whether a different entertainment device currently has a license to view the digital content, and wherein the verification entity only sends a license if a different entertainment device does not currently have a license to view the digital content.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verification entity determines whether a different entertainment device currently has a license to view the digital content, and wherein the verification entity only sends a license if a different entertainment device does not currently have a valid license to view the digital content.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content a set number of times.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the license comprises a license to create a set number of sublicenses based on the license.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the license comprises a license to create a set number of generations of sublicenses based on the license.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content during an established time interval.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the access key is received via the persistent network connection.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted content is received via the persistent network connection.

18. A computer-implemented method for providing conditional access to digital content, the method comprising:

storing a plurality of licenses to view specific digital content, each license being associated with a particular user;

receiving a request from a user of a specific entertainment device to view specific digital content;

verifying the user's identity from information within the request;

locating a license for the user to view the digital content;

sending the license associated with the user, the license comprising at least a license key configured to decrypt an access key corresponding to a segment of encrypted digital content; and

transferring a sublicense comprising at least a portion of the license to another person in response to a request from the user.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

receiving a request from a user to transfer at least a portion of the user's license to another person.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the license is valid for a set number of viewings, further comprising:

determining that the set number of viewings has not been exhausted prior to the license being sent.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the license is valid for a period of time, further comprising:

determining that the valid time period has not expired prior to the license being sent.

22. The method of claim 18 , wherein the license is valid for a period of time, further comprising:

determining whether the license is temporarily revoked for a set period of time to enable a sublicense.

23. The method of claim 18 , wherein verifying the user's identity comprises:

receiving user identity credentials read from a smart card; and

verifying the user identity credentials.

24. The method of claim 18 , wherein locating a license comprises:

searching the plurality of licenses for a license corresponding to the user and the requested digital content; and

in response to locating a license associating the user with the requested digital content, extracting from the license a license key configured to decrypt an encrypted access key corresponding to a segment of the digital content.

25. The method of claim 18 , wherein sending a license comprises sending the license via a persistent network connection.

26. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

determining whether a different entertainment device currently has a license to view the digital content; and

wherein the license is only sent if a different entertainment device does not currently have a license to view the digital content.

27. The method of claim 18 , wherein the encrypted access key comprises an encrypted access key stream corresponding to a plurality of segments of encrypted digital content.

28. The method of claim 18 , wherein the segment of encrypted digital content comprises an encrypted digital content stream from the content source.

29. The method of claim 18 , wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content a set number of times, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person to view the digital content at least a subset of the set number of times.

30. The method of claim 18 , wherein the license comprises a license to create a set number of sublicenses based on the license, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person to create at least a subset of the set number of sublicenses based on the license.

31. The method of claim 18 , wherein the license comprises a license to create a set number of generations of sublicenses based on the license, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person to create at least a subset of the set number of generations of sublicenses based on the license.

32. The method of claim 18 , wherein the license is disabled for a set period of time corresponding to an established time interval of a sublicense created from the license.

33. The method of claim 18 , wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content during an established time interval and wherein the sublicense allows the other person view the digital content during at least a subset of the time interval.

34. The method of claim 18 , wherein the access key source comprises physical media.

35. The method of claim 18 , wherein the content source comprises physical media.

36. A system for providing conditional access to digital content, the system comprising:

a network interface that accesses a verification entity via a persistent network connection;

an identification component that establishes a user's identity with the verification entity;

a license reception component that receives a license comprising a license key from the verification entity in response to the verification entity having stored a license for the user to view the digital content;

an access key reception component that receives an encrypted access key from an access key source, the encrypted access key corresponding to a segment of encrypted digital content;

an access key decryption component that decrypts the encrypted access key using the license key associated with the license;

an encrypted digital content reception component that receives the segment of encrypted digital content from a content source;

an encrypted digital content decryption component that decrypts the segment of encrypted digital content using the decrypted access key;

an output component that outputs the decrypted segment of digital content to a output device; and

a transfer component that instructs the verification entity to transfer a sublicense comprising at least a portion of the user's license to another person.

37. The system of claim 36 ,

38. The system of claim 36 ,

39. The system of claim 36 ,

40. The system of claim 36 ,

wherein the transfer component is to receive a request to instruct the verification entity to transfer at least a portion of the user's license to another person.

41. The system of claim 36 , wherein the identification component provides user identity credentials to the verification entity and wherein the verification entity verifies the user identity credentials and determines whether the user has a license to view the digital content.

42. The system of claim 41 , further comprising:

a smart card reader that reads the user identity credentials from a smart card.

43. The system of claim 36 , wherein the access key reception component receives an encrypted access key stream corresponding to a plurality of segments of the encrypted digital content.

44. The system of claim 36 , wherein the encrypted digital content reception component receives an encrypted digital content stream from the content source.

45. The system of claim 36 , wherein the verification entity determines whether a different entertainment device currently has a license to view the digital content, and wherein the verification entity only sends a license if a different entertainment device does not currently have a license to view the digital content.

46. The system of claim 36 , wherein the verification entity determines whether a different entertainment device currently has a license to view the digital content, and wherein the verification entity only sends a license if a different entertainment device does not currently have a valid license to view the digital content.

47. The system of claim 36 , wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content a set number of times.

48. The system of claim 36 , wherein the license comprises a license to create a set number of sublicenses based on the license.

49. The system of claim 36 , wherein the license comprises a license to create a set number of generations of sublicenses based on the license.

50. The system of claim 36 , wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content during an established time interval.

51. The system of claim 36 , wherein the access key is received via the persistent network connection.

52. The system of claim 36 , wherein the encrypted content is received via the persistent network connection.

53. A system for providing conditional access to digital content, the system comprising:

a storage device that stores a plurality of licenses to view specific digital content, each license being associated with a particular user;

a request reception component that receives a request from a user of an entertainment device to view specific digital content;

a verification component that verifies the user's identity from information within the request;

a search component that locates a license for the user to view the digital content;

a transmission component that sends the license associated with the user, the license comprising at least a license key configured to decrypt an access key corresponding to a segment of encrypted digital content; and

a transfer component that transfers a sublicense comprising at least a portion of the user's license to another person.

54. The system of claim 53 ,

wherein the transfer component receives a request from a user to transfer at least a portion of the user's license to another person.

55. The system of claim 53 , wherein the license is valid for a set number of viewings, further comprising:

a license determination component that determines that the set number of viewings has not been exhausted prior to the license being sent.

56. The system of claim 53 , wherein the license is valid for a period of time, further comprising:

a license determination component that determines that the valid time period has not expired prior to the license being sent.

57. The system of claim 53 , further comprising:

a concurrent use determination component that determines whether a different entertainment device currently has a license to view the digital content, wherein the license is only sent if a different entertainment device does not currently have the license to view the digital content.

58. The system of claim 53 , wherein the verification component receives user identity credentials read from a smart card in communication with an entertainment device and verifies the user identity credentials.

59. The system of claim 53 , wherein the search component searches the plurality of licenses for a license corresponding to the user and in response to locating a license associating the user with the requested digital content, the license comprising a license key configured to decrypt an access key corresponding to a segment of the digital content is located.

60. The system of claim 53 , wherein the transmission component sends the license via a persistent network connection.

61. The system of claim 53 , wherein the encrypted access key comprises an encrypted access key stream corresponding to a plurality of segments of encrypted digital content.

62. The system of claim 53 , wherein the segment of encrypted digital content comprises an encrypted digital content stream from the content source.

63. The system of claim 53 , wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content a set number of times, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person to view the digital content at least a subset of the set number of times.

64. The system of claim 53 , wherein the license comprises a license to create a set number of sublicenses based on the license, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person to create at least a subset of the set number of sublicenses based on the license.

65. The system of claim 53 , wherein the license comprises a license to create a set number of generations of sublicenses based on the license, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person to create at least a subset of the set number of generations of sublicenses based on the license.

66. The system of claim 53 , wherein the license is disabled for a set period of time corresponding to an established time interval of a sublicense created from the license.

67. The system of claim 53 , wherein the license comprises a license to view the digital content during an established time interval, and wherein the sublicense allows the other person view the digital content during at least a subset of the time interval.

68. A computer-implemented method for providing conditional access to digital content, the method comprising:

accessing a verification entity via a persistent network connection;

establishing a user's identity with the verification entity;

receiving a license from the verification entity in response to the verification entity having stored a license for the user to view the digital content, wherein the license comprises an expiration time;

receiving an encrypted access key from an access key source corresponding to a segment of encrypted digital content;

decrypting the encrypted access key using the license;

receiving the segment of encrypted digital content from a content source;

decrypting the segment of encrypted digital content using the decrypted access key;

outputting the decrypted segment of digital content to an output device;

storing the license in volatile memory of the entertainment device;

disconnecting from the persistent network connection; and

in response to the expiration time being passed, deleting the stored license key from the volatile memory.

69. A computer-implemented method for providing conditional access to digital content, the method comprising:

accessing a verification entity via a persistent network connection;

establishing a user's identity with the verification entity;

receiving an encrypted access key from an access key source corresponding to a segment of encrypted digital content;

decrypting the encrypted access key using the license;

receiving the segment of encrypted digital content from a content source;

decrypting the segment of encrypted digital content using the decrypted access key;

outputting the decrypted segment of digital content to an output device;

storing the license in volatile memory of the entertainment device;

disconnecting from the persistent network connection; and

in response to the expiration time being passed, blocking access to the stored license key.

70. A system for providing conditional access to digital content, the system comprising:

a network interface that accesses a verification entity via a persistent network connection;

an identification component that establishes a user's identity with the verification entity;

a license reception component that receives a license from the verification entity in response to the verification entity having stored a license for the user to view the digital content;

an access key reception component that receives an encrypted access key from an access key source corresponding to a segment of encrypted digital content;

an access key decryption component that decrypts the encrypted access key using a license key associated with the license;

an encrypted digital content reception component that receives the segment of encrypted digital content from a content source;

an encrypted digital content decryption component that decrypts the segment of encrypted digital content using the decrypted access key; and

an output component that outputs the decrypted segment of digital content to a output device;

wherein the license comprises an expiration time, wherein the license reception component stores the license in volatile memory, wherein the network interface disconnects from the persistent network connection, and wherein the license reception component deletes the stored license in response to the expiration time being passed.

71. A system for providing conditional access to digital content, the system comprising: