Including Usage Or Charge Recording At Subscriber Station Patents (Class 380/233)
  • Patent number: 7363504
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a system and methods for biometric security using keystroke scan biometrics in a smartcard-reader system. The biometric security system also includes a keystroke scan sensor that detects biometric samples and a device for verifying biometric samples. In one embodiment, the biometric security system includes a smartcard configured with a keystroke scan sensor. In another embodiment, the system includes a reader configured with a keystroke scan sensor. In yet another embodiment, the present invention discloses methods for proffering and processing keystroke scan samples to facilitate authorization of transactions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
    Inventors: David S. Bonalle, Glen Salow
  • Patent number: 7346163
    Abstract: According to certain embodiments consistent with the present invention, a method of processing digital video content, wherein the digital video content comprises intra-coded frames and inter-coded frames, involves selecting a plurality of the intra-coded frames for encryption to produce selected frames; encrypting the selected frames under a first encryption algorithm to produce first encrypted frames; storing the inter-coded frames in a first file; and storing the intra-coded frames, whether encrypted under the first encryption algorithm or unencrypted, in a second file. For a multiple encryption embodiment consistent with the present invention, the method further involves duplicating the intra-coded frames; encrypting duplicates of the selected frames under a second encryption algorithm to produce second encrypted frames; storing the intra-coded frames, whether encrypted under the second encryption algorithm or unencrypted, in a third file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Leo M. Pedlow, Jr., Davender Agnihotri
  • Patent number: 7346779
    Abstract: A method for securing an electronic document (22) comprising attaching a biometric characteristic (20) and the electronic document (22) to form a biometric characteristic-document combination and encrypting the biometric characteristic-document combination to form an encrypted data package (24).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2008
    Assignee: Birmingham Systems Limited
    Inventor: Kim Leeper
  • Patent number: 7330884
    Abstract: A system and method for implementing an intermediary to preserve user privacy and anonymity in electronic transactions. In one embodiment, a computer implemented method for facilitating a transaction between a subscriber and a vendor through an intermediary is provided. In this embodiment, the method comprises the step of receiving at the intermediary personal information from the subscriber to establish a user account. The method also comprises the step of storing the personal information for subsequent access. The method further comprises the step of receiving a request from the subscriber to access the user account, upon which the subscriber's identity is verified by the intermediary against the personal information. The method also comprises the step of the intermediary entering into a transaction with the vendor on behalf of the subscriber based on the subscriber's instruction once the subscriber's identity is successfully verified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Electronics, Inc.
    Inventor: Gina C. Eubanks
  • Publication number: 20080010469
    Abstract: Included are systems and methods for data authentication. At least one embodiment of a system includes a secure processor configured as a physically secure environment, the secure processor further configured to receive a control word from a headend, the secure processor further configured to encrypt the received control word using a first encryption key. Other embodiments of a system includes a transport processor configured to receive the encrypted control word, the transport processor further configured to decrypt the received control word using a first decryption key, wherein the first decryption key is compatible with the first encryption key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2006
    Publication date: January 10, 2008
    Applicant: SCIENTIFIC-ATLANTA, INC.
    Inventors: Howard G. Pinder, David A. Sedacca
  • Patent number: 7305366
    Abstract: Content revocation is achieved by disabling licenses issued to a computing device for the content. A content revocation is delivered within a license to the computing device. Upon license storage the content revocation is recognized, validated, and stored in a secure state store under the public key of the content server (PU-CS) that issued the content. Each license has a (PU-CS) therein, and each license evaluation considers each content revocation stored in the state store and having the same (PU-CS). The license is disabled or otherwise affected based on the considered content revocation. A content revocation is one form of a license modification that may be delivered within a license.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Charlie David Chase, Jr., Krishnamurthy Ganesan, Philip J. Lafornara, Jeffrey Richard McKune, Clifford Paul Strom, Vijay K. Gajjala
  • Patent number: 7299504
    Abstract: A database-modeled security policy includes policy statements stored in a database. Each policy statement has associated standards, guidelines, and procedures. Policy statements are grouped together into tag groups, which are in turn grouped together to form metapolicies. A security administrator uses a security policy management application to create metapolicies for specific audiences. A lightweight directory access protocol module manages access to the security policy. The security policy management application also provides scoring, reporting, and project management functionalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2007
    Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: James Tiller, Bryan Fish, Theodore Baker
  • Patent number: 7295994
    Abstract: When content data are distributed from an information center via a predetermined communication line to a terminal apparatus loaded with a recording medium recorded with its identifier and prepaid information, the information center manages the usable remaining amount of money in the recording medium loaded in the terminal apparatus and updates this usable remaining amount of money every time content data are distributed. Further, if the usable remaining amount of money is smaller than the price of the content data distributed from the information center, the information center instructs the terminal apparatus to load another recording medium having a usable remaining amount of money sufficient to cover the content data to be distributed. Still further, a remaining recordable capacity of a recording medium loaded in the terminal apparatus is transmitted to the information center, and the information center compares the remaining recordable capacity with the size of the data content to be distributed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2007
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Tadao Yoshida, Chisato Kitsukawa, Yoshihiko Hitotsui
  • Patent number: 7209893
    Abstract: A terminal device, a memory module and a system for and method of distributing electronic content. A content provider stores a number of multimedia files. A first integrated circuit card interface receives a host integrated circuit card containing first authorization information, and a second integrated circuit card interface receives a user integrated circuit card containing second authorization information. An input device permits selection of one or more multimedia files from the stored of multimedia files. A control unit is responsive to insertion into the second integrated circuit card interface of a user interface card containing second authorization information compatible with the first authorization information contained in a host integrated circuit card inserted in the first integrated circuit card interface to actuate an output device to provide the content of multimedia files selected by the input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Nokia Corporation
    Inventor: Naoaki Nii
  • Patent number: 7187919
    Abstract: A backup method of applications of a portable cellular phone is provided which is capable of preventing the applications from being copied by a person being not an owner of the portable cellular phone. The application of the portable cellular phone to be backed up is saved in the backup device and, when the application saved in the backup device is used as backup data for the portable cellular phone, a manufacture serial number and/or a phone number of the portable cellular phone are compared and, only when these numbers match each other, the application for the backup is copied in the portable cellular phone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2007
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Atsushi Fukuzato
  • Patent number: 7131133
    Abstract: The encoded contents of a piece of delivered information is accompanied by an applicable time data indicating a specific time period for authorizing a particular mode of utilization. When a request for utilizing the contents is issued in an information utilization apparatus, it determines if the current time agrees with the time authorizing the requested utilization by referring to the time data annexed to the encoded contents. If the request is acceptable at the current time, a set of processing steps is carried out for decoding the encoded contents and other necessary operations. Thus, an information access control method can be adapted to have flexibility in setting charges and access requirements for the contents of information that can change the value and the mode of utilization with time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2006
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasushi Kawakura, Tetsuro Kimura, Takashi Suzuoka
  • Patent number: 7110985
    Abstract: Content revocation is achieved by disabling licenses issued to a computing device for the content. A content revocation is delivered within a license to the computing device. Upon license storage the content revocation is recognized, validated, and stored in a secure state store under the public key of the content server (PU-CS) that issued the content. Each license has a (PU-CS) therein, and each license evaluation considers each content revocation stored in the state store and having the same (PU-CS). The license is disabled or otherwise affected based on the considered content revocation. A content revocation is one form of a license modification that may be delivered within a license.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Charlie David Chase, Jr., Krishnamurthy Ganesan, Philip J. Lafornara, Jeffrey Richard McKune, Clifford Paul Strom, Vijay K. Gajjala
  • Patent number: 7110543
    Abstract: At the time of moving a content from an e-book content receiving terminal 102 to a copyright protection medium 103, from among a plurality of usage rules set to the content, those defined by the copyright protection medium 103 is moved to the copyright protection medium 103 by a content moving section 106, and those not defined by the copyright protection medium 103 are transmitted to a usage rule management server 104 via a communications section 105. On the other hand, at the time of moving the content from the copyright protection medium 103 to the e-book content receiving terminal 102, the usage rules from the copyright protection medium 103 and the usage rules from the usage rule management server 104 are combined together. In this manner, even when a content is moved through a copyright protection medium in a which usage rules of the content are not fully defined therein, none of the usage rules is lost.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Koji Miura, Stefan Walter, Masaya Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 7095854
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection. Electronic appliances such as computers equipped in accordance with the present invention help to ensure that information is accessed and used only in authorized ways, and maintain the integrity, availability, and/or confidentiality of the information. Such electronic appliances provide a distributed virtual distribution environment (VDE) that may enforce a secure chain of handling and control, for example, to control and/or meter or otherwise monitor use of electronically stored or disseminated information. Such a virtual distribution environment may be used to protect rights of various participants in electronic commerce and other electronic or electronic-facilitated transactions. Distributed and other operating systems, environments and architectures, such as, for example, those using tamper-resistant hardware-based processors, may establish security at each node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2006
    Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corp.
    Inventors: Karl L. Ginter, Victor H. Shear, Francis J. Spahn, David M. Van Wie
  • Patent number: 7092930
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for protecting against a replay attack in a database system makes use of customer records including a counter, and freshness records that include the customer counters and a freshness record counter. The counter from the customer records, the customer records in the freshness records, and the freshness record counter are used by a cryptographic device together with a cryptographic device counter to verify the freshness of the customer record prior to updating the customer record with respect to a recent transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Pitney Bowes Inc.
    Inventors: Richard W. Heiden, David K. Lee
  • Patent number: 7080043
    Abstract: Content revocation is achieved by disabling licenses issued to a computing device for the content. A content revocation is delivered within a license to the computing device. Upon license storage the content revocation is recognized, validated, and stored in a secure state store under the public key of the content server (PU-CS) that issued the content. Each license has a (PU-CS) therein, and each license evaluation considers each content revocation stored in the state store and having the same (PU-CS). The license is disabled or otherwise affected based on the considered content revocation. A content revocation is one form of a license modification that may be delivered within a license.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Charlie David Chase, Jr., Krishnamurthy Ganesan, Philip J. Lafornara, Jeffrey Richard McKune, Clifford Paul Strom, Vijay K. Gajjala
  • Patent number: 7065504
    Abstract: Fee imposition system and method for application software, in which a software providing corporation can collect the fee without fail and charge a fair fee to a customer, and thereby the customer can use the application software with a paying method easy to estimate. The fee imposition system includes a server machine installed in a management center for managing the software, a client machine installed in a customer's office and connected with the server machine through a communication means, a ticket issue unit for issuing a ticket file on the basis of a predetermined fee schedule, and a data copy/writing unit for copying data corresponding to the information designated by the ticket file from a data source memory unit and recording the copied data on a data target memory unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Sakuma, Haruhisa Nakamura, Masaki Honma, Yuichi Kaneko, Hirotaka Morita, Mitsuhiro Enomoto
  • Patent number: 7043020
    Abstract: A smartcard for use with a receiver of encrypted broadcast signals comprises a microprocessor for enabling or controlling decryption of said signals. A memory is coupled to the microprocessor. The microprocessor is adapted to enable or control the individual decryption of a plurality of such signals from respective broadcast suppliers of such signals by means of respective dynamically created zones in the memory, the dynamically created zones each being arranged to store decryption data associated with a respective one of said broadcast suppliers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2006
    Assignee: Canal & Technologies
    Inventors: Michel Maillard, Christian Bernardeau
  • Patent number: 6948070
    Abstract: The present invention provides systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection. Electronic appliances such as computers equipped in accordance with the present invention help to ensure that information is accessed and used only in authorized ways, and maintain the integrity, availability, and/or confidentiality of the information. Such electronic appliances provide a distributed virtual distribution environment (VDE) that may enforce a secure chain of handling and control, for example, to control and/or meter or otherwise monitor use of electronically stored or disseminated information. Such a virtual distribution environment may be used to protect rights of various participants in electronic commerce and other electronic or electronic-facilitated transactions. Distributed and other operating systems, environments and architectures, such as, for example, those using tamper-resistant hardware-based processors, may establish security at each node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2005
    Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Karl L. Ginter, Victor H. Shear, Francis J. Spahn, David M. Van Wie
  • Patent number: 6928419
    Abstract: A method and system for creating a new digital work from one or more existing digital works having parts. A first part of a digital work has first usage rights associated therewith, the first usage rights specifying a particular manner of use for the first part. A second part of a digital work has second usage rights associated therewith, the second usage rights specifying a particular manner of use for the second part. A new digital work is created by combining the first part and the second part as new content and associating new usage rights with the new content. The new usage rights specify a particular manner of use for the new digital work.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2005
    Assignee: ContentGuard Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark J. Stefik, Peter L. T. Pirolli
  • Patent number: 6925562
    Abstract: Scheme for switching a computer system (21), which is connectable via a communication interface and a network (22) to a server module (23), into a special mode of operation. The computer system (21) comprises a software component (26) for sending an identifier (w) assigned to the computer system (21) via the communication interface and the network (22) to the server module (23). In response, the software component (26) receives a token (S), issued by the server module (23), whereby the token (S) comprises a credit (C). In addition, the computer system (21) comprises a trusted hardware component (25) storing the identifier (w) and comprising a credit counter (44) with a credit which is automatically exhaustible step-by-step, and which is updateable with the credit (C) received from the server module (23). The computer system (21) has a trigger unit for switching the computer system (21) into the special mode of operation, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2005
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ceki Gulcu, Patrick Droz, Robert Haas
  • Patent number: 6889327
    Abstract: After a user terminal executes a data usage accounting procedure for a contents provider, enciphered copyrighted digital data generated by enciphering chargeable copyrighted digital data using encryption key data, digital sample preview data generated from an outline of the copyrighted digital data at a non-chargeable level without enciphering, decryption key data for deciphering the enciphered copyrighted digital data, and additional data required for accounting are transmitted from the contents provider to the user terminal over a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2005
    Assignee: Victor Company of Japan, Limited
    Inventor: Wataru Inoha
  • Publication number: 20040052371
    Abstract: The present invention is applied to distribution of music and videos via the Internet. Single stream content is divided into a plurality of parts A to D in a time-series manner, and a first part A is transmitted via stream distribution, and remaining parts B to D are transmitted via buffering distribution such that decoding of a receiver's side can be started upon end of decoding an immediately preceding part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2003
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventor: Koichiro Watanabe
  • Patent number: 6690797
    Abstract: The descrambling device comprises hardware resources (1) and first memory zones (CA1, CA2, . . . , CAn) to store at least two different access control codes for controlling the hardware resources. The device also contains an arbitration code for selecting one access control code to control the hardware resources in order to share access to the hardware resources from the access control codes. Access control codes can be downloaded in the first memory zones by means of a loader contained in the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2004
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing S.A.
    Inventors: Mario de Vito, Laurent Gauche
  • Patent number: 6658568
    Abstract: The present invention provides methods and systems for secure, automated transaction processing for use in electronic commerce and electronic rights and transaction management over an electronic network such as the Internet and/or over organization internal Intranets. One exemplary system involves rule-based specification and selection of clearinghouses, and rule-based specification of user restrictions on the use of identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: Intertrust Technologies Corporation
    Inventors: Karl L. Ginter, Victor H. Shear, Francis J. Spahn, David M. Van Wie, Robert P. Weber
  • Patent number: 6584199
    Abstract: A conditional access system (CAS) for processing signals between a pay broadcast management system and a digital receiver includes a resource subscriber management system (RSMS) for predetermining time(s) when to transmit an RCM and/or EMM for checking information on the amount used, informing each receiver of the time(s) via a satellite channel, and transmitting the RCM and/or EMM to each receiver at the predetermined time(s); and a receiver which is automatically turned on at a predetermined time to receive and decode the RCM and/or EMM and then transmit the information on the amount used to the RSMS and automatically turned off after completion of the transmission to the RSMS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2003
    Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: In Hun Kim, Kuk Ho Bae
  • Publication number: 20030056212
    Abstract: A method of purchasing a soundtrack associated with A/V content. When A/V content is purchased by download or otherwise, the user is provided with an option to purchase or store the soundtrack. In one embodiment, the purchase of the motion picture secures usage rights to the soundtrack while another embodiment requires separate purchase of the soundtrack. In either case, the user is enabled to store the soundtrack as a separate file after having purchased rights to do so. The soundtrack is then stored, in some embodiments with digital rights management or copy protection to limit the number of copies that can be made of the soundtrack. The motion picture has a Table of Contents (TOC) indexing the soundtrack portions of the audio content of the motion picture to enable extraction of those portions of the motion picture forming the soundtrack.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2001
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Jaime A. Siegel, Toshimoto Mitomo
  • Publication number: 20020184512
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates remotely configuring a device across a network. The system operates by receiving configuration information at the device from a remote system across the network. Next, the system encrypts this configuration information using a device key, which is locally stored at the device and is different from keys associated with other devices. The system then configures the device by storing the encrypted configuration information in a non-volatile configuration store associated with the device. In this way, the encrypted configuration information contained in the non-volatile configuration store cannot be used with another device. In one embodiment of the present invention, receiving the configuration information involves using a secret key, which is locally stored at the device, to decrypt the configuration information received from the remote system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2001
    Publication date: December 5, 2002
    Inventor: Augusto C. Cardoso
  • Patent number: 6466671
    Abstract: A smartcard for use with a receiver of encrypted broadcast signals comprises a microprocessor for enabling or controlling decryption of said signals. A memory is coupled to the microprocessor. The microprocessor is adapted to enable or control the individual decryption of a plurality of such signals from respective broadcast suppliers of such signals by means of respective dynamically created zones in the memory, the dynamically created zones each being arranged to store decryption data associated with a respective one of said broadcast suppliers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2002
    Inventors: Michel Maillard, Christian Benardeau
  • Patent number: 6304660
    Abstract: A security document processing apparatus is provided having a feed path for receiving documents and at least one imaging assembly for capturing image data from documents received in the apparatus. The apparatus may include a material detection imaging assembly for detecting the material composition of certain materials on documents received in the apparatus. The material detection imaging assembly may detect material on a document by detecting transmissivity characteristics, or by sensing radiation emission characteristics of a document in the case received documents are of a type including radiation wavelength sensitive additives incorporated therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2001
    Assignee: Welch Allyn Data Collection, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael A. Ehrhart, Robert M. Hussey, Todd A. Dueker, Cayetano Sanchez, III, Walter Szrek, John C. Abraitis
  • Patent number: 6282293
    Abstract: In a fee charging system for video information, scramble signals including video information and charging information can be recorded on a recording media such that the signals are read later therefrom. The recording of the scramble signals is free of charge. In an operation to reproduce original unscrambled video signals from the signals read from the media by a recording and reproducing apparatus, the charging information is detected to conduct a charging process. Consequently, although the scrambled signals may be freely copied onto another recording media, the charging process is executed for each copying operation. First charging information and second charging information other than the first charging information are arranged with the video information. The video information includes first video information as main video information and second video information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeyuki Itoh, Iwao Aizawa
  • Patent number: 6256393
    Abstract: A method for providing authentication, authorization and access control of software object residing in digital set-top terminals creates a fingerprint (“signature”) for each software object, associates each fingerprint with a service tier, encodes each association and creates an association table containing the information and downloads the association table to the digital set-top terminal. In addition, the method utilizes an entitlement management message, sent to each set-top terminal, indicating what software objects the set-top terminal may utilize, and provides a system routine at the digital set-top terminal that is invoked whenever software object is about to be utilized. The entitlement management message contains the access rights given to a particular set-top terminal, which must match the software object's access requirements for the software object to be utilized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: General Instrument Corporation
    Inventors: Reem Safadi, Lawrence Vince
  • Patent number: 6249532
    Abstract: A billing system for use in a chargeable program broadcasting is capable of reliably billing a subscriber for program reception while preventing unauthorized reception thereof. A receiving terminal includes a primary terminal 100 and a secondary terminal 150. The primary terminal 100 receives a compressed video signal and confirms by an error checker 113 thereof whether there is a transmission error and bills, by a billing device 114 thereof, the receiving subscriber on the basis of an error information and a program information, etc., separated from the video signal by a separation circuit 112. The compressed video data is time-axis multiplexed with a terminal identifying code and a key signal and transmitted to the secondary terminal 150. In the secondary terminal 150, a bill for the subscriber is confirmed by the terminal identifying code and the compressed data is decoded by a decoder circuit 166 thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2001
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Microcomputer Systems, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiko Yoshikawa, Hitoaki Owashi, Hiroyuki Hayakawa, Tadasu Otsubo, Kyoichi Hosokawa
  • Patent number: 6222924
    Abstract: To prevent unauthorized reception, storage, copying and reproduction of digital media objects it is defined in addition to a scrambled broadcast format a scrambled storage format which is different from the broadcast format. A user's terminal equipment cannot receive, store or reproduce protected objects without a key which is advantageously a bit sequence stored on a portable memory medium and which can be different according to the type of use it gives entitlement to. To prevent the storing and later reproduction as such of data in the broadcast format, a time stamp is included in the broadcast format representing the time of broadcasting. A playback device cannot reproduce a broadcast-format object if the reproduction time differs from the time stamp included in the broadcast format. The reproduction time is advantageously read from a real time clock of a portable memory medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Oy Nokia AB
    Inventor: Ari Salomäki
  • Patent number: 6161179
    Abstract: To protect access to information recorded on a light-readable disc, a light-readable disc player provides the user with a unique key each time the user attempts to play the disc. After the user communicates the unique key to a transaction service and satisfies certain preconditions, such as providing payment or account information, the transaction service provides the user with an unlock key. The user communicates the unlock key to the light-readable disc player, which plays the disc only if the user has provided the correct unlock key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2000
    Assignee: WEA Manufacturing, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert T. Seidel
  • Patent number: 6126069
    Abstract: Anonymous use of and payment for, as well as collection of statistics, fee-based services, in particular Near-VOD services, employing a single chip card that can be used for all service providers. The chip card is used for paying for fee-based services of different service providers. Storage of usage-related data for collection of statistics and for payment for fee-based services as well as an authorization check is provided on the chip card. When an amount of money is loaded onto the chip card, these data are read and transmitted to a central office for the purpose of collecting statistics relating to the usage of individual services and crediting the individual service providers while, at the same time, guaranteeing anonymity of the individual customer-specific data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2000
    Assignee: Alcatel
    Inventors: Rolf Stiefel, Roland Sawatzki, Ulrich Barth
  • Patent number: 6061452
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a transmitting system of which data is difficult to be tapped and which is suitable for flexibly determining a watching and listening fee. In order to achieve the object, there is provided a combination of a transmitting method comprising steps of, transmitting encoded data which has been encoded, to a receiving side, changing the encoding in a predetermined unit, and performing recording according to requirement, from the receiving side of information concerning decoding of the encoded data, and a receiving method comprising steps of, receiving the encoded data which has been encoded, from a transmitting side, requiring the information concerning the decoding of the encoded data, to the transmitting side, and decoding the encoded data by using the obtained information concerning the decoding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2000
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeo Suzuki