Patents by Inventor Clifford P. Strom

Clifford P. Strom has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20080066181
    Abstract: Aspects of peer-to-peer distribution of digital content items protected by predetermined intellectual property rights are described. The digital content items are distributed between a source communication device operated by a source entity and a proximate sink communication device operated by a sink entity, via a peer-to-peer communication session (established based on a digital identity associated with the source entity) between the source and sink devices. The source device, the sink device, and/or a network service provider arranges for a digital license granting one or more rights to an entity under one or more of the predetermined intellectual property rights to be distributed to the sink communication device. Data regarding distribution of the digital license is collected and used, among other things, to trigger e-commerce events such as billing events and consideration transfers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan A. Haveson, Max G. Morris, Darren R. Davis, Hubert Van Hoof, Kevin Lau, Robert Hildreth, Clifford P. Strom, Scott Plette, Alex McKelvey, Derek Broes
  • Publication number: 20080021833
    Abstract: Metering is enabled through an arrangement in which a metering certificate is communicated to a mobile device using an over-the-air protocol. A metering trigger provides the metering certificate that includes a location to which metering data is posted by the mobile device and a public key of a public-private key pair, or alternatively provides a link to such metering certificate. A metering helper passes the metering certificate to a DRM system on the mobile device which collects metering data associated with the metering ID and uses the public key to encrypt the metering data into a metering challenge. The metering helper posts the metering challenge to the location. The metering service extracts the metering data from the metering challenge using a private key and generates a metering response that is received by the metering helper which prompts the DRM system to reset at least a portion of a data store in which the metering data is stored.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Publication date: January 24, 2008
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Kevin Lau, Scott Plette, Clifford P. Strom, Alex McKelvey
  • Patent number: 7281273
    Abstract: Digital content is encrypted according to a content key (CK) to form (CK(content)) and such (CK(content)), a license generator, a start-up file, and license-generating information are placed on a digital storage medium. The license generator is for generating a digital license corresponding to the placed content, where the generated license has the content key (CK) therein. The start-up file is read and executed when the medium is mounted to a computing device, and the executed start-up file executes the license generator The license generating information includes the content key (CK) and any terms, conditions, rules, and/or requirements to be built into the license.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford P. Strom, Sandeep Sahasrabudhe, M. Jay Parks, John Paddleford
  • Patent number: 7266569
    Abstract: Metered data is accumulated and is indexed within a metering database of a client according to a metering ID (MID) and a content-associated ID (KID). The client selects a particular MID and metered data in the metering database having the selected MID, and constructs a challenge based on the selected metered data and sends same to a metering service. The metering service obtains the metered data from the challenge, stores same, and constructs a response. The client receives the response including a list of KIDs of the selected metered data in the challenge, and processes the list of KIDs by, for each KID in the list, deleting the metered data from the metering database having the selected MID and the KID.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin Brooks Cutter, Brian P. Evans, Clifford P. Strom, Michael Jay Parks
  • Patent number: 7231669
    Abstract: Digital content is rendered on a device by transferring the content to the device and obtaining a digital license corresponding to the content. A sub-license corresponding to and based on the obtained license is composed and transferred to the device, and the content is rendered on the device only in accordance with the terms of the sub-license. The content is encrypted and decryptable according to a content key, and the sub-license includes the content key encrypted and decryptable according to a secret. The sub-license also includes indexing information identifying the secret to the device. The indexing information in the sub-license is obtained to identify the secret, and the secret is acquired based at least in part on the indexing information. The secret is then applied to the encrypted content key to decrypt and obtain the content key, and the obtained content key is applied to the encrypted content to decrypt and obtain the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yuen Yu Leung, Marcus Peinado, Clifford P. Strom
  • Patent number: 7152166
    Abstract: To render content on a medium, a device obtains a table from the medium, obtains a private key of the device (PR-PD), indexes into an entry of the table based thereon, obtains (PU-PD(RND)) from the indexed-into entry of the table, and applies (PR-PD) to (PU-PD(RND)) to expose a random key (RND). Then, the device obtains (RND(PR-PM)) from the table, applies (RND) to (RND(PR-PM)) to expose a private key of the medium (PR-PM), obtains (PU-PM(KD)) from the license, applies (PR-PM) to (PU-PM(KD)) to expose a content key (KD), obtains (KD(content)) from the storage medium, applies (KD) to (KD(content)) to expose the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford P. Strom, Krishnamurthy Ganesan, Jonas Fredrik Helin
  • Patent number: 7010808
    Abstract: Digital content is rendered on a device by transferring the content to the device and obtaining a digital license corresponding to the content. A sub-license corresponding to and based on the obtained license is composed and transferred to the device, and the content is rendered on the device only in accordance with the terms of the sub-license. The content is encrypted and decryptable according to a content key, and the sub-license includes the content key encrypted and decryptable according to a secret. The sub-license also includes indexing information identifying the secret to the device. The indexing information in the sub-license is obtained to identify the secret, and the secret is acquired based at least in part on the indexing information. The secret is then applied to the encrypted content key to decrypt and obtain the content key, and the obtained content key is applied to the encrypted content to decrypt and obtain the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2000
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2006
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Yuen Yu Leung, Marcus Peinado, Clifford P. Strom
  • Publication number: 20040054912
    Abstract: A header object for a data file is comprised of sub-objects which specify properties of the data stream and contains information needed to properly verify and interpret the information within the data object. In order to allow the protection of any set of sub-objects without requiring that the sub-objects follow any specific ordering, a new sub-object is introduced which includes region specifiers identifying regions within sub-objects and verification information for those regions. This new sub-object in the header object allows the modification of non-protected regions and reorganization of sub-objects in a header without invalidating verification information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Publication date: March 18, 2004
    Inventors: Daniel Adent, Cory West, Pratul Dublish, Clifford P. Strom, Brian D. Crites
  • Publication number: 20040003274
    Abstract: Digital content is encrypted according to a content key (CK) to form (CK(content)) and such (CK(content)), a license generator, a start-up file, and license-generating information are placed on a digital storage medium. The license generator is for generating a digital license corresponding to the placed content, where the generated license has the content key (CK) therein. The start-up file is read and executed when the medium is mounted to a computing device, and the executed start-up file executes the license generator The license generating information includes the content key (CK) and any terms, conditions, rules, and/or requirements to be built into the license.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Inventors: Clifford P. Strom, Sandeep Sahasrabudhe, M. Jay Parks, John Paddleford
  • Publication number: 20040003267
    Abstract: To render content on a medium, a device obtains a table from the medium, obtains a private key of the device (PR-PD), indexes into an entry of the table based thereon, obtains (PU-PD(RND)) from the indexed-into entry of the table, and applies (PR-PD) to (PU-PD(RND)) to expose a random key (RND). Then, the device obtains (RND(PR-PM)) from the table, applies (RND) to (RND(PR-PM)) to expose a private key of the medium (PR-PM), obtains (PU-PM(KD)) from the license, applies (PR-PM) to (PU-PM(KD)) to expose a content key (KD), obtains (KD(content)) from the storage medium, applies (KD) to (KD(content)) to expose the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2002
    Publication date: January 1, 2004
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Clifford P. Strom, Krishnamurthy Ganesan, Jonas Fredrik Helin
  • Publication number: 20030195855
    Abstract: A device renders content on a medium by obtaining a table from the medium, obtaining a device key (DK) of the device and an index value of such (DK), indexing into an entry of the table based on the obtained index value, selecting an encrypted secret from the indexed-into entry, applying the obtained device key (DK) to the selected encrypted secret to expose the secret, and applying the exposed secret to render the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: M. Jay Parks, Marcus Peinado, Jonas Fredrik Helin, Clifford P. Strom
  • Patent number: 5802526
    Abstract: Interactive voice response systems (IVRS) are used as interfaces at a wide variety of support and information retrieval centers. A caller who contacts in IVRS-equipped support center can choose to have the voice information contained in the IVRS menus displayed graphically on the caller's communications terminal. The graphical display allows a caller to navigate up and down in the IVRS menus, skipping intermediate steps that would be required making responses to voice queries. In one embodiment the Hyper Text Markup Language (HTML) is used to produce the graphical display. The HTML data also contains a pre-defined protocol used to display IVRS menus. The graphical display of IVRS menus saves callers time, and displays IVRS information more quickly and thoroughly than could be done with voice. Graphical display of IVRS menus also saves support costs since a caller may find desired information without interaction with support center personal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1998
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Philip E. Fawcett, Christopher Blomfield-Brown, Clifford P. Strom