Filing Information

Inventor(s)	David M. Van Wie · Robert P. Weber ·
Assignee(s)	InterTrust Technologies Corp. ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, L.L.P. ·
Primary Examiner	Bernarr E. Gregory ·
Application Number	US9790566
Filing date	02/23/2001
Issue date	09/10/2002
Predicted expiration date	08/12/2016
U.S. Classifications	380/232  · 713/176  · 380/221  · 380/227  · 380/231  · 380/210  · 713/189  · 713/193  · 713/200  · 380/205  ·
International Classifications	--
Kind Code	B2
International Classifications	380239-242 · 380210 · 380231 · 380232 · 380255 · 380 54 · 380 59 · 382100 · 382112 · 382115 · 382232 · 713168 · 713176 · 713189 · 713193 · 713194 · 713200 ·
Related U.S. Application Data	CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 09/247,328, filed Feb. 10, 1999, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,240,185, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08/689,606, filed Aug. 12, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,943,422, which issued Aug. 24, 1999, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application is related to commonly assigned copending application Ser. No. 08/388,107 of Ginter et al., filed Feb. 13, 1995, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SECURE TRANSACTION MANAGEMENT AND ELECTRONIC RIGHTS PROTECTION”. We incorporate by reference, into this application, the entire disclosure of this prior-filled Ginter et al. patent application just as if its entire written specification and drawings were expressly set forth in this application.

Patent Family

Abstract

Electronic steganographic techniques can be used to encode a rights management control signal onto an information signal carried over an insecure communications channel. Steganographic techniques ensure that the digital control information is substantially invisibly and substantially indelibly carried by the information signal. These techniques can provide end-to-end rights management protection of an information signal irrespective of transformations between analog and digital. An electronic appliance can recover the control information and use it for electronic rights management to provide compatibility with a Virtual Distribution Environment. In one example, the system encodes low data rate pointers within high bandwidth time periods of the content signal to improve overall control information read/seek times.

Independent Claims | See all claims (49)

1. 1. A method including: at a first apparatus, receiving (1) a secure digital container including a file and information steganographically encoded into the file, and (2) a first control set made up of at least one control; at the first apparatus, opening the secure digital container to retrieve at least a first portion of the file, the step of opening being at least in part controlled by the first control set; and recording information relating to the opening of the secure digital container, the recording occurring at least in part under control of the first control set.
2. 10. A method including the following: at a first apparatus, receiving (1) a secure digital container including a file and information steganographically encoded into the file, and (2) a control set made up of at least one control; at the first apparatus, opening the secure digital container to retrieve at least a portion of the file, the step of opening being at least in part controlled by the control set; and transmitting information relating to the opening of the secure digital container to a remote site, the transmission occurring at least in part under control of the control set.
3. 20. A method including: at a first apparatus, receiving a first secure digital container including a file and information steganographically encoded into the file; at the first apparatus, receiving a first control set made up of at least one control; at the first apparatus, performing the following steps at least in part under the control of the first control set: (a) locating at least a portion of the steganographically-encoded information; (b) retrieving at least a portion of the steganographically-encoded information; (c) evaluating at least a portion of the retrieved information; (d) based at least in part on the evaluation, determining whether a user of the first apparatus may access or otherwise use at least a portion of the file; and (e) based on the determination, authorizing or blocking use of the file.
4. 30. A method including: at a first apparatus, receiving a signal including governed information and a steganographically-encoded first rule; at the first apparatus, steganographically decoding the signal to recover the first rule; at the first apparatus, receiving a second rule in a communication with a second apparatus; and using the first rule or the second rule to govern an aspect of access to or other use of at least a portion of the governed information.
5. 40. A method including: at a first apparatus, receiving a signal including governed information and a steganographically-encoded first rule, the first rule requiring payment to a remote site prior to an access to or other use of at least a portion of the governed information; at the first apparatus, initiating an attempt to access at least a portion of the governed information; and communicating payment information from the first apparatus to a remote second apparatus, the payment information relating to the access to the governed information portion.