The invention is concerned with the control of rendering of digital protected content. More precisely, the invention is concerned with method and apparatus for imposing condition to render second type of content in order for successful rendering of first type of content.
The distribution of digital content may be made dependent on parallel distribution of associated rights objects (RO) that comprise rules or policies that exercise control of the rendering of the digital content. The Open Mobile Alliance standard, OMA DRM v2, describes a so called Parent- and Child-RO related through an inheritance mechanism. The Parent-RO may be associated with one or more child ROs that specify additional permissions. OMA DRM v2 provides for new ways of controlling rendering of digital content. Exemplary a Parent-RO may be associated with a subscription whereby a Child-RO may associate with exemplary daily updates of certain content. Rendering a daily update content file is, therefore, made in dependence of subscription data as determined by the parent RO. Thus, DRM Parent-RO provides a framework for rendering whereas Child-RO defines additional rights within said framework.
It is desirable to provide digital content for free or at reduced cost if the user renders e.g. commercials at the same time. Marlin DRM system (http://www.marlin-community.com) describes so-called dynamic media zones, where content is associated with specific attributes that must be matched against conditions for access and/or playback. While this gives some degree of control of the rendering conditions, it is based on the matching of constraints represented by attributes associated to certain content and precise positioning in a given media stream. It does not allow more general execution of actions conditioning the rendering of a certain media.
There are limitations to prior art methods for handling conditional rendering and there is, thus, a need for methods providing for a higher degree of flexibility. The present invention combines prior art use of rights management with new features to provide a flexible method and arrangement for control of rendering protected content.
The present invention provides a convenient method and arrangement that is useful for conditioning the rendering of digital protected content with the rendering of other associated content such as commercials. In particular, the present invention extends prior art methods and provides a much more diversified range of conditions.
A device and method is disclosed for rendering of protected content comprising a first content part, hereinafter also referred to as dependent content part, DC, and at least a second content part hereinafter also referred to as independent content part, IC. Rendering of respective dependent and independent content parts are due to rules or conditions as specified in corresponding rights objects hereinafter referred to as dependent rights object, DRO, and independent rights object, IRO, respectively. The device may include an instruction database providing for high degree of flexibility in managing control of rendering. Rights parsing and instruction handler at the device processes instructions and rights information provided in the rights objects and has capability to generate conditions for the rendering of dependent content. The rights parsing and instruction handler provides control information to content handling and rights enforcement means whereby said conditions may enforce conditional rendering of at least an independent content part before rendering of dependent content is allowed to commence or to continue.
According to various alternative embodiments of the invention the conditions for conditional rendering of dependent content parts are determined in part from information provided in a dependent rights object or dependent content part and in part from instructions downloaded together with content or at initiation of a streaming session.
According to another embodiment rendering of dependent content require presence of key information made available as result of the rendering of pre-determined independent content objects.
According to an alternative of said another embodiment, said key may be determined from information parts obtained from rendering of a pre-determined number of independent content parts. The pre-determined independent content parts may be determined from a list of selectable independent content parts from which a user is offered to select a pre-determined number of items. The list may be generated by content provider and may depend on user profile, time of day, or location as determined exemplary from GPS-data. Said information parts may comprise parts of a secret sharing system. This embodiment provides for adaptation of conditioned rendering of independent content parts to, exemplary, user profile, location information, or time of day.
According to still another embodiment, at least an independent content object comprises executable software. Rendering of executable software object causes computer means to execute instructions therein for implementing a variety of functions. Exemplary, a user may enter a dialogue session for making a commercial agreement, for responding to a questionnaire, or for playing an interactive game. Depending on result of dialogue a key may be obtained. Exemplary, the user completes at least part of questionnaire, completes a commercial agreement, or attains pre-determined result of interactive game.
Alternatively, executable software may determine a location and instruct the user how to reach the location. When the determined location agrees with the actual location, exemplary as determined from GPS-data, the required key information is obtained for rendering of desired dependent content. By allowing for executable software, as described, new functionality may be included in a system for control of rendering protected content.
According to yet another embodiment, an operator may provide dependent content at specified price. The dependent content may include a list of independent content objects provided by third party. The operator may implement the GBA infrastructure according to 3rd Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP TS 33.220. A user may obtain dependent content and said list and generate a key for communication with third party. A user may contact third party to obtain selected independent content. Third party may request same said key from the operator and provide user with independent content, exemplary commercials, over communication protected using said key. At completion of commercials, user may obtain a key or key part from third party enabling generation of key for rendering of the initially acquired dependent content object. The embodiment opens up for new business models exemplary involving an operator, providing network communication and content, and third party providing commercial information related to third party business.
The following definitions will be used throughout the remaining of this document. Dependent content (DC) is content which will be successfully rendered on condition that other content, hereinafter referred to as independent content (IC) is rendered conditionally according to specified conditions. Rendering of dependent content is subject to requirements specified in associated dependent rights object (DRO). Rendering of the other content is, analogously, subject to requirements according to associated independent rights object (IRO).
A typical use case related to the present invention comprises a user who buys or rents a DVD movie at reduced price and agrees that to view the movie at a reduced price he/she accepts to render a specified amount of other content such as commercials. However, depending on amount paid, he may exercise some control of type of commercial content interspersed in the rendering of the movie. Further, the commercials may be adapted to the context in which the movie is rendered, e.g. time of day, type of rendering device, geographic location. Context adaptation of e.g. commercials may require network connectivity in order to access and download or stream appropriate commercials.
With reference to the use case above it is noticed that any IC usually can be rendered independently of the dependent content such as a movie. However, a more reasonable scenario is that the IC is only rendered to fulfill conditions for successful rendering of a desired DC.
The Marlin DRM system (http://www.marlin-community.com) allows a similar setup of rendering conditions, with the addition of the use of Dynamic Media Zones. Dynamic media zones are determined positions in the content which allow for dynamic population of media. This allows content associated with specific attributes to be matched against conditions for access and/or playback. The license determines how a media zone within the content is to be populated and viewed, e.g. advertisements that must not be skipped or warning screens that must be viewed. It also allows content available on different terms based on insertion of personalized ads inserted in a media zone.
Turning now to
The rights parsing and instruction handler 210 parses rights according to DRO and IRO respectively and implement additional control according to instructions obtained over communication links 221 and 222 where the latter link provides for communication with UE. The rights parsing and instruction handler has capability to establish a dialogue with a user of UE over communications link 222. Communications link 222 may also be used for communication with network entities through means at UE for that purpose. Control information from rights parsing and instruction handler 210 is input to the content handling rights enforcement means 125 enforcing control actions.
An instruction database 220 stores instructions associated with rights object DRO. The instructions are provided to the rights parsing and instruction handler 210 for, at least partly, determining conditions and for control of conditional rendering of independent content, IC through control actions. The instruction database 220 is preferably part of DRO indicated by a dashed line in
DRO generally imposes limitations related to the actual rendering of content such as number of times, quality paid for, or volume paid for whereas the instruction database, according to the invention, may provide for dynamic and changeable aspects. Exemplary instruction may impose a condition to access independent content at an identified address and render at least a specified part of the accessed independent content part. Until specified conditions are satisfied, rendering of dependent content part is interrupted.
According to first alternative embodiment, said instructions are included in the dependent rights object, DRO.
According to second alternative embodiment, said instructions are determined from information contained in the dependent content part 110, said information extracted there from over the link 221 at download of content or, initially, at commencing a streaming session.
According to third alternative embodiment, said instructions are loaded over a communications link 250 e.g. at preparing for content download or streaming.
According to a second embodiment of the invention the IC contains keys that are needed for successful rendering of the DC. It is common in the art to encrypt content and to provide the key for decryption in a rights object. According to the second embodiment, the decryption key or information allowing retrieval of or derivation of the key is made available from an independent rights object at completed rendering of the corresponding independent content, IC. Reference is now made to
In particular, according to an alternative of the second embodiment, rendering of an independent content object provides only part of a complete decryption key. Therefore, according to this alternative, a predetermined number of independent content objects must be rendered in order to obtain a complete decryption key. Each independent content object provides a part key stored in storage means 510. Exemplary, the part keys may be parts according to a shared secret method wherein a per-determined number of parts allow generation of a complete key. A user may be presented with a list of independent content objects to select from and be provided with an instruction to select any of specified number content objects from the list. The list may be generated at communications unit 525 and communicated to the user over communications link 222. User selection from the list is likewise communicated over the link 222. The control unit 523 receives acknowledge from the content handling and rights enforcement unit 125 of each rendered independent content object. At successful rendering of all selected content objects a key is obtained from key generation means 530 that is required for rendering of a desired dependent content object. The list of selectable content objects may further be adapted to a user context exemplary related to a user profile, time of day, or location. According to this embodiment control unit instructs user through link 222 to render additional independent content objects if not a sufficient number of stored key information parts can be obtained from storage 510.
According to another alternative of the second embodiment, the rendering of the DC is based on the amount of independent content that has been rendered during a given time period. The Content handling and Rights enforcement means 125 may inform control unit 523 over the link 522 of the amount of rendered content.
According to a third embodiment an independent rights object is designed as executable software establishing a user interaction wherein a user may provide specified input required for generation of the key required for rendering of dependent content. In
According to a first alternative of the third embodiment, the executable software offers the user to pay an additional fee in order to obtain the key and eliminate the need to render one or more independent content objects e.g. commercials.
According to a second alternative of the third embodiment the executable software may establish user interaction for signing a commercial agreement to obtain a key, required to render e.g. a movie, the commercial agreement may exemplary involve subscribing for a weekly magazine.
According to a third alternative of the third embodiment, the executable software may provide a location identifier, e.g. geographical coordinates, and a mobile user may be informed through communications unit 525 that navigating to the location enables rendering of dependent content. A mobile user may use navigation means, e.g. a GPS navigator, to reach the identified position. The software may include data that combined with the geographical position, causes Key generation means 530 to generate a key for rendering of dependent content. Preferably, the generation is performed such as to eliminate the possibility for the user to falsely pretend to be at the identified location. However, a solution to this problem is out of scope of the present invention.
According to a fourth alternative of the third embodiment the executable software comprises a questionnaire provided to the user through communications unit 525 and communications link 222. Upon completion of the questionnaire or attaining a pre-determined goal key material is made available enabling rendering of dependent content.
According to a fourth embodiment the GBA infrastructure is utilized to manage security objects and conditions for rendering.
According to the fourth embodiment, UE may obtain and pay for dependent content provided by the operator based on a subscription with the operator. A dependent rights object DRO may be obtained from the operator exemplary encrypted with a key derived from Ks, e.g. Ks_NAF. The dependent rights object DRO may include a list of independent rights objects IROs associated with at least one service provider NAF. A method according to the third embodiment is illustrated in
An alternative of the fourth embodiment is illustrated in
The alternative embodiment described is useful in a business arrangement in which the third party NAF has a business relation with the operator wherein third party compensates operator for providing dependent content at a reduced price under condition that independent content, e.g. commercials, associated with third party is conditionally rendered. Based on the relation between the operator and third party, operator embeds in DRO said secret.
According to the embodiment, a user entity, UE, may provide proof of rendering third party independent content. For example, with reference to
According to another alternative of the fourth embodiment a method is disclosed to bind the rendering of a DRO and a sequence of IROs e.g. commercial intermissions in a film to a particular UE. The NAF generates iterates of a secret parameter under a one-way function, such as a secure hash function i.e. if “r” denotes the secret parameter and “h” is a hash function the sequence S0=h(r), S1=h(S0) . . . Sm=h(Sm−1). The final value Sm is included in the DRO (in clear text or encrypted with Ks_NAF), and there is a condition that successive pre-images of the hash chain is required for subsequent rendering. For each IRO in turn, the previous pre-image Sx of the hash chain is included, encrypted with Ks_NAF. The rights parsing agent iterates the value coming in the IRO the required number of times and compares with the final value Sm in the hash chain or a cached pre-image. Since the ability to decrypt the encrypted hash chain values is restricted to the UE, rendering requires the involvement of the UE.
In any of the previous embodiments the arrangement 200, may be implemented in a tamper proof entity in order to prevent tampering with security data or to falsely simulate completed execution of independent content objects.
The invention advantageously offers great flexibility in management of rights for rendering specified content. The inventive advantages are obtained from combining usage rights provided in dependent and independent rights objects. Rights parsing and instruction handler is introduced for parsing rights provided through said rights objects. An instruction database provides rights parsing and instruction handler with control information. The instruction database may be loaded with instructions preferably under control of the content provider.
The invention advantageously offers new business models whereby rendering of commercials enables rendering of dependent content. In the case of managing security data, such as keys, according to the GBA infrastructure, an operator may sign commercial agreements with third parties whereby third party pays a fee to receive a key for protected communication of commercials to the user. The operator may, correspondingly, lower the price to the user for the requested dependent content on condition that the user renders at least a commercial.
From a reading of the above detailed description of the invention it is clear that a person skilled in the art may obtain numerous alternative embodiments of the invention which is defined by the following claims.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/SE2009/051235 | 11/2/2009 | WO | 00 | 11/2/2012 |