Patent Application
20080133539
The present invention relates to obtaining metadata from a user device. The user device may comprise a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone.
Mobile phones are ubiquitous, offering personal services to users. New features provided by mobile phones enable the user to perform a variety of tasks or actions by service businesses providing services to the user. Examples of tasks and actions include surfing the Web, making payments, downloading media and applications, and accessing content for entertainment.
As a mobile phone becomes more versatile, the mobile phone is migrating to a multimedia computer. Consequently, there is a need to collect metadata that is related to tasks and actions corresponding to services provided by service providers. With the increased usage of these services, related metadata is an increasingly valuable asset to businesses offering these services. Thus, there is a real market need to facilitate accessing related metadata from mobile phones.
An aspect of the present invention provides methods and apparatuses for obtaining selected metadata from a user device such as a mobile phone.
With an aspect of the invention, a user device has a metadata engine that stores and accesses metadata in response to a metadata query. A metadata broker verifies the authenticity of the metadata query from a service provider and returns selected metadata if the service provider has rights to obtain the metadata. The user device may use a public key certificate to verify a signed metadata query.
With another aspect of the invention, a user device has a communications interface through which a service request that is indicative of the selected service is sent over a communications channel and a metadata request that is indicative of the selected metadata is received.
With another aspect of the invention, an authorization center receives a metadata request from a service provider, accesses a rule set to determine selected metadata in accordance with predetermined rights, and returns a signed metadata request to the service provider. The signed metadata request, which is indicative of the selected metadata, has an electronic signature of an authorizing party.
With another aspect of the invention, a rule set is edited at an authorization center to reflect revised rights of a service provider for obtaining selected metadata.
With another aspect of the invention, user information is included in a service request. The user information may be contained in a cookie. The user information is verified by a service provider and is used to create a metadata request.
A more complete understanding of the present invention may be acquired by referring to the following description in consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features and wherein:
In the following description of the various embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration various embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural and functional modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
The following is separated by subheadings for the benefit of the reader. The subheadings include: Terms, Architecture of Platform, Exemplary Message Scenario, Process for Querying Metadata, and Apparatus for a User Device.
Metadata—data related to objects/files that are handled by a user device for providing services (e.g., contacts, media accesses, calls, messages). Metadata is typically data about the data, e.g., name, size, date of the file creation, album, artist, genre of the music track, and so forth.
Service Provider (xSP)—umbrella term for different types of service providers, including internet service providers (ISP), application service providers (ASP), and storage service providers (SSP).
certificate—encrypted data file that includes the name and other data to identify the transmitting entity, The certificate may contain the public key that serves to verify the digital signature of the sender who signed with a matching private key.
certificate authority (CA)—a trusted third party that issues digital certificates used to create digital signatures and public-private key pairs. These key pairs allow all system users to verify the legitimacy of all the system users with assigned certificates. The role of the CA is to insure that the individual granted the unique certificate is who he or she claims to be.
Mobile terminal 101 is often the most personal device that users carry with them almost all the time. New features of mobile terminal 101 enable the user to perform a variety of tasks or actions (as provided by services offered by service provides 111-117) with mobile terminal 101. Examples of such tasks or actions (services) include surfing the web, making payments, downloading applications and media, and accessing media entertainment.
With an embodiment of the invention, mobile terminal 101 may function as a multimedia computer that may collect all kinds of files that include metadata describing features of the files, and all kind of metadata related to user tasks and actions related to the stored files, SW applications or actions in general. The collected metadata from a plurality of mobile terminals may reflect the collective preferences of the mobile terminal users. This knowledge can be an invaluable asset to service providers (xSPs).
Service providers 111-117 understand the importance and value of the metadata that mobile terminal 101 collects and stores. Different businesses are interested in the user preferences and behavior that mobile terminal records and stores for the user. Consequently, different service providers may be interested in different metadata. Embodiments of the invention enable a service provider to access the metadata that is relevant to a selected service by supporting a “personalized” view to the mobile terminal's metadata to each service provider that we make an agreement with.
Architecture 100 is flexible to enable configuration of new service providers with their specific metadata needs and scalable enough to scale up to serve thousands (or more) service providers.
Mobile terminal 101 interacts with network 103 in order to obtain services. With an embodiment of the invention, mobile terminal communicates with a service provider, which is associated with network 103. For example, mobile terminal 101 may send service request 153a to request a first service from service provider 113. Embodiments of the invention support different communications channels over different communications media including wireless radio channels, cable, and digital subscriber lines (DSL).
In order for service provider 113 to provide the selected service to mobile terminal 101, service provider 113 may require access to selected metadata from mobile terminal 101. Service provider 113 consequently transmits signed query message 157a to query mobile terminal 101 for selected metadata that is related to the requested service. Authorization center 119 knows service provider 113 and the associated rules (rule set) for accessing metadata from mobile terminal 101. Accordingly, authorization center 119 signs signed metadata query request 157a using a secret key of the certificate (e.g., certificate 201) from certificate authority 121. If mobile terminal 101 accepts query message 157a, mobile terminal 101 provides the selected metadata to service provider 113. In return, the mobile terminal 101 may provide the selected metadata in a secure manner so that only the service provider 113 that sent the relevant metadata request 157a is capable to open it. The secure manner may be for example a HTTPS connection. By using the HTTPS connection also the service request 153a may be sent in a secure manner to the service provider. Service provider 113 consequently provides the selected service. Exemplary message scenarios will be discussed with
Mobile terminal 101 may also request a second service from another service provider 111 by sending service request 153b. Service provider 111 consequently transmits signed query message 157b to query mobile terminal 101 for associated metadata that is related to the requested second service. The associated metadata may be different from the metadata associated with the first requested service.
Mobile terminal 101 may store both private and public metadata. The user controls who accesses private metadata. The user may grant access to specific metadata when joining a service and agreeing to its terms. Some of the metadata may be abstracted to reflect public metadata that cannot be associated to a particular person afterwards. In such cases, the metadata becomes valuable when aggregated with similar metadata of millions of other users. Mobile terminal 101 may filter metadata by removing private metadata when providing metadata to a service provider.
Embodiments of the invention may address network congestion. For example, when collecting metadata, several xSPs may actively poll user metadata from millions of mobile terminals or millions of phones actively push their metadata to several xSPs. As will be discussed, embodiments of the invention provide direct metadata transfer to xSPs.
Metadata engine (MdE) 109 is capable of storing and accessing any metadata in mobile terminal 101. The metadata engine 109 provides application providers with versatile metadata APIs. Moreover, metadata engine 109 is designed and built to benefit internal applications of mobile terminal 101 even though it is possible to import/export metadata to/from metadata engine 109. Metadata engine 109 also provides configurable, extensible, and scalable access to the metadata for external parties, e.g., xSPs 111-117.
The invention also supports configuration capabilities, in which each xSP only has access to that metadata that is specified for the xSP in the authorization server/query profiler 119.
Some embodiments of this invention are the following:
Some embodiments of the invention support different kinds of xSP services that either create, update, or access the metadata in the mobile terminals. The implementation of the invention includes the following components (see
Metadata engine (MdE) 109 comprises a database for storing and accessing metadata that can be related to any objects/files that are handled in the mobile terminal (e.g. contacts, media, calls, and messages).
Mobile terminal 101 also includes Web service interface (WS) 105 through which xSPs 111-119 can make metadata queries/updates to mobile terminals. Metadata broker 107 acts as a bridge between WS interface 105 and metadata engine 109, thus enabling the remote metadata queries by the xSPs 111-119.
All the metadata queries are signed by the Authorization server/Query profiler 119 with a certificate (public key and secret key) 201 (as shown in
Certificate authority (CA) 121 issues a public key certificate (e.g., as certificate 201 as shown in
A public key certificate (or identity certificate) is a certificate that uses a digital signature to bind together a public key with an identity, including information such as the name of a person or an organization and the associated address. A public key certificate typically includes:
A certificate may be revoked if it is discovered that its related private key has been compromised, or if the relationship (between an entity and a public key) embedded in the certificate is discovered to be incorrect or has changed; this might occur, for example, if a person changes jobs or names. A revocation will likely be a rare occurrence, but the possibility means that when a certificate is trusted, the user should always check its validity. This can be done by comparing it against a certificate revocation list 124, which is a list of revoked or cancelled certificates. Ensuring that such a list is up-to-date and accurate is a core function in a centralized PKI, one which requires both staff and budget and one which is therefore sometimes not properly done. To be effective, it must be readily available to any who needs it whenever it is needed and must be updated frequently. The other way to check certificate validity is to query the certificate authority using the Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) to know the status of a specific certificate.
The main role of the Authentication Center (Authorization server/Query profiler) 119 is to verify that metadata queries are made by xSPs 111-119 and sent to the Authorization server/Query profiler 119 for an authorization match using the rule set that has been agreed with the Authorization server/Query and the xSP. A rule set specifies the xSPs access rights to the metadata, i.e., what specific metadata the xSP is entitled to access. For example, if the service request is for a music service, the related metadata may be genres used/downloaded in last year.
Certificate (public key and secret key) 201 (as shown in
The rule sets are stored in Authorization server/Query profiler 119 as well as in xSPs so that the xSPs can create metadata queries before sending them for authorization. A rule set is typically a collection of rules, in which rule set parameters are inputted into a rule set, resulting in an indication of the accessible metadata that can be obtained in accordance with the rights of the service provider.
After the query has been verified (as above), the Authorization server/Query profiler 119 signs the metadata query so that signed metadata query 157a,157b cannot be modified by any party before it is delivered to mobile terminal 101.
Authorization server 119 provides a Web service interface for xSPs 111-117 to send metadata queries to be verified and signed. Connection between an xSP and Authorization server/Query profiler 119 is typically protected by using https (TLS).
The signed metadata query is sent from the Authorization server/Query 119 back to an xSP. The xSP then sends the signed metadata query 157a,157b to mobile terminal 101. However, the xSP cannot change/modify the signed metadata query.
Authorization server/Query profiler 119 contains functionality to add, edit and remove xSP-specific rule sets that specify access rights to the metadata. Authorization server/Query profiler 119 also contains a database for storing and managing these entries. Rule sets are created and agreed with between the xSPs 111-117 and Authorization server/Query profiler 119.
With embodiments of the invention, an xSP deploys services that utilize either the public or private metadata that is stored in mobile terminal 101. An xSP implements the client-side of the WS interface so that Authorization server/Query profiler 119 can verify and sign metadata queries. An xSP also supports the client-side of the WS interface to access metadata stored in mobile terminal 101.
Authorization center 119 processes metadata query 155 by utilizing a rule set that should be consistent with the rule set that is utilized by service provider 113. If service provider 113 has rights to access selected metadata, authorization center 119 returns signed metadata query 207 with certificate 205 to service provider 113. In order to sign signed metadata query 207, authorization center 119 obtains public key certificate 201 from certificate authority 121.
Service provider 113 subsequently sends signed metadata query 157a over the communications channel to mobile terminal 101. Mobile terminal 101 verifies signed metadata query 157a using public key 209. If the request is verified, mobile terminal 101 returns selected metadata to service provider 113 by sending requested metadata 211 over the communications channel. Service provider 113 creates the selected service. Service provider 113 may use the returned metadata for creating the selected service. With return requested service 215, service provider 113 provides the selected service (e.g., musical content or personalized web page) to mobile terminal 101.
Mobile terminal 101 verifies the signed metadata query and returns the selected metadata in steps 309 and 311. If mobile terminal 101 does not return the selected metadata, the service provider may deny the requested service in step 313.
As can be appreciated by one skilled in the art, a computer system with an associated computer-readable medium containing instructions for controlling the computer system can be utilized to implement the exemplary embodiments that are disclosed herein. The computer system may include at least one computer such as a microprocessor, digital signal processor, and associated peripheral electronic circuitry.
While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations, permutations and combinations of the above described systems, techniques and embodiments that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
