Not Applicable
None
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to control and protection of privileged functions of devices, specifically the functions that must not be directly accessible by the person possessing the device.
2. Prior Art
The original approach of manufacturing and selling electronic devices assumes that all functions of the device are accessible by the person possessing the device. For example, a person who purchased a VCR has full access to all capabilities of the VCR, including loading, playing, recording and ejecting magnetic tapes at any time. In some instances, certain functions of the device need not be exposed to the consumer; for example, some DVD players have hidden features such as diagnostic menus, only to be used by professionals who know the secret button combinations.
Between the device functions that are freely available to the consumer (e.g. playing a disk) and device functions that should never be used by a consumer (e.g. diagnostic menu) lies the functionality the makers of the electronic equipment wants to provide on condition that it is used responsibly and appropriately, such as copying a protected DVD.
Prior to this invention, the party that desired to control the use of privileged functions had to provide a specially manufactured device, communication infrastructure and the communication protocol controlling the usage of the device.
For example, a satellite TV box converts encrypted Pay-Per-View signal into viewable TV programming acting on commands from the satellite TV provider. In this instance the protected function is the Pay-Per-View content access, and it must be precisely controlled by the satellite TV provider to protect from the theft of service.
Traditionally, the entity that desires to control privileged functions of the device must provide a custom device to the customer, equip device with connectivity technology (such as a modem for the phone line) and implement a communication protocol to remotely control the device. All these requirements add considerable expense compared to regular consumer devices like a telephone or a computer printer, and having to be plugged into a trusted communication line (e.g. phone line) is an inconvenience for the customer.
Embodiments of the present invention include a method for implementing privileged functions in electronic devices. These privileged functions can only be controlled with the assistance of trusted agents external to the device that are capable of establishing a secure communication channel with the device itself over an arbitrary communication link.
With the ability to precisely control privileged functions, designers and manufacturers of consumer electronics, computer peripherals and other devices can implement safeguards to ensure that the privileged operations are not used improperly or in violation of applicable laws. My invention also allows dynamically changing the policies governing privileged functions, in response to changes in laws or business priorities or ownership of specific devices.
The invention gives manufacturers ability to implement privileged functions in electronic devices while retaining precise control of how and when privileged functions are used.
In another aspect of the invention, the secure communication channel between the device and the trusted agent provides guarantee to the user that the privileged function is performed in precise accordance with instructions from the trusted agent.
The present invention is described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:
11 is the device implementing the method of the invention (a car engine management computer)
12 is the remote trusted agent (a computer controlled by the automaker)
13 is the user's computer connected with the internet and with the car
14 is the user who desires to change engine management computer settings
The following sequence of events allows user to perform a privileged function with the assistance of a trusted agent:
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60566136 | Apr 2004 | US |