Abstract:
Systems and methods for securely performing digital commerce. A user device provides a first key and a random number to a server over a first network, encrypts the random number and a user identifier using the first key, and sends the encrypted information to the server via a second network. The server generates an encryption of the random number, the user identifier, and a second key using the first key. The user device receives, decrypts and stores the second key. If the user device wants digital content, the server encrypts the digital content using a digital content key and encrypts the digital content key using the second key. The user device receive the encrypted contents, decrypts the digital content key using the second key and decrypts the digital content using the decrypted digital content key. Digital content can be passed to other user devices.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/526,170 filed Dec. 2, 2003 and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/547,863 filed Feb. 26, 2004, which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The incredible growth of the Internet has excited businesses and consumers alike with its promise of changing the way we live and work. However, a major concern has been just how secure the Internet is, especially when sending sensitive information.  
         [0003]     The following information must be securely transmitted: 
        Credit-card information;     Social Security numbers;     Private correspondence;     Personal details;     Sensitive company information; and     Copyrighted media (e.g., sound recordings, videos, literary works, etc.)     Bank-account information.        
 
         [0011]     Currently, information security is provided on computers and over the Internet by a variety of methods. A simple but straightforward security method is to only keep sensitive information on removable storage media like floppy disks. However, the most popular forms of security all rely on encryption, the process of encoding information in such a way that only the person (or computer) with a secret key can decode it.  
         [0012]     Most computer encryption systems belong in one of two categories: Symmetric-key encryption; and Public-key encryption.  
         [0013]     In symmetric-key encryption, each computer has a secret key (code) that it can use to encrypt a packet of information before it is sent over the network to another computer. Symmetric-key requires that you know which computers will be talking to each other so you can install the secret key on each one. Symmetric-key encryption is essentially the same as a secret code that each of the two computers must know in order to decode the information. The code provides the key to decoding the message.  
         [0014]     Public-key encryption uses a combination of a private key and a public key. The private key is known only to your computer, while the public key is given by your computer to any computer that wants to communicate securely with it. To decode an encrypted message, a computer must use the public key, provided by the originating computer, and its own private key. A very popular public-key encryption utility is called Pretty Good Privacy (PGP), which allows one to encrypt almost anything.  
         [0015]     Encryption methods in a wireless commercial application environment is performed by one of the above-identified methods. However, those methods provide limited capabilities of what an end user, someone who receives digital content at their cellular phone, for example, can do with the received digital content. Therefore, there exists a need to provide a secured digital content data transmission system that allows recipients some secure control over transmission of digital content.Insert background of the invention here.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0016]     The present invention provides systems and methods for securely performing digital commerce. A computer-based user device generates a first key and a random number, sends the generated first key and random number to a server over a first network, encrypts the random number and an identifier associated with the user device using the first key, and sends the encrypted information to the server via a second network. The server generates a data package that includes an encryption of the random number, the user device identifier, and a second key using the first key. The user device receives, decrypts and stores the second key.  
         [0017]     If the user device wants digital content, the server encrypts the digital content using a digital content key and encrypts the digital content key using the second key. The user device receive the encrypted contents, decrypts the digital content key using the second key and decrypts the digital content using the decrypted digital content key.  
         [0018]     In one aspect of the invention, digital content encrypted using the digital content key can be passed to other user devices. The receiving user devices request access from the server, whereby the server provides the digital content key encrypted with the key associated with the requesting user.  
         [0019]     In another aspect of the invention, the server executes a billing and compensation transaction in order to charge the user and pay the digital content owner. brief summary of the invention here. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0020]     Preferred and alternative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the following drawings.  
         [0021]      FIG. 1  illustrates a block diagram of an example system formed in accordance with the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIGS. 2-5  are full diagrams that illustrate example processes performed by components of the system shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0023]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a system  20  performs secure transmission of digital content in order to allow for expanded commercial opportunities. The system  20  includes a plurality of user devices  24  and  26  that are in wireless communication with a server  28  via first and second data networks  30  and  32 . Examples of the user devices include any of the number of various forms of wireless devices, such as cellular phones, personal data assistance, palmtop or laptop computers, etc. The server  28  is a computer system with local memory that is also directly or indirectly in communication with one of a number of digital content provider/owners  42  and one or more financial institutions  44 . In one embodiment, the server  28  is in communication with the digital content provider/owners  42  and the financial institutions  44  over a network  40 .  
         [0024]     The user devices  24  and  26  use the networks  30  and  32  to separately transmit different data associated with an encryption method to the server  28 . The server  28  authenticates each user device  24  and  26  based on the received data and provides each of the user devices  24  and  26  with new secret encryption keys. The new secret encryption keys are used to decrypt digital content requested by the user devices  24  and  26  that are sent from the server  28 . The server  28  either directly compensates digital content provider/owner for the sale of associated digital content to the users of the user devices  24  and  26  or provides some other form of compensation (e.g., credit) with the aid of the financial institution  44 .  
         [0025]     In one embodiment, the network  30  is a general packet radio service (GPRS) wireless data network and the network  32  is a short message service center (SMSC) wireless data network. The network  40  is one of a private or public data network, such as the Internet.  FIG. 2  illustrates a method  100  performed by the components shown in  FIG. 1 . At a first block  102 , a user device  24  or  26  is authenticated. The authentication process is described in more detail below with regard to  FIG. 3 . At a block  104 , digital content is purchased. The digital content purchasing process is described in more detail below with regard to  FIG. 4 . At a block  106 , transfer of digital content between users is provided. Transfer of digital content between users is described in more detail below with regard to  FIG. 5 .  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  illustrates the authentication process from block  102  of  FIG. 2 . At a block  120 , a user device generates a random number and a first key. At a block  122 , the user device encrypts an identification (id) string associated with the user device and the random number using the first key. At a block  126 , the encrypted id string and random number are sent to the server via a first transmission means, i.e., the first network  30 . At a block  128 , the random number and the first key are sent unencrypted to the server  28  via a second transmission means, i.e. the second network  32 . Then at a block  130 , the server  28  decrypts the received encrypted message using the first key received via the second transmission means. At a block  134 , the server  28  generates a second key, if the decrypted random number matches the random number received via the second transmission means. At a block  136 , the server  28  encrypts the random number, the id string, and the second key using the first key and at a block  138 , sends this new encrypted package to the user device. At a decision block  140 , the random number and id string are decrypted and compared to the random number and id string stored at the user device. If the comparison shows that a match has occurred, then at a block  142 , the user device saves the second key. At a block  144 , the server  28  creates and saves a new user record using the id string and stores the second key in the record. If the comparison between the decrypted random number and id string shows that a match has not occurred, then an error message is presented and/or the process returns to block  120 .  
         [0027]     In another embodiment, the information encrypted and sent to the user device (blocks  136 ,  138 ), may be any information that would be uniquely known by the user device. Thus, the encrypted information may include just the random number.  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows an example process performed at the block  104  of  FIG. 2 . First at a block  200 , a user device sends a request for digital content to the server  28 . At a block  202 , the server  28  retrieves the requested digital content. The server  28  may retrieve digital content from a local storage device or may retrieve it from the digital content provider/owners  42  or from some other source over the network  40 . At a block  204 , the server  28  retrieves the second key stored for the user associated with the request, if the request is valid. The request is determined valid based on analysis of the user&#39;s ability to pay for the requested digital content. In one embodiment, the server  28  or similar device determines if the user has credit to their account (i.e., have they prepaid (prepay)). In another embodiment, the server  28  or similar device determines if the user is worthy of credit (i.e., can they be billed (postpay)). In still another embodiment, the server  28  or similar device determines if the user has a credit account (e.g. credit card) that can be billed.  
         [0029]     At a block  206 , the server  28  encrypts the requested digital content using the first digital content key. At a block  208 , the server  28  encrypts a first digital content key using the retrieved second key and, at a block  210 , sends the encrypted first digital content key and digital content to the user device that made the digital content request. At a block  214 , the user device decrypts the first digital content key using the previously stored second key. At a block  216 , the user device decrypts the digital content using the first digital content key. At a decision block  218 , the user device determines if the entire digital content was received. If the entire digital content was not received, then at block  220 , the user device requests that the server  28  resends and/or indicates an error. If the digital content was properly received, then at block  224  the server  28  completes a billing transaction. At a block  226 , the server  28  deliver rights to user device and records the transaction in the user&#39;s record.  
         [0030]      FIG. 5  illustrates an example process for transferring digital content between user devices  24  and  26 . First at a block  300 , the first user device  24  sends digital content encrypted with the first digital content key to the second user device  26 . At a block  302 , the second user device  26  sends a request for rights to open and use the digital content to the server  28 . At a block  306 , the server  28  encrypts the first digital content key and a new second digital content key using the second key stored in association with the user of the second user device  26 , if the request for rights is determined valid (see block  204  of  FIG. 4 ). At a block  308 , the encrypted first digital content key and the second digital content key are sent to the second user device  26 . At a block  310 , the second user device  26  decrypts the first and second digital content keys using the second key, at a block  316 , decrypts the digital content using the first digital content key, and at block  318 , deletes the first digital content key and encrypts the digital content using the second digital content key. In another embodiment, encryption of the digital content using the second digital content key is not performed. At a block  320 , the server  28  bills the user of the second user device  26  and compensates the digital content provider/owner  42 . At a block  324 , the server  28  applies compensation to the user associated with first user device  24 . At a block  326 , the server  28  informs the second user device  26  of completion of transaction.  
         [0031]     Billing and compensating users or content providers can be performed a number of ways. For example, the financial institutions  44  may be instructed to by the server  28  to debit or apply credit to accounts associated with the participating parties. It is appreciated that other forms of billing or compensation may be used, such as sending a monthly bill or cutting a check for the compensation amount.  
         [0032]     When digital content is transferred between two user devices, data transmission charges are avoided because there is no use of the networks  30  and  32 . Thus, a monetary benefit can be applied to the user receiving or sending the digital content in the form of a discount or purchasing credit. Also, the cost savings of the peer-to-peer digital content transfer may be passed on to the operator of the server  28  and/or the digital content provider/digital rights owner  42 . The server  28  distinguishes between digital content transactions that occur over the networks  30  and  32  and digital content transactions that occur between user devices  24  and  26  with only minimal use of the networks  30  and  32 . Delivery of digital content over either one of the networks  30  and  32  can incur a significant cost due to the size of the information being sent. Thus, limiting data delivery over the networks  30  and  32  provides a cost savings.  
         [0033]     While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, as noted above, many changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is not limited by the disclosure of the preferred embodiment.