Patent Publication Number: US-2007112680-A1

Title: System and method for processing digital media content in a mobile device

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to processing digital media content, and more particularly to systems and methods for processing digital media content in a mobile device.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      In mobile communication systems such as UMTS well-defined Smart Cards, also called Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICCs) are used in addition to mobile phones. Plugged into a mobile phone the UICCs enable a user to use the mobile communication service she has subscribed to. Moreover, operator and user parameters and data can be stored on such Smart Cards. Mobile communication systems allow network operators to define their operator-specific applications on the UICC, which can make use of Card Application Toolkit/UMTS Subscriber Application Toolkit (CAT/USAT), the standardized interface between the Universal Integrated Circuit Cards / UMTS Subscriber Identity Module (UICC/USIM) and the Mobile Equipment (ME), which represents the mobile communication device according to the UMTS communication standard, in order to let the applications make use of specific terminal functionality, e.g. for sending an SMS (Short Message Service) to the communication network and via the communication network to a receiver terminal, playing a tone on the ME or displaying text or an icon on the display of the ME.  
      With the current USAT mechanisms, it is possible to transfer content like for example multimedia messages, i.e. messages including multimedia data, e.g. messages according to the Multimedia Messages Services (MMS) standard from the ME to the UICC and store these multimedia messages on the USIM, even when these are protected according to a digital rights management mechanism, e.g. according to a Digital Rights Management (DRM) standard, e.g. according to a Digital Rights Management (DRM) standard version 1.0 or version 2.0 of the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA).  
      However, the current USAT mechanisms do not allow the transfer of digital media content rights associated with the DRM protected digital media content from the ME to the UICC and store it on the USIM.  
      DRM is a mechanism that enables the consumption by users of protected digital media content by allowing digital media content providers to express permissions for and/or constraints on the digital media content.  
      An example of a DRM architecture  100  according to the DRM version 2.0 according to the standard of the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) is shown in  FIG. 1 .  
      According to the DRM architecture  100 , there is provided a content issuer  101 , a rights issuer  102  and a DRM agent  103 . The DRM agent  103  is connected to the content issuer  101  as well as to the rights issuer  102 . Before digital media content is delivered to one user or to a plurality of users, the digital media content is packaged by the content issuer  101  in order to protect it from unauthorized access, for example, thereby generating protected digital media content  104 , which is transmitted to the user(s).  
      The content issuer  101  is responsible for delivering the DRM protected digital media content  104 . The rights issuer  101  generates a rights object  105  for the protected digital media content  104 . A rights object governs how the DRM content may be used. It is for example an XML (Extensible Markup Language) document specifying permissions and constraints related to the DRM protected digital media content  104 . The DRM protected digital media content  104  cannot be used without an associated rights object  105  and may only be used according to the permissions and constraints associated with the DRM protected digital media content  104 , which permissions and constraints may be included in the rights object  105  by means of so called usage rights. The DRM protected digital media content  104  and the rights object  105  may be requested separately or together and they may be delivered separately or at the same time. The DRM agent  103  embodies a trusted component of a device and is responsible for enforcing permissions and constraints for the DRM protected digital media content  104  and controlling the access to the DRM protected digital media content  104 . The DRM protected digital media content  104  can only be accessed with a valid rights object  105 .  
      In the above described way, it is possible to transfer the rights object  105  associated with the DRM protected digital media content  104  to the DRM agent  103 . being implemented on a mobile terminal, e.g. on a mobile phone. However, in this way, the rights object  105  is bound to the mobile terminal.  
      What is therefore needed is a system and method for processing multimedia content in a more flexible manner.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention provides a system and method for processing digital media content in a mobile device  
      According to one aspect of the invention, a method for processing digital media content in a mobile device is provided, wherein the digital media content is protected using digital rights management, wherein a digital rights protection removing unit is assigned to the protected digital media content and which digital rights protection removing unit is used to remove the protection from the protected digital media content. The method includes the steps of receiving a presentation request for presenting stored digital media content, retrieving the digital rights protection removing unit from a memory card of a mobile device or from a User Identity Module unit of a mobile device, verifying that the digital rights protection removing unit allows removal of the protection from the protected digital media content, and removing the protection from the protected digital media content using the digital rights protection removing unit, thereby generating unprotected digital media content for presentation using the mobile device.  
      In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a method for processing digital media content in a mobile device is provided, wherein the digital media content is protected using digital rights management, wherein a digital rights object is assigned to the protected digital media content and which digital rights object is used to remove the protection from the protected digital media content. The method includes the steps of receiving a presentation request for presenting stored digital media content, retrieving the digital rights object from a User Identity Module memory card of a mobile communication device using a Card Application Toolkit communication protocol, verifying that the digital rights object allows removal of the protection from the protected digital media content, and removing the protection from the protected digital media content using the digital rights object, thereby generating unprotected digital media content for presentation using the mobile device.  
      In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a system configured to process digital media content in a mobile device is provided, wherein the digital media content is protected using digital rights management, wherein a digital rights protection removing unit is assigned to the protected digital media content and which digital rights protection removing unit is used to remove the protection from the protected digital media content. The system includes means for receiving a presentation request for presenting stored digital media content, means for retrieving the digital rights protection removing unit from a memory card of a mobile device or from a User Identity Module unit of a mobile device, means for verifying that the digital rights protection removing unit allows removal of the protection from the protected digital media content, and means for removing the protection from the protected digital media content using the digital rights protection removing unit, thereby generating unprotected digital media content for presentation using the mobile device.  
      In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, a system configured to process digital media content in a mobile device is provided, wherein the digital media content is protected using digital rights management, wherein a digital rights protection removing unit is assigned to the protected digital media content and which digital rights protection removing unit is used to remove the protection from the protected digital media content. The system includes a receiver that is configured to receive a presentation request for presenting stored digital media content, a retrieving unit that is configured to retrieve the digital rights protection removing unit from a memory card of a mobile device or from a User Identity Module unit of a mobile device, a verifier that is configured to verify that the digital rights protection removing unit allows removal of the protection from the protected digital media content, and a removing unit that is configured to remove the protection from the protected digital media content using the digital rights protection removing unit, thereby generating unprotected digital media content for presentation using the mobile device.  
      Furthermore, according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention a mobile device is provided comprising one of the above described systems.  
      Moreover, according to another aspect of the invention, a computer program product, resident on a computer readable medium, operable to store executable instructions for controlling the processing digital media content in a mobile device, is provided, wherein the digital media content is protected using digital rights management, wherein a digital rights protection removing unit is assigned to the protected digital media content and which digital rights protection removing unit is used to remove the protection from the protected digital media content. The computer. program product has a program code for performing a method including the steps of receiving a presentation request for presenting stored digital media content, retrieving the digital rights protection removing unit from a memory card of a mobile device or from a User Identity Module unit of a mobile device, verifying that the digital rights protection removing unit allows removal of the protection from the protected digital media content, and removing the protection from the protected digital media content using the digital rights protection removing unit, thereby generating unprotected digital media content for presentation using the mobile device.  
      These and other features of the invention will be better understood in light of the following drawings and detailed description. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  illustrates a DRM architecture in accordance with the Open Mobile Alliance Standard version 2.0.  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a DRM communication system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 3  illustrates a message flow diagram showing the messages that are exchanged in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 4  illustrates a UICC showing the storage of the DRM protected digital media content in combination with a digital media content identifier and a DRM indication byte in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 5  illustrates a UICC showing the storage of the digital media content rights together with the digital media content in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
       FIG. 6  illustrates a UICC showing the storage of the digital media content rights separately from the digital media content in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS  
      In the drawings, similar elements will be designated with identical reference signs whenever suitable.  
      According to one embodiment of the invention, the unprotected digital media content is presented to a user using the mobile device. Thus, an easy presentation of protected digital media on the mobile device is achieved using the digital rights protection removing unit from the memory card of the mobile device or the User Identity Module unit of the mobile device,  
      In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the presentation request for presenting stored digital media content is received via a radio communication connection. In other words, the presentation request and, if desired, the digital media content, is or are transmitted via a radio communication connection, e.g. by means of a mobile base station, according to UMTS, e.g. by means of a NodeB.  
      In case the digital media content is transmitted to the mobile device, e.g. via a radio communication connection, the digital media content may be stored in a memory of the mobile device. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the digital media content may be stored in a memory of the memory card.  
      In other words, the digital media content may be stored in a memory of the mobile device, e.g. in a memory of the Mobile Equipment, alternatively, the digital media content may be stored in a memory that is provided in the memory card, e.g. in a memory of the Subscriber Identity Module card (when using GSM) or in a memory of the UICC (when using UMTS) or in a memory that is associated with the Replaceable User Information Module (R-UIM) (when using CDMA2000).  
      A mobile communication device may be used as the mobile device, e.g. a mobile communication device that is configured according a cell based mobile radio communication standard such as a mobile radio communication standard of the second or third generation (e.g. 3 rd  Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) or 3 rd  Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2)).  
      As an example, one of the following mobile radio communication standards may be used:  
      Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS),  
      Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000),  
      Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access (FOMA), etc.  
      Moreover, a User Identity Module memory card may be used as the memory card.  
      Furthermore, the digital rights protection removing unit may be retrieved from a memory card of a mobile device or from a User Identity Module unit of a mobile device using a mobile device internal communication protocol, e.g. using a memory card communication protocol such as a Card Application Toolkit communication protocol (CAT). When using GSM as the mobile radio communication standard, the digital rights protection removing unit may be retrieved from a memory card of a mobile device using a Subscriber Identity Module Application Toolkit (SAT) communication protocol. When using UMTS as the mobile radio communication standard, the digital rights protection removing unit may be retrieved from a memory card of a mobile device using a UMTS Subscriber Identity Module Application Toolkit (USAT) communication protocol. This means, that according to these aspects of the invention, a memory card internal communication protocol is clearly expanded by a mechanism for storing and retrieving the digital rights protection removing unit in the memory card or from the memory card, respectively. In this context, new messages may be provided for the communication between a processor of the mobile device (e.g. the mobile equipment) and a processor of the memory card.  
      According to another embodiment of the invention, the digital rights protection removing unit may be retrieved from a memory card of a mobile device using a CDMA Card Application Toolkit communication Protocol.  
      According to another aspect of the invention, the digital media content may be stored in a memory of the memory card using a mobile device internal communication protocol, e.g. the same communication protocol as described above with regard to storing and retrieving the digital rights protection removing unit.  
      The digital rights protection removing unit may comprise at least one cryptographic key, namely the at least one cryptographic key that is used for decrypting the protected digital media content, which in this case is cryptographically encrypted. The at least one cryptographic key may be a symmetric cryptographic key when using a symmetric cryptographic algorithm such as the Data Encryption Standard (DES), for example, or an asymmetric cryptographic key when using an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm such as the RSA algorithm. In these examples, the removal of the protection from the protected digital media content comprises decrypting the protected digital media content using the cryptographic key.  
      Furthermore, the digital rights protection removing unit may comprise at least one licensing rule (also called usage rule) that describes the licensing conditions (or usage conditions) for using the digital media content. In this case, it may be verified that the-at least one licensing rule is fulfilled and the digital media content would only be presented to the user in case the at least one licensing rule is fulfilled.  
      In case that the digital rights protection removing unit comprises at least one cryptographic key and at least one licensing rule, the digital rights protection removing unit may be the rights object according to the Digital Rights Management standard version 1.0 or 2.0, for example, of the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA). In this case, one aspect of the invention may be seen in the storage of the rights object in the memory card, e.g. in the SIM card or in the UICC of a mobile phone.  
      In another embodiment of the invention, a digital rights management indication information comprising a plurality of bits is provided, wherein the digital rights management indication information indicates at least one of the following aspects:  
      if the digital media content is protected according to digital rights management,  
      if the digital rights protection removing unit is stored in the memory card or in the User Identity Module unit,  
      if the digital rights protection removing unit is requested.  
      The digital rights management indication information may be stored in the form of one byte or a plurality of bytes, for example, each byte comprising eight bits, the respective information being coded in the respective bit values.  
      In another embodiment of the invention, the digital rights management indication information may be stored in a memory of the memory card.  
      According to one embodiment of the mobile device, a memory card is provided for storing the at least one digital rights protection removing unit. Alternatively, a logic or physical unit (entity) such as the R-UIM according to the CDMA2000 standard, generally a User Identity Module unit, may be provided for storing the at least the digital rights protection removing unit.  
      As mentioned above, the mobile device may be up as a mobile communication device.  
      Moreover, the mobile device may have at least one presentation unit for presenting the unprotected digital media content, wherein the at least one presentation unit may be a presentation unit selected from the group of a display and/or a loudspeaker.  
      The memory card may be a User Identity Module memory card.  
      Further, a protocol unit for providing a mobile device internal communication protocol for communication between a processor of the mobile device with a processor of the memory card may be provided in the mobile device. The protocol unit may be adapted to provide a Card Application Toolkit communication protocol. As an example, the protocol unit may be adapted to provide a Subscriber Identity Module Application Toolkit communication protocol or a UMTS Subscriber Identity Module Application Toolkit communication protocol.  
      Furthermore, a decrypting unit for decrypting the protected digital media content using a cryptographic key as the digital rights protection removing unit may be provided in the mobile device and/or in the memory card.  
      The digital media content may comprise any kind of media data, for example video data, still picture data, audio data, text data, etc.  
      According to one aspect of the invention, the current USAT mechanisms are clearly expanded so as to allow, according to UMTS, the UICC to store and handle both DRM protected digital media content  104  and its related content rights. Thus, it is now possible to transfer the rights object, for example, to the UICC and store it on the UICC.  
      According to one embodiment of the invention, a mechanism for UICC based rights management for DRM protected digital media content is defined. Advantages of the mechanisms defined in this embodiment of the invention are:  
      The UICC, generally speaking the memory card or the User Identity Module unit, will be able to store and handle both DRM protected digital media content and its related digital media content rights.  
      The DRM protected digital media content and its related digital media content rights will still be available and can be used by the DRM agent on the ME, when the UICC is changed from one ME to another ME. 
          This means that there will be consistent access to DRM protected digital media contents and the digital media content rights independent of whatever terminal/device a user uses at a certain point of time.     The UICC can clearly be used as an “external” storage space for large DRM protected files plus its digital media content rights if the memory in the terminal is almost full.     The status of the DRM digital media content rights request and transfer can be tracked.        

      Although the following preferred embodiments are described in connection with the usage of the technologies UICC and CAT, it should be mentioned that the invention is not limited to these technologies. In contrary, the aspects of the invention are valid, for example: 
          When the technologies USIM and USAT or related technologies (e.g. R-UIM, CDMA Card Application Toolkit (CCAT)) are used to store the digital media content rights.     When any other removable storage module, e.g. the MultiMedia Card (MMC), SD card, etc. is used to store the digital media content rights instead of the UICC/USIM (UMTS Subscriber Identity Module).     When any other storage or secure entity in the mobile device (e.g. the Mobile Equipment according to UMTS) is used to store the digital media content rights instead of the UICC/USIM.        

      In the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the expression “Separate Delivery” is used only, where the DRM protected content and the rights associated with it are conveyed separately.  
       FIG. 2  illustrates a DRM communication system  200  in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The DRM communication system  200  and the respective components are configured in accordance to the DRM standard version 2.0 of the OMA. Furthermore, the components are configured to implement the following features that are described in detail.  
      The DRM communication system  200  comprises a content issuer  201 .  
      The content issuer  201  is an entity or device that delivers digital rights management media content. The OMA DRM standard version 2.0 defines the format of the DRM media content delivered to DRM agents and the way DRM media content can be transported from the content issuer  201  to a DRM agent using different transport mechanisms. The content issuer  201  may perform the actual packaging and thus provide the protection of DRM media content itself, or it may receive pre-packed digital media content from some other source.  
      The DRM communication system  200  further comprises a rights issuer  202 . The rights issuer  202  is an entity or device that assigns permissions and constraints to DRM media content, and generated rights objects  203 .  
      A rights object  203  is an XML document expressing permissions and constraints associated with a piece of DRM media content. Rights objects  203  govern how DRM media content may be used. DRM media content cannot be used without an associated rights object  203  and may only be used as specified by the rights object  203 . According to this embodiment of the invention, the rights object  203  includes a cryptographic key which enables the decryption of the encrypted (and thus protected) DRM media content, and usage rules that are assigned to the cryptographic key. The cryptographic key is only valid in case that the requirements according to the assigned usage rules are fulfilled and the usage (e.g. the presentation) of the DRM media content is only possible with the valid cryptographic key used for the decryption of the encrypted DRM media content.  
      A DRM agent embodies a trusted entity in a mobile device as will be described in more detail below. The trusted entity is responsible for enforcing permissions and constraints associated with DRM media content, controlling access to DRM media content, etc.  
      The content issuer  201  and the rights issuer  202  are connected with a mobile phone, according to this embodiment of the invention, with a User Equipment (UE)  204  according to UMTS. The UE  204  has a Mobile Equipment (ME)  205  and a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC)  206  that is connected to the ME  205  via a communication interface and is usually located within the housing of the ME  205 . The ME  205  has the standard components of a mobile phone such as an antenna, a receiver, a transmitter, an encoder, a decoder, a microprocessor, a memory, etc. Furthermore, the ME  205  has a DRM agent  207  implemented by means of the microprocessor and a corresponding DRM agent computer program.  
      The ME  205  and the UICC  206  communicate with each other using a memory card communication protocol such as the Card Application Toolkit (CAT) and the respectively available messages. In these embodiments of the invention, new CAT messages are provided in order to store and retrieve the rights object  203  to and from the UICC, respectively, as will be described in more detail below.  
      In this example the scenario is assumed that the content issuer  201  generates and sends DRM protected media content  208  (e.g. video content, still picture content, audio content, text content, e.g. image, movie, MP3 file, multimedia message or elements therefore, etc.) via a UMTS mobile communication network (not shown) to the UE  206  and in the UE  206  to the DRM agent  207  on the ME  205 . The DRM agent  207  receives the DRM protected media content  208  and forwards the DRM protected media content  208  to the UICC  206  using USAT messages and ensures that the DRM protected media content  208  is stored in a memory on the UICC  206 .  
      Separately to this the rights issuer  202  generates media content rights  203  and transmits them via a UMTS mobile communication network (not shown) to the UE  206  and in the UE  206  to the DRM agent on the ME  205 . After this the DRM agent  207  receives the media content rights  203  and forwards the media content rights  203  to the UICC  206  and the media content rights  203  are stored in a memory on the UICC  206 .  
      Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a more detailed description of the transmission of the DRM protected media content  208  and the media content rights  203  is given for the UICC based rights management for DRM protected media content example.  
      At some point of time the content issuer  201  generates and sends the DRM protected media content  208  to the DRM agent  207  on the ME  207  using a “DRM protected content transfer” message  301  as shown in the message flow diagram  300  in  FIG. 3 . The “DRM protected content transfer” message  301  includes the DRM protected media content  208 . Upon retrieval of DRM protected media content  208  at the DRM agent  207 , the DRM agent  207  sends the retrieved DRM protected media content  208  to the UICC  206  using UICC based content transfer mechanisms using CAT mechanisms. According to this embodiment, a “UICC based DRM protected content transfer” message  302  is generated which includes the DRM protected media content  208 . After receipt of the “UICC based DRM protected content transfer” message  302 , the UICC retrieves the DRM protected media content  208  from the “UICC based DRM protected content transfer” message  302  and stores the DRM protected media content  208  on the USIM together with a content identifier  402  and a DRM indication byte  403  in a memory  401  (also called a content storage) of the UICC  206  (see  FIG. 4 ). This is performed in step 303 in the UICC  206 .  
      The DRM indication byte  403  indicates:  
      a) If the content is DRM protected or not.  
      b) If the content rights  203  are available or not.  
      c) If the content rights  203  are requested or not.  
      In more detail, the coding of such a DRM indication byte  403  will look as shown in table 1 in accordance with this exemplary embodiment of the invention:  
               TABLE 1                       DRM indication byte 403                                                               
 
      The meaning of the coding of the DRM indication byte is as follows:  
      a) Bit  1  is 0: 
          This means that: 
            the content stored on the UICCis not DRM protected.    
               

      b) Bit  1  is 1: 
          This means that: 
            the content stored on the UICC is DRM protected.    
               

      c) Bit  1  is 1 and bit  2  is 0: 
          This means that: 
            the content stored on the UICC is DRM protected;     the content rights are not available.    
               

      d) Bit  1  is 1 and bit  2  is 1: 
          This means that: 
            the content stored on the UICC is DRM protected;     the content rights are available.    
               

      e) Bit  1  is 1, bit  2  is 0 and bit  3  is 0: 
          This means that: 
            the content stored on the UICC is DRM protected;     the content rights are not available;     the content rights are not yet requested.    
               

      f) Bit  1  is 1, bit  2  is 0 and bit  3  is 1: 
          This means that: 
            the content stored on the UICC is DRM protected;     the content rights are not available;     the content rights are requested.    
               

      According to this exemplary embodiment, the DRM agent  207  is responsible for updating the DRM indication byte  403 .  
      In this example, after the DRM protected media content  208  is stored on the UICC  206 , the DRM agent  207  updates the DRM indication byte  403  by setting it to (see table 2):  
               TABLE 2                       DRM indication byte 403 after the storage of the DRM protected media       content 208 on the UICC 206                                                               
 
      This means that the content stored on the UICC  206  is DRM protected, there are no rights available and the content rights are not (yet) requested. This is also done in step  303  of  FIG. 3 .  
      Then, the UICC  206  will request for the content rights  203  associated with the DRM protected media content  208  by generating a CAT command message “UICC content rights request”  304  and sending it to the DRM agent  207  on the ME  205 . This command message “UICC content rights request”  304  contains all the information and parameters the DRM agent  207  needs to know to send a content rights request to the rights issuer  202 . This means that the command message “UICC content rights request”  304  contains at least the following information/parameters: 
          The address of the rights issuer  202 .     The protocol and/or bearer, which should be used for the content rights  203  transfer.     The content identifier  402 .     CAT specific parameters which are needed to transfer a CAT message.        

      Upon receipt of the CAT command message “UICC content rights request”  304  at the DRM agent  207 , the DRM agent  207  performs the following actions in step  305 : 
          The DRM agent  207  generates a “UICC content rights request response” message  306  in response to the receipt of the “UICC content rights request”  304  and sends the “UICC content rights request response” message  306  to the UICC  206 . This message will be an OK message when the DRM agent  207  has received the CAT command “UICC content rights request” message  304  correctly and will be an error message when the DRM agent  207  did not receive the CAT command message “UICC content rights request”  304  correctly. In this example, it is assumed that the DRM agent  207  receives the CAT command message “UICC content rights request”  304  correctly, so the DRM agent  207  sends an OK message back to the UICC  206 .     Based on the information in the “UICC content request”  304 , the DRM agent  207  generates a “UICC content rights request” message  307  and sends it to the rights issuer  202 .        

      The DRM agent  207  updates the DRM indication byte  403 ; the DRM agent  207  sets bit  3  of the DRM indication byte  403  to the value 1 (see table 3); this bit combination of the DRM indication byte  403  means that the content stored on the UICC  206  is DRM protected, there are no rights available and the content rights  203  are requested.  
               TABLE 3                       DRM indication byte 403 after the content fights 203 are requested                                                               
 
      When the DRM agent  207  receives the CAT command message “UICC content rights request”  304 , the DRM agent  207  will thus compose a content rights request message  307  using the information/parameters in the CAT command message “UICC content rights request”  304  and sends the content rights request message  307  to the rights issuer  202 . After reception of the above mentioned message  307  at the rights issuer  202 , the rights issuer  202  searches for the belonging content rights  203  and sends these content rights back to the DRM agent  207  in a content rights message  308 .  
      After reception of the content rights message  308  from the rights issuer  202 , the DRM agent  207  composes the CAT command message “UICC content rights transfer”  310  and sends this CAT command to the UICC  206  (step  309 ). The CAT command message “UICC content rights transfer”  310  contains at least the following information/parameters: 
          The content rights  203 .     The content identifier  403 .     The CAT specific parameters which are needed to transfer a CAT command to the UICC  206 .        

      Upon reception of the CAT command message “UICC content rights transfer”  310  at the UICC  206 , the UICC  206  performs the following actions (step  311 ):  
      a) The content rights  203  are stored on the UICC  206 . 
          There are two different ways to store the content rights on the UICC  206 :     1. The content rights  203  are stored together with the content (see  FIG. 5 ): 
            In this case, the content rights  203  are stored together with the related DRM protected media content  208 , content identifier  402  and the DRM indication byte  403  within one file or group of files dedicated for the content storage  401 .    
            2. The content rights  203  are stored separately from the content (see  FIG. 6 ): 
            In this case, the content rights  203  are stored separately from the DRM protected media content  208  in a content rights storage  601 . The DRM protected media content  208  is stored in a file or file group dedicated for the content storage  401 . In here, the DRM protected media content  208  is stored together with the content identifier  402 , the DRM indication byte  403  and a link  602  to the content rights  203 . The content rights  203  are stored in a file or file group dedicated for the content rights  203 . The content rights  203  are stored together with the content identifier  402  and a link  603  to the related DRM protected media content  208 . The content rights  203  are stored in the content rights storage  601  and the DRM protected media content  208  is stored in the content storage  401 .    
               

      b) Further, the DRM indication byte  403  is updated by the DRM agent  207  (see table 4). Bit  2  is set to the value 1. This means that the content stored on the UICC  206  is DRM protected, the content rights  203  are requested, and the content rights  203  are available.  
               TABLE 4                       DRM indication byte 403 after the storage of the content rights 203 on       the UICC 206                                                               
 
      Finally, the UICC  206  responses with a “UICC content rights transfer response” message  312  that it generates and that it sends to the DRM agent  207  on the ME  205 . This “UICC content rights transfer response” message  312  will be an OK message when the UICC  206  received the CAT command message “UICC content rights transfer”  310  with the content rights  203  correctly and will be an error message when the UICC  206  did not receive the CAT command message “UICC content rights transfer”  310  with the content rights  203  correctly. In this example, it is assumed that the UICC  206  received the content rights  203  with the CAT command message “UICC content rights”  310  correctly, so the UICC  206  generates and sends an OK message back to the UICC  206  as the “UICC content rights transfer response” message  312 .  
      When the user of the UE  204  wants to listen to a piece of music that is included in the DRM protected media content  208 , the user inputs a corresponding command into the UE  204 , e.g. by means of the keys of the ME  205 . The ME  205  together with the UICC  206  then determines as to whether the user is allowed to get the DRM protected media content  208  presented according to the content rights  203  associated with the DRM protected media content  208 . For this purpose, the ME  205  or the UICC  206  retrieves the stored content rights  203  and determines as to whether the user request fulfills the DRM usage rules according to the content rights  203 .  
      If the requirements of the content rights  203  are fulfilled, then the protection of the DRM protected media content  208  will be removed, e.g. the DRM protected media content  208  will be decrypted using the cryptographic key of the content rights  203 . The decrypted media content will then be presented to the user, e.g. the requested piece of music will be played to the user by means of the loudspeaker of the ME  205 .  
      If the requirements of the content rights  203  are not fulfilled, then an error message is generated and the user is informed about the invalid request and that the desired DRM protected media content  208  will not be presented, e.g. the requested piece of music will not be played.  
      In the following, some aspects of the invention will be summarized.  
      A UICC based rights management mechanism for DRM protected content is provided.  
      Upon the retrieval of DRM protected content at the DRM agent the following actions are executed:  
      a) The DRM protected media content  208  is transferred from the DRM agent  207  to the UICC  206 .  
      b) The DRM protected media content  208  is stored on the UICC  206  together with the content identifier  402  and a DRM indication byte  403 , wherein the DRM indication byte  403  indicates: 
          If the content is DRM protected or not.     If the corresponding content rights  203  are available in the UICC  206  or not.     If the content rights  203  are requested or not.        

      c) The DRM agent  207  updates the DRM indication byte  403 .  
      d) The DRM indication byte  403  is updated, wherein the DRM agent  207  sets the DRM indication byte  403  to: 
          “Content DRM protected”;     “Content rights not available in the UICC”;     “Content rights not (yet) requested”.        

      e) The UICC  206  composes a new CAT command message “UICC content rights request” and sends this message to the DRM agent  207  on the ME  205 ; the CAT command message “UICC content rights request” contains all the information and parameters the DRM agent  207  needs to know to send a content rights request to the rights issuer  202 ; in this embodiment, the CAT command “UICC content rights request contains the following parameters/information: 
          The address of the rights issuer  202 .     Which protocol and/or bearer should be used for the content rights transfer.     The content identifier  420 .     CAT specific parameters.        

      f) The DRM agent  207  knows how to interpret the CAT command message “UICC content rights request” and with the information/parameters in this CAT command message, the DRM agent  207  composes a content rights request message.  
      g) The DRM agent  207  sends the content rights request message to the rights issuer  202 .  
      h) The DRM agent  207  updates the DRM indication byte  403 , wherein the DRM agent  207  sets the DRM indication byte  403  to: 
          “Content DRM protected”;     “Content rights not available in the UICC”;     “Content rights requested”.        

      i) Upon reception of the above mentioned message, the rights issuer  202  sends the requested content rights  203  associated with the DRM protected media content  208  to the DRM agent  207 .  
      j) Upon the retrieval of the content rights  203  at the DRM agent  207 , the DRM agent  207  composes a new CAT message “UICC content rights transfer”. In this embodiment, the CAT message “UICC content rights transfer” contains the following information/parameters: 
          The content rights  203 .     The content identifier  402 .     CAT specific parameters.        

      k) The DRM agent  207  sends the content rights  203  to the UICC  206  by using the CAT command “UICC content rights transfer”.  
      l) Upon reception of the CAT message “UICC content rights transfer message”, the following actions are executed: 
          The content rights  203  are stored on the UICC  206 ; the content rights  203  can be stored in two ways: 
            The content rights  203  can be stored together with the content.     The content rights  203  can be stored separately from the content.    
               

      m) The DRM agent  207  updates the DRM indication byte  403 , wherein the DRM agent  207  sets the DRM indication byte  403  to: 
          “Content DRM protected”;     “Content rights not available in the UICC”;     “Content rights not (yet) requested.        

      The described processes and mechanisms may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware or a combination of these implementations as appropriate. In addition, some or all of the described processes may be implemented as computer readable instruction code resident on a computer readable medium (removable disk, volatile or non-volatile memory, embedded processors, etc.), the instruction code operable to program a computer of other such programmable device to carry out the intended functions.  
      The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the disclosed teaching. The described embodiments were chosen in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.  
      List of Reference Symbols  
       100  DRM architecture  
       101  content issuer  
       102  rights issuer  
       103  DRM agent  
       104  protected digital media content  
       105  rights object  
       200  DRM communication system  
       201  content issuer  
       202  rights issuer  
       203  rights object  
       204  User Equipment  
       205  Mobile Equipment  
       206  Universal Integrated Circuit Card  
       207  DRM agent  
       208  DRM protected media content  
       303  message flow diagram  
       301  “DRM protected content transfer” message  
       302  “UICC based DRM protected content transfer” message  
       303  method step  
       304  “UICC content rights request” message  
       305  method step  
       306  “UICC content rights request response” message  
       307  “UICC content rights request” message  
       308  content rights message  
       309  method step  
       310  “UICC content rights transfer” message  
       311  method step  
       312  “UICC content rights transfer response” message  
       401  memory  
       402  content identifier  
       403  DRM indication byte  
       601  content rights storage  
       602  link to content rights  
       603  link to related DRM protected media content