Abstract:
Content management methods and systems are provided. First, a UID of a component of a device is read. The UID may be performed with an operation or not. Then, it is determined whether or not the UID matches with a predefined identification attached to the content. When the UID matches with the predefined identification, the content in the device is allowed to be accessed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The disclosure relates generally to content management methods and systems, and, more particularly to content management methods and systems based on an identification of at least one component of a device storing content. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    With electronic devices, such as computers or portable devices, being popular, digital content has become a major data recording type for the devices due to increased convenience of digital content. Moreover, content providers have been devoted to develop related applications for digital content. Since it is easy to copy and broadcast digital content, the authentication management of digital content has become one of the major developmental areas in the content management art. 
         [0005]    In a conventional digital content management system, a user must connect to a server set by a vendor via a network such as an internet or a telecommunication network, and transmits a serial code provided with content to the server for authentication. If the serial code is accepted by the server, the server transmits a pass code to the user. The user can decrypt the content using the pass code, and correspondingly access the content. In this manner, the vendor must additionally establish and manage the authentication server, thus increasing operational costs. Additionally, since the serial code and the pass code are transmitted through the network, user privacy such as a phone number, ID, or IP address, and pass codes may be lost or broken by malice hackers, thus reducing the security of content. 
         [0006]    In another conventional digital content management system, a key and a serial code are pre-recorded in a hidden area of a medium, such as a VCD, DVD, or SD card. When an end device, such as an MP3/MP4 player, or PDA wants to access content in the medium, it is determined whether or not the serial code is legally authorized. If the serial code is legally authorized, the content is decrypted using the key, and then accessed. In this manner, the management system requires involvement and handshaking of end device manufacturers and the content providers in order to form an industrial communication protocol. Thus, the management system is unpractical as the benefits of the two parties might not be the same. Additionally, although the key and the serial code are recorded in the hidden area of the medium, it can still be easily broken by persons who have the necessary technical skills. Famous example of the failure of such system is the CSS (Content Scramble System) DRM (Digital Rights Management) of DVD. 
         [0007]    In yet another conventional digital content management system, when content is downloaded from an internet to a memory of an end device, a device code of the end device is bundled with the download content. When an electronic appliance wants to access the content, it is determined whether or not the device code of the electronic appliance matches the device code bundled with the content. If the device code of the electronic appliance matches the device code bundled with the content, the electronic appliance accesses the content. In this manner, the content is forced to be bundled to a specific device, thus seriously limiting a user&#39;s fair use right of owning the content, since a user will not be able to access the content in other devices. Additionally, the system is not suitable for content pre-recorded in content cards, such as portable flash memory devices, since there is no transmission process of content; therefore the bundling of the device code with content will not automatically occur. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    Content management methods and systems are provided. 
         [0009]    In an embodiment of a content management method, an UID (Unique Identification) of a component of a device is read. The UID may or may not be further processed. That is the UID may be further performed with an operation or not. Then, it is determined whether or not the UID matches with a predefined identification. When the UID matches with the predefined identification, content in the device is allowed to be accessed. It is noted that, the predefined identification is pre-generated by the UID and perform the aforementioned operation, if any, and then attached for the content. 
         [0010]    An embodiment of a content management system comprises a device and a content management module. The device comprises at least one component having an UID, and content. The content management module comprises a predefined identification. The content management module reads the UID of the component of the device, and determines whether or not the UID matches with the predefined identification. When the UID matches with the predefined identification, the content management module allows the content in the device to be accessed. Similarly, the UID may or may not be further processed before it compares to the predefined identification. 
         [0011]    In an embodiment of a content management method, content is stored to a device. An UID of at least one component of the device is read, and recorded to a content management module. When the content is requested to be accessed, the content management module manages the content according to the predefined UID. 
         [0012]    Content management methods and systems may take the form of a program code embodied in a tangible media. When the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the disclosed method. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The invention will become more fully understood by referring to the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a content management system according to the invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of a content management system according to the invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a content management method according to the invention; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of another embodiment of a content management method according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    Content management methods and systems are provided. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram illustrating an embodiment of a content management system according to the invention. 
         [0020]    The content management system  1000  comprises a device  1100  and an electronic appliance  1200 . The device  1100  may be a memory device, such as a portable flash memory device storing content  1120 . In some embodiments, the content  1120  may be encrypted using an encryption/decryption algorithm, such as symmetric or asymmetric encryption/decryption algorithms, and may be digital rights managed. The device  1100  may comprise at least a component (not shown in  FIG. 1 ) having an UID  1110 . In some embodiments, the component may be a semiconductor component, such as a memory or a micro-processor of the device  1100 . The UID  1110  is a hardware serial number generated for the semiconductor component during manufacturing. The electronic appliance  1200  may be processor-based electronic devices, such as computers, or portable devices such as MP3 players, MP4 players, PDAs, global positioning devices or mobile phones. The electronic appliance  1200  comprises a content management module  1210  including a predefined ID  1211 . The content management module  1210  performs the content management methods of the invention according to the predefined ID  1211 . Related details are discussed later. 
         [0021]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram illustrating another embodiment of a content management system according to the invention. It is noted that, the components with the same notations in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  have the same definitions. In this embodiment, the content management module  1210  is in the device  1100 . It is noted that, in this embodiment, the UID  1110  is a hardware serial number generated for the semiconductor component during manufacturing or a virtual serial number created for the semiconductor component by firmware/software. Similarly, the content management module  1210  performs the content management methods of the invention according to the predefined ID  1211 , and related details are discussed later. 
         [0022]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a content management method according to the invention. In this embodiment, an UID is embedded into a content management module. 
         [0023]    In step S 302 , an UID of at least one component of a device is read. Similarly, the device may be a memory device storing content, and the component may be a semiconductor component, such as a memory or a micro-processor of the device. The UID may be a hardware serial number generated for the semiconductor component during manufacturing or a virtual serial number created for the semiconductor component by firmware/software. In step S 304 , the UID is performed with an operation, such as an encryption, a logic operation, or a hash operation. It is understood that, in some embodiments, the UID may not be performed with the operation, that is step S 304  can be omitted. In step S 306 , the UID of the component of the device is embedded into a content management module in an electronic appliance or the device. 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart of another embodiment of a content management method according to the invention. 
         [0025]    When content in a device is requested to be accessed, in step S 402 , a content management module in an electronic appliance or the device reads an UID of at least one component of the device. Similarly, the device may be a memory device storing content, and the component may be a semiconductor component, such as a memory or a micro-processor of the device. The component UID may be a hardware serial number generated for the semiconductor component during manufacturing or a virtual serial number created for the semiconductor component by firmware/software. It is understood that, in some embodiments, when the device is coupled to an electronic appliance, step S 402  is performed. In step S 404 , the component UID of the device is performed with an operation, such as an encryption, a logic operation, or a hash operation. Similarly, in some embodiments, the component UID may not be performed with the operation, that is., step S 404  can be omitted. In step S 406 , the component UID of the device is compared with a predefined ID embedded in the content management module. It is understood that the predefined ID in the content management module is generated according to the embodiment of  FIG. 3 . When the component UID of the device does not match with the predefined ID embedded in the content management module (No in step S 408 ), in step S 410 , an error message is displayed. When the component UID of the device matches with the predefined ID embedded in the content management module (Yes in step S 408 ), in step S 412 , the content is decrypted using an encryption/decryption algorithm, such as symmetric or asymmetric encryption/decryption algorithms and/or allowed to be accessed according to the DRM defined. In step S 414 , the decrypted content is accessed. 
         [0026]    Therefore, the methods and systems of the application can provide novel and inventive manners to manage content based on the component UID of the device storing content, thus reducing the drawbacks in conventional content managements. 
         [0027]    Content management methods and systems, or certain aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of a program code (i.e., executable instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as flash card or USB disk, wherein, when the program code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer, the machine thereby becomes an apparatus for practicing the methods. 
         [0028]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those who are skilled in this technology can still make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention shall be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents.