Content presentation

Abstract

There are a base station and at least one end station which can communicate with each other. The end station generates an access request when wishing to present content. The access request is transferred from the end station to the base station. The base station provides an agent in response to the received access request. The agent is installed in the end station before being implemented by the end station. The implemented agent determines end station data indicative of an identity of the end station. The end station data is transferred from the end station to the base station. The base station authenticates the end station in response to the received end station data for an allowance of the presentation of the content.

1 . A method of presenting content in an end station, comprising the steps of: 
 generating an access request;    transferring the access request to a base station;    receiving an agent from the base station as a response to the access request;    implementing the agent, wherein the implemented agent determines end station data indicative of an identity of the end station and transfers the end station data to the base station, wherein the base station authenticates the end station in response to the end station data and decides whether the authentication is successful; and    presenting the content when the base station decides that the authentication is successful.    
   
   
       2 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the implemented agent generates the end station data using at least one of: 
 i) an indication of the content to be presented;    ii) an end station identifier uniquely indicative of the identity of the end station;    iii) a user identifier uniquely indicative of a user of the end station;    iv) an agent identifier uniquely indicative of the agent; and    v) a licence.    
   
   
       3 . A method according to  claim 1 , wherein the content is encrypted using an encryption algorithm, and further comprising the steps of receiving decryption data inclusive of at least one of a decryption algorithm and a decryption key from the base station, decrypting the encrypted content using the decryption data, and presenting the decrypted content.  
   
   
       4 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the decryption data is encrypted using a predetermined public key of a private/public key pair, and further comprising the step of decrypting the decryption data using a private key of the private/public key pair.  
   
   
       5 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the decryption data includes first and second keys and the content includes one or more data packets each having an encrypted payload, and wherein the decrypting step comprises determining the payload in each data packet, decrypting a first portion of the determined payload using the first key, and decrypting a second portion of the determined payload using the second key, the first and second payload portions being arranged such that at least a part of the determined payload is encrypted using both the first and second keys.  
   
   
       6 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the decryption data includes first and second keys and the content includes one or more data packets each having an encrypted payload, and wherein the decrypting step comprises determining the payload in each data packet, determining an arbitrary value using the first key, determining a cipher text by encrypting the arbitrary value using the second key, and decrypting the determined payload using the cipher text, the encrypted payload being formed from a logical combination of the unencrypted payload and the cipher text.  
   
   
       7 . A method according to  claim 3 , wherein the decryption data includes first and second keys, and the decrypting step comprises segmenting the content into content portions each including at least one data packet, decrypting the data packets in the content portions using the first and second keys to get decrypted content portions, and combining the decrypted content portions to form the content to be presented.  
   
   
       8 . In a base station, a method of authenticating an end station for an allowance of the presentation of content, comprising the steps of: 
 receiving an access request from the end station;    transferring an agent to the end station, wherein the end station implements the agent and the implemented agent determines end station data indicative of an identity of the end station and transfers the end station data to the base station;    receiving the end station data from the base station;    authenticating the end station for an allowance of the presentation of content in response to the end station data;    deciding whether the authentication is successful; and    authorizing the end station to perform the presentation of content when it is decided that the authentication is successful.    
   
   
       9 . A method according to  claim 8 , further comprising the steps of encrypting the content using an encryption algorithm, generating decryption data inclusive at least one of a decryption algorithm and a decryption key, and transferring the decryption data to the end station, wherein the end station decrypts the content in response to the decryption data.  
   
   
       10 . A method according to  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of determining a public key of a public/private key pair in accordance with the end station data, and encrypting the decryption data using the public key.  
   
   
       11 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the decryption data includes first and second keys and the content includes one or more data packets each having a payload, and wherein the encrypting step comprises determining the payload in each data packet, encrypting a first portion of the determined payload using the first key, and encrypting a second portion of the determined payload using the second key, the first and second payload portions being arranged such that at least a part of the payload is encrypted using both the first and second keys.  
   
   
       12 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the decryption data includes first and second keys and the content includes one or more data packets each having a payload, and wherein the encrypting step comprises determining the payload in each data packet, determining an arbitrary value using the first key, determining a cipher text by encrypting the arbitrary value using the second key, and encrypting the determined payload using the cipher text, the encrypted payload being formed from a logical combination of the unencrypted payload and the cipher text.  
   
   
       13 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the decryption data includes first and second keys and the encrypting step comprises segmenting the content into content portions each including at least one data packet, and encrypting the data packets in the content portions using the first and second keys.  
   
   
       14 . A digital right management system for managing the presentation of content, comprising a base station, at least one end station, and a communications network for interconnecting the base station and the end station; 
 a) the base station including a processor for: 
 a1) receiving an access request from an end station via the communications network;  
 a2) generating an agent in response to the access request;  
 a3) transferring the agent to the end station via the communications network, wherein the end station implements the agent and the implemented agent determines end station data indicative of an identity of the end station and transfers the end station data to the base station via the communications network;  
 a4) authenticating the end station in response to the end station data;  
 a5) deciding whether the authentication is successful; and  
 a6) authorizing the end station to perform the presentation of content when the authentication is successful;  
   b) the end station including: 
 b1) a display; and  
 b2) a processor for: 
 b21) generating an access request;  
 b22) transferring the access request to the base station via the communications network;  
 b23) receiving the agent from the base station via the communications network;  
 b24) implementing the agent, wherein the implemented agent determines the end station data and transfers the end station data to the base station via the communications network, and wherein the base station authenticates the end station in response to the end station data and decides whether the authentication is successful; and  
 b25) presenting the content by use of the display when the base station decides that the authentication is successful.  
 
   
   
   
       15 . A method of decrypting content for presentation, the content including one or more data packets each having an encrypted payload, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving encrypted content;    determining the payload in each data packet;    decrypting the determined payload using first and second keys; and    combining the decrypted payloads of the one or more data packets to form decrypted content.    
   
   
       16 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the decrypting step comprises: 
 decrypting a first portion of the determined payload using the first key; and    decrypting a second portion of the determined payload using the second key, the first and second payload portions being arranged such that at least a part of the determined payload is encrypted using both the first and second keys.    
   
   
       17 . A method according to  claim 15 , wherein the decrypting step comprises: 
 determining an arbitrary value using the first key;    determining a cipher text by encrypting the arbitrary value using the second key; and    decrypting the determined payload using the cipher text, the encrypted payload being formed from a logical combination of the unencrypted payload and the cipher text.    
   
   
       18 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving decryption data from an end station, the decryption data including the first and second keys; and    decrypting the decryption data using a private key of a public/private key pair to recover the first and second keys.    
   
   
       19 . A method of encrypting content for presentation, the content including one or more data packets each having a payload, the method comprising the steps of: 
 determining the payload in each data packet;    encrypting the determined payload using first and second keys; and    combining the encrypted payloads of the one or more data packets to form encrypted content.    
   
   
       20 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the encrypting step comprises: 
 encrypting a first portion of the determined payload using the first key; and    encrypting a second portion of the determined payload using the second key, the first and second payload portions being arranged such that at least a part of the determined payload is encrypted using both the first and second keys.    
   
   
       21 . A method according to  claim 19 , wherein the encrypting step comprises: 
 determining an arbitrary value using the first key;    determining a cipher text by encrypting the arbitrary value using the second key; and    encrypting the determined payload using the cipher text, the encrypted payload being formed from a logical combination of the unencrypted payload and the cipher text.    
   
   
       22 . A method according to  claim 19 , further comprising the steps of: 
 generating decryption data including the first and second keys;    encrypting the decryption data using a public key of a public/private key pair; and    transferring the encrypted decryption data to an end station, wherein the end station decrypts the received decryption data using a private key of the public/private key pair.