Method, system, mobile device, apparatus and computer program product for validating rights objects

Abstract

A method, system, mobile device, apparatus and computer program product are provided for accurately determining whether one or more rights objects associated with a mobile device are valid. In particular, a secure time source (e.g., DRM clock or time) may be maintained by the mobile device and used to check the validity of the one or more rights objects. In order to ensure that the secure time source or clock remains accurate, the mobile device may update the secure time source by regularly requesting and receiving the DVB-H network time from a DVB-H network entity. Because the DVB-H network time is secure, accurate and readily accessible, it provides an ideal tool for correcting possible drift in the mobile device's secure time source.

1 . A method of determining whether one or more rights objects associated with a mobile device are valid, said method comprising:
 retrieving a DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld) network time;   updating a secure clock maintained on the mobile device based at least in part on the DVB-H network time; and   using the secure clock to determine whether one or more rights objects associated with the mobile device are valid.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein respective rights objects comprise at least one of a permission or a key linked to a particular item associated with a content or a service for the mobile device. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the secure clock comprises a Digital Rights Management (DRM) clock. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein retrieving a DVB-H network time comprises automatically requesting the DVB-H network time from a DVB-H network entity upon boot up of the mobile device. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein updating the secure clock based at least in part on the DVB-H network time comprises:
 determining a difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and a user-set clock also maintained on the mobile device;   storing the difference in a memory associated with the mobile device; and   updating the secure clock based at least in part on the stored difference.   
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 retrieving the DVB-H network time every predetermined interval of time;   determining a new difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and the user-set clock;   comparing the new difference to the stored difference; and   if the new difference differs from the stored difference, replacing the stored difference with the new difference and updating the secure clock based at least in part on the new difference.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein updating the secure clock based at least in part on the DVB-H network time comprises:
 replacing a time associated with the secure clock with the DVB-H network time retrieved.   
   
   
       8 . A system for determining whether one or more rights objects associated with a mobile device are valid, said system comprising:
 a DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld) network entity; and   a mobile device capable of accessing the DVB-H network entity, said mobile device comprising:
 a secure clock; 
 a processor configured to maintain the secure clock; and 
 a memory in communication with the processor, said memory storing one or more rights objects associated with the mobile device, said memory further storing an application executable by the processor, wherein the application is configured, upon execution, to retrieve a DVB-H network time from the DVB-H network entity, to update the secure clock based at least in part on the DVB-H network time retrieved, and to use the secure clock to determine whether the one or more rights objects are valid. 
   
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein respective rights objects comprise at least one of a permission or a key linked to a particular item associated with a content or a service for the mobile device. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the secure clock comprises a Digital Rights Management (DRM) clock. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein, in order to retrieve the DVB-H network time, the application is further configured, upon execution to automatically request the DVB-H network time from the DVB-H network entity upon boot up of the mobile device. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the mobile device further comprises a user-set clock, and wherein, in order to update the secure clock based at least in part on the DVB-H network time, the application is further configured, upon execution, to:
 determine a difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and the user-set clock;   store the difference in the memory; and   update the secure clock based at least in part on the stored difference.   
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 12  further, wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to:
 retrieve the DVB-H network time every predetermined interval of time;   determine a new difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and the user-set clock;   compare the new difference to the stored difference; and   replace the stored difference with the new difference and update the secure clock based at least in part on the new difference, if the new difference differs from the stored difference.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein in order to update the secure clock based at least in part on the DVB-H network time, the application is further configured, upon execution, to replace a time associated with the secure clock with the DVB-H network time retrieved. 
   
   
       15 . A mobile device configured to determine whether one or more rights objects associated with the mobile device are valid, said mobile device comprising:
 a secure clock;   a processor configured to maintain the secure clock; and   a memory in communication with the processor, said memory storing an application executable by the processor, wherein the application is configured, upon execution, to:
 retrieve a DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld) network time; 
 update the secure clock based at least in part on the DVB-H network time; and 
 use the secure clock to determine whether one or more rights objects associated with the mobile device are valid. 
   
   
   
       16 . The mobile device of  claim 15 , wherein respective rights objects comprise at least one of a permission or a key linked to a particular item associated with a content or a service for the mobile device. 
   
   
       17 . The mobile device of  claim 15 , wherein the secure clock comprises a Digital Rights Management (DRM) clock. 
   
   
       18 . The mobile device of  claim 15 , wherein, in order to retrieve the DVB-H network time, the application is further configured, upon execution, to automatically request the DVB-H network time from a DVB-H network entity upon boot up of the mobile device. 
   
   
       19 . The mobile device of  claim 15 , wherein the mobile device further comprises:
 a user-set clock, wherein, in order to update the secure clock based at least in part on the DVB-H network time, the application is further configured, upon execution, to:
 determine a difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and the user-set clock; 
 store the difference in the memory; and 
 update the secure clock based at least in part on the stored difference. 
   
   
   
       20 . The mobile device of  claim 19 , wherein the application is further configured, upon execution, to:
 retrieve the DVB-H network time every predetermined interval of time;   determine a new difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and the user-set clock;   compare the new difference to the stored difference; and   replace the stored difference with the new difference and update the secure clock based at least in part on the new difference, if the new difference differs from the stored difference.   
   
   
       21 . The mobile device of  claim 15 , wherein, in order to update the secure clock based at least in part on the DVB-H network time, the application is further configured, upon execution, to replace a time associated with the secure clock with the DVB-H network time retrieved. 
   
   
       22 . An apparatus capable of determining whether one or more rights objects associated with a mobile device are valid, said mobile device comprising:
 means for retrieving a DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld) network time;   means for updating a secure clock maintained on the mobile device based at least in part on the DVB-H network time; and   means for using the secure clock to determine whether one or more rights objects associated with the mobile device are valid.   
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein respective rights objects comprise at least one of a permission or a key linked to a particular item associated with a content or a service for the mobile device. 
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the secure clock comprises a Digital Rights Management (DRM) clock. 
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the means for retrieving a DVB-H network time further comprises means for automatically requesting the DVB-H network time from a DVB-H network entity upon boot up of the mobile device. 
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 22 , wherein the means for updating the secure clock based at least in part on the DVB-H network time further comprises:
 means for determining a difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and a user-set clock also maintained on the mobile device;   means for storing the difference in a memory associated with the mobile device; and   means for updating the secure clock based at least in part on the stored difference.   
   
   
       27 . The apparatus of  claim 26  further comprising:
 means for retrieving the DVB-H network time every predetermined interval of time;   means for determining a new difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and the user-set clock;   means for comparing the new difference to the stored difference; and   means for replacing the stored difference with the new difference and updating the secure clock based at least in part on the new difference, if the new difference differs from the stored difference.   
   
   
       28 . A computer program product for determining whether one or more rights objects associated with a mobile device are valid, wherein the computer program product comprises at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:
 a first executable portion for retrieving a DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld) network time;   a second executable portion for updating a secure clock maintained on the mobile device based at least in part on the DVB-H network time; and   a third executable portion for using the secure clock to determine whether one or more rights objects associated with the mobile device are valid.   
   
   
       29 . The computer program product of  claim 28 , wherein respective rights objects comprise at least one of a permission or a key linked to a particular item associated with a content or a service for the mobile device. 
   
   
       30 . The computer program product of  claim 28 , wherein the secure clock comprises a Digital Rights Management (DRM) clock. 
   
   
       31 . The computer program product of  claim 28 , wherein the first executable portion is configured to automatically request the DVB-H network time from a DVB-H network entity upon boot up of the mobile device. 
   
   
       32 . The computer program product of  claim 28 , wherein the second executable portion is configured to:
 determine a difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and a user-set clock also maintained on the mobile device;   store the difference in a memory associated with the mobile device; and   update the secure clock based at least in part on the stored difference.   
   
   
       33 . The computer program product of  claim 32 , wherein the computer-readable portions further comprise:
 a fourth executable portion for retrieving the DVB-H network time every predetermined interval of time;   a fifth executable portion for determining a new difference between the DVB-H network time retrieved and the user-set clock;   a sixth executable portion for comparing the new difference to the stored difference; and   a seventh executable portion for replacing the stored difference with the new difference and updating the secure clock based at least in part on the new difference, if the new difference differs from the stored difference.