System and methods for assignation and use of media content subscription service privileges

Abstract

This invention describes a system and methods for media content subscription service distribution; typical services include cable television, premium content channels, pay-per-view, XM radio, and online mp3 services. Subscribers use portable electronic devices to store digital certificates certifying the subscriber's privileges and an assigned public key. The devices can communicate with specially enabled televisions, radios, computers, or other media presentation apparatuses. These, in turn, can communicate with central databases owned by the provider, for verification purposes. Methods of the invention describe media content subscription service privilege issuing and use. The invention additionally describes methods for protecting media content transmitted to users with a variety of encryption schemes. The invention also comprises methods for subscribed users to bestow a subset of their privileges to a number of secondary users, with appropriate permission from the media content subscription service provider.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 authenticating, at a first personal identification device, an input of a first user based on data of the first user stored at the first personal identification device, the first personal identification device storing a first certificate having a plurality of subscription privileges associated with the first user;   generating, at the first personal identification device, a second certificate associated with a second user based on the first certificate, the second certificate having at least one subscription privilege from the plurality of subscription privileges associated with the first user; and   sending the first certificate and the second certificate from the first personal identification device to a second personal identification device associated with the second user such that the second user is permitted to access media associated with the at least one subscription privilege of the second certificate from a media provider based on the first certificate and the second certificate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the input is a biometric input and the data of the first user is a biometric template of the first user and wherein the method further comprising:
 storing the second certificate at the first personal identification device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, at the first personal identification device from the user, a selection of the at least one subscription privilege from the plurality of subscription privileges associated with the first user for the second certificate before the second certificate is generated.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first certificate excludes biometric information of the first user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first personal identification device does not store any biometric information associated with the second user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating, at the first personal identification device, a private key uniquely associated with the second user, the private key being stored at the first personal identification device.   
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory machine readable medium storing executable program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the data processing system to perform a method, comprising:
 authenticating, at a first personal identification device, an input of a first user based on data of the first user stored at the first personal identification device, the first personal identification device storing a first certificate having a plurality of subscription privileges associated with the first user;   generating, at the first personal identification device, a second certificate associated with a second user based on the first certificate, the second certificate having at least one subscription privilege from the plurality of subscription privileges associated with the first user; and   sending the first certificate and the second certificate from the first personal identification device to a second personal identification device associated with the second user such that the second user is permitted to access media associated with the at least one subscription privilege of the second certificate from a media provider based on the first certificate and the second certificate.   
     
     
         8 . The medium of  claim 7 , wherein the input is a biometric input and the data of the first user is a biometric template of the first user and wherein the method further comprising:
 storing the second certificate at the first personal identification device.   
     
     
         9 . The medium of  claim 7 , the method further comprising:
 receiving, at the first personal identification device from the user, a selection of the at least one subscription privilege from the plurality of subscription privileges associated with the first user for the second certificate before the second certificate is generated.   
     
     
         10 . The medium of  claim 7 , wherein the first certificate excludes biometric information of the first user. 
     
     
         11 . The medium of  claim 7 , wherein the first personal identification device does not store any biometric information associated with the second user. 
     
     
         12 . The medium of  claim 7 , the method further comprising:
 generating, at the first personal identification device, a private key uniquely associated with the second user, the private key being stored at the first personal identification device.