Apparatus, system, method and computer program product for distributing service information and digital rights for broadcast data

A method comprising:

• receiving at a terminal information of available services over a broadcast network;
• generating at a terminal a request for access to broadcast data from the broadcast network;
• retrieving authentication information relating to the terminal from a source other than manual input;
• incorporating said authentication information and at least part of the information of the available services in said request;
• sending said request to a server via a second network, different from the broadcast network;
• receiving at the terminal one or more decryption keys from the broadcast network;
• receiving at the terminal one or more rights objects from the second network;
• receiving at the terminal the broadcast data associated with the request from the broadcast network;
• and
• decrypting the received broadcast data with one or more of said decryption keys in combination with said one or more rights objects, wherein the data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without a rights object.

An apparatus comprising:

• a server configured to generate a media guide comprising descriptions of services available over a broadcast network and forward data included in the media guide to an electronic commerce system;
• a transmitter configured to broadcast the media guide over the broadcast network;
• a gateway configured to receive a request for access to broadcast data from a terminal via a second network that is different from the broadcast network, said electronic commerce system further configured to extract authentication information relating to the terminal and service data corresponding to information in the media guide from the request;
• a processor configured to at least partially encrypt the broadcast data with one or more encryption keys, so that said broadcast data can only be decrypted by the terminal with one or more corresponding decryption keys in combination with one or more rights objects, wherein at least one of said decryption keys is available to the terminal, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without the rights object;
• an interface configured to send the one or more rights objects via the second network to the one terminal;
• and
• a transmitter further configured to broadcast the encrypted broadcast data and the one or more decryption keys over the broadcast network.

A method comprising:

• generating a media guide comprising descriptions of services available over a broadcast network;
• broadcasting the media guide over the broadcast network;
• receiving a request for access to broadcast data from a terminal via a second network that is different from the broadcast network;
• extracting from the request authentication information relating to the terminal and service data corresponding to information provided in the media guide;
• comparing the extracted service data with the media guide information in order to detect discrepancies there between;
• encrypting the broadcast data at least partially with one or more encryption keys, so that said broadcast can only be decrypted by the terminal with one or more corresponding decryption keys in combination with one or more rights objects, wherein said one or more decryption keys are available to the terminal, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without the rights object;
• sending the one or more rights objects via the second network to the one terminal;
• and
• broadcasting the encrypted broadcast data and said one or more decryption key over the broadcast network.

An apparatus comprising:

• a server configured to generate a media guide comprising information of services available over a broadcast network, including an indication of one or more communication channels to be used for requesting access to broadcast data from said services, together with metadata describing said communication channels;
• a transmitter configured to broadcast the media guide over the broadcast network;
• a gateway configured to receive a request for access to the broadcast data from a terminal from one of said communication channels via a second network that is different from the broadcast network;
• a processor configured to encrypt at least partially the broadcast data with one or more encryption keys, so that said broadcast data can only be decrypted by the one terminal with one or more corresponding decryption keys in combination with one or more rights objects, wherein at least one of said decryption keys is available to the terminal, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without the rights object;
• an interface configured to send the one or more rights objects via the second network to the one terminal;
• and
• wherein the request for access to the broadcast data includes authentication information relating to the terminal and at least part of the information corresponding to the services available in the media guide:
• the transmitter further configured to broadcast the encrypted data and the one or decryption keys over the broadcast network.

A method comprising:

• generating a media guide comprising information of services available over a broadcast network, including an indication of one or more communication channels to be used for requesting access to broadcast data from said services, together with metadata describing said communication channels;
• transmitting the media guide to the terminals over the broadcast network;
• receiving a request for access to broadcast data from a one terminal from one of said communication channels via a second network that is different from the broadcast network;
• sending one or more rights objects associated with the requested data via the second network to the one terminal, wherein the broadcast data can only be accessed by the one terminal using a decryption key that is available to the one terminal in combination with one or more of said rights objects, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without the rights object;
• and
• broadcasting the encrypted data and the one or more decryption keys over the broadcast network;
• wherein the request for access to the broadcast data includes authentication information relating to the terminal and at least part of the information corresponding to the services available in the media guide.

A communication system comprising:

• a broadcast network;
• a second network, different from the broadcast network;
• one or more terminals;
• a server configured to generate a media guide comprising information of services available over the broadcast network and forward data included in the media guide to an electronic commerce system;
• a gateway configured to receive a request for access to broadcast data from a requesting one of the one or more terminals via the second network, said electronic commerce system further configured to extract authentication information relating to the requesting terminal and service data corresponding to information in the media guide from the request;
• a processor configured at least partially encrypt the broadcast data with one or more encryption keys, so that said broadcast data can only be decrypted by the requesting terminal with one or more corresponding decryption keys in combination with one or more rights objects, wherein at least one of said decryption keys is available to the requesting terminal, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without the rights object;
• an interface configured to send the one or more rights objects via the second network to the requesting terminal;
• and
• a transmitter configured to broadcast the media guide, the one or more decryption keys and the encrypted data over the broadcast network.

A computer-readable storage medium containing program code that is executed by at least one processor for performing instructions, the instructions comprising:

• receiving information of available services over a broadcast network;
• generating at a terminal a request for access to data from the broadcast network;
• retrieving authentication information relating to the terminal from a source other than manual input;
• incorporating said authentication information and least part of the information of available services in said request;
• sending said request to a request handler via a second network, different from the broadcast network;
• receiving at the terminal one or more decryption keys from the broadcast network;
• receiving at the terminal one or more rights objects from the second network;
• receiving at the terminal the broadcast data associated with the request from the broadcast network;
• and
• decrypting the received broadcast data with one or more of said decryption keys in combination with said one or more rights objects, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without the rights object.

A computer-readable storage medium containing program code that is executed by at least one processor for performing instructions, the instructions comprising:

• generating a media guide comprising information of service data over a broadcast network;
• broadcasting the media guide over the broadcast network;
• receiving a request for access to broadcast data from a terminal via a second network that is different from the broadcast network, wherein the request includes authentication information relating to the terminal and at least part of the information of the service guide;
• extracting from the request service data corresponding to information provided in the media guide;
• comparing the extracted service data with the media guide information in order to detect discrepancies there between;
• encrypting the broadcast data at least partially with one or more encryption keys, so that said broadcast data can only be decrypted by the terminal with one or more corresponding decryption keys in combination with one or more rights objects, wherein said one or more decryption keys are available to the terminal, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without the rights object;
• sending the one or more rights objects via the second network to the one terminal;
• and
• broadcasting the encrypted broadcast data and the one or more decryption keys over the broadcast network.

A computer-readable medium storage containing program code that is executed by at least one processor for performing instructions, the instructions comprising:

• generating a media guide comprising information of services available over a broadcast network, including an indication of one or more communication channels to be used for requesting access to data from said services, together with metadata describing said communication channels;
• transmitting the media guide to the terminals over the broadcast network;
• receiving a request for access to broadcast data from a terminal from one of said communication channels via a second network that is different from the broadcast network, wherein the request includes authentication information relating to the terminal and at least part of the information of services available;
• sending one or more rights objects associated with the requested data via the second network to the one terminal, wherein the broadcast can only be accessed by the one terminal with a decryption key that is available to the one terminal in combination with one or more of said rights objects, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without the rights object;
• and
• broadcasting the encrypted data and the one or more decryption key over the broadcast network.

A user terminal comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• receive information of available services over a broadcast network
• generate a request for access to broadcast data from the broadcast network;
• retrieve authentication information relating to the terminal from a source other than manual input;
• incorporate said authentication information and least part of information of available services in said request;
• send said request to a server via a second network, different from the broadcast network;
• receive one or more decryption keys from the broadcast network;
• receive one or more rights objects from the second network;
• receive the broadcast data associated with the request from the broadcast network;
• and
• decrypt the received broadcast data with one or more of said decryption keys in combination with said one or more rights objects, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without a rights object.

A method, comprising:

• receiving broadcast data from a broadcast network;
• sending and receiving data over a second network different from the broadcast network;
• generating a request for access to broadcast data;
• decoding broadcast data received from the broadcast network with a decryption key received from the broadcast network in conjunction with a rights object received from the second network, wherein the broadcast data cannot be decoded by the decryption key without the rights object;
• and
• extracting information from a media guide received over the broadcast network to generate the request and to transmit the request via a communication channel, wherein said communication channel is specified by the extracted information;
• and
• wherein the request includes authentication information relating to a requesting terminal and at least part of the extracted information.