Method and apparatus for tracking status of resource in a system for managing use of the resources

US7152046B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• CONTENTGUARD HOLDINGS, INC. · US

Inventors

• Xin Wang · Los Angeles, US
• Thomas DeMartini · Culver City, US
• Eddie Chen · Rancho Palos Verdes, US
• Charles Gilliam · Darien, US
• Manuel Ham · Downey, US
• Guillermo Lao · Torrance, US
• Michael Raley · Downey, US
• Thanh Ta · Tecate Mission Road, US
• Bijan Tadayon · Germantown, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 7, 2002
• Grant date: Dec 19, 2006
• Expiry date: Mar 20, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S707/99945
• WIPO field: Digital communication
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system for managing the state of a protected resource in a system for granting access to a protected resource in accordance with usage rights. The usage rights include at least one state variable indicating a status of an associated protected resource. A message related to the state variable is transmitted from a resource control device to an interface framework. The resource control device is coupled to the resource to control use of the resource by enforcing the usage right. A state controller operative to track the value of the state variable is loaded into the framework and instructed to manipulate the value of the state variable in accordance with said message. For example, the message can be a query of the current value of the state variable.