The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 24, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 16, 2002
William M. McCarroll, San Diego, CA (US);
Song Computer Entertainment America Inc., Foster City, CA (US);
Abstract
A system includes an associated tamperproof circuit that contains a cryptography unit and one or more keys. The system receives software having one or more portions of code that have been digitally signed prior to receipt of the code by the system. The cryptography unit and one of the keys contained in the tamperproof circuit are used to decrypt a signature file for a portion of the code. The validity of the portion of code is determined by using the decrypted signature file, and if the portion of code is invalid, operation of the system is prevented. One or more portions of the code received by the system, such as a communications protocol, may also be encrypted prior to receipt of the code by the system. The system obtains a key from a remote server via a secure communications channel and uses the key and the cryptography unit contained in the tamperproof circuit to decrypt the communications protocol. The system then uses the communications protocol to communicate across a network with another client, such as to play an online game.