NO316737B1 - Arrangement and procedure for content control of data objects, especially data objects in MMS messages - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an arrangement and method for attaching rules to MMS content to be distributed as MMS. messages, as well as offers enforcement of content rules for MMS message transmissions by checking ,. filter and to demand transaction payment in the mobile network. Furthermore, the event provides that the content rules are observed when MMS messages return to the mobile network as new message transmissions and thus offers a secure environment for content rules and rights management of the message content. The present invention can be integrated into existing MMS architecture and is independent of MMS content formats.

Description

The inventions area

The present invention relates to an arrangement and a method within messaging environments, where value-added content is protected and its distribution controlled and enforced in accordance with the content provider's content policy. More particularly, the invention relates to content policy enforcement within a trusted environment inclusive, but not exclusive to the mobile Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message area.

The background of the invention

The current exponential growth of value-added services within "Short-Messaging-Services" (SMS) was triggered by the introduction of distribution and billing services provided by mobile operators to third-party value-added service and content providers (Value Added Service, VAS). Some examples of VAS SMS can be jokes (text format), share prices (text format), simple ringtones (binary format) and black and white logos (binary format).

The next generation of messaging services, mobile Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) [1] standardized by the WAP forum and 3GPP, will support the transfer and delivery of value-added multimedia content (for example sounds, video and images) to mobile terminals. For owners of such content, this will represent a new channel through which their content can be sold.

VAS MMS has an even greater growth potential for the future than SMS had as a result of the advanced possibilities for content within MMS. Sophisticated multimedia content can be provided with VAS MMS services. Some examples of value-added MMS and content for MMS are a portal for greeting cards adapted to mobile terminals (mobile greeting card portal) which can send images/animations with or without sound from a portal to a mobile terminal, famous cartoon messages (famous cartoon messages) , such as animations, with or without color/sound, visual/audio quiz messages such as image/audio message games, "talking head message", such as presenting a personalized text with a predefined animation. VAS MMS will be offered to the end user by operators and by independent third party service and content providers

(e.g. media houses, portals, broadcasting companies)

which utilizes the wireless MMS infrastructure of the operators.

Multimedia content has an inherently higher value for content owners than simple text content (cf. SMS). When one

makes such value-adding content available to the end user, it will therefore be important for the content owners that the content is protected, and that its distribution rules are controlled and enforced in accordance with the content owner's own content policy, so that their intangible values and returns are secured. Examples of such content policies are: "content is to be charged the end-user on purchase and download, forwarding to other users is not allowed" content is not to be distributed, downloaded or forwarded, to end users under the age of 18" (content can not be distributed, downloaded or forwarded to end users who are under the age of 18), "content can be distributed to mobile terminals with MS -ISDN addressing, content shall not be distributed, downloaded or forwarded to e-mail addresses" (the content may only be distributed to mobile terminals with MS-ISDN addressing, the content shall not be distributed, downloaded or forwarded to email addresses), "content can only be distributed, downloaded or forwarded to female end-users (content is not to be edited by end-user) are by the end user), and so on.

The mobile operator must provide a total solution to support these requirements so that the content owners can safely make their content available for value-added MMS with a defined policy and thereby protect their intellectual capital and their returns.

Registration of such a policy and its enforcement for value-added content is today in practice adapted to Internet models.

An example of an access control is the platform for "Internet Content Selection (PICS) [2] and Digital Signature (DSiG) [3], which are standard solutions for defining and controlling metadata for web (Internet) content. This solution defines a language and set of processing rules to control access to content, for example allowing parents to control the content their children will have access to.

Adherence to agreements for content is handled by the content providers, including metadata in Web files. Disclosure of the "policy" is enforced by functionality within the Web client by reviewing downloaded Web files for metadata. PICS and DSiG disclose "the rating policy statement" (that is, the classification of content in relation to a policy, for example suitable for persons under 18) and provide access to presentations for the content according to the permitted rules set within the Web client (for example, only the present content is suitable for persons under 18 years of age).

Two strategies have been established for controlling the use of Internet content. These are: "Digital watermark" (digital watermark) [4] it is a process where a pattern is added to the content itself to thus represent the current policy (regulations). This pattern should ideally be invisible to the end user. Special web clints or application filters recognize this pattern and they grant usage rights to the end user according to the revealed policy (regulations).

The clearinghouse model [5] is a model where the content is packed into a coded "container" (container, ref. virtual containers etc from Telecom). When you read the content with a client that can interpret the container, the container will authorize usage rights according to the policy management from an external clearinghouse (remote clearinghouse).

In Nokia, White Paper: "Digital Rights Management and Super-distribution of Mobile Content,

http://www. nokia. com/ networks/ systems and solutions/ white p apers/ l, 23796, 10, 00. html it is described how a money collector compliments the content seller's business by offering a platform for collection of payment. Furthermore, the subject of DRM (Digital Right Management) is discussed in connection with downloadable content for mobile phones. The document describes the steps to move from delivery control to usage control while protecting the ROI for anyone involved in the delivery of downloadable content. The architecture is described with the following roles: "The Voucher Server, VS (Voucher server) can be hosted by a content seller or an operator with the role of content seller. The VS registers the content to the mobile's DRM system and issues vouchers.

The "Content Server", the CS (content server), is hosted by the content seller or its content partners if it operates in aggregate mode. CS stores the downloadable content.

The DRM broker is hosted by the toll collector, which may be the operator. The broker is a "rights controlling body" in the mobile payment solution with interfaces to payment systems.

In the shown example from "the white paper", the content seller (the VS and CS owner) executes a payment and rights clearance agreement with the operator (the owner of the DRM broker), where they agree that the content seller will pay a certain percentage for each transaction which is cleared. The content seller's VS keeps track of all the unique content that it puts into circulation, the CS owner must register each content object that they wish to import into the mobile DRM system. Content registration means, in essence, that the CS sends the content objects to the VS, which creates a unique content ID and packages the content into a DRM-specific content package. Furthermore, CS tells VS what kind of rules of use can be issued for the content."

The problem with the above-mentioned known solutions is that they do not handle policy (regulations) with regard to delivery transactions of the content (delivery transaction). They only solve: a) Self-imposed access control for the content, for example what can be presented or performed after a download of the content. The end user can decide which policy to enforce by configuring the presentation tool (for example, the Web client).

b) User control of the content. How the content can be used after it has been downloaded/received and

when the content is attempted to be used.

They do not address policy handling regarding who may be permitted to send or forward value-added content, who may be permitted to receive value-added content, and which value-added content may be permitted to be sent or received. These are problems that need to be solved in the mobile messaging environment, where value-added content will have a policy (regulation) associated with message-delivery transactions.

That is, there is a need for a solution for policy disclosure and handling of value-added content in a mobile Multimedia Messaging environment (MMS environment).

Summary of the invention

The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an arrangement and a method that satisfies the requirements for content policy management within the MMS architecture. The features as defined in the following requirements characterize this arrangement.

The present invention shows an arrangement and a method for "binding policies" to link a policy to MMS content to be later distributed as MMS message transactions and to provide content policy management for MMS message transactions by controlling the transaction transfer in the mobile network. Furthermore, the arrangement provides safeguarding of content policy association when MMS messages re-enter the mobile network as new message transactions provide a credible environment for policy and content rights management.

The present invention presents an arrangement for a method consisting of four main components in an arrangement as a credible environmental characteristic: "Policy Binding Method" (PBM), i.e. a policy association method used to associate a policy with MMS content.

- "Policy detection filter (PDF), which reveals the MMS content policy during transaction transfers

"Policy Agency" (policy body) (PA) which analyse

the policy.

- Trusted Client Method (TCM), which maintains "policy binding" for the client.

PBM is used to add metadata to MMS messages and message elements to provide policy associations with the content when the MMS is distributed from a service provider to an end user, via the mobile operator's infrastructure. PBM allows PDF to expose the policy for MMS transmitted within a mobile infrastructure.

PDF monitors the MMS transmission within the mobile infrastructure. It is located in, or close to, the MMS-C. PDF filters on MMS and exposes any policy metadata, according to the PBM encoding, for messages passing through the network. MMS with a disclosed policy is put on hold in the delivery transfer and held until the PA has processed the policy. The PDF asks the PA to execute the policy, i.e. enforce the policy.

The PA enables or makes it impossible for the message to pass to the end user by informing the PDF of the steps to be taken according to the PA results for the policy analysis. The PA receives the content references from the PDF and one or more of the following as input to the analysis: end user data from the PDF, message content element references or content from the PDF, and end user client profiles from the PDF.

TCM ensures that metadata for messages and message elements received on the mobile terminal will be retained if the message or message elements are sent back to the wireless network by the mobile terminal.

In particular, the present invention refers to an arrangement for the execution and control of policy for Multimedia Message Service (MMS) messages or such elements (hereinafter referred to as MMS messages) which are transmitted in a mobile communication network to and/or from terminals connected to this, where a first body adapted to associate a policy with one or more of said MMS messages, a second body adapted to reveal whether the MMS messages in transfer in said mobile communication network are associated with a policy, and to send a request to enforce a policy on a third party when it is revealed that this policy is associated with an MMS message, a third party adapted to enforce a policy on an MMS message to which a policy is disclosed as associated with, a fourth agency adapted to ensure that MMS messages associated with a policy continue to be associated with this policy when the MMS message is received, stored and/or relayed in/out from a terminal, where said bodies are connected to and/or integrated in an MMS architecture connected to said mobile communication network.

Still further, a particular and useful method is shown in an MMS architecture for implementing and controlling policies for MMS messages or elements thereof {hereinafter referred to as MMS messages) transmitted in a mobile communication network to and/or from terminals connected to this

a) associate a policy with one or more of said MMS messages, b) reveal whether the MMS messages in transfer in said mobile communication network are associated with a policy, and to send a request to exercise a policy when it is revealed that this policy is associated with an MMS message, c) enforce a policy on an MMS message to which a policy is disclosed as associated with and d) to ensure that MMS messages associated with a policy continue to be associated with this policy when MMS the message is received, stored and/or relayed in/out from one of the terminals.

Brief description of the drawings

To make it easier to understand the invention, the following explanation will refer to the attached drawings. Figure 1 illustrates the MMS architecture and components involved in message transfer between mobile handsets {peer-peer and relay) and from a network server to a mobile handset. Figure 2 illustrates the components involved according to the present invention and how these interact. The figure also illustrates how these components are placed in the MMS architecture.

Detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention

In what follows, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in an MMS environment, with reference to the above-mentioned figures. But this should not represent a limitation for the scope of the invention. The present invention can be utilized in other similar applications, environments and in other contexts and substitutions without moving away from the scope of the invention as defined in the subsequent independent claims.

The MMS message/delivery process for value-added content is suggested in Figure 1. As illustrated, message transfer can either be initiated from the network (published). The content can then be distributed (forwarded) in a peer-peer method. The invention is based on this nature for the distribution of value-added content.

To describe the process of poll law enforcement, a typical usage scenario will now be described. The typical scenario consists of three steps, the definition of policy, the publication process and the forwarding control process.

The definition of policy consists of the following:

- The content owner makes the value-adding content available (stored in a database) - The content owner defines the content policy and links it to the content (stored in a database).

The publishing process consists of the following:

- Mobile users demand value-added content

- The content owner publishes the content on the mobile infrastructure with its policy

- MMS is in transfer, and:

- For each of the requested content elements, the content policy will be detected

- The policy is enforced

- The value-added content is sent to and obtained by the mobile users if they are allowed to do so according to policy.

The forwarding control process consists of the following: - The mobile user forwards value-added content to another peer user

- MMS is in transfer, and:

- The message is forwarded through the mobile infrastructure

- Policy is revealed/detected and enforced

- The value-added content is sent to and collected by the user to whom the content was forwarded if it is permitted according to the current policy.

Examples of content and content elements that may contain value-added content/service data are audio files, images, animations, videos and texts and any combination of these [6,7,8,9,10].

The present invention provides functions that are used by the publishing process, when the MMS is in transfer, when they are published and when they are forwarded.

The publishing process

The publishing process applies to content delivered from a network server to a client terminal and its user agent. The traffic flow is shown in figure 1 and marked with an (A).

Policy Binding ("Policy Binding")

The present invention introduces policy association with the content when the content is published. The policy-related component of the invention is shown in Figure 2 and referred to as PBM.

The policy binding method (PBM, the Policy Binding Method) is used to link policy to the content when the content is published. PBM defines the formatting rules to be used.

The formatting rules can for example be implemented using XML header [11] fields such as those found in SMIL

[12] or WML [13], so that content policy identifiers can be included as metadata and thereby associated with the message.

The policy identifiers can be represented in different ways:

a) As a URL [14] reference to a policy database that contains a set of regulations (policies). b) As a URL reference to wrapper files (wrapper files) containing both a reference to the content and to

the policy.

c) As a policy flag or badge in combination with a shadow policy file directory. In this case, everyone has

content URLs a shadow policy URL, where there is a fixed relationship between the two URLs (for example /image/cool.gif --> /image/cool_gif.policy).

After the policy binding (policy binding), the message will be published (for example via the MMS-C MM7 interface) and introduced to the mobile operator's infrastructure. The message is therefore in transfer within the mobile infrastructure.

Transfer Control

All MMS messages pass through MMS-C According to the standardized MMS architecture. This also applies to MMSs that are published and forwarded.

The present invention introduces message transfer control for the enforcement of policy associated with message transfers. These properties of the invention are shown in Figure 2 and are referred to as PD and PA.

The Policy Detection Filter (PDF) performs content control and is located in or close to the MMS-C. The PDF checks if the MMS content in transfer (both for MMSs being published and MMSs in the resending process) has a defined policy and ensures that the policy is enforced and activated by requesting the PA to do so. PDF performs the detection of policy by filtering (screening) for metadata, formatted according to the PBM implementation. When PDF identifies a content element with a policy, it will request the Policy Agent (PA) to enforce the relevant policy. When this is done, PDF puts the message transaction on hold, and provides a reference to the policy and one or more of the following as input to parsing (auto syntax analysis): end-user data from PDF, message content elements references or content from PDF, and end-user client profiles from

PDF.

The PA can use different techniques to identify policy for a content element. The technique used for this embodiment is determined by, and corresponds to, the policy identifier used by the PBM.

PA will then process this policy and return an OK status code to the PDF if the content is permitted in this context. Content that is not allowed in the given context will be removed or replaced with a "silings" message (screening message) of the PDF before a message is delivered (for example "Content reguested not allowed - The requested content is prohibited - or "Content forwarded not allowed" - forwarding of content is not allowed).

When the PA is called to enforce a policy it will perform the following steps (or a combination of these) to enforce the policy: a) Check if the receiver is allowed to receive the content element from the sender. The control is carried out by collecting user information (for example, address, age, prepaid account level), or from an independent database containing such information, or from the database of the mobile operator, and checks the user information with regard to content policy (for example, permitted age group, price policy, number range that is allowed). b) Check whether the receiving client is allowed to retrieve the content element. The control is carried out by obtaining client information when the recipient client initiates contact with MMS-c, and checks the client information against the content policy. c) Check if the sender is allowed to send the content element. The check is carried out by obtaining user information (as in ia)) and checking this against the content policy. d) Generate billing information to charge the sender or recipient for use of the content item.

When a client terminal initiates contact with MMS-C to obtain an MMS, PDF can obtain information about the client (for example via a user agent profile - "User Agent Profile", UAProf [13]), put the message transaction on hold, and relay the client information to the PA for policy management. The PA can then return an ok status code to the PDF if the client is trusted and allowed within this context. For example, if a particular client does not have TCM implemented, PA can deny access to the content, according to defined policy. Content that is not allowed in this context will be removed or replaced with a "silings text" (screening message) for example "Content requested not allowed on this terminal" - the requested content is not allowed on this terminal) of the PDF before the message is delivered.

Trusted Client Method

The invention introduces a function that retains MMSs with policy associations. The function is shown in Figure 2 and referred to as TCM.

The Trusted Client Method, TCM, is integrated as a function within the terminal (for example as an integrated part of the terminal's MMS client or the terminal's WAP [13] browser). It is used to ensure that terminals can be trusted to retain MMS policy associations based on the publishing process from the PBM implementation and the content is kept within the MMS received/acquired area of the terminal.

By retaining the MMS policy association, the MMS policy can be detected and re-enforced if the MMS is sent back to the mobile messaging infrastructure. The PDF as previously described is capable of obtaining information about a terminal client, whether TCM is implemented or not, and can pass this on to the PA for policy enforcement in a trusted environment for policy handling.

TCM can be implemented by the following procedure:

1. MMS received by the terminal is screened for policies according to the coding from

PBM.

2. Detected policies along with message element file references are stored in a list on the terminal's non-volatile memory. 3. When the terminal is to send a new MMS, the content element file reference for the MMS will be compared with the file reference in the list. 4. If there is a match in the list, the associated policy will be included in the MMS encoding according to the PBM implementation before the MMS is sent to the mobile infrastructure.

The present invention provides a solution for policy enforcement of value-added content within a mobile multimedia messaging environment (MMS environment), and expands the business potential of MMS. It handles the enforcement of messaging transaction deliveries, which is an overarching goal in a mobile messaging environment.

The invention provides a solution that is secure and not only ensures that published content is displayed, but also that value-added content that re-enters the mobile network in a peer-to-peer method can be securely displayed by keeping policy association within the mobile client. This provides a trusted environment for policy enforcement.

The invention provides an efficient solution for policy association, policy detection, and policy enforcement, which does not require the policies to be included within the content in a proprietary or process-intensive manner.

The invention provides a solution that provides flexible policy enforcement functions by deriving the policy enforcement functions from policy detection functions.

Abbreviations and references

[1] MMS 3GPP TS 23.140 v4.2.0 (2001-03), 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Terminals; Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS);

Functional description; Stage 2 (Release 4).

[2] PICS Rating Services and Rating Systems (and Their Machine Readable Descriptions), REC-PICS-services-961031, Version 1.1, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Recommendation 31 October 1996.

[3] DSig PICS Signed Labels (DSig) 1.0 Specification, REC-DSig-label-19980527, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Recommendation 27 May 1998.

[4] Digital Watermark "Digital Watermark's Copyright Protection for Online Artists", PC Magazine, February 18, 1997.

[5] Clearinghouse "Digital Rights for all media types", Internetcontent.net, 2/20/2001

[6] GIF, Graphics Interchange Format (Version 89a), Compuserve Inc., Columbus, Ohio, 1990

17] JPEG, ITU-T Ree. T.81/ISO/IEC 10918-1: 1992, "Information Technology - Digital Compression and Coding of Continuous-Tone Still Images - Requirements and Guidelines"

[8] HP3 MPEG1-Audio ISO/IEC 11172-3, MPEG2-Audio ISO/IEC 11172-3

[9] HPEG4, ISO/IEC 14496-1(1999): Information Technology - Generic Coding of Audio-Visual Objects AND 3GPP TR 26.911: "Codec(s) for Circuite Switched

Multimedia Telephony Service; Terminal Implementer's Guide"

[10] AMR 3GPP TS 26.090: "AMR Speech Codec Speech Tran-scoding Functions"

[11] ZHL Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 (Second Edition), World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Recommendation 6 October 2000.

[12] Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL) 1.0 Specification, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Recommendation 15 June 1998.

[13] Wireless Application Protocol, Wireless Markup Language Specification Version 1.1, WAP WML Version 16 June 1999, Wireless Application Protocol Forum

[14] URL/URI, Uniform Resource Identifiers (URI): Generic Syntax, Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), Request For Comment (RFC) 2396, August 1998

Claims (9)

1. An arrangement for the execution and control of policy for Multimedia Message Service (MMS) messages or such elements (hereinafter referred to as Bom MMS messages) which are transmitted in a mobile communication network to and/or from terminals connected thereto, characterized by that a first body adapted to associate a policy with one or more of said MMS messages, a second body adapted to reveal whether the MMS messages in transfer in said mobile communication network are associated with a policy, and to send a request to exercise a policy to a third body when it is revealed that this policy is associated with an MMS -Message, a third body adapted to exercise a policy on an MMS message to which a policy is disclosed as being associated with, a fourth body adapted to ensure that MMS messages associated with a policy continue to be associated with this policy when the MMS message is received, stored and/or relayed in/out from a terminal, where said bodies are connected to and/or integrated in an MMS architecture connected to said mobile communication network. 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that said first body associates the policy with one or more of the said MMS messages by inserting a reference to the policy in a header for a file/files that represent said one or more MMS messages. 3. An arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the header is an XML header and that the reference is a URL. 4. An arrangement according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the second body detects whether MMS messages in transfer in said mobile communication network are associated with a policy by monitoring all MMS messages that arrive at the MMS-C for the MMS architecture. 5. An arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the other body is adapted to place MMS messages on hold and that said request contains said reference to the policy, user and terminal data for the intended recipient of the MMS messages and a content or a content reference for the MMS message. 6. An arrangement according to any of the preceding requirements, characterized in that the fourth organ is implemented in one or more of the terminals. 7. An arrangement according to one of claims 2-6, characterized in that the third body executes the policy by: a) checking whether the intended recipient of the MMS message has permission to receive the MMS message, b) checking whether a terminal for the intended recipient includes said fourth body, c) check whether the MMS message sender has permission to send the message, d) generate debit information to bill the sender or intended recipient of the MMS message, and according to steps a)-C); e) instruct said other body whether or not to forward the MMS message to the intended recipient. 8. An arrangement according to one of the preceding requirements, characterized in that the fourth body ensures that the MMS message that is associated with the policy continues to be associated with the policy by: a) monitoring received MMS messages for associated policy in a terminal in which said fourth body is implemented, b) store detected policy together with references to associated MMS messages in a reference list in said terminal, c) when sending MMS messages from the terminal, to check in the reference list whether the MMS message has a reference to policies, and d) associate policies to MMS messages according to the reference list. 9. Procedure in an MMS architecture for the execution and control of policies for MMS messages or elements thereof (hereinafter referred to as MMS messages) that are transmitted in a mobile communication network to and/or from terminals connected to it a) associate a policy to one or more of the said MMS messages, b) revealing whether the MMS messages in transfer in said mobile communication network are linked to a policy, and to send a request to exercise a policy when it is revealed that this policy is linked to an MMS message, c) enforce a policy on an MMS message to which a policy is disclosed as associated with and d) ensure that MMS messages associated with a policy remain associated with that policy when the MMS message is received; stored and/or relayed in/out from one of the terminals.