Selectively encrypting content for distribution from a receiver device to a companion device

• US 10,140,408 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2015
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Mandyam, Giridhar Dhati
• Primary Examiner(s): Lagor, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/845,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070482A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 27, 726 30, 713151, 705 51
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/30 Circuit design
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/327 Logic synthesis; Behaviour synthesis, e.g. mapping logic, HDL to netlist, high-level language to RTL or netlist
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/33 Design verification, e.g. functional simulation or model checking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/39 Circuit design at the physical level physical level design for reconfigurable circuits G06F30/347
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/392 Floor-planning or layout, e.g. partitioning or placement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355

Abstract

Embodiments include systems and methods for selectively encrypting content for distribution from a receiver device to a companion device. A device processor of the receiving device may receive content, and may determine whether the content is encrypted. The device processor may determine the capabilities of the companion device in response to determining that the content is not encrypted. The device processor may encrypt the content in response to determine that the capabilities of the companion device meet a threshold. The device processor may then send the encrypted content to the companion device.

Claims

1. A method for selectively encrypting content for distribution from a receiver device to a companion device, comprising:

determining whether content received by the receiver device is encrypted, including;

determining whether out-of-band signaling regarding the content is received; and

determining whether the out-of-band signaling indicates that the content is encrypted in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling is received;

determining whether capabilities of the companion device meet a threshold in response to determining that the content received by the receiver device is not encrypted;

selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device in response to determining that the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold; and

sending the selectively encrypted content to the companion device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device comprises selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device using a content-layer encryption scheme.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the content to the companion device in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling indicates the content is encrypted.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

delaying transmission of the content to the companion device in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling indicates the content is not encrypted; and

inspecting the content for encryption.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the content received by the receiver device is encrypted before determining whether the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold; and

sending the content received by the receiver device to the companion device in response to determining that the content is encrypted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold comprises determining whether the capabilities of the companion device to prevent redistribution of the content meet the threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing access by the companion device to the content received by the receiver device in response to determining that the capabilities of the companion device do not meet the threshold.

8. A receiver device, comprising:

a memory;

a network interface configured to receive content from a communication network;

a communication interface configured to communicate with a companion device; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the network interface and the communication interface, and configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

determining whether the content received by the receiver device is encrypted, including;

determining whether out-of-band signaling regarding the content is received; and

determining whether the out-of-band signaling indicates that the content is encrypted in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling is received;

determining whether capabilities of the companion device meet a threshold in response to determining that the content received by the receiver device is not encrypted;

selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device in response to determining that the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold; and

sending the selectively encrypted content to the companion device.

9. The receiver device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations such that selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device comprises selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device using a content-layer encryption scheme.

10. The receiver device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

sending the content to the companion device in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling indicates the content is encrypted.

11. The receiver device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

delaying transmission of the content to the companion device in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling indicates the content is not encrypted; and

inspecting the content for encryption.

12. The receiver device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

determining that the content received by the receiver device is encrypted before determining whether the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold; and

sending the content received by the receiver device to the companion device in response to determining that the content is encrypted.

13. The receiver device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations such that determining whether the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold comprises determining whether the capabilities of the companion device to prevent redistribution of the content meet the threshold.

14. The receiver device of claim 8, wherein the processor is configured with processor executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

preventing access by the companion device to the content received by the receiver device in response to determining that the capabilities of the companion device do not meet the threshold.

15. A receiver device, comprising:

means for determining whether content received by the receiver device is encrypted, including;

means for determining whether out-of-band signaling regarding the content is received; and

means for determining whether the out-of-band signaling indicates that the content is encrypted in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling is received;

means for determining whether capabilities of a companion device meet a threshold in response to determining that the content received by the receiver device is not encrypted;

means for selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device in response to determining that the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold; and

means for sending the selectively encrypted content to the companion device.

16. The receiver device of claim 15, wherein means for selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device comprises means for selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device using a content-layer encryption scheme.

17. The receiver device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for sending the content to the companion device in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling indicates the content is encrypted.

18. The receiver device of claim 15, further comprising:

means for determining that the content received by the receiver device is encrypted; and

means for sending the content received by the receiver device to the companion device in response to determining that the content is encrypted.

19. The receiver device of claim 17, further comprising:

means for delaying transmission of the content to the companion device in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling indicates the content is not encrypted;

means for inspecting the content for encryption;

means for determining based on inspecting the content whether the content is encrypted; and

means for sending the content to the companion device in response to determining that the content is encrypted.

20. The receiver device of claim 15, wherein means for determining whether the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold comprises:

means for determining the capabilities of the companion device to prevent redistribution of the content in response to determining that the content is not encrypted.

21. The receiver device of claim 20, further comprising:

means for preventing access by the companion device to the content received by the receiver device in response to determining that the capabilities of the companion device do not meet the threshold.

22. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable instructions configured to cause a processor of a receiver device to perform operations comprising:

determining whether content received by the receiver device is encrypted, including;

determining whether out-of-band signaling regarding the content is received; and

determining whether the out-of-band signaling indicates that the content is encrypted in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling is received;

determining whether capabilities of a companion device meet a threshold in response to determining that the content received by the receiver device is not encrypted;

selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device in response to determining that the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold; and

sending the selectively encrypted content to the companion device.

23. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the receiver device to perform operations such that selecting to encrypt the content received by the receiver device comprises encrypting the content received by the receiver device using a content-layer encryption scheme.

24. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause a processor of the receiver device to perform operations further comprising:

sending the content to the companion device in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling indicates the content is encrypted.

25. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the receiver device to perform operations further comprising:

determining that the content received by the receiver device is encrypted before determining whether the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold; and

sending the content received by the receiver device to the companion device in response to determining that the content is encrypted.

26. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the receiver device to perform operations further comprising:

delaying transmission of the content to the companion device in response to determining that the out-of-band signaling indicates the content is not encrypted;

inspecting the content for encryption;

determining based on inspecting the content whether the content is encrypted; and

sending the content to the companion device in response to determining that the content is encrypted.

27. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the receiver device to perform operations such that determining whether the capabilities of the companion device meet the threshold comprises:

determining the capabilities of the companion device to prevent redistribution of the content in response to determining that the content is not encrypted.

28. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 22, wherein the stored processor-executable instructions are configured to cause the processor of the receiver device to perform operations further comprising:

preventing access by the companion device to the content received by the receiver device in response to determining that the capabilities of the companion device do not meet the threshold.