Controlling access to IP streaming content

• US 10,623,409 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Irdeto B.V. (MultiChoice Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Irdeto B.V. (MultiChoice Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mooij, Wim, Wajs, Andrew Augustine
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Ashokkumar B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, William B
• Application Number:
  US14/387,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20150180873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,944 Days
• Field of Search: 705 37, 713168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0833 involving conference or group key network architectures or network communication protocols for key management in group communication in a packet data network H04L63/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2585 Generation of a revocation list, e.g. of client devices involved in piracy acts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467

Abstract

There is described a method of controlling access to IP streaming content by a plurality of receivers. The method comprises the steps of (a) for each receiver in the plurality of receivers, providing that receiver with access to first control information for that receiver to enable that receiver to access a first portion of the content; (b) identifying a receiver from the plurality of receivers as an identified receiver; (c) updating the first control information so as to provide updated control information for each receiver, the updated control information being associated with a second portion of the content; and (d) configuring each receiver to fetch the updated control information for that receiver. For the identified receiver, the updated control information is invalid such that the identified receiver is unable to fully access the second portion of the content. A server configured to carry out the method is also described.

Claims

1. A method, implemented by a system of one or more processors, of controlling access to streaming content by a plurality of receivers that are external to the system, the streaming content including a sequence of portions, the method comprising:

for each receiver in the plurality of receivers, providing that receiver with access to first control information for that receiver, wherein the first control information enables that receiver to access a first portion of the streaming content, each receiver being provided an individually identifiable version of the first portion of the streaming content;

receiving information identifying one of the plurality of receivers as an identified receiver which is no longer authorized to access the streaming content;

updating the first control information so as to provide updated control information for each receiver, the updated control information being associated with a second portion of the streaming content, wherein the second portion of the streaming content is subsequent to the first portion of streaming content in the sequence of portions of the streaming content; and

allowing each receiver to fetch the updated control information for that receiver;

wherein the updated control information provided for the identified receiver is invalid such that the identified receiver is unable to fully access the second portion of the content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the control information comprises key management information for providing access to a content decryption key for decrypting the content; and

for the identified receiver, the updated control information does not enable the identified receiver to access an updated content decryption key for the second portion of the content.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein, for each receiver, the key management information comprises a unique key for that receiver, the unique key being operable to enable that receiver to access the content decryption key for decrypting the content.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the content comprises a time series of content chunks;

the control information comprises a playlist of content chunk references, each content chunk reference being a reference to a respective content chunk of the content; and

for the identified receiver, the updated control information does not include a valid playlist of content chunk references for the second portion of the content.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the content comprises a time series of content chunks disposed in a content file;

the control information comprises a manifest file which enables a receiver to generate URLs relating to content chunks in the content file; and

for the identified receiver, the updated control information does not include a valid manifest file to enable the identified receiver to generate valid URLs for content chunks associated with the second portion of the content.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein configuring each receiver to fetch the updated control information for that receiver comprises:

providing each receiver with an expiration time for the first control information, by which expiration time that receiver should fetch the updated control information for that receiver.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is fingerprinted, and wherein identifying a receiver from the plurality of receivers as an identified receiver comprises:

detecting a fingerprint associated with the identified receiver in an unauthorized instance of the content.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein, for each receiver, the control information for that receiver is stored in a different file from files used to store the control information for other receivers in the plurality of receivers.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein:

for at least a subset of the plurality of receivers, the control information is stored in a single combined file for that subset of receivers; and

for each receiver in the subset of receivers, the control information for that receiver is stored in a different file location from the file locations used to store the control information for other receivers in the subset of receivers.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein, for the identified receiver, the updated control information is invalid such that the identified receiver is unable to access any of the second portion of the content.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the updated control information for the identified receiver comprises a null file entry.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the content comprises a time series of content chunks; and

the first and second portions of the content are each associated with a respective integer number of content chunks.

13. A server comprising one or more processors configured to control access to streaming content by a plurality of receivers that are external to the system, the streaming content including a sequence of portions, by:

for each receiver in the plurality of receivers, providing that receiver with access to first control information for that receiver, wherein the first control information enables that receiver to access a first portion of the streaming content, each receiver being provided an individually identifiable version of the first portion of the streaming content;

receiving information identifying one of the plurality of receivers as an identified receiver which is no longer authorized to access the streaming content;

updating the first control information so as to provide updated control information for each receiver, the updated control information being associated with a second portion of the streaming content, wherein the second portion of the streaming content is subsequent to the first portion of streaming content in the sequence of portions of the streaming content; and

allowing each receiver to fetch the updated control information for that receiver;

wherein the updated control information provided for the identified receiver is invalid such that the identified receiver is unable to fully access the second portion of the content.

14. One or more tangible computer readable media comprising computer program code which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to control access to streaming content by a plurality of receivers that are external to the system, the streaming content including a sequence of portions, by:

for each receiver in the plurality of receivers, providing that receiver with access to first control information for that receiver, wherein the first control information enables that receiver to access a first portion of the streaming content, each receiver being provided an individually identifiable version of the first portion of streaming content;

receiving information identifying one of the plurality of receivers as an identified receiver which is no longer authorized to access the streaming content;

updating the first control information so as to provide updated control information for each receiver, the updated control information being associated with a second portion of the streaming content, wherein the second portion of the streaming content is subsequent to the first portion of streaming content in the sequence of portions of the streaming content; and

allowing each receiver to fetch the updated control information for that receiver;

wherein the updated control information provided for the identified receiver is invalid such that the identified receiver is unable to fully access the second portion of the content.