Apparatus and methods of preventing an adulteration attack on a content screening algorithm

• US 20020144132A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Epstein, Michael A., Rosner, Martin
• Application Number:
  US09/966,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20020144132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00768 wherein copy control information is used, e.g. for indicating whether a content may be copied freely, no more, once, or never, by setting CGMS, SCMS, or CCI flags
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for preventing an attack on a screening algorithm. A method includes the steps of identifying content to be downloaded, determining a total number of sections of a predetermined duration of time in the content to be downloaded, and screening a predetermined number of sections of the total number of sections to determine whether the predetermined number of sections verify correctly through the screening algorithm. The number of predetermined sections screened during the screening step of the method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm is two for content having a duration of three minutes or less and is incremented by one for each one minute of duration over the initial three minutes.

Claims

1. A method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm, the method comprising the steps of:

identifying content to be downloaded;

determining a total number of sections of a predetermined duration of time in the content to be downloaded; and

screening a predetermined number of sections of the total number of sections to determine whether the predetermined number of sections verify correctly through the screening algorithm wherein the predetermined number of sections is a function of a characteristic of the content.

2. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 1 wherein the screening algorithm is a Secure Digital Music Initiative screening algorithm.

3. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 1 wherein the screening algorithm relies on a sampling of data contained within the identified content.

4. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 1 wherein the identified content is downloaded from the Internet.

5. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 1 wherein the predetermined duration of time of one or more of the total number of sections is about fifteen seconds.

6. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 1 wherein the number of predetermined sections screened during the screening step is two.

7. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of determining a total length of time of the content prior to the screening step.

8. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 1 wherein the predetermined number of sections is equal to two for content having a duration of about three minutes or less.

9. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 8 wherein the predetermined number of sections is incremented by one for each one minute of duration over the initial three minutes.

10. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 1 wherein the predetermined number of sections to be screened is a function of a duration of time for the content.

11. The method of preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 1 wherein the predetermined number of sections to be screened is dynamically determined as a function of a desired level of security versus a desired level of performance.

13. The apparatus for preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 12, wherein an additional section of content is screened by the screening algorithm for each minute of content in excess of a first three minutes of content.

15. The article of manufacture for preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 14 wherein the predetermined duration of time of one or more of the total number of sections is fifteen seconds.

16. The article of manufacture for preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 14 further comprising the step of determining a total length of time of the content prior to the screening step.

17. The article of manufacture for preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 14 wherein the predetermined number of sections is equal to two for content having a duration of three minutes or less.

18. The article of manufacture for preventing an attack on a screening algorithm as recited in claim 14 wherein the predetermined number of sections is incremented by one for each one minute of duration over the initial three minutes.

12. An apparatus for preventing an attack on a screening algorithm comprising:

a processor device; and

a memory device, wherein the processor device processes a screening algorithm stored on the memory device for screening content identified to be downloaded, wherein at least two sections of content are screened by the screening algorithm.

14. An article of manufacture for preventing an attack on a screening algorithm, the article comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

identifying content to be downloaded;

determining a total number of sections of a predetermined duration of time in the content to be downloaded; and

screening a predetermined number of sections of the total number of sections to determine whether the predetermined number of sections verify correctly through the screening algorithm.