Distributed media-protection systems and methods to operate the same

• US 20080033881A1
• Filed: 08/04/2006
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ficco, Michael H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,178,693 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/601 Broadcast encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23 Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4332 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. local EPG data repository interfaces, Database management systems or updating for information retrieval G06F16/23; details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Distributed media-protection systems and methods to operate the same are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises identifying at least two portions of a media stream, and storing the at least two portions on at least two media devices based upon a pseudorandom seed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying at least two portions of a media stream; and

storing the at least two portions on at least two media devices based upon a pseudorandom seed.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media stream represents at least one of a piece of media, a program, a file, a media slice or a media segment.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving the media stream from a content provider.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the media stream is received at a one of the at least two media devices.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising obtaining an encrypted version of the pseudorandom seed from metadata associated with the media stream.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising encrypting the at least two portions before they are stored on the at least two media devices.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein storing the at least two portions on the at least two media devices based upon the pseudorandom seed comprises:

computing a first hash based on a name of the media stream;

computing a second hash based on the first hash and the pseudorandom seed;

modifying the second hash based upon a count of the at least two media devices;

selecting a one of the at least two media devices based upon the modified second hash; and

storing a one of the at least two portions on the selected one of the at least two media devices.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein storing the at least two portions on the at least two media devices based upon the pseudorandom seed causes the at least two portions to be distributed randomly amongst the at least two media devices.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media stream is received at a media device and at least one of the portions is stored on the media device.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing a duplicate copy of at least one of the at least two portions on a redundant media device.

11. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising notifying the at least two media devices that the media stream was received at a first media device.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising not storing the at least two portions if the media stream is at least one of recorded, being recorded, stored or being stored by a second media device.

13. A method comprising:

receiving a selection from a user to playback media;

gathering at least two media slices from at least two media devices based upon a pseudorandom seed; and

combining the at least two media slices to form a media stream representative of the media.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising playing back the media stream.

15. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising obtaining an encrypted version of the pseudorandom seed from metadata associated with the media.

16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein a media device can decrypt the encrypted version of the pseudorandom seed if the media device is authorized to playback the media stream.

17. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising tracking at least one of collection, combining or playback of the media.

18. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the media stream is only stored in volatile memory.

19. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising decrypting the at least two media slices before they are combined.

20. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein gathering the at least two media slices from the at least two media devices based upon the pseudorandom seed comprises:

computing a first hash based on a name of the media;

computing a second hash based on the first hash and the pseudorandom seed;

modifying the second hash based upon a count of the at least two media devices; and

determining a location of a one of the least two media slices based upon the modified second hash.

21. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the gathering of the least two media slices is performed at a media device and at least one of the media slices is stored on the media device.

22. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising receiving a notification that the media was recorded by one of the at least two media devices.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising not recording the media if the notification is received.

24. An apparatus comprising:

an input device to receive a selection from a user to playback media;

a distributed media module to gather at least two media slices from at least two media devices based upon a pseudorandom seed, and to combine the at least two media slices to form a media stream representative of the media.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, further comprising a media display module to play back the media stream.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, further comprising volatile storage to buffer the media stream.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, further comprising a decrypter to decrypt the media slices.

28. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, further comprising a security device to decrypted an encrypted version of the pseudorandom seed, the encrypted version of the pseudorandom seed obtained from metadata associated with the media stream.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the piece of media was recorded by at least one of the at least two media devices, and further comprising a memory to store a universal directory that lists the piece of media.

30. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the piece of media was recorded by the apparatus, and further comprising a memory to store a media directory that lists the media.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 24, further comprising forward error correction logic to adjust for at least one of a corrupted or missing media slice.

32. An apparatus comprising:

a first media device; and

a second media device to identify a least two portions of a first media stream, the second media device to store the at least two portions of the first media stream on the first and the second media device based on a first pseudorandom seed.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, wherein the second media device comprises:

a front end module to receive the first media stream;

and a distributed media module to determine which of the at least two portions of the first media stream are to be stored on second media device based on the first pseudorandom seed, wherein the pseudorandom seed is obtained from metadata associated with the first media stream; and

a network interface to transmit a one of the at least two portions of the first media stream to the second media device.

34. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, wherein the distributed media module comprises:

slicer and hopper to identify the at least two portions of the first media stream, and to determine which of the at least two portions of the first media stream are to be stored on second media device based on the first pseudorandom seed; and

a de-slicer and hopper to collect at least two portions of a second media stream and to determine an identification of a third media device based on a second pseudorandom seed contained in second metadata associated with the second media stream, wherein at least one of the at least two portions of the second media stream stored by the third media device.

35. An apparatus as defined in claim 33, further comprising an encrypter to encrypt at least one of the at least two portions of the first media stream.

36. An apparatus as defined in claim 32, further comprising a third media device to store a duplicate copy of the at least one of the at least two portions of the first media stream stored at the second media device.

37. An apparatus as defined in claim 36, wherein the third media device is a redundant media device to mirrors the second media device.

38. An article of manufacture storing machine accessible instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

identify at least two portions of a media stream; and

store the at least two portions on at least two media devices based upon a pseudorandom seed.

39. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the media stream represents at least one of a piece of media, a program, a file, a media slice or a media segment.

40. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to receive the media stream from a content provider.

41. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to obtain an encrypted version of the pseudorandom seed from metadata associated with the media stream.

42. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to store the at least two portions on the at least two media devices based upon the pseudorandom seed by:

computing a first hash based on a name of the media stream;

computing a second hash based on the first hash and the pseudorandom seed;

modifying the second hash based upon a count of the at least two media devices;

selecting a one of the at least two media devices based upon the modified second hash; and

storing a one of the at least two portions on the selected one of the at least two media devices.

43. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein storing the at least two portions on the at least two media devices based upon the pseudorandom seed causes the at least two portions to be distributed randomly amongst the at least two media devices.

44. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to store a duplicate copy of at least one of the at least two portions on a redundant media device.

45. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 38, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to notify the at least two media devices that the media stream was received at a first media device.

46. An article of manufacture storing machine accessible instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive a selection from a user to playback media;

gather at least two media slices from at least two media devices based upon a pseudorandom seed; and

combine the at least two media slices to form a media stream representative of the media.

47. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 46, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to play back the media stream.

48. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 46, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to obtain an encrypted version of the pseudorandom seed from metadata associated with the media.

49. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 46, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to store the media stream in a volatile memory.

50. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 46, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to gather the at least two media slices from the at least two media devices based upon the pseudorandom seed by:

computing a first hash based on a name of the media;

computing a second hash based on the first hash and the pseudorandom seed;

modifying the second hash based upon a count of the at least two media devices; and

determining a location of a one of the least two media slices based upon the modified second hash.

51. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 46, wherein the machine accessible instructions, when executed, cause the machine to receive a notification that the media was recorded by one of the at least two media devices.