PROGRESSIVE DOWNLOAD OR STREAMING OF DIGITAL MEDIA SECURELY THROUGH A LOCALIZED CONTAINER AND COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL PROXY

• US 20090003600A1
• Filed: 06/11/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Widevine Technologies Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rutman, Michael, Hiar, Edward Charles, Chen, Hao-Nong, Morten, Glenn A., MacLean, Charles Duncan
• Granted Patent: US 8,243,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/217
• 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 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44055 by partially decrypting, e.g. decrypting a video stream that has been partially encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed towards employing a container and communication protocol proxy component within a client device to receive securely real-time streamed, progressively downloaded, or adaptively streamed container over a network using one container and communication protocol, and to securely decrypt the container and provide it to a media player using a different container and communications protocol. In one embodiment, the container is in Flash Video (FLV) file format. A browser or the media player on the client device may be used to request the container. The requested container is sent over one communication protocol and intercepted by the container and communication protocol proxy component. The container may be received as selectively encrypted container. The container and communication protocol proxy component then may enable decryption of the container and providing of it to the media player using another container and communication protocol combination.

Claims

1. A system for managing multimedia content over a network, comprising:

a media player residing on a client device and configured to receive containers having content using a Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) protocol, and to perform actions, including;

sending an RTMP formatted request for a container of content; and

a container and communication protocol proxy component residing on the client device and configured to perform actions, including;

intercepting the RTMP formatted request from the media player;

extracting from the RTMP formatted request information about the container being requested;

generating a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) formatted request for the container being requested based on the extracted information;

sending the HTTP formatted request over the network using HTTP;

receiving at least a portion of the requested container streamed over the network using HTTP, wherein the at least a portion of the requested container is selectively encrypted;

enabling decryption of the at least some of the received portion of the selectively encrypted container, such that the decrypted container is then provided to the media player using RTMP, wherein the media player is configured and arranged to play at least the received portion of container while another portion of the container is currently unavailable to the media player.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the container is in at least one of a Flash Video (FLV) file format, Windows Media Video Format (WMV), Windows Media Audio Format (WMA) Advanced Systems Format (ASF), or a Real Audio (RA/RAM) file format.

3. The system of claim 1, the system further comprising:

a component configured and arranged to perform digital copy protection of the container, such that if an unauthorized attempt to copy the container is detected, the component may inhibit access to the container.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the HTTP formatted request is sent over the network to an HTTP server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the container is received using one of a progressive downloading, a real-time streaming, an adaptive streaming mechanism, or modifying a quality of the requested container.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system resides within a digital media player.

7. A virtual smart card system residing with a client device for managing access to container over a network, the virtual smart card comprising:

a communication module that is configured and arranged to receive and to send information;

a cryptographic module that is configured and arranged to receive encrypted container and to decrypt the container; and

a container and communication protocol proxy module that is configured and arranged to convert between a first container and first communications protocol and a second container and a second communications protocol by performing actions, including;

if a request for content employs the second container and second communications protocol, reformatting the request as a first container and first communications protocol request for content;

sending the first container request for the content over the network towards a server that is configured to employ the first communications protocol and to provide content using the first container;

receiving at least a portion of the requested content over the network using the first container and first communications protocol, wherein the at least a portion of the requested first container is selectively encrypted;

providing at least some of the received portion of the selectively encrypted content to the cryptographic module such that the received portion is decrypted; and

providing the decrypted content to a media player using the second container and second communications protocol, wherein the media player is configured and arranged to play at least the received portion of content using the second container while another portion of the content is currently unavailable to the media player.

8. The virtual smart card system of claim 7, wherein the virtual smart card further comprises a secure storage module that is configured and arranged to receive and store containers.

9. The virtual smart card system of claim 7, further comprising:

a digital copy protection component that is configured and arranged to monitor for an unauthorized access of the received container.

10. The virtual smart card system of claim 7, wherein the content is provided in a Flash Video file format.

11. The virtual smart card system of claim 7, wherein the request for container is intercepted from one of a media player component or a web browser application.

12. The virtual smart card system of claim 7, wherein the first communications protocol and the second communications protocol are different communications protocols selected from at least one of a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), MPEG, or RTMPE (RTMP encrypted) communications protocol.

13. A computer-readable storage medium that includes data and instructions, wherein the execution of the instructions on a client computing device provides for managing access to container over a network by enabling actions, comprising:

if a request for content employs a first container and first communications protocol;

intercepting the first communications protocol formatted request, and

formatting the request as an second container and second communications protocol request for content;

sending the content request for the second container over the network towards a server configured to communicate using the second communications protocol;

receiving at least a portion of the requested content using the second container streamed over the network using the second communications protocol, wherein the at least a portion of the requested content is selectively encrypted;

decrypting the at least some of the received portion of the selectively encrypted content; and

providing the decrypted content to a media player using the first container and first communications protocol, wherein the media player is configured and arranged to play at least the received portion of first container while another portion of the first container is currently unavailable to the media player.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions enable actions, further comprising:

if the request container employs the first container and first communications protocol, sending the first container and first communications protocol formatted request over the network, independent of intercepting the request.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the selectively encrypted container is received using at least one of an adaptive streaming mechanism or a real-time streaming mechanism.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the received container employs a Flash Video (FLV) file format, or an MPEG file format.

17. A method for managing access to container over a network, comprising:

intercepting a first communications protocol formatted request for content in a first container using a protocol converter proxy that is local to a client device;

generating a second communications protocol formatted request using a second container for the content being requested based on the intercepted first communications protocol formatted request using the local proxy;

sending, by the local proxy, the second container and second communications protocol formatted request over the network using the second communications protocol;

receiving, at the local proxy, at least a portion of the requested content using the second container streamed over the network using the second communications protocol, wherein the at least a portion of the requested content is selectively encrypted;

decrypting of the at least some of the received portion of the selectively encrypted content; and

providing the decrypted content to a media player using the first container and first communications protocol, wherein the media player is configured and arranged to play at least the received portion of first container while another portion of the first container is currently unavailable to the media player.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the intercepted first communications protocol formatted request is intercepted from at least one of a media player or a browser application.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the received portion of the container is configured using a Flash Video file format.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the method is implemented within a virtual smart card that is configured and arranged to execute the portion of the method.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving at least the portion of the requested container further comprises receiving the container streamed using at least one of an adaptive streaming mechanism, a progressive downloading, or a real-time streaming mechanism.