Segmented Media Content Rights Management

• US 20090328228A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schnell, Patrik
• Granted Patent: US 8,387,150 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• 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: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44029 for generating different versions
• 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 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

Segmented media content rights management is described. In embodiment(s), a media device can receive segments of protected media content from media content streams that each include a different version of the protected media content. A media content file can be generated to include the segments of the protected media content that are sequenced to render the protected media content for viewing. A file header object can be instantiated in a file header of the media content file, where the file header object includes DRM-associated features, such as one or more DRM licenses, properties, and/or attributes that correspond to the media content file to provision all of the segments of the protected media content together.

Claims

1. A media device, comprising:

a media content input configured to receive segments of protected media content from media content streams that each include a different version of the protected media content;

a content rendering system configured to generate a media content file that includes the segments of the protected media content that are sequenced to render the protected media content for viewing; and

a digital rights management (DRM) platform configured to instantiate a file header object in a file header of the media content file, the file header object including DRM-associated features that correspond to the media content file to provision all of the segments of the protected media content together.

2. A media device as recited in claim 1, wherein the DRM-associated features include one or more DRM licenses in the file header object to provision all of the segments of the protected media content together in the media content file.

3. A media device as recited in claim 1, wherein a segment of protected media content in the media content file includes a segment header and corresponding segment data that together form a file fragment which includes one or more track objects, each track object including additional DRM-associated features that correspond to the file fragment.

4. A media device as recited in claim 3, wherein the file fragment includes at least one of an audio track or a video track, and wherein a track object corresponds to at least one of the audio track or the video track.

5. A media device as recited in claim 1, wherein the content rendering system is further configured to:

identify segments of the protected media content that are received as different versions of the protected media content;

replace the segments that are the different versions of the protected media content with replacement segments that are a same version of the protected media content; and

generate the media content file to include the replacement segments that are the same version of the protected media content.

6. A media device as recited in claim 5, wherein the replacement segments that are the same version of the protected media content are provisioned by one or more DRM licenses that are associated with the media content file and included in the file header object.

7. A media device as recited in claim 5, wherein a version of the protected media content correlates to a standard for rendering the protected media content, and wherein the replacement segments that are the same version of the protected media content correlate to the same standard for rendering the protected media content.

8. A content distributor, comprising:

a content server configured to distribute segments of protected media content from media content streams that each include a different version of the protected media content, the segments of the protected media content being sequenced in a media content file to render the protected media content for viewing at a media device; and

a license server configured to provide DRM-associated features that are included with a file header object in a file header of the media content file, the DRM-associated features corresponding to the media content file to provision all of the segments of the protected media content together.

9. A content distributor as recited in claim 8, wherein the DRM-associated features include one or more DRM licenses in the file header object to provision all of the segments of the protected media content together in the media content file.

10. A content distributor as recited in claim 8, wherein a segment of protected media content includes a segment header and corresponding segment data that together form a file fragment which includes one or more track objects, each track object including additional DRM-associated features that correspond to the file fragment.

11. A content distributor as recited in claim 10, wherein the file fragment includes at least one of an audio track or a video track, and wherein a track object corresponds to at least one of the audio track or the video track.

12. A content distributor as recited in claim 8, wherein the content server is further configured to receive a request to replace the segments that are different versions of the protected media content with replacement segments that are a same version of the protected media content in the media content file.

13. A content distributor as recited in claim 12, wherein the replacement segments that are the same version of the protected media content are provisioned by one or more DRM licenses that are associated with the media content file and included in the file header object.

14. A content distributor as recited in claim 12, wherein a version of the protected media content correlates to a standard for rendering the protected media content, and wherein the replacement segments that are the same version of the protected media content correlate to the same standard for rendering the protected media content.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving segments of protected media content from media content streams that each include a different version of the protected media content;

generating a media content file that includes the segments of the protected media content that are sequenced to render the protected media content for viewing; and

instantiating a file header object in a file header of the media content file, the file header object including DRM-associated features that correspond to the media content file to provision all of the segments of the protected media content together.

16. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein the DRM-associated features include one or more DRM licenses in the file header object to provision all of the segments of the protected media content together in the media content file.

17. A method as recited in claim 15, wherein a segment of protected media content in the media content file includes a segment header and corresponding segment data that together form a file fragment which includes one or more track objects, each track object including additional DRM-associated features that correspond to the file fragment.

18. A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the file fragment includes at least one of an audio track or a video track, and wherein a track object corresponds to at least one of the audio track or the video track.

19. A method as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

identifying segments of the protected media content that are received as different versions of the protected media content;

replacing the segments that are the different versions of the protected media content with replacement segments that are a same version of the protected media content; and

generating the media content file to include the replacement segments that are the same version of the protected media content.

20. A method as recited in claim 19, wherein the replacement segments that are the same version of the protected media content are provisioned by one or more DRM licenses that are associated with the media content file and included in the file header object.