CONTENT DISTRIBUTION WITH RENEWABLE CONTENT PROTECTION

• US 20160171186A1
• Filed: 01/13/2016
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Warner Bros Entertainment Incorporated (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Secure Content Storage Association, LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Marking, Aaron, Lotspiech, Jeffrey B., Goeller, Kenneth
• Granted Patent: US 11,734,393 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/608 Watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1061 using node-based peer discovery mechanisms static access to replicated servers H04L67/1006; service discovery H04L67/51
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/00 Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 ; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• 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 7/16 : Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

A method and apparatus for playing back a media content instance is disclosed. The method permits the use of downloadable variants to upgrade or change cryptographic functions performed by the playback device, thus permitting content protection schemes to be renewed.

Claims

1. A method of playing back a media content instance from a storage device, wherein the media content instance comprises an assembly of media content segments, each media content segment comprising one of a plurality of versions of a temporal portion of a content title, and each media content segment decryptable by a segment key, comprising:

receiving processor instructions and an associated index from a license server, the index designating associated processor instructions for execution to enable playback of the media content instance;

generating the segment key at least in part by executing at least a first portion of the processor instructions associated with the index; and

decrypting the media content segments of the media content instance according to the generated segment key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the segment key is further generated from a device key derived from a device root key unique to the storage device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the device key is derived from the root key at least in part according to a second portion of the processor instructions associated with the index.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys are received from the license server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device is communicatively coupled to the license server via a playback device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of keys is stored in a secure memory of the storage device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor instructions are specific to the content title.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the microcode further comprises:

instructions for authenticating the playback device at least in part by executing a second portion of the microcode associated with the index.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

the playback device comprises;

a player;

a media storage device, communicatively coupled to the player;

the execution of the second portion of the microcode associated with the index is performed by both the storage device and the playback device communicatively coupled to the storage device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor instructions are specific to the content title.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a first media content segment of the media content instance is decryptable by a first segment key;

a second media content segment of the media content instance is decryptable by a second segment key; and

the step of generating the segment key at least in part by executing at least a first portion of the processor instructions associated with the index comprises;

generating the first segment key at least in part by executing the at least a first portion of the processor instructions associated with the index; and

generating the second segment key at least in part by executing the at least a first portion of the processor instructions associated with the index.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the first segment key and the second segment key are generated from at least one media key received from the license server.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor instructions are specific to the storage device.

13. An apparatus for playing back a media content instance, wherein the media content instance comprises an assembly of media content segments, each media content segment comprising one of a plurality of versions of a temporal portion of a content title, and each media content segment decryptable by a segment key, comprising:

playback device, comprising a processor communicatively coupled to a memory, the memory storing instructions for;

receiving processor microcode and an associated index from the license server, the index designating associated processor microcode for execution to enable playback of the media content instance;

generating, the segment key at least in part by executing at least a first portion of the processor microcode associated with the index; and

decrypting the media content segments of the media content instance according to the generated segment key.

2. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the processor instructions are received in a playback device communicatively coupled to the storage device;

the segment key for each media content segment is generated, at least in part, by the playback device by executing at least some of the first portion of the processor instructions associated with the index; and

the method further comprises playing, with the playback device communicatively coupled to the storage device, the decrypted media content segments.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the processor instructions are provided only after successful authentication between the storage device and the playback device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein playing, with the playback device, the decrypted media content segments of the media content further comprises:

generating a locator for each media content segment of the media content instance; and

assembling the media content segments of the media content according to the locator.

9. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

authenticating the storage device at least in part by executing a second portion of the processor instructions associated with the index;

wherein generating a segment key for each media content segment of the media content instance and decrypting the media content segments of the media content are performed only if the storage device is authenticated.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the execution of the second portion of the processor instructions associated with the index is performed by both the storage device and a playback device communicatively coupled to the storage device.

14. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions for playing, with a playback device communicatively coupled to the storage device, the decrypted media content segments of the media content.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein instructions for playing, with the playback device, the decrypted media content segments of the media content further comprise instructions for:

generating a locator for each media content segment of the media content instance; and

assembling the media content segments of the media content according to the locator.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the segment key is further generated from a device key derived from a device root key unique to the storage device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the device key is derived from the root key at least in part by executing, a second portion of the microcode associated with the index.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein:

each media content segment is decryptable with a different segment key than the other of the media content segments;

the step of generating the segment key at least in part by executing at least a first portion of the processor instructions associated with the index comprises;

generating a segment key for each of the media content segments of the media content instance at least in part by executing the least a first portion of the processor instructions associated with the index.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

the generated segment keys generated for each of the media content segments are generated from a plurality media keys received from the license server.

26. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

each media content segment is decryptable with a different segment key than the other of the media content segments;

the instructions for generating the segment key at least in part by executing at least the at least a first portion of the processor instructions associated with the index comprise;

instructions for generating a segment key for each of the media content segments of the media content instance at least in part by executing the least a first portion of the processor instructions associated with the index.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein:

the each of the generated segment keys are generated from a plurality media keys received from the license server.