Pointers to encrypted data in RTP header

• US 7,447,313 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2001
• Issued: 11/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Irdeto B.V. (MultiChoice Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Irdeto Eindhoven BV (MultiChoice Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Van Rijnsoever, Bartholomeus Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wyszynski; Aubrey H
• Application Number:
  US10/023,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20020090086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,513 Days
• Field of Search: 713/150, 713/151, 713/200, 380/201, 380/202, 380/207
• US Class Current: 380/207
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23897 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting only the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• 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

In a system that transmits frames of data as a stream of packets, packet header information is augmented with localizing data that serves to distinguish frame header information and frame data of each frame within the stream of packets. The localizing data facilitates encryption of the frame data at the packet level without encrypting the frame header information, and subsequent decryption of the encrypted data within the stream of data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

processing a plurality of frames to provide a stream of Real Time Protocol (RTP) packets that includes the plurality of frames and a set of localizing data that facilitates distinguishing locations of frame header information and frame data of each frame within the stream of RTP packets, wherein the set of localizing data further facilitates distinguishing encrypted and non-encrypted content of the stream of RTP packets, and

including one or more of the set of localizing data in one or more RTP packets of the stream of RTP packets, wherein the one or more of the localizing data is included in an RTP header of the one or more RTP packets.

2. The method of claim 1, including

distinguishing the location of frame data in each frame, based on the localizing data,

encrypting the frame data of each frame to provide encrypted frame data, and

providing the encrypted frame data as the frame data of each frame within the stream, and

providing a second stream of data that includes the frame header information and the encrypted frame data of each frame and localizing data that facilitates distinguishing locations of the frame header information and the encrypted frame data within the stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein

each RTP packet of the stream of RTP packets includes at least one of:

a partial frame, and one or more full frames.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein

the one or more of the localizing data is included in hint tracks of the stream of RTP packets.

5. The method of claim 1, including

transmitting the stream of RTP packets to a remote system.

6. A system comprising:

a storage that is configured to receive a plurality of frames,

a processor that is configured to process the plurality of frames to;

create a stream of Real Time Protocol (RTP) packets that includes the plurality of frames and a set of localizing data that facilitates distinguishing locations of frame header information and frame data of each frame within the stream, wherein the set of localizing data further facilitates distinguishing encrypted and non-encrypted content of the stream of RTP packets, and

include one or more of the set of localizing data in one or more RTP packets of the stream of RTP packets, wherein the one or more of the set of localizing data is included in an RTP header of the one or more RTP packets.

7. The system of claim 6, including

an encryption module that is configured to:

distinguishing the location of frame data in each frame, based on the localizing data,

encrypt the frame data of each frame to provide encrypted frame data, and

provide a second stream of RTP packets that includes the frame header information and the encrypted frame data of each frame and localizing data that facilitates distinguishing locations of the frame header information and the encrypted frame data within the stream.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the encryption module is configured to transmit the second stream of RTP packets to a remote system.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein

the one or more of the localizing data is included in header information of the one or more RTP packets.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein

the one or more of the localizing data is included in hint tracks of the stream of RTP packets.

11. The system of claim 6, including

a transmitting module that is configured to transmit the stream of RTP packets to a remote system.

12. A system including

a storage that is configured to receive a stream of Real Time Protocol (RTP) packets, and

a processor that is configured to process the stream of RTP packets to distinguish frame header information and frame data of a plurality of frames within the stream of RTP packets, based on localizing data that is included within an RTP header of the stream of RTP packets, wherein the localizing data further facilitates distinguishing encrypted and non-encrypted content of the stream of RTP packets.

13. The system of claim 12, including a decryptor that is configured to:

extract the frame data from the stream of RTP packets, based on the localizing data, and

decrypt the frame data to provide decrypted frame data.

14. The system of claim 13, including a processor that is configured to process the frame header information and decrypted frame data to provide content information to a user application.