Advertisements as keys for streaming protected content

• US 8,918,902 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Kim, Minji, Medard, Muriel, ParandehGheibi, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): HOLDER, BRADLEY W
• Application Number:
  US13/104,516
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 726/28
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/107 License processing; Key processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product for using advertisements as keys for streaming protected content is presented. Protected content is received at a user computer system, wherein the protected content is not viewable by the user. Appended content, such as an advertisement, is also received at the user computer system. The user views the appended content, wherein the viewing of the appended content results in the protected content being viewable by the user. The user then views the protected content.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method in which a computer system performs operations comprising:

receiving, at a user computer system, protected content, wherein said protected content is not viewable by said user, wherein said receiving protected content comprises receiving protected content that has been network coded;

receiving, at said user computer system, appended content, wherein said appended content comprises an advertisement, and wherein said appended content functions as a decryption key for said protected content;

viewing, by said user, said appended content, wherein said viewing of said appended content results in said protected content being viewable by said user;

viewing said protected content by said user; and

wherein said network coded includes providing linearly combined data packets from a set of original data packets and wherein once enough linear combinations of data packets are received to satisfy a network coding algorithm, a set of linear equations are derived for said received linear combinations of data packets and wherein said linear equations are solved to recover said original data packets.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving appended content comprises receiving appended content that has been network coded.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said protected content is received from a first server, and wherein said appended content is received from one of the group consisting of said first server and a second server.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said protected content and said appended content are received in any order.

5. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable code thereon for using advertisements as keys for streaming protected content, the medium including instructions in which a computer system performs operations comprising:

receiving, at a user computer system, protected content, wherein said protected content is not viewable by said user, wherein said receiving protected content comprises receiving protected content that has been network coded;

receiving, at said user computer system, appended content, wherein said appended content comprises an advertisement, and wherein said appended content functions as a decryption key for said protected content;

viewing, by said user, said appended content, wherein said viewing of said appended content results in said protected content being viewable by said user;

viewing said protected content by said user; and

wherein said network coded includes providing linearly combined data packets from a set of original data packets and wherein once enough linear combinations of data packets are received to satisfy a network coding algorithm, a set of linear equations are derived for said received linear combinations of data packets and wherein said linear equations are solved to recover said original data packets.

6. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 wherein said receiving appended content comprises receiving computer readable storage medium content that has been network coded.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 wherein said protected content is received from a first server, and wherein said appended content is received from one of the group consisting of said first server and a second server.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 5 wherein said protected content and said appended content are received in any order.

9. A computer system comprising:

a memory;

a hardware processor;

a communications interface;

an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface; and

wherein the memory is encoded with an application providing advertisements as keys for streaming protected content, that when executed on the processor, provides a process for processing information, the process causing the computer system to perform the operations of;

receiving, at a user computer system, protected content, wherein said protected content is not viewable by said user, wherein said receiving protected content comprises receiving protected content that has been network coded;

receiving, at said user computer system, appended content, wherein said appended content comprises an advertisement, and wherein said appended content functions as a decryption key for said protected content;

viewing, by said user, said appended content, wherein said viewing of said appended content results in said protected content being viewable by said user;

viewing said protected content by said user; and

wherein said network coded includes providing linearly combined data packets from a set of original data packets and wherein once enough linear combinations of data packets are received to satisfy a network coding algorithm, a set of linear equations are derived for said received linear combinations of data packets and wherein said linear equations are solved to recover said original data packets.

10. The computer system of claim 9 wherein said receiving appended content comprises receiving appended content that has been network coded.

11. The computer system of claim 9 wherein said protected content is received from a first server, and wherein said appended content is received from one of the group consisting of said first server and a second server.

12. The computer system of claim 9 wherein said protected content and said appended content are received in any order.