Controlling access to copies of media content by a client device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method executable by a computerized key server communicating on a network, the method comprising:
- storing, at the key server, a set of encryption keys each corresponding to one of a plurality of different copies of a media content, wherein each of the different copies of the media content is stored on a content server separate from the key server, wherein each of the plurality of different copies is made up of a set of individually-requestable data segments each representing a portion of the media content, and wherein each of the sets of individually-requestable data segments represents a different version of the same media content encoded according to one of a plurality of different quality levels in a separate file that is individually identifiable and requestable from the separate content server by a client device;
subsequently receiving a request for playback permission from the client device by the key server, wherein the request for playback permission comprises information that identifies the client device and an identifier of the media content;
using the information of the request for playback permission received at the key server, applying a set of one or more business rules by the key server to determine which of the sets of individually-requestable data segments representing different versions of the same media content, if any, are approved for playback on the client device;
sending access information from the key server to the client device, the access information comprising a key file containing encryption keys for multiple ones of the different copies of the media content that are approved for playback on the client device to thereby allow the client device to adaptively request data segments from any of the different copies of the media content that are approved for playback by the client device.
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Abstract
A key server for controlling access of a client device to a subset of different quality copies of media content to be delivered over a network to the client device. In one embodiment, a key server receives a request for playback permission of media content by a client device, and applies a set of one or more business rules to determine which copies of the media content, if any, can be played by the client device, and allows access to a subset of the copies that can be played back by the client device and restricts access to the copies that are not part of the subset.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method executable by a computerized key server communicating on a network, the method comprising:
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storing, at the key server, a set of encryption keys each corresponding to one of a plurality of different copies of a media content, wherein each of the different copies of the media content is stored on a content server separate from the key server, wherein each of the plurality of different copies is made up of a set of individually-requestable data segments each representing a portion of the media content, and wherein each of the sets of individually-requestable data segments represents a different version of the same media content encoded according to one of a plurality of different quality levels in a separate file that is individually identifiable and requestable from the separate content server by a client device; subsequently receiving a request for playback permission from the client device by the key server, wherein the request for playback permission comprises information that identifies the client device and an identifier of the media content; using the information of the request for playback permission received at the key server, applying a set of one or more business rules by the key server to determine which of the sets of individually-requestable data segments representing different versions of the same media content, if any, are approved for playback on the client device; sending access information from the key server to the client device, the access information comprising a key file containing encryption keys for multiple ones of the different copies of the media content that are approved for playback on the client device to thereby allow the client device to adaptively request data segments from any of the different copies of the media content that are approved for playback by the client device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer-implemented key server, comprising:
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a computing device configured to communicate with a network; a data storage configured to store a set of encryption keys associated with a media content, wherein each of the encryption keys in the set corresponds to a different copy of a media content encoded at a different quality level, and wherein each of the different copies of the media content is stored on a content server separate from the key server; and a rules engine executable on the computing device that is configured to receive a request over the network for playback permission of the media content by a client device that comprises information that identifies the client device and the media content to be viewed using the client device, and wherein the rules engine is configured to; apply a set of one or more business rules using information of the request to determine which of the sets of individually-requestable data segments representing different versions of the same media content, if any, are approved for playback by the client device; and send access information comprising a key file containing encryption keys for multiple ones of the different copies of the media content that are approved for playback on the client device to thereby allow the client device to adaptively request data segments from any of the different copies of the media content that are approved for playback by the client device using the access information. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method executable by a media player device to playback a media program received from a content server via a network, the method comprising:
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initiating a session with the content server to thereby obtain information about the media program, wherein the information describes multiple different copies of the media program that are available from the content server, each of the multiple different copies being made up of a plurality of individually-requestable media segments and being encoded at a different quality level; forwarding at least some of the information about the media program obtained from the content server to a key server via the network, wherein the key server is separate from the content server, to thereby allow the content server to authorize the media player device to playback the multiple different copies of the media program; receiving a response from the key server that comprises a key file containing encryption keys associated with the multiple different copies of the media program that are approved for playback on the client device to thereby allow the media player device to adaptively request data segments from any of the multiple different copies of the media content that are approved for playback on the media player device; requesting individual media segments of the multiple different copies of the media program that are authorized for playback from the content server; decrypting the requested individual media segments using the encryption key received from the key server that is associated with the copy of the media program from which the individual media segment was requested; and rendering the decrypted media segment for playback by the media player device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification