Systems and methods for playing back alternative streams of protected content protected using common cryptographic information

• US 9,247,311 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonic IP Incorporated (Endeavor Group Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sonic IP Incorporated (Endeavor Group Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: Kiefer, Michael George, Grab, Eric William, Braness, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): Harriman, Dant Shaifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Getachew, Abiy
• Application Number:
  US14/564,003
• Publication Number:
  US 20150139419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 713/160
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• 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 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• 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 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64715 Protecting content from unauthorized alteration within the network verifying the information received for network security in communication control or processing H04L63/12; integrity in wireless network security H04W12/10

Abstract

Systems and methods for performing adaptive bitrate streaming using alternative streams of protected content in accordance with embodiments of the invention are described. One embodiment of the invention includes a processor, and memory containing a client application. In addition, the client application configures the processor to: request a top level index file identifying a plurality of alternative streams of protected content, where each of the alternative streams of protected content are encrypted using common cryptographic information; obtain the common cryptographic information; request portions of content from at least the plurality of alternative streams of protected content; access the protected content using the common cryptographic information; and playback the content.

Claims

1. A source encoder, comprising:

a processor;

a non-volatile storage containing an encoding application;

wherein the encoding application directs the processor to;

receive a stream of video;

encode the stream of video as a plurality of alternative streams according to encoding parameters associated with each of the alternative streams, where each of the alternative streams comprises a plurality of encoded video frames;

obtain a common set of frame keys;

encrypt portions of several encoded video frames from each alternative stream using keys from the same common set of frame keys;

after encrypting the portions of encoded video frames, (1) write the encoded video frames of each alternative stream to a separate container file from a plurality of container files and (2) write DRM information to each separate container file that identifies the encrypted portions of several encoded video frames written to the separate container file;

store a copy of the common set of frame keys in each container file; and

upload the container files to a content distribution server for distribution to playback devices using adaptive bitrate streaming.

2. The source encoder of claim 1, wherein

the alternative streams are alternative streams of protected video.

3. The source encoder of claim 1, wherein the encoding application further directs the processor to:

provide a top level index file that identifies a container file containing each of the alternative streams.

4. The source encoder of claim 3, wherein:

the container files containing each of the alternative streams comprise at least one header including the common set of frame keys and information that describes the encoding of the stream; and

the top level index file identifies the location of the at least one header within each container file.

5. The source encoder of claim 4, wherein the set of frame keys comprises a plurality of frame keys.

6. The source encoder of claim 1, wherein the encoding application further directs the processor to:

encrypt the common set of frame keys prior to storing the copy of the common set of frame keys in each container file.

7. The source encoder of claim 1, wherein:

each container file containing one of the alternative streams further comprises an index.

8. The source encoder of claim 1, wherein the container files are Matroska container files.

9. The source encoder of claim 8, wherein the common set of frame keys is stored in a common DRM Header element contained within a Tracks element within each of the Matroska container files containing the alternative streams.

10. The source encoder of claim 9, wherein:

the common set of frame keys is a set of encryption keys; and

the set of encryption keys is encrypted and stored within the DRM Header element.

11. The source encoder of claim 10, wherein the encoding application configures the processor to:

provide, to a playback device, cryptographic information that can be used to unencrypt the set of encryption keys stored within the DRM Header element.

12. The source encoder of claim 9, wherein the encoding application configures the processor to provide the DRM Header element to a playback device in response to a request for a Tracks element from one of the Matroska container files.

13. The source encoder of claim 1, wherein:

each container file containing an alternative stream further comprises an index contained within a Cues element.

14. The source encoder of claim 13, wherein the index comprises a plurality of CueTrackPosition elements that identify the location of a plurality of Cluster elements within the container file.

15. The source encoder of claim 14, wherein:

each Cluster element contains a plurality of BlockGroup elements including encoded portions of content;

a CueTrack Position element indexes each Cluster element; and

each CueTrackPosition element includes the size of the Cluster element that it indexes.

16. The source encoder of claim 1, wherein:

the alternative streams are alternative streams of protected video;

each of the container files containing an alternative stream of protected video includes a DRMInfo element in a BlockGroup element containing a protected frame of video, where the DRMInfo element indicates at least a portion of the protected frames of video that is encrypted and identifies at least a portion of the common set of frame keys used to access the at least one encrypted portion of the protected frame of video.

17. A method of encoding streams of video for performing adaptive bitrate streaming using a source encoder, the method comprising:

receiving a stream of video using a source encoder;

encoding the stream of video as plurality of alternative streams according to encoding parameters associated with each of the alternative streams using the source encoder, where each of the alternative streams comprises a plurality of encoded video frames;

obtaining a common set of frame keys cryptographic information using the source encoder;

encrypting portions of several encoded video frames from each alternative stream using keys from the same common set of frame keys using the source encoder;

after encrypting the portions of encoded video frames, (1) writing the encoded video frames of each alternative stream to a separate container file from a plurality of container files and (2) writing DRM information to each separate container file that identifies the encrypted portions of several encoded video frames written to the separate container file using the source encoder;

storing a copy of using the common set of frame keys in each container file and using the source encoder cryptographic information; and

uploading the container files to a content distribution server for distribution to devices using the source encoder.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein

the alternative streams are alternative streams of protected video.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing a top level index file that identifies a container file containing each of the alternative streams using the source encoder.