Speculative pre-authorization of encrypted data streams

• US 11,349,699 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 05/31/2022
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netflix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netflix, Inc.
• Inventors: Watson, Mark, Park, Anthony Neal, Wei, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Celani, Nicholas P
• Application Number:
  US13/838,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,364 Days
• Field of Search: 709231
• 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: H04L 2209/603 Digital right managament [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for improving user experience of multimedia streaming over computer networks. For example, a method for presenting multimedia content may generally include receiving a request to stream a media title. In response to the request, unencrypted content for the media title is streamed to a client. While streaming the unencrypted content, a digital rights management (DRM) license to access encrypted content for the media title is requested. After receiving the DRM license, the client switches from streaming the unencrypted content for the media title to streaming encrypted content for the media title. The switching from streaming the unencrypted content to streaming the encrypted content does not interrupt playback of the media title.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for presenting content, comprising:

prior to receiving a single user request to stream a media title, performing a first set of steps that includes;

transmitting, at an endpoint device, a first request for first media metadata for a first file including unencrypted content of the media title to a control server, wherein the media title includes a first portion comprising the unencrypted content and a second portion comprising encrypted content, wherein the first media metadata includes location information for the first file, and wherein the control server determines that the endpoint device is authorized to play the media title prior to transmitting the first media metadata to the endpoint device; and

transmitting, at the endpoint device, a second request for second media metadata for a second file including the encrypted content of the media title to the control server, wherein the second media metadata includes location information for the second file;

receiving, at the endpoint device, the single user request to stream the media title after performing the first set of steps; and

in response to receiving the single user request to stream, performing, at the endpoint device, a second set of steps that includes;

transmitting, to a streaming media server, a request for the unencrypted content for the media title based on the first media metadata;

streaming the unencrypted content for the media title;

while streaming the unencrypted content,

requesting a digital rights management (DRM) license to access the encrypted content for the media title,

transmitting, to the streaming media server, a request for the encrypted content for the media title based on the second media metadata, and

receiving, from the streaming media server, the encrypted content for the media title; and

switching from streaming the unencrypted content for the media title to streaming the encrypted content for the media title upon completing streaming of all the unencrypted content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first file is stored on the streaming media server and the second file is stored on the streaming media server, wherein transmitting the request for the unencrypted content comprises transmitting a request for the first file, and wherein transmitting the request for the encrypted content comprises transmitting a request for the second file.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the DRM license, decrypting downloaded encrypted content for streaming the encrypted content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the control server determines the endpoint device is authorized to play the media title prior to transmitting the first media metadata by determining that a number of streams currently being transmitted to the endpoint device does not exceed a certain limit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control server determines the endpoint device is authorized to play the media title prior to transmitting the first media metadata by performing a check to determine whether a content player associated with the endpoint device is out of window.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media metadata further includes one or more media attributes associated with the media title, the one or more media attributes comprising at least one of a resolution, a bit rate, a number of audio channels, subtitle information, an aspect ratio, or a codec associated with the media title.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the media title comprises a plurality of chunks of video and audio data, and the first media metadata specifies locations of a set of chunks included in the plurality of chunks that correspond to the unencrypted content.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of steps is performed in response to a first user action associated with the media title.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the media title comprises a plurality of chunks of video and audio data;

the request for the encrypted content specifies a first chunk included in the plurality of chunks that has not been received as part of the unencrypted content; and

the request for the encrypted content for the media title is separate from the request for the unencrypted content for the media title.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the unencrypted content received from the streaming media server comprises a predetermined amount of unencrypted content.

3. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media including a program which, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

prior to receiving a single user request to stream a media title, performing a first set of steps that includes;

transmitting, at an endpoint device, a first request for first media metadata for a first file including unencrypted content of the media title to a control server, wherein the media title includes a first portion comprising the unencrypted content and a second portion comprising encrypted content, wherein the first media metadata includes location information for the first file, and wherein the control server determines the endpoint device is authorized to play the media title prior to transmitting the first media metadata to the endpoint device; and

transmitting, at the endpoint device, a second request for second media metadata for a second file including the encrypted content of the media title to the control server, wherein the second media metadata includes location information for the second file;

receiving, at the endpoint device, the single user request to stream the media title after performing the first set of steps; and

in response to receiving the single user request to stream, performing, at the endpoint device, a second set of steps that includes;

transmitting, to a streaming media server, a request for the unencrypted content for the media title based on the first media metadata;

streaming the unencrypted content for the media title;

while streaming the unencrypted content,

requesting a digital rights management (DRM) license to access the encrypted content for the media title,

transmitting, to the streaming media server, a request for the encrypted content for the media title based on the second media metadata, and

receiving, from the streaming media server, the encrypted content for the media title; and

switching from streaming the unencrypted content for the media title to streaming the encrypted content for the media title upon completing streaming of all the unencrypted content.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 3, wherein the first file is stored on the streaming media server and the second file is stored on the streaming media server, wherein transmitting the request for the unencrypted content comprises transmitting a request for the first file, and wherein transmitting the request for the encrypted content further comprises transmitting a request for the second file.

5. A computing system comprising an endpoint device, the computing system comprising:

a memory including instructions; and

a processor that is coupled to the memory and, when executing the instructions, is configured to;

prior to receiving a single user request to stream a media title, performing a first set of steps that includes;

transmit a first request for first media metadata for a first file including unencrypted content of the media title to a control server, wherein the media title includes a first portion comprising the unencrypted content and a second portion comprising encrypted content, wherein the first media metadata includes location information for the first file, and wherein the control server determines the endpoint device is authorized to play the media title prior to transmitting the first media metadata to the endpoint device; and

transmit a second request for second media metadata for a second file including the encrypted content of the media title to the control server, wherein the second media metadata includes location information for the second file;

receive the single user request to stream the media title after performing the first set of steps; and

in response to receiving the single user request to stream, perform a second set of steps that includes;

transmitting, to a streaming media server, a request for the unencrypted content for the media title based on the first media metadata;

streaming the unencrypted content for the media title;

while streaming the unencrypted content,

requesting a digital rights management (DRM) license to access the encrypted content for the media title,

transmitting, to the streaming media server, a request for the encrypted content for the media title based on the second media metadata, and

receiving, from the streaming media server, the encrypted content for the media title; and

switching from streaming the unencrypted content for the media title to streaming the encrypted content for the media title upon completing streaming of all the unencrypted content.

6. The computing system of claim 5, wherein the first file is stored on the streaming media server and the second file is stored on the streaming media server, wherein transmitting the request for the unencrypted content comprises transmitting a request for the first file, and wherein transmitting the request for the encrypted content comprises transmitting a request for the second file.