Region-Specific Blackout Key Generation for Secure Content Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current content delivery systems face challenges in securely blacking out selected content in specific regions of a distribution network, leading to potential device tampering and inefficient bandwidth utilization, as they struggle to precisely control content distribution and ensure secure blackout provisioning.
Innovation Solution
A blackout system that generates a blackout key based on original keys and affected regions, encrypts content, and transmits encrypted content and keys over the network, allowing only authorized devices to decrypt and view content, thus ensuring secure blackout provisioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If content is blacked out by preventing transmission to selected regions, then content security is improved, but network control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the content distribution by creating region-specific encrypted versions of content. Each region receives content encrypted with a unique key derived from its geographic location, allowing selective blackout without centralized control of individual device transmissions. This divides the monolithic content distribution system into regionally segmented streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary encryption of content with region-specific keys before transmission. By pre-encrypting content for different regions with different cryptographic keys, the system establishes blackout provisions in advance rather than controlling transmission in real-time, reducing network control complexity during content delivery.
2Ease of operation
If traditional blackout methods are used, then content distribution control is simplified, but security against device tampering worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the cryptographic parameters by deriving region-specific encryption keys from geographic location data rather than using fixed distribution lists. This parameter change from device-centric to location-centric key derivation provides both simplified control (broadcast to all regions) and enhanced security (tamper-resistant geographic verification).
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces geographic location information as an intermediary between content and decryption keys. Instead of directly controlling which devices receive content, the system uses location data as a mediator that automatically determines decryption eligibility, providing both ease of operation and tamper resistance.
3Loss of energy
If content is encrypted with region-specific keys, then bandwidth utilization is improved, but encryption complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a universal key derivation function that can generate region-specific encryption keys from a single master key and geographic parameters. This multi-functional approach allows one encryption system to serve multiple regions with different blackouts, improving bandwidth utilization without proportionally increasing encryption complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
Receiving devices perform self-service encryption by deriving their own region-specific decryption keys from broadcast information and their embedded geographic location data. This eliminates the need for complex centralized key distribution, allowing bandwidth-efficient region-specific encryption with manageable device-side complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for blackout provisioning in a communication network. In an aspect, a method is provided for blackout provisioning in a distribution network. The method includes determining one or more affected regions, and generating a blackout key based an original key and the affected regions. The method also includes encrypting content with the blackout key to produce encrypted content, and transmitting the encrypted content and an encrypted version of the original key over the distribution network. An apparatus is provided for blackout provisioning that includes provisioning logic to determine one or more affected regions, a key generator to generate a blackout key based an original key and the affected regions, encryption logic to encrypt content with the blackout key to produce encrypted content, and a transmitter to transmit the encrypted content and an encrypted version of the original key over the distribution network.