Group Message Bitmap Compression for Broadcast Subscription Renewal

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing systems for managing subscriber renewals in broadcast services face inefficiencies due to high bandwidth usage and volatility in the client base, leading to unnecessary message transmission and potential unauthorized access to audiovisual services.

Innovation Solution

A method is introduced to dynamically manage group messages by defining a maximum message length, generating a variable-length bitmap, and compressing it using algorithms like Run Length Encoding, allowing for efficient use of bandwidth and adaptive range adjustment based on remaining message space.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If individual addressing is used for subscription management, then each subscriber receives targeted renewal messages, but bandwidth consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubscription renewal accuracyVSAvoidbandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple individual subscriber addresses into a single group message with a bitmap structure. Each bit in the bitmap corresponds to a subscriber's subscription status, allowing the system to send one consolidated message instead of multiple individual messages, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining accurate delivery to each subscriber.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the addressing parameter from individual subscriber identifiers to a compact bitmap representation. This parameter transformation allows the system to encode subscription status information more efficiently, reducing the message size and bandwidth requirements while preserving the ability to individually address each subscriber's renewal needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Productivity

If group addressing with fixed-size bitmap is used, then message transmission efficiency improves, but message size becomes excessively large for large subscriber groups

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemessage transmission efficiencyVSAvoidmessage size
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the bitmap into multiple smaller blocks, where each block can be independently managed and transmitted. This segmentation allows the system to handle large subscriber groups by dividing the addressing space into manageable chunks, reducing the size of individual messages while maintaining efficient group addressing capabilities across the entire subscriber base.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic bitmap block management where the system can adjust the number and size of bitmap blocks based on the actual subscriber group size and message requirements. This dynamic approach allows the message size to adapt to the actual needs, preventing excessive message sizes while maintaining transmission efficiency for varying group sizes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If subscription numbers are reused after expiry, then resource utilization improves, but security risks increase due to potential unauthorized access

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesubscription number reuseVSAvoidaccess security
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary validation of subscription status before allowing number reuse. The system checks whether a subscription has properly expired and verified the subscriber's current status before reallocating the subscription number to a new user. This preliminary action prevents unauthorized access by ensuring that only validly expired subscriptions are reused, maintaining security while enabling resource utilization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors subscription status and provides information about expiration and reuse eligibility. This feedback loop ensures that subscription numbers are only reused when appropriate security conditions are met, balancing resource utilization with access security by making reuse decisions based on real-time system state information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2332331B1Method for the allocation and management of substcriptions for the reception of broadcast products
Publication Date: 2012.10.31 NAGRAVISION SA
  • EP2332331B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2

AI summary

The aim of the present invention is to propose a method to reduce the bandwidth necessary for the renewal of subscriptions to the reception of broadcast services. This aim is achieved by a method for the managing group messages for at least one receiver comprising a security module, this module comprising an identification address UA, this method being carried out by a management centre and comprising the following steps: A. defining a maximum length for a group message, B. defining a group command for a plurality of security modules, C. forming a group message comprising at least the group command, D. filling the group message with a starting address UA1 and a range LG, E. etermining a remaining length in the group message following the steps C and D, F. defining a bitmap of variable length, G. starting at identification address equal to the starting address UA1 and initializing an index value and the bitmap length, H. updating the bit of the bitmap for the security module pertaining to the identification address to activate/deactivate the command for said security module, I. compressing the bitmap, J. checking if the compressed bitmap length is smaller than the remaining size in the group message, in the positive event, updating the index value, the bitmap length and the identification address, re-executing the steps H to J K. updating the range in the group message with the index value and filling the group message with the bitmap.