Cloud Asset Rights Transfer via Server Intermediary

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Solution Overview

Problem

The increasing reliance on digital rights management (DRM) technologies has hindered the ability of users to share and transfer digital applications and their features effectively, especially due to limitations in network quality, bandwidth, and the size of applications, making it cumbersome to share software or in-application data between users.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for sharing digital assets on client devices that allow users to borrow and grant access rights to applications or features, including providing a list of available assets, requesting their use, and granting rights without prior request, with options for limited duration and restricted fields of use, facilitated through a networked environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users transfer digital applications directly between devices over a network, then sharing capability is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases and transfer quality deteriorates due to network limitations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesharing capabilityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between users for transferring digital applications. Instead of direct peer-to-peer transfer that consumes network bandwidth, the server acts as a intermediary storage point. The source device uploads the application to the server, and the target device downloads it from the server, eliminating the need for continuous network connection between users and reducing direct network bandwidth consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If users transfer digital applications directly between devices, then sharing capability is improved, but transfer reliability deteriorates due to network quality limitations

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesharing capabilityVSAvoidtransfer quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The server serves as a reliable intermediary that ensures complete and accurate transfer of digital applications. The source device transfers the application to the server with full quality, and the target device receives it from the server also with full quality. This intermediary approach eliminates network quality issues between direct user connections, ensuring transfer reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The server pre-stores the complete digital application before the target device needs it. The source device uploads the application to the server in advance, so when the target device requests it, the complete file is already available on the server, ensuring reliable and complete transfer without network quality constraints.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If digital rights management technologies are implemented to control digital content, then security is improved, but user ability to share applications deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidsharing capability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The server acts as a trusted intermediary that manages digital rights and authorization. Instead of restricting sharing entirely, the server mediates the transfer process by verifying user permissions, managing licensing, and controlling access rights. This allows sharing to occur under controlled conditions, maintaining security while enabling legitimate sharing between users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3265944B1Digital management of content assets in the cloud
Publication Date: 2020.10.07 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • EP3265944B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3265944B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3265944B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for sharing assets of applications between users. A user may share an application or certain features within an application via the transfer of application rights between users. The providing user may be restricted from accessing that application or the application features transferred until the borrowing user has either relinquished the rights to the application or until a certain amount of time has passed.