Content License Storage Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Managing license storage efficiently on content consumption devices is challenging due to the need to retain keys for current and archived content streams while discarding unnecessary keys, especially when dealing with hundreds or thousands of encrypted content streams and varying playback features like instant channel change and time-shifted viewing.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where content licenses include a removal date, with temporary licenses stored on the device and archived licenses copied into an embedded store within the content stream, allowing for efficient organization and removal of temporary licenses while preserving licenses for archived playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If content licenses are stored in a temporary license store for easy management and removal, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates because licenses may be removed before archived playback is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the license store into two separate segments: a temporary license store for current content streams with easy removal capabilities, and an embedded license store within archived content streams for permanent storage. This segmentation allows the system to enjoy the ease of operation for managing temporary licenses while ensuring reliability for archived playback through dedicated permanent storage.
2Reliability
If all content licenses are retained permanently to ensure availability for archived playback, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to managing hundreds or thousands of licenses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts licenses that are needed for archived playback from the temporary license store and embeds them directly within the archived content streams. This extraction reduces the number of licenses that need to be managed in the temporary store, thereby reducing device complexity while ensuring that necessary licenses remain available for archived playback through the embedded store.
3Reliability
If licenses are embedded within archived content streams, then reliability is improved for archived playback, but storage space increases due to duplicating license data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by embedding licenses within archived content streams at the time of archiving, so that the licenses are already in place and do not need to be retrieved or transferred later. This preliminary embedding ensures reliability for archived playback while allowing the system to manage storage more efficiently by knowing in advance which licenses will be needed and embedding only those specific licenses rather than maintaining all licenses indefinitely.
Data Source
AI summary
Content license storage is provided by holding, in a temporary license store on the content consumption device, a plurality of content licenses for a plurality of content streams, wherein each content license of the plurality of content licenses includes a removal date. The method further includes for each content license of the plurality of content licenses corresponding to a content stream of the plurality of content streams which is designated for archived playback, copying the content license into an embedded license store within the content stream to form an archived content stream. The method further includes removing one or more of the plurality of content licenses held at the temporary license store if the removal date included in the content license has been reached, while leaving each content license stored within an archived content stream even if the removal date has been reached.