DRM Revocation Indicia for Bandwidth Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current digital rights management systems incur significant network bandwidth costs and interoperability issues by transmitting revocation lists with media files, and may revoke authorization for compromised components, leading to unauthorized access and playback issues.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that enables encrypted media files to be sent without revocation lists, using indicia to ensure protection and compatibility between different DRM systems, allowing trusted entities to determine the currency and legitimacy of revocation information, thereby reducing network overhead and ensuring continued playback even with compromised components.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If revocation lists are transmitted with media files to protect against unauthorized access, then security protection is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity protectionVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the revocation information from the full revocation list, transmitting only essential revocation indicators rather than complete lists. This allows security protection to be maintained through selective revocation information while significantly reducing the network bandwidth required for transmission.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the revocation information into separate components: the full revocation list is maintained separately, and only necessary revocation indicators are transmitted with media files. This segmentation allows the system to maintain comprehensive security checks while minimizing transmission overhead.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Measurement precision

If complete revocation lists are transmitted with every media file to ensure proper authorization checking, then authorization accuracy is improved, but infrastructure complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthorization accuracyVSAvoidinfrastructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-computing and storing revocation information in a centralized location before media file transmission. The receiving device can then perform authorization checks using this pre-prepared information without requiring complex real-time infrastructure during media delivery.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where revocation information is transmitted separately from media files, and receiving devices can obtain necessary revocation data through this intermediary channel. This separates the authorization checking function from the media delivery infrastructure, reducing overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If different protection systems use their own revocation lists to maintain system-specific security, then security control is improved, but interoperability between systems deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity controlVSAvoidinteroperability
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal revocation information format that can be used across different protection systems. The standardized indicators and data structures allow media files protected by one DRM system to be properly authorized and revoked when played on devices using different protection systems, enabling multi-system interoperability while maintaining security control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP1922638B1Revocation information management
Publication Date: 2016.04.20 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP1922638B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP1922638B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP1922638B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Systems and/or methods ("tools") are described that enable encrypted media files to be sent without revocation lists while permitting the encrypted media files to be passed to trusted entities. The tools may also ensure continuation of protection when media files are passed between different protection systems.