Encrypted Shared State Sync for Secure Conferencing Catch-Up

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing conferencing systems lack secure mechanisms to synchronize and share state data among participants in a way that ensures privacy and allows new participants to join ongoing shared experiences without compromising data integrity.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a dual encryption system where user communications data and shared state data are encrypted with different keys, and providing mechanisms for new participants to obtain prior shared state data using a derived encryption key, ensuring secure synchronization and catch-up capabilities.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single encryption key is used for both user communications data and shared state data, then the system is simpler to manage, but security is compromised because the conferencing server can access sensitive shared state data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata securityVSAvoidencryption key management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the encryption key management into separate keys: a first encryption key for user communications data and a second encryption key for shared state data. This segmentation ensures that even if one key is compromised, the other remains secure, and the conferencing server cannot access sensitive shared state data without the second key.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the first encryption key is used to encrypt the second encryption key, which is then transmitted to participant devices. This intermediary approach allows secure key distribution without exposing the second encryption key to the conferencing server, maintaining both security and system manageability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If shared state data is encrypted with a key known to the conferencing server, then the server can facilitate data sharing, but data privacy is compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata sharing capabilityVSAvoiddata privacy exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments encryption responsibilities by using the first encryption key (known to the server) only for user communications data, while the second encryption key (unknown to the server) is used exclusively for shared state data. This allows the server to facilitate communication encryption without having access to sensitive shared state data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different encryption key qualities to different data types: the first key provides server-managed encryption for communications, while the second key provides participant-controlled encryption for shared state data. This local differentiation ensures data privacy while maintaining sharing capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If new participants join an ongoing session without prior key distribution, then session continuity is maintained, but they cannot decrypt or synchronize with existing shared state data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession continuityVSAvoidshared state data accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by having existing participant devices encrypt prior shared state data with the second encryption key before a new participant joins. When the new participant joins, they receive this pre-prepared encrypted data along with the second encryption key, allowing them to immediately decrypt and synchronize without interrupting the ongoing session.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses an intermediary approach where existing participant devices act as mediators to distribute the second encryption key and encrypted prior shared state data to new participants. This allows seamless onboarding without requiring the conferencing server to manage key distribution, maintaining session continuity while ensuring data accessibility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Device complexity

If all participant devices use the same encryption key for shared state data, then key management is simpler, but security is reduced because compromise of one device exposes all data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvekey management complexityVSAvoidsecurity against device compromise

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the encryption key into two distinct keys with different distribution patterns. The first key is distributed by the server for communications, while the second key is distributed peer-to-peer for shared state data. This segmentation ensures that compromise of one device does not expose the second key to other devices, maintaining security while keeping management feasible.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20250358266A1Encrypted shared state for electronic conferencing

Publication Date: 2025.11.20 APPLE INC

AI summary

Aspects of the subject technology provide for shared experience sessions within a group communications session such as a video call. The shared experience session may be, as one example, a co-watching session in which the participants in the call watch a video together while in the call. Encrypted shared state data may be exchanged between the participant devices, with which the participant devices can provide synchronized and coordinated output of shared experience data for the shared experience session of the group communications session.