Host Application Secure Channel for Supplemental Content Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital rights management (DRM) techniques and licensing agreements hinder legitimate content providers from offering fast, convenient, and ubiquitous access to their content catalogs, limiting user interaction and experience due to restrictions on unauthorized access and copying.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method that uses a host application to establish a secure communication channel with a server, allowing supplemental applications to access licensed content subject to licensing agreements, extending functionality through plug-ins that can stream media and provide additional features like playback controls, lyrics, and recommendations, while ensuring authentication and authorization to prevent unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If DRM techniques and licensing agreements are implemented to protect digital content, then content security and protection from unauthorized access are improved, but access speed, convenience, and user experience are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a content access agent as an intermediary component that mediates between the DRM protection system and the application. This agent is integrated into the application and automatically handles authentication and content access requests, allowing applications to access licensed content without users directly interacting with DRM protocols. The agent acts as a bridge that maintains security requirements while providing seamless access to authorized applications, thus resolving the contradiction between content protection and access convenience.
2Reliability
If DRM techniques are used to prevent copying and recording of content, then content protection from pirating is improved, but the ability to offer fast and ubiquitous access to content catalogs is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The content access agent performs preliminary authentication and authorization actions during application installation or first-use scenarios. By pre-establishing trust relationships and caching authentication tokens locally, the system prepares the environment for future content access requests. This preliminary action eliminates the need for repeated authentication handshakes, thereby maintaining strong DRM protection while significantly improving content access speed for authorized applications.
3Reliability
If licensing agreements require adequate safeguards for licensed content, then protection from pirating is improved, but legitimate content providers' ability to expand access methods is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The content access agent is designed as a universal component that can serve multiple applications and content types while maintaining a single licensing agreement. It provides multi-functional capabilities including authentication, authorization, content delivery, and usage monitoring across different applications. This universal approach allows legitimate content providers to expand access methods to multiple applications without requiring separate licensing agreements for each application, thereby maintaining licensing compliance while enhancing adaptability.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems for providing access to content are disclosed. The method is performed at least in part at a client computer system having a processor and memory. The method includes executing a host application associated with a first party. In some implementations, the host application is a media player. The method further includes initiating a secure communication channel between the host application and a server associated with the first party. The method further includes executing a supplemental application associated with a second party. The method further includes accessing, with the supplemental application, content licensed to the first party, wherein the licensed content is accessible to the supplemental application via the secure communication channel subject to terms of a licensing agreement. In some implementations, the content is media content, such as music, movies, and the like.