Hosted Application Media Platform with Sandboxed Codec API
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current media platforms are limited in supporting various media formats, requiring platform updates and licensing for new codecs, which hampers flexibility and security, and often trade off broader media type support for download speed and security.
Innovation Solution
A media interaction system that allows hosted applications to provide their own codecs through a sandboxed API, enabling the consumption and production of rich media content in any format while maintaining security by accepting raw, uncompressed media data and allowing decompression within a secure execution sandbox.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the platform supports multiple media formats through built-in codecs, then media format compatibility is improved, but platform size increases and download speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the codec functionality from the core platform and relocates it to external hosted applications. The platform no longer includes built-in codecs for multiple media formats, instead allowing applications to download and execute their own codec implementations from external sources. This removes the weight of multiple codec implementations from the platform core, reducing download size and improving download speed while maintaining the ability to support multiple formats through external applications.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the platform updates to support new media formats, then media format compatibility is improved, but platform complexity and update requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic architecture where the platform's media format support capabilities can change at runtime based on which hosted applications are installed. Instead of a static platform with fixed codec support that requires updates to add new formats, the system dynamically adapts its capabilities by loading applications that provide the needed codec functionality. This makes the platform flexible and adaptable without requiring core platform updates.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the platform allows hosted code to interact with system hardware, then media playback functionality is improved, but security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sandboxed execution environment as an intermediary layer between hosted applications and system hardware. The platform provides controlled access to hardware resources through this intermediary, allowing hosted code to perform media playback operations while preventing direct, uncontrolled access to system hardware. This mediator enforces security policies and prevents malicious code from harming the system while still enabling legitimate media playback functionality.
4Reliability
If the platform restricts codec actions for security, then system security is improved, but media format support decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct security zones: a highly restricted sandboxed environment for executing hosted application code, and a more privileged platform layer that manages hardware access. Within the sandbox, applications can load and execute codec implementations for various media formats with restricted actions to maintain security. The segmentation allows different security policies to apply to different parts of the system, enabling broad media format support through multiple applications while maintaining overall system security through the sandbox boundaries.
Data Source
AI summary
A media interaction system is described herein that allows hosted applications to consume and/or produce rich media content independent of the format of the media content, while still maintaining the security of the host. The media interaction system accepts raw, uncompressed media data from a hosted application, and allows the hosted application to provide its own codec through a sandboxed API that restricts the actions the codec can perform to a set of trusted actions. Then, the application provides the uncompressed data to the system for playback. Thus, the media interaction system provides rich media content in any format that the application developer supports, and maintains the security of the user's computer system.