Limited Capability Viewer Secure Content Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content distribution methods lack secure and efficient mechanisms to restrict access, printing, copying, and sharing of content, especially across different domains and networks, without requiring continuous online verification or a central user management service.
Innovation Solution
The system generates an encrypted file with a Publisher Key associated with content presentation, using a Limited Capability Viewer that restricts editing, printing, and copying, and distributes a Content Consumer License for authorized access, allowing secure content distribution and presentation without online verification, using hardware or software, and supports various content formats including documents and streaming media.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If password protection and access restrictions are used for content distribution, then content security is improved, but system complexity increases due to requiring proprietary software or middleware
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the authentication and license verification functionality from centralized servers and embeds it directly into the viewer application. The viewer contains built-in capabilities to verify publisher keys and content consumer licenses locally, eliminating the need for external authentication servers and reducing system complexity while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The viewer application performs self-verification of content security by checking publisher keys and licenses locally without requiring external authentication services. The system serves its own authentication needs through embedded verification mechanisms, reducing dependency on external infrastructure.
2Reliability
If real-time user authentication via authentication server is implemented, then content access control is improved, but loss of time increases due to network dependency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary authentication by verifying publisher keys and content consumer licenses locally within the viewer before content access is granted. This pre-verification approach eliminates the need for real-time network authentication, reducing authentication time while maintaining access control reliability.
3Reliability
If centralized user management service is used, then user authentication is improved, but device complexity increases due to infrastructure requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts authentication and license verification functionality from centralized user management services and embeds it directly into the viewer application. The viewer contains built-in verification capabilities for publisher keys and content consumer licenses, eliminating the need for external authentication infrastructure while maintaining authentication reliability.
4Reliability
If proprietary software is required for content distribution, then content protection is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the viewer application universal by enabling it to display multiple content formats including encrypted PDFs, Office documents, and other formats without requiring format-specific proprietary software. The viewer integrates multiple content handling capabilities into a single application, improving ease of operation while maintaining content protection through embedded license verification.
Data Source
AI summary
System, method and apparatus for securely distributing content via an encrypted file wherein a Publisher Key (PK) associated with an authorized publisher enables presentation of the content by the authorized user via a Limited Capability Viewer (LCV), the LCV lacking the capability to forward, print, copy or otherwise disseminate the content to be presented.