Lossy Data Stream Decoder for Piracy Mitigation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional decoding techniques pose significant security risks as they provide decoded portions of protected content in the clear, allowing individuals and malicious applications to reconstruct and distribute pirated content.

Innovation Solution

A secure decoder parses headers and performs lossy extraction to provide only pertinent data to consuming applications, withholding non-pertinent information, thereby preventing the reconstruction of the full data stream and mitigating piracy risks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional decoding techniques provide decoded portions of protected content in the clear to consuming applications, then the applications can perform operations like graphics processing setup, but security risks increase allowing reconstruction and distribution of pirated content

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsuming application's ability to perform graphics processing setupVSAvoidsecurity risk of piracy and content reconstruction
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the necessary portions of decoded data (headers and specific parameters) that consuming applications need to perform their operations, while withholding the complete decoded content. This allows applications to function with partial data without enabling piracy through full content reconstruction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different levels of data disclosure to different parts of the decoded stream. Critical headers are provided in the clear for application setup, while other portions remain encrypted or are provided in a degraded form that prevents reconstruction of the full original content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If the decoder provides complete decoded data to consuming applications, then the applications can perform all operations without restrictions, but the risk of piracy and content reconstruction increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsuming application's operational capabilityVSAvoidsecurity against piracy and content protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements partial action by providing consuming applications with sufficient decoded data to perform their intended operations (headers, parameter information) but deliberately withholding complete decoded content. This partial disclosure maintains application functionality while preventing piracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the decoder withholds complete decoded data to prevent piracy, then security is improved, but consuming applications may not receive sufficient data for proper operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepiracy prevention and content securityVSAvoidconsuming application's ability to perform operations
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary decoding process that sits between the encrypted content and the consuming application. This intermediary extracts and provides only the specific headers and parameters that applications need, acting as a mediator that enables application operation while preventing access to complete decoded content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3189666B1Partial headers for system set-up
Publication Date: 2021.07.14 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3189666B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3189666B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3189666B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Lossy data stream decoder techniques are described herein. In response to a request for decoded content from a consuming application, a decoder may validate headers and identify portions of the data that are considered pertinent to the request. The decoder then performs lossy extraction to form incomplete data that is provided to the consuming application in response to the request. The full data for the data stream is not exposed to the consuming application or other downstream components. In this way, the consuming application is provided data sufficient to perform requested graphics processing and resource management operations, while at the same time the risk of piracy is mitigated since the consuming application is unable to get a full version of the data in the clear and the data have been validated by the decoder.