Selective Media Header Encryption Reducing Processing Overhead
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital media encryption methods require high power and processing overhead, leading to increased latency and consumption, as they encrypt entire media files, which is inefficient for playback and storage.
Innovation Solution
A media storage and playback system that strategically encrypts only the header and side-information fields within packets of a compressed media file, leaving payload fields unencrypted, reducing the need for extensive encryption and decryption processes, and allowing for multiple security modes to balance performance and compatibility.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If entire media files are encrypted, then security is improved, but processing overhead and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the media file into distinct segments: header fields, side-information fields, and payload fields. Only the header and side-information fields are encrypted while the payload remains unencrypted. This segmentation allows selective encryption of critical metadata portions, reducing overall encryption overhead while maintaining security for structural information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different encryption qualities to different parts of the media file. Critical fields such as headers and side-information receive full encryption protection, while payload fields use lighter protection or none. This local differentiation optimizes the balance between security and processing efficiency by applying computational resources only where necessary.
2Reliability
If entire media files are encrypted, then security is improved, but decryption latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the media file into encryptable portions (headers and side-information) and non-encryptable portions (payload). During playback, only the smaller header portions need decryption before payload processing can begin, significantly reducing decryption latency compared to decrypting entire files.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial encryption only to the extent necessary for security - specifically headers and side-information fields - rather than encrypting the entire file. This partial action approach reduces decryption time while providing adequate security for the critical structural metadata that would enable unauthorized access if compromised.
3Reliability
If entire media files are encrypted, then security is improved, but processing overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the media file structure into distinct fields (headers, side-information, payload) and applies encryption only to the header and side-information segments. This reduces the total volume of data requiring encryption/decryption processing, thereby lowering computational overhead while maintaining security for critical file structure information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality differentiation by applying strong encryption only to critical header fields and side-information, while leaving payload fields unencrypted or lightly protected. This localized approach reduces overall processing overhead by minimizing the amount of data subjected to computationally intensive encryption operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A media storage and playback apparatus encrypts header fields and side-information fields within respective packets of a compressed, packetized media file to obfuscate unencrypted payload fields within the packets. After encrypting the header fields and side-information fields, the media storage and playback apparatus stores the encrypted header fields and side-information fields together with the unencrypted payload fields within a nonvolatile storage for later retrieval, decryption and playback.