Secured Media Stream Context Identifier Handling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing secure media stream protocols, such as SRTP, fail to ensure end-to-end confidentiality and integrity protection when media streams are sent through intermediate nodes, as they require separate keys and context identifiers that can lead to collisions and unauthorized access by intermediate nodes.

Innovation Solution

The method involves using both end-to-end and hop-by-hop context identifiers to securely transmit media streams through intermediate nodes, ensuring that only the receiving node can recover the original stream while preventing intermediate nodes from accessing the encrypted data. This is achieved by generating a second secured media stream that includes the payload and context identifiers, which are then sent to the receiving node along with the context identifiers necessary for recovery.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If SRTP is used to protect media streams, then confidentiality and integrity protection are provided during transport between two peers, but intermediate nodes can still access or manipulate the plaintext media data if they have the necessary keys

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfidentiality protectionVSAvoidintermediate node access

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the media stream into multiple independently encrypted streams, each with its own key. This allows the media to be distributed across multiple encryption contexts, preventing any single intermediate node from accessing the complete plaintext media data even if it compromises one encryption key.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a trusted intermediary (such as a mailbox server or network answering machine) that can store and forward media streams without having access to the decryption keys. This intermediary acts as a mediator that enables store-and-forward mechanisms while maintaining end-to-end confidentiality protection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If separate keys are used for each media stream to prevent unauthorized access, then confidentiality is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple key management requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconfidentiality protectionVSAvoidkey management

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a unified key management framework where a single encryption key can be applied across multiple media streams. The encryption mechanism is designed to be universal, allowing the same key to protect different streams while maintaining the ability to independently control access to each stream through contextual parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Ease of operation

If context identifiers are used to identify encrypted streams, then stream identification is enabled, but collisions may occur leading to unauthorized access or incorrect decryption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestream identificationVSAvoididentification accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by making context identifiers stream-specific and locally unique to each encrypted media stream. Each stream is tagged with its own distinctive context identifier that is embedded in the stream metadata, ensuring that identification is accurate and collision-free for each individual stream while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

4Adaptability or versatility

If intermediate nodes can store and forward media streams, then network flexibility is improved, but integrity protection becomes more difficult to maintain across multiple hops

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestore and forward capabilityVSAvoidintegrity protection

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by establishing end-to-end integrity protection mechanisms before the media stream reaches intermediate nodes. Cryptographic integrity checks are performed on the complete media stream from source to destination, preventing intermediate nodes from tampering with the content while still allowing them to store and forward the encrypted data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8966105B2Sending secure media streams

Publication Date: 2015.02.24 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

A method and apparatus for sending a first secured media stream having a payload via an intermediate node. The intermediate node receives from a sender the first secured media stream. An end-to-end context identifier and a hop-by-hop context identifier are determined for the first secured media stream, where the hop-by-hop context identifier relates to the intermediate node and the end-to-end identifier relates to the sender. A second secured media stream is generated, which includes at least the payload of the first secured media stream and the context identifiers to identify the first secured media stream. The second secured media stream is sent to a receiving node, and the context identifiers are also sent to the receiving node. The context identifiers are usable by the receiving node to recover the first secured media stream.