MPD Signaling for Multi-Encryption Adaptive Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional approaches to encoding MPEG streams typically rely on a single algorithm, limiting the ability to merge content from different sources into a single stream, such as entertainment content from one source and commercials from another, and do not efficiently handle protected and non-protected content in adaptive streaming scenarios.
Innovation Solution
The use of signaling fields in Media Presentation Description (MPD) files to indicate the encryption scheme applied to the stream, allowing for the handling of protected and non-protected content in adaptive and efficient ways without examining content components, and enabling clients to make dynamic adaptations by obtaining encryption metadata, keys, and licenses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a single encryption algorithm is used for encoding MPEG streams, then the encoding process is simple and consistent, but the ability to merge content from different sources into a single stream is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the content stream into multiple adaptation sets, each representing content from different sources with potentially different encryption schemes. This allows the system to maintain simple encoding within each segment while supporting multiple encryption algorithms across different segments, enabling content merging without compromising encoding simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal container structure that can hold multiple adaptation sets with different encryption schemes (e.g., AES-128, AES-256, RSA). This multi-functional structure enables the system to handle diverse content sources with different security requirements while maintaining a unified streaming format, thus improving content merging capability without sacrificing encoding simplicity.
2Ease of operation
If encryption metadata is pushed with the content, then clients can obtain encryption information, but the complexity of content delivery increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts encryption metadata from the content stream and places it in separate signaling structures (MPD files, initialization segments). This separation allows clients to access encryption information independently without processing the entire content stream, reducing delivery complexity while maintaining ease of access to encryption data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent prepares encryption metadata in advance and delivers it to clients before or alongside the encrypted content. By pre-configuring the MPD files with encryption scheme information, key identifiers, and access URLs, the system enables clients to obtain encryption information proactively, reducing the need for complex real-time metadata delivery mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus comprising a memory, a processor coupled to the memory and configured to obtain a protection description for media content comprising a plurality of content items, wherein the protection description comprises data signaling at least two protection mechanisms for at least two content items in a media content, wherein each of the at least two content items is protected by one or more of the at least two protection mechanisms, and wherein the protection mechanisms for the at least two content items are different, determine the protection mechanisms for the at least two content items from the data, and process the at least two content items according to their associated protection mechanisms.