Multimedia Content Slicing for Progressive Playback and Secure Payment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multimedia content transmission methods, such as buffering distribution, fail to provide real-time access to live content and do not allow clients to start playing content before full download, risking incomplete payment for unused content.
Innovation Solution
A system that slices multimedia content into encrypted files, allowing progressive payment and playback by providing decryption keys slice-by-slice, enabling clients to start playing content before full download and ensuring payment only for received content, while using HTTP protocol for reliable transmission over IP networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire content is encrypted and the decryption key is provided only after full download, then content protection is ensured, but the client cannot start playback before download completion and may not pay for unused content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the encrypted content into multiple segments (first encrypted content segment, second encrypted content segment, etc.) and provides corresponding decryption keys sequentially. This allows the client to download and decrypt only the necessary portions for playback rather than waiting for the entire content download, resolving the contradiction between content protection and reducing download waiting time.
2Loss of time
If the client can start playback before full download, then waiting time is reduced, but the client may disconnect without paying for the full content
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the content and providing decryption keys sequentially only for downloaded segments, the system ensures that clients can start playback immediately while only being able to access and pay for the portions they have actually downloaded. This resolves the contradiction between reducing waiting time and ensuring payment assurance.
3Loss of time
If content is divided into multiple files for download, then playback can start earlier, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides content into segments with separate encryption and key management, enabling earlier playback start. The complexity is managed through a structured approach where each segment has its own decryption key provided sequentially, making the system manageable despite the increased complexity from multiple files.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a key server as an intermediary component that manages the distribution of decryption keys to clients. This mediator handles the complexity of key management and segmentation logistics, allowing the content delivery system to function smoothly without requiring complex client-side implementation.
4Reliability
If decryption keys are provided after full download, then successful receipt is confirmed, but clients cannot access content progressively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the content and provides decryption keys for each segment as it is downloaded, rather than waiting for full download. This allows clients to access and play back content progressively as segments arrive, resolving the contradiction between confirming successful receipt and enabling fast content access.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention proposes to divide a content to be transmitted via a network into a set of slices and to generate a set of files from this set of slices. The slices (or the files) are encrypted before downloading in such a way that the client cannot use the slice (or the file) before having acquired the associated decryption key. The invention thereby allows protecting a downloaded content on a slice-by-slice basis (or on a file-by-file basis) rather than protecting a downloaded content as a whole. The transmission (in download mode) between the server and the client is ruled by the HTTP protocol that is accepted by all firewalls and NAT. Consequently, the transmitted content is accessible for any client device that has access to the Web without restriction. Advantageously, the slices can be decoded independently of each other.