Network Coding for Secure Video Streaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless video streaming technologies face challenges in providing secure, reliable, and efficient video delivery to heterogeneous receivers with different subscription levels over lossy wireless networks, where packet loss and unauthorized access are prevalent, and the computational resources required for decryption and encryption are substantial.

Innovation Solution

A method and system utilizing network coding to limit encryption operations to specific network coding coefficients, combining multi-resolution video coding with algebraic operations to achieve hierarchical fidelity levels, robustness against packet loss, and efficient security, by treating the network code as a cipher to reduce computational complexity and integrate security with coding for error resilience.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If encryption is applied to the complete video stream, then security is improved, but processing power requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovesecurityVSAvoidprocessing power
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The video stream is divided into multiple layers (base layer and enhancement layers) with different security requirements. Only the base layer is encrypted, while enhancement layers are transmitted in clear or with reduced encryption, thereby maintaining security for essential content while reducing overall processing power requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different security levels are applied to different parts of the video stream based on their importance. The base layer receives full encryption protection, while enhancement layers receive reduced or no encryption, creating a localized security approach that optimizes the balance between security and processing power.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Device complexity

If layered coding is used, then processing complexity is reduced, but prioritization and scheduling problems arise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedecoding complexityVSAvoidscheduling
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Priority tags and scheduling information are pre-assigned to each layer during the encoding phase. The base layer is marked with highest priority and scheduled for transmission first, while enhancement layers are marked with lower priorities. This preliminary organization eliminates the need for complex real-time scheduling decisions at relay nodes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If network coding is used, then robustness to packet loss is improved, but synchronization requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverobustness to packet lossVSAvoidsynchronization delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The video stream is segmented into independent layers that can be decoded separately. This segmentation allows receivers to reconstruct video content from received packets without requiring strict synchronization between all packets, as each layer can be processed independently to provide robustness against packet loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Adaptability or versatility

If multi-resolution video streaming is provided to heterogeneous receivers, then adaptability is improved, but security management complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability to different subscription levelsVSAvoidsecurity management
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The video content is segmented into multiple resolution layers (base layer and enhancement layers) that can be independently protected with different encryption keys. Each receiver type (mobile phone, PDA, laptop) is assigned specific layers based on their capabilities and subscription level, simplifying security management while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentEP2550806B1Secure network coding for multi-resolution wireless video streaming
Publication Date: 2019.05.15 MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECH
  • EP2550806B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2550806B1 patent drawingFigure 4
  • EP2550806B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Described herein is a method and system for hierarchical wireless video with network coding which limits encryption operations to a critical set of network coding coefficients in combination with multi-resolution video coding. Such a method and system achieves hierarchical fidelity levels, robustness against wireless packet loss and efficient security by exploiting the algebraic structure of network coding.