Offline Digital Rights Management with Early Status Messages
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Solution Overview
Problem
Digital rights management (DRM) systems face challenges in managing rights for client devices that are offline, leading to inconvenience and loss of control over asset usage, especially when multiple devices within a user group have stored copies of the same asset.
Innovation Solution
A DRM system architecture that allows client devices to operate in offline mode by determining if they are online, identifying stored rights objects with reporting duration information, and transmitting early status messages to manage asset access without direct authorization from the DRM system, ensuring accurate rights management and access without delay or denial.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the DRM system requires client devices to obtain approval before utilizing stored assets, then rights management control is maintained, but user access is delayed or denied when devices are offline
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authorization by granting offline devices a limited approval to utilize stored assets without requiring real-time communication with the DRM system. This preliminary action allows devices to access assets during offline periods while maintaining rights management control through pre-established authorization rules.
Solution Approach 2:
The DRM system dynamically adjusts its authorization approach based on device online/offline status. When devices are offline, the system transitions from requiring real-time approval to allowing limited offline utilization, and when online again, it re-establishes full control through status message verification and rights validation.
2Ease of operation
If the DRM system permits offline client devices to utilize stored assets without prior approval, then user access convenience is improved, but control over rights management is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where offline devices transmit status messages upon coming online, reporting asset utilization information. The DRM system processes these messages to verify rights compliance, determine if revocation is necessary, and update authorization status. This feedback loop restores control after permitting offline access.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary authorization layer that operates independently of real-time DRM system communication. This intermediary mechanism grants limited offline approval based on pre-established rules, then uses feedback from status messages to coordinate with the DRM system, maintaining rights control without requiring continuous online communication.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple client devices in a user group have stored copies of the same asset, then user versatility is improved, but tracking and managing rights across devices becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The DRM system implements universal rights management that works consistently across multiple devices in a user group. The same authorization rules, status message protocols, and feedback mechanisms apply to all devices regardless of which specific device is accessing which asset, simplifying tracking and management while supporting multi-device versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
There is a performing of digital rights management (DRM), operable in an offline mode with respect to a communications network. The performing includes identifying a stored rights object associated with a stored asset. The stored rights object includes reporting duration information associated with the stored asset. The performing also includes determining, utilizing a processor, whether a transmission of an early status message is a successful communication based on an early status message determination. If a failure in communicating the early status message is determined, utilizing the stored asset. The performing may also include transmitting an early status message and/or later status message after identifying the stored rights object. There is also a performing of digital rights management (DRM) associated with a DRM system and operable in an offline mode with respect to a communications network. There are also client devices, communicating systems, computer readable mediums and protocols.