Receiver Content Playback Timing and Security

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing digital content distribution systems face issues where users can potentially illegally access content by obtaining key information before content data is fully downloaded, and users cannot play back encrypted content until key information is received, leading to incomplete playback if downloading is interrupted.

Innovation Solution

A method where key information for content encryption is downloaded only after content data completion, allowing playback to start before full download is finished, ensuring secure and timely access to digital content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If key information is downloaded before content data completion, then user can start playback earlier, but security is compromised and illegal use becomes possible

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplayback start timeVSAvoidcontent security
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the content delivery process into two separate downloads: content data and key information. This segmentation allows the system to control when key information is provided - only after content data download is confirmed complete - thereby preventing illegal monitoring while enabling playback to start as soon as key information arrives, resolving the security-playback timing contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If key information is downloaded after content data completion, then content security is maintained, but playback cannot start before full download

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent securityVSAvoidplayback start time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by having the receiver continuously monitor download completion status and automatically initiate the key information download process as soon as content data download is confirmed complete. This preliminary preparation ensures that key information is obtained without delay, allowing playback to start immediately once the key information arrives, thus maintaining security while minimizing playback start time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If content data and key information are downloaded together, then download process is simple, but key information may be misused if download is interrupted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedownload process complexityVSAvoidcontent protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts key information from the content data download process and handles it as a separate, independent download. This extraction ensures that key information is not provided until content data download is fully confirmed complete, preventing scenarios where interrupted downloads could lead to key information misuse. The separate handling adds some procedural complexity but significantly enhances content protection reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2178298B8Receiver and receiving method
Publication Date: 2015.02.25 HITACHI CONSUMER ELECTRONICS CORP

AI summary

By deciding procedures for downloading content data and downloading key information, a safe service is provided for a content distributor and a method which can start playback before completion of the downloading of the content data is provided, thereby providing a technique easy for a user. A receiver has: an interface unit being adapted to download encoded content data and key information for decoding the content data from a communication line; a storage unit being adapted to store the downloaded content data and key information from the interface unit; and a control unit which decodes the content data outputted from the storage unit using the key information. The control unit downloads the key information after the content data is downloaded entirely.