Remote Authentication for Audio-Visual Products via Mobile Intermediary

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional encryption and authentication methods for audio-visual products fail to provide reliable copyright protection as they typically conduct authentication on the player side, making them vulnerable to illegal access.

Innovation Solution

The authentication data and process are separated by transmitting authentication data from a player to a mobile communication device, which then forwards it to an authentication server for processing, ensuring that the authentication occurs remotely and not on the player side.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If authentication data and authentication process are both conducted on the player side, then the authentication process is simple and fast, but the system is vulnerable to illegal access and copyright protection is unreliable

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecopyright protection reliabilityVSAvoidauthentication system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The authentication system is segmented into multiple independent components: authentication data storage (separate from the player), authentication process execution (on authentication server), and result verification (at player). This segmentation prevents unauthorized access because no single component contains both the keys and the authentication logic, resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

An authentication server acts as an intermediary between the player and the authentication data. The server receives authentication requests, processes them using stored authentication data, and returns results. This intermediary architecture enhances copyright protection reliability by centralizing secure authentication operations while maintaining system manageability through standardized communication protocols.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If authentication data is separated from authentication process and stored remotely, then copyright protection is more reliable, but the authentication system becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveauthentication securityVSAvoidsystem architecture complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Authentication data is extracted from the player and stored remotely on an authentication server. The player only retains authentication logic and result verification capabilities, while the sensitive authentication data resides in a secure remote location. This extraction improves authentication security by removing the security vulnerability of having both data and processing on the same device, while the standardized interface minimizes the perceived complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The authentication server serves as an intermediary that manages authentication data securely and processes authentication requests. This mediator architecture separates concerns: the player handles user interaction and basic processing, while the server handles secure data storage and authentication logic, making the overall system more manageable despite the distributed architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If authentication is conducted remotely over wireless network, then illegal duplication is prevented, but authentication time and network dependency increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveanti-duplication effectivenessVSAvoidauthentication time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Authentication data is pre-loaded and securely stored on the authentication server before any playback occurs. When a player requests authentication, the server already has the necessary credentials ready, enabling rapid verification without requiring real-time data retrieval or complex computations during the authentication moment, thus reducing authentication time while maintaining strong anti-duplication protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2661044B1Remote authentication between a mobile device and an audio-video product in a player
Publication Date: 2019.01.16 HUIZHOU TCL MOBILE COMM CO LTD
  • EP2661044B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2661044B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP2661044B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Disclosed is an authentication method, including: acquiring authentication data recorded in an audio-visual product using a player and sending the authentication data to a mobile communication device; sending the authentication data to an authentication server using the mobile communication device; authenticating the authentication data using the authentication server to acquire the authentication result; and sending the authentication result to the player using the mobile communication device. Further provided are a player, a mobile communication device, an authentication server and an authentication system. By way of the above method, the technical solution provided in the present invention can provide reliable copyright protection for audio-visual products.