Scheme-Agnostic DRM Interface for Multi-Scheme Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
User devices need to maintain and update multiple APIs and protocols for different DRM solutions, leading to increased computational complexity in processing DRM requests.
Innovation Solution
A shared DRM server provides a scheme-agnostic API for user devices to send DRM requests, which are then converted into scheme-specific requests to communicate with specific DRM vendors, allowing responses to be processed through the same API.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If user devices maintain multiple APIs and protocols for different DRM solutions, then compatibility with various DRM schemes is achieved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a DRM server as an intermediary between the user device and multiple DRM vendors. The device communicates with the DRM server using a single unified API, and the server handles the complexity of translating requests to different vendor-specific protocols. This mediator approach resolves the contradiction by centralizing protocol management externally, allowing the device to maintain simplicity while achieving broad DRM compatibility through the server's translation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The DRM server is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple DRM schemes through a single interface. It implements support for various DRM vendors (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay, etc.) while presenting a unified API to client devices. This multi-functional design allows the system to maintain versatility across different DRM standards without requiring the device to implement each protocol individually, thus reducing computational complexity while preserving adaptability.
2Reliability
If user devices implement multiple DRM APIs locally, then direct access to DRM vendors is enabled, but maintenance and update overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The DRM server acts as a centralized intermediary that manages all DRM vendor communications. Instead of distributing DRM API implementation across multiple devices (which creates maintenance overhead), the server consolidates this functionality in one location. Updates and maintenance are performed centrally on the server, ensuring reliability of DRM access while dramatically reducing the maintenance burden compared to implementing multiple DRM APIs in each user device.
3Ease of operation
If a unified scheme-agnostic API is used, then device simplicity is maintained, but protocol translation complexity shifts to the server
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the DRM protocol handling responsibilities: the client device handles only the simple unified API interactions, while the DRM server handles the complex protocol translation to various vendor-specific formats. This segmentation of functionality allows the device to remain operationally simple while the server assumes the processing complexity of managing multiple DRM protocols, effectively redistributing the computational burden to where it can be centralized and managed efficiently.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems and methods for a digital rights management (DRM) interface. A DRM request can be received via a scheme-agnostic application program interface (API). A scheme-specific request based on the DRM request can be transmitted via a scheme-specific API. A response to the scheme-specific request can be received via the scheme-specific API. A response to the DRM request can be transmitted via the scheme-agnostic API.