Streaming Content Rights Controller for DRM Enforcement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current digital rights management systems fail to effectively protect content owners' rights when their content is captured and distributed by others, especially with the rise of portable devices and online sharing, as they lack mechanisms to manage and enforce usage rights independently of authorized digital copies.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for digital rights management of streaming captured content that uses a captured content rights controller to analyze and enforce DRM rules based on sequences of elements detected within the content, restricting unauthorized use by identifying and applying usage rights through a captured content rules database and content analysis controller.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If current DRM systems are used to protect authorized digital copies, then content distribution control is maintained, but protection against unauthorized capture and distribution by others is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent protection effectivenessVSAvoidcoverage of captured content
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments captured content into identifiable elements (images, audio, video fragments) and applies DRM rules to each element independently. The content analysis controller breaks down captured content into discrete detectable units that can be individually matched against protected content databases, enabling granular protection of captured material.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The captured content rights controller acts as an intermediary between unauthorized capture devices and the DRM system. It receives captured content, analyzes it for protected elements, determines applicable DRM rules, and enforces restrictions without requiring the original authorized copy. This mediator enables protection extension to third-party captures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If DRM rules are applied to all captured content, then comprehensive protection is achieved, but system complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverights enforcement completenessVSAvoidDRM system structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis by first identifying protected content elements within captured material before applying full DRM enforcement. The content analysis controller pre-screens captured content against protected content databases to detect presence of protected elements, allowing the system to selectively apply complex DRM rules only when protected content is detected, rather than processing all captured content uniformly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different levels of DRM enforcement to different portions of captured content based on local characteristics. When protected elements are detected in specific segments of captured content, DRM rules are applied selectively to those segments rather than the entire capture, optimizing processing resources while maintaining comprehensive protection where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of operation

If sequence-based DRM rules are implemented for captured content, then precise control over usage scenarios is achieved, but detection and measurement difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveusage rights managementVSAvoidsequence element identification
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback loops where the content analysis controller continuously monitors captured content for protected elements and their sequences. When elements are detected in a protected sequence, the captured content rights controller receives feedback and automatically applies the appropriate DRM rules. This feedback mechanism simplifies operations by automating the complex task of sequence detection and rule application, reducing manual intervention requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2260424B1Digital rights management of streaming captured content based on criteria regulating a sequence of elements
Publication Date: 2012.07.04 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • EP2260424B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2260424B1 patent drawingFigure 3~6
  • EP2260424B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A captured content rights controller detects a first portion of streaming captured content and a second portion of the streaming captured content after the first portion of the streaming captured content is detected. The captured content rights controller determines whether rendering the second portion of the streaming captured content after the first portion of the streaming captured content is subject to at least one digital rights management protection rule for streaming captured content as specified by at least one owner of at least one restricted element within the streaming captured content captured independent of distribution of the content by the owner of the at least one restricted element within the streaming captured content. The captured content rights controller applies the at least one digital rights management protection rule to restrict rendering of the second portion of the streaming captured content after the first portion of the streaming captured content.