Tamper Resistant Video Rendering via Hash Verification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional media player applications allow users to bypass or eliminate embedded advertisements, frustrating the revenue model for content providers who rely on advertisers, as users modify media files to omit or delete ad content.
Innovation Solution
A media program is defined as an integrated set of media files including both content and promotional materials, with security tokens computed on random subsets of these files to ensure that advertisements are viewed, using a hash engine and block selector to identify and authenticate specific blocks within the media program, providing storage-level security by recalculating and comparing hash values during playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional media player applications allow users to modify media files to omit advertisements, then user control and ease of operation are improved, but the revenue model for content providers and the integrity of the media program are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by computing security tokens (hash values) for media files before distribution to subscribers. These pre-computed tokens are stored and later used to verify file integrity during playback, preventing users from modifying files to remove advertisements without detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback through a verification mechanism that compares security tokens of original media files against tokens of files being played back. This feedback loop detects any modifications made by users, ensuring that advertisements cannot be removed without triggering an integrity check failure.
2Reliability
If security tokens are computed on all media files including advertisements, then advertisement integrity is protected, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the media program into distinct components (content files and advertisement files) and computing security tokens for each segment separately. This allows selective verification of only the advertisement portions during playback, reducing the overall processing time compared to verifying entire media programs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by computing and verifying security tokens only for specific portions of media files that contain advertisements, rather than processing entire media programs. This selective approach maintains advertisement integrity while minimizing computational overhead and processing time.
3Reliability
If the media program structure integrates content and advertisements as a whole, then tampering detection is simplified, but flexibility in content delivery and user customization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by maintaining a structured integration of content and advertisement files within the media program, where each file retains its individual identity and security token. This segmentation enables tampering detection at the file level while preserving the ability to selectively deliver different content or advertisement components based on user preferences or licensing agreements.
Data Source
AI summary
Video media subscribers attempt to circumvent embedded ads in downloads by modifying the media files to render only the content feature. A media program is defined as an integrated set of media files including the requested content feature and the accompanying promotional materials. Media files associated with a particular content feature are stored as an integrated whole, and security tokens computed on selected random portions of the collection of media files that define the media program (content feature and interspersed ads). A hash engine computes a security token on selected blocks of the media files. The security tokens and corresponding metadata are stored in a secure repository. Before rendering the content feature, the hash values are recomputed on the downloaded media program; and compared to the corresponding locations from the stored hash values and metadata.