Terminal Device Timestamp Management for Playback Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Terminal devices without secure clocks face challenges in accurately managing playback time limits for content due to clocking errors and intentional time alterations, leading to potential illegal use of content, and they also incur high processing loads during playback due to frequent timestamp updates.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a terminal device with a secure clock that synchronizes with standard time data to create and manage timestamp files, determining whether the clock is secure or self-running to adjust timestamp file updates accordingly, thereby eliminating clocking errors and reducing processing loads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a terminal device uses a built-in clock with self-running clocking, then the device can operate independently without external time synchronization, but the clocking error and drift prevent accurate management of playback time limits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a timestamp file as an intermediary record that stores the clocking time at content recording. This timestamp serves as a reference point that allows the system to calculate elapsed playback time without relying on the continuous accuracy of the built-in clock, thereby resolving the contradiction between independent operation and time limit accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If a terminal device uses a secure clock that synchronizes with standard time data, then the playback time limit can be accurately managed, but the device complexity increases due to additional synchronization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the time recording action in advance by storing the clocking time in a timestamp file at the moment of content recording. This preliminary action eliminates the need for continuous time synchronization during playback, as the elapsed time is calculated based on the pre-recorded timestamp rather than real-time clock synchronization, thus reducing device complexity while maintaining accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If a terminal device updates the timestamp file at every playback start and completion, then the playback time can be accurately tracked, but the processing load becomes heavy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a selective update strategy where the timestamp file is updated only when necessary (e.g., when actual playback occurs), rather than at every playback start and completion unconditionally. This partial action approach reduces the processing load while still maintaining accurate playback time tracking for actual content playback events.
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal device determines whether a clock is a secure clock or a self-running clock. If the clock is the self-running clock, the device stores a clocking time of the clock as a timestamp file in a memory card in recording content. In playing back the content, the device determines validity of a clocking time using the timestamp file to play back the content and also updates the stored time of the stored time as the timestamp file to a content playback start time. In contrast, if the clock is the secure clock, the device stores the timestamp file indicating a recording time of the content in the memory card only in recording the content and omits updating the stored time as the timestamp file in playing back the content.