Transport Stream Splicing for Set-Top Box Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content providers face challenges in creating video watermarks that uniquely identify set-top boxes without interfering with content delivery, as high video data processing consumes valuable processor cycles and many systems do not allow access to decrypted video data, and existing methods do not effectively deter unauthorized retransmission or reproduction.
Innovation Solution
The system uses transport stream splicing to encode a device's identity into a video stream by duplicating data streams with different watermarks, multiplexing them, and broadcasting them, allowing the device to splice and generate a unique signature for output without requiring unrestricted access to decrypted data, and can include geographic information for identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If video watermarking is implemented using set-top box CPU to process decoded video stream, then unique device identification is achieved, but processor cycles are consumed and content delivery is interfered with
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the watermarking operation from the CPU processing path and implements it at the transport stream level using splicing operations. This separates the identification function from the main video processing pipeline, allowing content delivery to proceed without interruption while still achieving device identification through watermark insertion in the transport stream packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces transport stream packets as an intermediary carrier for watermark data. Instead of directly processing decoded video frames, the system embeds identification information in transport stream packets that mediate between the source content and the output, enabling watermarking without interfering with the main video processing pipeline.
2Ease of manufacture
If set-top CPU is granted access to decrypted video data, then watermarking capability is improved, but system security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the watermarking function from the secure decrypted video processing path and relocates it to the transport stream layer. This allows watermarking to be performed using only encrypted transport stream data, eliminating the need for CPU access to decrypted video while still enabling device identification through splicing operations on transport packets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates copies of transport stream packets with different watermark identifiers and splices them together. This copying approach operates entirely on encrypted transport data without requiring decryption, maintaining security while enabling the watermarking functionality through manipulation of packet copies at the transport layer.
3Manufacturing precision
If high-density video processing is performed in real-time, then video quality is maintained, but memory consumption and processor usage increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the identification function from high-resource video processing and implements it at the transport stream packet level. This allows watermarking to be performed using minimal memory and processing resources by operating on packet metadata rather than actual video data, while video quality remains unaffected as the main processing pipeline is not disturbed.
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and methods for indicating the identity of a device for receiving and retransmitting programming information. The device, which may be a set-top box or suitable communication network receiver, may be configured to receive a broadcast signal from an antenna, which may be a satellite, a cable, an electronic communication network or any other suitable source. The programming information may be any type of audio or video data, or any other suitable type of data. The broadcast signal may have multiple channels that include the programming information. Each of the channels may include a distinct watermark. The device may splice between the channels to generate a signature that the device may embed in an output data stream that may be used to display or perform the programming information.