Patent ID: 9203816
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method executable by a computerized key server communicating on a network, the method comprising: storing, at the key server, a set of encryption keys each corresponding to one of a plurality of different copies of a media content, wherein each of the different copies of the media content is stored on a content server separate from the key server, wherein each of the plurality of different copies is made up of a set of individually-requestable data segments each representing a portion of the media content, and wherein each of the sets of individually-requestable data segments represents a different version of the same media content encoded according to one of a plurality of different quality levels in a separate file that is individually identifiable and requestable from the separate content server by a client device; subsequently receiving a request for playback permission from the client device by the key server, wherein the request for playback permission comprises information that identifies the client device and an identifier of the media content; using the information of the request for playback permission received at the key server, applying a set of one or more business rules by the key server to determine which of the sets of individually-requestable data segments representing different versions of the same media content, if any, are approved for playback on the client device; sending access information from the key server to the client device, the access information comprising a key file containing encryption keys for multiple ones of the different copies of the media content that are approved for playback on the client device to thereby allow the client device to adaptively request data segments from any of the different copies of the media content that are approved for playback by the client device.