Stream encryption key management

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11184331-B1
Application number	US-201815860577-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 2, 2018
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

In some implementations, a system is capable of managing keys for encrypting media streams over UDP communications between a media source and an associated server. A key is initially generated for encrypting a media stream captured by a media source device associated with a monitoring system of a property. A first instruction is provided to the media source device and over a secure communication channel. The first instruction causes the media source device to encrypt the media stream using the key when received by the media source device. A second instruction is generated for decrypting the encrypted media stream. The second instruction is provided to a computing device associated with the property. The second instruction causes the computing device to decrypt the encrypted media stream when received by the computing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by one or more computers, the method comprising:
providing, to a media source device and over a secure Transport Control Protocol (TCP) communication channel, an encryption key that permits encryption of a live video stream of a property that is captured in real time by the media source device, wherein the media source device is associated with a monitoring system of the property;
obtaining, from a computing device, a request to access the live video stream, wherein the computing device is remote from the property when providing the request;
providing an instruction to the media source device that, when received by the media source device, causes the media source device to encrypt the live video stream being captured using the encryption key;
obtaining, from the media source device and over an unsecure User Datagram Protocol (UDP) communication channel, an encrypted live video stream that was encrypted by the media source device using the encryption key; and
providing, to the computing device in response to the request and over the unsecure UDP communication channel, data indicating the encrypted live video stream and a set of instructions that, when received by the computing device, causes the computing device to (i) decrypt the encrypted live video stream and (ii) based on decrypting the live video stream, access the live video stream while the live video stream is being captured by the media source device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted live video stream; and
wherein the set of instructions provided to the computing device includes (i) the decryption key, and (ii) one or more commands that cause the computing device to decrypt and render the encrypted live video stream using the decryption key.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure TCP communication channel comprises a virtual private network (VPN) channel.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
decrypting the encrypted live video stream using a decryption key; and
storing a decrypted live video stream in a database record associated with the monitoring system of the property.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
determining, based on a device type of the computing device, a particular encryption format for encrypting the decrypted live video stream for transmission to the computing device;
encrypting the decrypted live video stream according to the particular encryption format;
generating a second encrypted live video stream based on encrypting the decrypted live video stream according to the particular encryption format; and
wherein the data provided to the computing device includes (i) the second encrypted live video stream and (ii) one or more commands that permit the computing device to decrypt and render the second encrypted live video stream.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted live video stream and the set of instructions are provided to the computing device over a same communication channel.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the media source device comprises a security camera located in the property; and
the live video stream comprises security footage of the property captured in real time by the security camera.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the instruction that is provided to the media source device causes the media source device to encrypt a first portion of the live video stream being captured using the encryption key;
the encrypted live video stream obtained from the media source device comprises a first encrypted portion of the live video stream that was encrypted by the media source device using the encryption key; and
the set of instructions provided to the computing device causes the computing device to (i) decrypt the first encrypted portion of the live video steam and (ii) based on decrypting the first encrypted portion of the live video stream, access the first portion of the live video stream while a second portion of the live video stream is being captured by the media source device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the data indicating the encrypted live video stream and the set of instructions to the computing device comprises, providing, to the computing device, one or more UDP data packets over the unsecure UDP communication channel.

10. A system comprising:
one or more computers; and
one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
providing, to a media source device and over a secure Transport Control Protocol (TCP) communication channel, an encryption key that permits encryption of a live video stream of a property that is captured in real time by the media source device, wherein the media source device is associated with a monitoring system of the property;
obtaining, from a computing device, a request to access the live video stream, wherein the computing device is remote from the property when providing the request;
providing an instruction to the media source device that, when received by the media source device, causes the media source device to encrypt the live video stream being captured using the encryption key;
obtaining, from the media source device and over an unsecure User Datagram Protocol (UDP) communication channel, an encrypted live video stream that was encrypted by the media source device using the encryption key; and
providing, to the computing device in response to the request and over the unsecure UDP communication channel, data indicating the encrypted live video stream and a set of instructions that, when received by the computing device, causes the computing device to (i) decrypt the encrypted live video stream and (ii) based on decrypting the live video stream, access the live video stream while the live video stream is being captured by the media source device.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
generating a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted live video stream; and
wherein the set of instructions provided to the computing device includes (i) the decryption key, and (ii) one or more commands that cause the computing device to decrypt and render the encrypted live video stream using the decryption key.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:
decrypting the encrypted live video stream using a decryption key; and
storing a decrypted live video stream in a database record associated with the monitoring system of the property.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:
determining, based on a device type of the computing device, a particular encryption format for encrypting the decrypted live video stream for transmission to the computing device;
encrypting the decrypted live video stream according to the particular encryption format;
generating a second encrypted live video stream based on encrypting the decrypted live video stream according to the particular encryption format; and
wherein the data provided to the computing device includes (i) the second encrypted live video stream and (ii) one or more commands that permit the computing device to decrypt and render the second encrypted live video stream.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage device encoded with computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
providing, to a media source device and over a secure Transport Control Protocol (TCP) communicatio

Assignees

• Alarm Com Inc

Inventors

• Berg Benjamin Asher
• Silverman Christopher

Classifications

• H04N21/4405

  involving video stream decryption · CPC title

• H04N21/41407

  embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop (constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57) · CPC title

• H04N21/26613

  for generating or managing keys in general (key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04) · CPC title

• H04N21/2347

  involving video stream encryption · CPC title

• H04N21/2143

  located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum (arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106) · CPC title