Encrypted shared state for electronic conferencing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12069036-B2
Application number	US-202217707926-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2022
Priority date	May 15, 2021
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology provide for shared experience sessions within a group communications session such as a video call. The shared experience session may be, as one example, a co-watching session in which the participants in the call watch a video together while in the call. Encrypted shared state data may be exchanged between the participant devices, with which the participant devices can provide synchronized and coordinated output of shared experience data for the shared experience session of the group communications session.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
encrypting, by a first participant device using a first encryption key, user communications data for a group communications session;
providing the encrypted user communications data from the first participant device to a second participant device during the group communications session;
accessing, from an application running on the first participant device, shared state data for a shared experience session of the group communications session;
encrypting, by the first participant device and using a second encryption key different from the first encryption key, the accessed shared state data, wherein the second encryption key is derived using information corresponding to the shared experience session; and
providing the encrypted shared state data from the first participant device to the second participant device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared state data includes state information indicating a state of a streaming of media streaming data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information corresponding to the shared experience session comprises a topic corresponding to the shared experience session, and wherein the second encryption key is derived from the topic and at least one of a public key or the first encryption key.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating, by the first participant device, the shared experience session from within the group communications session.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the group communications session includes the shared experience session, which has an application-specific topic corresponding to the application, and at least one additional shared experience session having an additional application-specific topic corresponding to an additional application running on the first participant device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second encryption key is derived from an identifier of the application-specific topic and a public key that is the same for all participant devices in the group communication session.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least a third encryption key is derived for the at least one additional shared experience session from the public key and an additional identifier of the additional application-specific topic.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a third encryption key, different from the first encryption key, for encrypting the user communications data after encrypting the user communications data with the first encryption key for a period of time;
encrypting the shared state data with the second encryption key during the period of time; continuing to encrypt the shared state data with the second encryption key after the period of time;
determining, after an additional period of time following the period of time, that a new participant device has joined the group communications session; and
responsive to determining that the new participant device has joined the group communications session:
generating a fourth encryption key, different from the first encryption key and the third encryption key, for encrypting the user communications data; and
generating a fifth encryption key, different from the second encryption key, for encrypting the shared state data.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the first participant device, a key recovery request from the second participant device; and
responsive to the key recovery request:
encrypting the second encryption key using an additional key previously exchanged by the first participant device and the second participant device; and
providing the encrypted second encryption key from the first participant device to the second participant device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising deriving the second encryption key at the first participant device.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, by the first participant device:
receiving encrypted shared state data provided by the second participant device;
decrypting, by the first participant device and using the second encryption key, the received encrypted shared state data to generate decrypted data; and
providing the decrypted data to the application running on the first participant device.

12. A device, comprising:
a memory; and
one or more processors configured to:
encrypt, using a first encryption key, user communications data for a group communications session including, wherein the device is a first participant device in the group communications session;
provide the encrypted user communications data to a second participant device during the group communications session;
access, from an application running on the first participant device, shared state data for a shared experience session of the group communications session;
encrypt, using a second encryption key different from the first encryption key, the accessed shared state data, wherein the second encryption key is derived using information corresponding to the shared experience session; and
provide the encrypted shared state data from the first participant device to the second participant device.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the shared state data includes state information indicating a state of a streaming of media streaming data.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the information corresponding to the shared experience session comprises a topic corresponding to the shared experience session, and wherein the second encryption key is derived from the topic and at least one of a public key or the first encryption key.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to initiate the shared experience session from within the group communications session.

16. The device of claim 12 , wherein the group communications session includes the shared experience session, which has an application-specific topic corresponding to the application, and at least one additional shared experience session having an additional application-specific topic corresponding to an additional application running on the first participant device.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the second encryption key is derived from an identifier of the application-specific topic and a public key that is the same for all participant devices in the group communication session.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein at least a third encryption key is derived for the at least one additional shared experience session from the public key and an additional identifier of the additional application-specific topic.

19. The device of claim 12 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
generate a third encryption key, different from the first encryption key, for encrypting the user communications data after encrypting the user communications data with the first encryption key for a period of time;
encrypt the shared state data with the second encryption key during the period of time;
continue to encrypt the shared state data with the second encryption key after the period of time;
determine, after an additional period of time following the period of time, that a new participant device has joined the group communications session; and
responsive to determining that the new participant device has joined the group communications session:
generate a fourth encryption key, different from the first encryption key and the third encryption key, for encrypting the user communications data; and
generate a fifth encryption key, different from the se

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Pollack Daniel B
• Zhang Jingyao
• Lozano Hinojosa Jose A
• Omara Emad
• Cecen Yilmaz Can
• Burton Angus N
• Cici Blerim

Classifications

• H04L63/0428

  wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload · CPC title

• H04L9/0861

  Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords · CPC title

• H04L9/16

  the keys or algorithms being changed during operation · CPC title

• H04L65/1069

  Session establishment or de-establishment · CPC title

• H04L65/1093

  by adding participants; by removing participants · CPC title