Patents by Inventor Mitch Zollinger

Mitch Zollinger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140325060
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for identifying active streaming connections associated with a particular user account. Each active streaming connection transmits heartbeat packets periodically to a server that tracks the receipt of the heartbeat packets. If, for a particular streaming connection, the server stops receiving heartbeat packets, then the server is able to infer that the streaming connection has been terminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2014
    Publication date: October 30, 2014
    Inventors: James Mitch ZOLLINGER, Julie Amendson PITT
  • Publication number: 20140289406
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for identifying active streaming connections associated with a particular user account. Each active streaming connection transmits heartbeat packets periodically to a server that tracks the receipt of the heartbeat packets. If, for a particular streaming connection, the server stops receiving heartbeat packets, then the server is able to infer that the streaming connection has been terminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Inventors: James Mitch ZOLLINGER, Julie Amendson PITT
  • Patent number: 8782420
    Abstract: A computer-implemented technique for determining whether a first computing device has the correct version of a software program may be used to provide a secure approach to verifying that a client computing device has a secure and approved version of content player software implemented for consuming downloaded copyright media content. With this technique, copyright media content providers are able to ensure that only secure and approved content players are implemented to access the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Netflix, Inc
    Inventors: Mitch Zollinger, Filip Paun
  • Patent number: 8756708
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for identifying active streaming connections associated with a particular user account. Each active streaming connection transmits heartbeat packets periodically to a server that tracks the receipt of the heartbeat packets. If, for a particular streaming connection, the server stops receiving heartbeat packets, then the server is able to infer that the streaming connection has been terminated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Netflix Inc.
    Inventors: James Mitch Zollinger, Julie Amundson Pitt
  • Publication number: 20140020119
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for identifying active streaming connections associated with a particular user account. Each active streaming connection transmits heartbeat packets periodically to a server that tracks the receipt of the heartbeat packets. If, for a particular streaming connection, the server stops receiving heartbeat packets, then the server is able to infer that the streaming connection has been terminated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2012
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Inventors: James Mitch Zollinger, Julie Amundson Pitt
  • Patent number: 8612771
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a mechanism for verifying the authenticity of a device before transmitting digital content to the device. In operation, the device stores a device key that is generated at manufacture-time using a pre-determined cryptographic key and the device identifier. In operation, the device generates a proof of possession from the application data and the stored device key. When verifying the device authenticity, a device key is derived from the master key and the device identifier then a proof of possession is derived from the derived device key and the application data obtained from the device. If the derived proof of possession matches the received proof of possession, then the authenticity of the device can be verified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2013
    Assignee: Netflix, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitch Zollinger, Filip Paun, Scott G. Kelly
  • Patent number: 8532290
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for decrypting digital content in a secure environment. The technique includes the steps of receiving a digital rights management (DRM) license associated with a first frame of encrypted data from a DRM server, where the DRM license includes a decryption key for decrypting the first frame of encrypted data, transmitting the DRM license to a secure content playback pipeline for storage, and transmitting the first frame of encrypted data to the secure content playback pipeline for decryption, where, in response to receiving the first frame of encrypted data, a trusted processing entity within the secure content playback pipeline decrypts the first frame of encrypted data based on the decryption key included in the DRM license to generate a first set of decrypted data and store the first set of decrypted data in a secure memory space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Netflix, Inc.
    Inventors: James Mitch Zollinger, Yung-Hsiao Lai, Anthony Neal Park, David Randall Ronca, Scott Gregory Kelly
  • Publication number: 20130179695
    Abstract: One embodiment of the invention sets forth a mechanism for verifying the authenticity of a device before transmitting digital content to the device. In operation, the device stores a device key that is generated at manufacture-time using a pre-determined cryptographic key and the device identifier. In operation, the device generates a proof of possession from the application data and the stored device key. When verifying the device authenticity, a device key is derived from the master key and the device identifier then a proof of possession is derived from the derived device key and the application data obtained from the device. If the derived proof of possession matches the received proof of possession, then the authenticity of the device can be verified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Inventors: Mitch Zollinger, Filip Paun, Scott G. Kelly
  • Publication number: 20130024697
    Abstract: A computer-implemented technique for determining whether a first computing device has the correct version of a software program may be used to provide a secure approach to verifying that a client computing device has a secure and approved version of content player software implemented for consuming downloaded copyright media content. With this technique, copyright media content providers are able to ensure that only secure and approved content players are implemented to access the content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 24, 2013
    Inventors: Mitch Zollinger, Filip Paun
  • Publication number: 20120278449
    Abstract: Embodiments for changing bit rates in streaming media are provided. As portions of a streaming media file are downloaded for playback, the size of the portion is compared with an expected size determined prior to initiating playback of streaming AV data. The portion of the media file may be padded such that the size of the portion matches the size specified prior to initiating playback of streaming AV data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: NETFLIX Inc.
    Inventors: Chung-Ping WU, Christian KAISER, Yung-Hsiao LAI, James Mitch ZOLLINGER, David Randall RONCA
  • Publication number: 20120226915
    Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for decrypting digital content in a secure environment. The technique includes the steps of receiving a digital rights management (DRM) license associated with a first frame of encrypted data from a DRM server, where the DRM license includes a decryption key for decrypting the first frame of encrypted data, transmitting the DRM license to a secure content playback pipeline for storage, and transmitting the first frame of encrypted data to the secure content playback pipeline for decryption, where, in response to receiving the first frame of encrypted data, a trusted processing entity within the secure content playback pipeline decrypts the first frame of encrypted data based on the decryption key included in the DRM license to generate a first set of decrypted data and store the first set of decrypted data in a secure memory space.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: James Mitch ZOLLINGER, Yung-Hsiao Lai, Anthony Neal Park, David Randall Ronca, Scott Gregory Kelly
  • Patent number: 8234715
    Abstract: Techniques are described herein for using cryptographic elements of the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) in a client-server environment to cryptographically authenticate client applications that are executing on non-revoked AACS-compliant playback devices. The techniques described herein may be used to protect a server application from providing information to client applications executing in non-AACS-compliant or revoked environments. In one embodiment, the techniques are used to authenticate a Blu-ray Disc Java Application executing on a non-revoked AACS-compliant Blu-ray Disc Player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: Netflix, Inc.
    Inventors: Mitch Zollinger, Chung-ping Wu
  • Publication number: 20100262833
    Abstract: Techniques are described herein for using cryptographic elements of the Advanced Access Content System (AACS) in a client-server environment to cryptographically authenticate client applications that are executing on non-revoked AACS-compliant playback devices. The techniques described herein may be used to protect a server application from providing information to client applications executing in non-AACS-compliant or revoked environments. In one embodiment, the techniques are used to authenticate a Blu-ray Disc Java Application executing on a non-revoked AACS-compliant Blu-ray Disc Player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2009
    Publication date: October 14, 2010
    Inventors: Mitch Zollinger, Chung-ping Wu
  • Publication number: 20100158101
    Abstract: Embodiments for changing bit rates in streaming media are provided. As portions of a streaming media file are downloaded for playback, the size of the portion is compared with an expected size determined prior to initiating playback of streaming AV data. The portion of the media file may be padded such that the size of the portion matches the size specified prior to initiating playback of streaming AV data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Inventors: CHUNG-PING WU, Christian Kaiser, Yung-Hsiao Lai, James Mitch Zollinger, David Randall Ronca