Methods and apparatus for secure and adaptive delivery of multimedia content

Apparatus for processing content for delivery in an information system, wherein the content is representable as access units, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to:
• (i) obtain a set of alternate versions of an access unit for a current time slot associated with the content;
• and (ii) assign an encryption index to each access unit in the set of alternate versions of the access unit in the current time slot such that an encryption index increases over time;
• wherein the assigning operation further comprises:
• computing measures in accordance with an encryption index of each access unit from a set of alternate versions of an access unit of a previous time slot;
• and
• setting the encryption index of each access unit in the current time slot based at least in part on the maximum of the computed measures.

Apparatus for processing content for delivery in an information system, the apparatus comprising:

• a content creation system operative to:
• (i) obtain a set of alternate versions of an access unit for a current time slot associated with the content;
• and (ii) assign an encryption index to each access unit in the set of alternate versions of the access unit in the current time slot such that an encryption index increases over time;
• wherein the assigning operation further comprises:
• computing measures in accordance with an encryption index of each access unit from a set of alternate versions of an access unit of a previous time slot;
• and
• setting the encryption index of each access unit in the current time slot based at least in part on the maximum of the computed measures.

An article of manufacture for processing content for delivery in an information system, comprising a processor readable storage medium containing one or more programs which when executed by a processor of the information system implement the steps of:

• obtaining a set of alternate versions of an access unit for a current time slot associated with the content;
• and
• assigning, by the processor of the information system, an encryption index to each access unit in the set of alternate versions of the access unit in the current time slot such that an encryption index increases over time;
• wherein the assigning step further comprises the steps of:
• computing, by the processor of the information system, measures in accordance with an encryption index of each access unit from a set of alternate versions of an access unit of a previous time slot;
• and
• setting, by the processor of the information system, the encryption index of each access unit in the current time slot based at least in part on the maximum of the computed measures.