Method, apparatus, and system for pre-authentication and processing of data streams

An apparatus comprising:

• a transmitting device communicating media content with a receiving device at a computing device;
• and
• the receiving device employing a pre-authentication mechanism, the pre-authentication mechanism to:
• identify a main port serving as an active port facilitating the communication of the media content between the transmitting device and the receiving device, the main port associated with a main pipe and a first High-Definition Content Protection (HDCP) engine;
• identify roving ports serving as inactive ports in idle mode serving as backup ports to the active port, the roving ports associated with roving pipes and a second HDCP engine, wherein the first and second HDCP engines are synchronized to the transmitting device;
• pre-authenticate the identified inactive ports, wherein pre-authentication of the identified roving ports is performed simultaneously while the roving ports remain inactive and the main port serves as the active port, wherein data relating to the roving ports collected during pre-authentication process is stored and used in order to keep the roving ports authenticated to ensure that any of the roving ports is ready to replace the main port to serve as the active port;
• and
• in response to a port switch, on-demand and seamlessly, replacing the main port with a pre-authenticated roving port to serve as the main and active port.

A computing system for port pre-authentication comprising:

• a pre-authentication device to pre-authenticate media content ports to facilitate a seamless communication of media content between a transmitting device and a receiving device, the ports including an active port and inactive ports, the pre-authentication device to:
• identify a main port serving as the active port facilitating communication of the media content between the transmitting device and the receiving device, the main port associated with a main pipe and a first High-Definition Content Protection (HDCP) engine;
• identify roving ports serving as the inactive ports in idle mode serving as backup ports to the active port, the roving ports associated with roving pipes and a second HDCP engine, wherein the first and second HDCP engines are synchronized to the transmitting device;
• pre-authenticate the identified inactive ports, wherein pre-authentication of the identified roving ports is performed simultaneously while the roving ports remain inactive and the main port serves as the active port, wherein data relating to the roving ports collected during pre-authentication process is stored and used in order to keep the roving ports authenticated to ensure that any of the roving ports is ready to replace the main port to serve as the active port;
• and
• in response to a port switch, on-demand and seamlessly, replacing the main port with a pre-authenticated roving port to serve as the main and active port.