Patent published on July 18, 2023

Apple's New Patent Enables Secure Sharing of Content Between Devices

Apple Inc. has recently been granted a patent that could revolutionize the way we share content between devices. According to the US patent number US11706169B2, the technology could enable two electronic devices to securely share a portion of a content item, such as lyrics of a song.

We often find ourselves in situations when we want to share something with a friend or a family member, but we don't want to share the whole content item. To solve this problem, Apple's new patent technology could make it possible to share only a portion of the content item without compromising its security.

The patent describes a process where one device generates a server address with an identification of the content, an indication of a subset of the content, and authentication data. On the other hand, the other device is able to access the content by providing the server address and the authentication data. This could help people share just a portion of a content item with other devices without losing control of the original content.

The technology could have a diverse range of applications. For example, it could be used to share a single page of a PDF document with another user without exposing the remaining pages of the document. Similarly, it could be used to share an excerpt of a song without compromising the security of the complete song.

Apple says that the technology could be used to share a wide variety of content items such as audio, video, text, images, documents, and other digital information. It could also be used to share information related to products, services, and even content related to virtual reality and augmented reality.

In terms of security, Apple claims that the technology could help users securely share content without the risk of someone else gaining access to it. Additionally, the authentication data could be used to authenticate the source of the content and verify the authenticity of the shared portion.

However, it is important to note that the patent does not necessarily mean that Apple will bring the technology to the market. It is only a patent, and there is no guarantee that the technology will be implemented in Apple's products. It is possible that the technology may never reach the market at all.

Nevertheless, it is exciting to see that Apple is developing an innovative way to securely share portions of content between devices. If the technology reaches the market, it could make sharing content with friends and family much easier. It could also be used in a variety of applications, from sharing excerpts of books to sharing snippets of audio or video. In any case, it is interesting to see what Apple has in store for us in the future.

Explore more