Systems and methods for performing transport I/O

• US 10,070,176 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NagraStar LLC (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: NagraStar LLC (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Beals, William Michael, Fischer, Nicolas, Ellis, Benjamin Brian, Duval, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, CAI Y
• Application Number:
  US14/500,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20150113585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/16 Obfuscation or hiding, e.g. involving white box
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2401 Monitoring of the client buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64715 Protecting content from unauthorized alteration within the network verifying the information received for network security in communication control or processing H04L63/12; integrity in wireless network security H04W12/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10

Abstract

Systems and methods for implementing a Transport I/O system are described. Network encrypted content may be received by a device. The device may provide the network encrypted content to a secure processor, such as, for example, a smart card. The secure processor obtains a network control word that may be used to decrypt the network encrypted content. The secure processor may decrypt the network encrypted content to produce clear content. In embodiments, the secure processor may then use a local control word to generate locally encrypted content specific to the device. The device may then receive the locally encrypted content from the secure processor and proceed to decrypt the locally encrypted content using a shared local encryption key. The Transport I/O system ensures the protection of the network control word by maintaining the network control word on the secure processor.

Claims

1. A removable secure device comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory encoding computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, perform a method comprising;

receiving data from a host device, wherein the removable secure device is operable to be physically coupled to the host device, and wherein the removable secure device is capable of operating in an ISO-7816 compliant legacy mode;

storing the received data in a buffer resident on the removable secure device;

monitoring the buffer using the removable secure device;

determining whether a number of packets queued in the buffer is below a threshold; and

when the number of packets queued in the buffer is below the threshold, sending a signal to trigger the receipt of additional data packets from the host device.

2. The removable secure device of claim 1, wherein the removable secure device operates in a variable bandwidth environment.

3. The removable secure device of claim 1, wherein the buffer is a FIFO buffer.

4. The removable secure device of claim 1, wherein the signal is a clear to send (CTS) signal.

5. The removable secure device of claim 4, wherein the CTS signal is sent to the host device.

6. The removable secure device of claim 5, wherein the host device is a set-top-box.

7. The removable secure device of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises in response to sending the CTS signal, receiving at least one packet of interest.

8. The removable secure device of claim 7, wherein the packet of interest comprises at least one of transmission data and control data.

9. The removable secure device of claim 1, wherein the removable secure device is a smart card.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 9, wherein the removable secure device is a smart card.

10. A method comprising:

receiving, at a removable secure device, data from a host device, wherein the secure device is operable to be physically coupled to the host device, and wherein the secure device is capable of operating in an ISO-7816 compliant legacy mode;

storing the received data in a buffer resident on the removable secure device;

monitoring the buffer using the secure device;

determining whether a number of packets queued in the buffer is below a threshold value; and

when the number of packets queued in the buffer is below the threshold value, sending a signal to trigger the receipt of additional data packets from the host device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the threshold value is based on a processing time for packets in the buffer.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the host device is a video processing device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the host device is a set-top-box.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the removable secure device is a smart card.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the buffer is a FIFO buffer.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the signal is a clear to send (CTS) signal.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the CTS signal is sent to the host device.

18. A computer storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method comprising:

receiving, at a removable secure device, data from a host device, wherein the secure device is operable to be physically coupled to the host device, and wherein the secure device is capable of operating in an ISO-7816 compliant legacy mode;

storing the received data in a buffer resident on the removable secure device;

monitoring the buffer using the secure device;

determining whether a number of packets queued in the buffer fall below a threshold value; and

when the number of packets queued in the buffer fall below the threshold value, sending a signal to trigger the receipt of additional data packets from the host device.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the host device is a set-top-box.