System for providing access to conditional access media content

• US 10,123,192 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2015
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SmarDTV S.A. (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: SmarDTV S.A. (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Chaubert, Eric, Servignat, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Chakraborty, Raj
• Application Number:
  US14/962,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20160174019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• 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: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and a device for conveniently providing rights to particular conditional access protected digital media content. A sleeve for covering a reception device for receiving the conditional access content is provided. The sleeve comprises a proximity wireless communications module including an antenna and a control chip. The reception device may be a set-top box, a telephone, a tablet computer or the like, as long as it is capable of receiving conditional access content, and may be used along with a detachable security module for decrypting control words to allow the content to be decrypted. The owner of such a reception device may purchase the sleeve which contains the rights to access conditional access content and when the sleeve is mounted on the reception device the rights are granted to the reception device by way of the proximity communications means.

Claims

1. A system configured to provide access to conditional access content, the system comprising:

a conditional access device configured to receive an encrypted digital media content from a content source and to provide access to the digital media content that has been received, said access being subject to a condition of the conditional access device having a particular right for decrypting the encrypted digital media content for said providing of access to the digital media content; and

a sleeve comprising;

a sleeve body; and

a proximity wireless communications tag embedded within the sleeve body;

the sleeve being adapted to at least partly cover the conditional access device so that the sleeve, thus arranged, is visible to a person using the conditional access device;

wherein the conditional access device and the sleeve are configured to establish a proximity wireless communications channel when the sleeve and the conditional access device are within a predetermined proximity distance from each other, the proximity wireless communications channel being separate from a channel used by the device to receive the digital media content from the content source, and the sleeve is configured to pass the particular right from the proximity wireless communications tag to the conditional access device by the proximity wireless communications channel.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve body has a form which follows the form of at least part of the conditional access device while providing physical access to parts of the conditional access device which need to be manipulated or to which a physical connection needs to be made.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein energy for powering the proximity wireless communications tag is obtained through radio frequency transmission from the conditional access device, received via the proximity wireless communications channel.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a physical connector for connecting to a power socket on the conditional access device, wherein energy for powering the proximity wireless communications tag is obtained through the physical connector.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a battery embedded within the sleeve body, wherein energy for powering the proximity wireless communications tag is obtained from the battery.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is made from plastic.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is made from natural or synthetic elastomeric material configured to fit over at least part of the conditional access device by stretching.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the proximity wireless communications tag comprises an antenna, a radio transceiver, and a base-band processor.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the radio transceiver and the base-band processor are housed on a chip.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the conditional access device has access to a security module, the security module being configured to allow decryption of the digital media content when the particular right is received from the sleeve.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sleeve is placed on the conditional access device, at least partly around the conditional access device, or within a predetermined proximity distance from the conditional access device.