System for highly predictable performance of set-top boxes using downloadable conditional access

• US 10,212,470 B1
• Filed: 05/08/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CSC Holdings LLC (Altice USA, Inc.)
• Inventors: Neill, Richard, Silver, Ken, Clyne, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Chenea
• Application Number:
  US15/589,106
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• 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 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool

Abstract

Providing a conditional access system (CAS) to a set-top box is described. An example method includes encapsulating a CAS application in a NCAS (Next CAS) container, and objects associated with the CAS application are executed in the NCAS container. Resources for the CAS application and other applications running on the set-top box are pre-allocated so that each application has a pre-fixed resource allocation upon startup of the set-top box. An execution of the CAS application is validated using a linked chain of trust.

Claims

1. A set-top box, comprising:

a memory that stores a plurality of applications; and

a processor configured to execute a first application from among the plurality of applications in accordance with a first pre-allocated resource from among a plurality of pre-allocated resources,

wherein the first pre-allocated resource is specified independently of a second pre-allocated resource from among the plurality of pre-allocated resources that corresponds to a second application from among the plurality of applications,

wherein the first pre-allocated resource and the second pre-allocated resource represent a first fixed resource allocation designated solely for the first application and a second fixed resource allocation designated solely for the second application, respectively, and

wherein the processor is further configured to allocate a third pre-allocated resource from among the plurality of pre-allocated resources to a third application from among the plurality of applications without retuning the first fixed resource allocation and the second fixed resource allocation.

2. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the first application is associated with providing conditional access to services and content delivered to the set-top box.

3. The set-top box of claim 2, wherein the first application is portable to a second set-top box manufactured by a different device manufacturer without changing software or hardware of the second set-top box.

4. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to allocate the first pre-allocated resource and the second pre-allocated resource to the first application and the second application, respectively, based on a plan for pre-allocating resources per application.

5. The set-top box of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to allocate the first pre-allocated resource and the second pre-allocated resource to the first application and the second application, respectively, upon startup of the set-top box.

6. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein tasks performed by the first application and the second application are bound by the first fixed resource allocation and the second fixed resource allocation, respectively.

7. The set-top box of claim 1, wherein a combination of the first fixed resource allocation and the second fixed resource allocation represents less than a total resource of the set-top box.

8. A set-top box, comprising:

a memory that stores a plurality of applications; and

a processor configured to;

execute a first application from among the plurality of applications in accordance with a first pre-allocated resource from among a plurality of pre-allocated resources, and

allocate a second pre-allocated resource from among the plurality of pre-allocated resources to a second application from among the plurality of applications without retuning the first pre-allocated resource,

wherein the first pre-allocated resource and the second pre-allocated resource represent a first fixed resource allocation designated solely for the first application and a second fixed resource allocation designated solely for the second application, respectively.

9. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the first application is associated with providing conditional access to services and content delivered to the set-top box.

10. The set-top box of claim 9, wherein the first application is portable to a second set-top box manufactured by a different device manufacturer without changing software or hardware of the second set-top box.

11. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to allocate the first pre-allocated resource and the second pre-allocated resource to the first application and the second application, respectively, based on a plan for pre-allocating resources per application.

12. The set-top box of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to allocate the first pre-allocated resource and the second pre-allocated resource to the first application and the second application, respectively, upon startup of the set-top box.

13. The set-top box of claim 8, wherein tasks performed by the first application and the second application are bound by the first fixed resource allocation and the second fixed resource allocation, respectively.

14. A method for operating a set-top box, the method comprising:

executing, by the set-top box, a first application from among a plurality of applications in accordance with a first pre-allocated resource from among a plurality of pre-allocated resources and a second application from among the plurality of applications in accordance with a second pre-allocated resource from among the plurality of pre-allocated resources; and

allocating, by the set-top box, a third pre-allocated resource from among a plurality of pre-allocated resources to a third application from among the plurality of applications without retuning the first pre-allocated resource and the second pre-allocated resource,

wherein the first pre-allocated resource, the second pre-allocated resource, and the third pre-allocated resource represent a first fixed resource allocation designated solely for the first application, a second fixed resource allocation designated solely for the second application, and a third fixed resource allocation designated solely for the third application, respectively, and

wherein a combination of the first fixed resource allocation, the second fixed resource allocation, and the third fixed resource allocation represents less than a total resource of the set-top box.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first application is associated with providing conditional access to services and content delivered to the set-top box.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first application is portable to a second set-top box manufactured by a different device manufacturer without changing software or hardware of the second set-top box.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the allocating comprises:

allocating the third pre-allocated resource to the third application based on a plan for pre-allocating resources per application.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

allocating the first pre-allocated resource to the first application and the second pre-allocated resource to the second application upon startup of the set-top box.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein tasks performed by the first application, the second application, and the third application are bound by the first fixed resource allocation, the second fixed resource allocation, and the third fixed resource allocation, respectively.