Content protection through the audio and video decrypting and decoding device

• US 20020057795A1
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bi, Depeng, Gladwin, Stephen Christopher, Spurgat, Jeffrey Jonathan, Denkinger, Troy Steven
• Application Number:
  US09/833,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20020057795A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• 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 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A secure platform in which the decrypting or decoding of secure audio or video data is done on a peripheral device of the computing platform, thus preventing software applications and drivers running on the computing platform from having access to the digital audio or video data after it has been decrypted or decoded. The unprotected digital audio or video data may then be converted from a digital format into an analog format before leaving the peripheral device, thus making exact digital reproduction no longer possible due to the inherent degradation of audio or video quality in the conversion process from digital to analog and then back to digital.

Claims

1. A secure architecture for encoded or encrypted digital audio files comprising:

a computing platform for processing encrypted or encoded digital data, said computing platform including a peripheral bus and configured to run audio or video playback application software and pass said encrypted or encoded digital data to said peripheral bus configured so as to be not-accessible by said audio or video playback software;

a peripheral coupled to said peripheral bus configured to decrypt or decode said encrypted or encoded digital data and generate a decoded or decrypted output signal.