Conditional access for functional units

• US 20020112175A1
• Filed: 12/13/2000
• Published: 08/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Makofka, Douglas S., Okimoto, John
• Application Number:
  US09/736,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20020112175A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• 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 21/4117 for generating hard copies of the content, e.g. printer, electronic paper interfaces to printers G06F3/12; printing data G06K15/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4437 Implementing a Virtual Machine [VM] virtual machines in general G06F9/45533
• 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 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• 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

The invention relates to controlling functional units within a conditional access system. In one embodiment, a method for controlling access to a functional unit within a set top box is described. In one step, first information comprising a plurality of functional unit identifiers and one or more tier requirements respectively related to each functional unit identifier is received. Second information comprising tier rights is also received. The functional unit identifiers are correlated to their respective tier requirements. The functional unit is interacted with. It is determined if the respective tier requirements are satisfied by the tier rights. Further interaction with the functional unit is authorized.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access to a functional unit within a set top box, comprising:

receiving first information comprising a plurality of functional unit identifiers and one or more tier requirements respectively related to each functional unit identifier;

receiving second information comprising tier rights;

correlating the functional unit identifiers to their respective tier requirements;

interacting with the functional unit;

determining if the respective tier requirements are satisfied by the tier rights; and

authorizing further interaction with the functional unit.

2. The method for controlling access to the functional unit within the set top box of claim 1, further comprising receiving third information that replaces the tier rights.

3. The method for controlling access to the functional unit within the set top box of claim 1, wherein more than one of the tier rights could authorize further interaction with the functional unit identifier.

4. The method for controlling access to the functional unit within the set top box of claim 1, authenticating a source of at least one of the first and second information.

5. The method for controlling access to the functional unit within the set top box of claim 1, wherein the functional unit comprises a discrete entity comprising at least one of software, hardware, drivers, firmware, data, video, and audio.

6. The method for controlling access to the functional unit within the set top box of claim 1, further comprising receiving a plurality of streaming content functional units.

7. The method for controlling access to the functional unit within the set top box of claim 1, wherein the set top box is integral with an enclosure for a display.

8. A conditional access system for controlling access to functional units, comprising:

a set top box;

a functional unit associated with the set top box;

a requirements message comprising a functional unit identifier and one or more tier requirements related to the functional unit identifier, wherein the functional unit identifier is associated with the functional unit;

a rights message comprising one or more tier rights; and

an authorization function that compares each of the one or more tier requirements against the one or more tier rights in order to authorize use of the functional unit.

9. The conditional access system for controlling access to functional units of claim 8, further comprising an authentication function that authenticates a source of the rights and requirements messages.

10. The conditional access system for controlling access to functional units of claim 8, further comprising a data channel between a headend and the set top box, wherein the data channel is one of bi-directional and omni-directional.

11. The conditional access system for controlling access to functional units of claim 8, further comprising a second rights message to replace the tier rights.

12. The conditional access system for controlling access to functional units of claim 8, further comprising a plurality of streaming content functional units sent from a headend to the set top box.

13. The conditional access system for controlling access to functional units of claim 8, wherein the functional unit comprises a discrete entity comprising at least one of software, hardware, drivers, firmware, data, video, and audio.

14. The conditional access system for controlling access to functional units of claim 8, wherein the set top box is integral to an enclosure for a display.

16. The method for controlling access to remotely-located and functional units within the conditional access system of claim 15, further comprising:

sending third information comprising a replacement tier right; and

causing further modification of the authorization state of the remotely-located and functional unit corresponding to the functional unit identifier.

17. The method for controlling access to remotely-located and functional units within the conditional access system of claim 15, wherein the authorization state is one of authorized and unauthorized.

18. The method for controlling access to remotely-located and functional units within the conditional access system of claim 15, further comprising generating a signature over at least one of the first and second information.

19. The method for controlling access to remotely-located and functional units within the conditional access system of claim 15, wherein more than one tier right could authorize use of the remotely-located and functional unit corresponding to the functional unit identifier.

20. The method for controlling access to remotely-located and functional units within the conditional access system of claim 15, further comprising sending a plurality of streaming content functional units to a remote location.

21. The method for controlling access to remotely-located and functional units within the conditional access system of claim 15, wherein the remotely-located and functional unit comprises a discrete entity comprising at least one of software, hardware, drivers, firmware, data, video, and audio.

15. A method for controlling access to remotely-located and functional units within a conditional access system, comprising:

determining first and second information to modify authorization of a remotely-located and functional unit;

sending the first information comprising a functional unit identifier and at least one tier requirement related to the functional unit identifier;

sending the second information comprising a tier right; and

causing modification of an authorization state of the remotely located functional unit corresponding to the functional unit identifier.