Methods and systems providing per pixel security and functionality

• US 20030235304A1
• Filed: 06/24/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: England, Paul, Evans, Glenn F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,940 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• 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

Various described embodiments provide for per-pixel functionality in connection with pixel data that is processed by a video card for rendering on a display monitor. That is, pixel data that is associated with individual pixels that are to be rendered on a display monitor are imparted with a characteristic that enables various functionalities to be implemented at the pixel level. In one embodiment, per-pixel functionality is provided by including, in the pixel data itself, a specification of an auxiliary function that is to be performed on the pixel data associated with the individual pixels. For example, the security of the pixel data associated with each pixel can be enhanced by providing the ability to encrypt and decrypt the pixel data for individual pixels. A specification of a key that can be used for decrypting the pixel data can then be included in the pixel data itself such that when the pixel data is processed for rendering, a suitably configured decryptor can access the key specification and decrypt the pixel data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing pixel data associated with individual pixels, the pixel data comprising multiple bits; and

using one or more bits of the pixel data to specify one or more auxiliary functions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixels are to be rendered on a display monitor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary function comprises a security function.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary function specifies a key that can be used to decrypt encrypted pixel data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary function comprises a key that can be used to decrypt encrypted pixel data.

6. One or more computer-readable media having one or more sets of computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, implements the method of claim 1.

7. A video card configured to implement the method of claim 1.

8. A system comprising:

means for providing pixel data associated with individual pixels, the pixel data comprising multiple bits; and

means for using one or more bits of the pixel data to specify one or more auxiliary functions.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the pixels are to be rendered on a display monitor.

10. A system comprising:

pixel data comprising multiple bits;

the pixel data being associated with individual pixels that can be rendered on a display monitor by a display converter;

one portion of the bits being configured for use by a video card for rendering individual pixels on a display monitor; and

another portion of the bits specifying an auxiliary function.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein at least part of the auxiliary function comprises a security function.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary function specifies a key that can be used to decrypt encrypted pixel data.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the auxiliary function comprises a key that can be used to decrypt encrypted pixel data.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the pixel data is embodied on a video card.

15. A method comprising:

providing a table on a video card, the table containing entries that enable one or more auxiliary functions to be performed relative to pixel data that is to be rendered on a display monitor;

indexing into the table using portions of the pixel data as an index; and

performing an auxiliary function on the pixel data as a result of said act of indexing.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said act of indexing is performed by using multiple bits of the pixel data as an index.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein at least some of the auxiliary functions are security functions.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more auxiliary functions specify a key that can be used to decrypt encrypted pixel data.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein one or more auxiliary functions comprise a key that can be used to decrypt encrypted pixel data.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a function associated with index 0 is specified to be a null function.

21. One or more computer-readable media having one or more sets of computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, implements the method of claim 15.

22. A video card configured to implement the method of claim 15.

23. A system comprising:

means for providing a table on a video card, the table containing entries that enable one or more auxiliary functions to be performed relative to pixel data that is to be rendered on a display monitor;

means for indexing into the table using portions of the pixel data as an index; and

means for performing an auxiliary function on the pixel data as a result of said act of indexing.

24. A system comprising:

a video card;

a table on the video card;

a first column in the table having multiple entries each of which can hold a index value, each index value being defined by portions of pixel data on the video card;

at least one other column having multiple entries each of which being indexed by an entry in the first column; and

one or more of the entries in said at least one other column specifying an auxiliary function that can be performed relative to pixel data that is to be rendered on a display monitor.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the auxiliary function comprises a security function.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the auxiliary function specifies a key that can be used to decrypt encrypted pixel data.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the auxiliary function comprises a key that can be used to decrypt encrypted pixel data.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein a function associated with index 0 is specified to be a null (or no-operation) function.

29. A system comprising:

a video card;

a table on the video card;

a first column in the table having multiple entries each of which being associated with an individual pixel having corresponding pixel data;

at least one other column having multiple entries, each entry containing information that can be used when processing the pixel data for rendering on a display monitor.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said at least one other column contains an ID that identifies a process or entity.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein said at least one other column contains information that can be used to verify the integrity of the pixel data.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein said information comprises at least one hash value of the pixel data.

33. The system of claim 31 further comprising means for notifying an application when said information does not verify the integrity of the pixel data

34. A method comprising:

encrypting at least portions of pixel data associated with individual pixels; and

using other portions of the pixel data to specify a key that can be used to decrypt the pixel data.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said using of the other portions of the pixel data comprises defining an index value with said other portions and using the index value as an index into a table that, in turn, associates the index value with the key.

36. The method of claim 35 further comprising accessing the associated key and using the key to decrypt the encrypted portions of the pixel data.

37. The method of claim 35 further comprising maintaining the table on a video card.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the act of encrypting is performed by a secure application.

39. One or more computer-readable media having one or more sets of computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, implements the method of claim 34.

40. A video card configured to implement the method of claim 34.

41. A video card configured to:

hold encrypted pixel data associated with individual pixels that are to be rendered on a display monitor, the pixel data including portions that specify a key that can be used to decrypt the pixel data for each associated pixel;

maintain a table having a column of index values and one or more key specifications associated with the index values and which can be used to access associated keys for decrypting the encrypted pixel data;

use said portions of the pixel data that specify a key as an index into the table to obtain an associated key;

use the associated key to decrypt encrypted pixel data.

42. The video card of claim 41, wherein the table comprises multiple different key specifications, each specification being associated with a different key, each key being associated with a different secure region on a primary surface in a memory of the video card.

43. A method comprising:

providing pixel data on a video card, the pixel data comprising multiple bits at least a portion of which being encrypted, the pixel data specifying one or more keys that can be used to decrypt the pixel data;

using the pixel data that specifies one or more keys to access the one or more keys; and

decrypting the pixel data using the one or more keys.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the act of using comprises using the pixel data that specifies the one or more keys as an index into a table that specifies the one or more keys and thereafter accessing the one or more keys.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the act of decrypting is performed by a decryptor on the video card.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the act of decrypting takes place at a processing point where there is no programmatic access to decrypted pixel data.

47. One or more computer-readable media having one or more sets of computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by one or more computers, implements the method of claim 43.

48. A video card configured to implement the method of claim 43.

49. The method of claim 43, wherein pixel data is encrypted using different cycled keys, and wherein the pixel data can be decrypted using different cycled keys.