Method for partially encrypting program data
First Claim
1. A method for providing a plurality of programs in a conditional access system, the method comprising the steps of:
- selecting a plurality of digital bit streams from a transport stream;
encrypting a portion of each of the plurality of digital bit streams;
combining the encrypted portion and the unencrypted portion with the transport stream; and
transmitting the combined stream.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A cable television system provides conditional access to services. The cable television system includes a headend from which service “instances,” or programs, are broadcast and a plurality of set top units for receiving the instances and selectively decrypting the instances for display to system subscribers. The service instances are partially-encrypted using public and/or private keys provided by service providers or central authorization agents. Keys used by the set tops for selective decryption may also be public or private in nature, and such keys may be reassigned at different times to provide a cable television system in which piracy concerns are minimized.
252 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for providing a plurality of programs in a conditional access system, the method comprising the steps of:
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selecting a plurality of digital bit streams from a transport stream;
encrypting a portion of each of the plurality of digital bit streams;
combining the encrypted portion and the unencrypted portion with the transport stream; and
transmitting the combined stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 12)
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- 6. The method of clam 3, wherein a portion of the selected plurality of digital bit streams is encrypted according to the packet identifier associated with each of the plurality of digital bit streams.
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13. A method for providing a plurality of programs in a conditional access system, the method comprising the steps of:
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selecting a plurality of elementary bit streams from a plurality of programs;
encrypting a portion of the selected streams;
combining the encrypted portion and the remaining portion of the selected streams with the plurality of programs to provide a partially-encrypted stream; and
transmitting the partially-encrypted stream. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification