Unique identifier per chip for digital audio/video data encryption/decryption in personal video recorders

• US 20040165725A1
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CSR Technology Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Zoran Corporation (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Nishit, Auld, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,835,520 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0866 involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/088 Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

The invention provides techniques to implement unique identifier for an integrated chip and how this ID can be employed to enhance the security of content in personal video recorder type systems. The storage device can be a hard disk, a removable storage medium or any other type of storage medium. An integrated circuit (IC) within the personal video recorder stores a unique identifier that is used in for encryption and decryption of data stored on the storage device. Several embodiments are disclosed herein that maintain the secrecy of the unique ID such that it is not easily accessible thereby defeating the security scheme.

Claims

1. An audio/video system comprising:

a communications medium; and

a die having control circuit coupled with the communications medium, the control circuit to send and retrieve encrypted audio/video content to and from a storage device, wherein the die of the control circuit includes a plurality of fuses that indicate an ID associated with the audio/video system and further wherein the ID is used by the control circuit to perform cryptographic operations on audio/video content to be stored on and audio/video content retrieved from the storage device.

2. The audio/video system of claim 1 further comprising an interface coupled between the control circuit and a removable medium paired with the control circuit and having stored thereon the ID, the removable medium to provide a key encrypted using the ID to the control circuit, wherein the control circuit, after receiving the key, decrypts the key and uses the key to encrypt content to be stored on the storage device.

3. The audio/video system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit and the fuses are manufactured on a common die.

4. The audio/video system of claim 1 wherein the control circuit and the fuses are manufactured on different die.

5. The audio/video system of claim 1 wherein the communications medium is secure

6. A audio/video system comprising:

a communications medium; and

a control circuit coupled with the secure communications medium, the control circuit to send and retrieve encrypted audio/video content to and from the storage device, wherein the control circuit shares an integrated circuit package with a programmable static memory to store an ID associated with the audio/video system and further wherein the ID is used by the control circuit to perform cryptographic operations on audio/video content to be stored on and audio/video content retrieved from the storage device.

7. The audio/video system of claim 6 further comprising an interface between the control circuit and a removable medium paired with the control circuit and having stored thereon the ID, the removable medium to provide a key encrypted using the ID to the control circuit, wherein the control circuit, after receiving the key, decrypts the key and uses the key to encrypt content to be stored on the storage device.

8. The audio/video system of claim 6 wherein the control circuit and the programmable static memory are manufactured on a common die.

9. The audio/video system of claim 6 wherein the control circuit and the programmable static memory are manufactured on different die.

10. The audio/video system of claim 6 wherein the communications medium is secure

11. The audio/video system of claim 6 wherein the programmable static memory is an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

12. A audio/video system comprising:

a communications medium; and

a control circuit coupled with the secure communications medium, the control circuit to send and retrieve encrypted audio/video content to and from the storage device, wherein the control circuit derives an ID associated with the audio/video system from a number associated with a component in the audio/video system and further wherein the ID is used by the control circuit to perform cryptographic operations on audio/video content to be stored on and audio/video content retrieved from the storage device.

13. The audio/video system of claim 12 further comprising an interface between the control circuit and a removable medium paired with the control circuit and having stored thereon the ID, the removable medium to provide a key encrypted using the ID to the control circuit, wherein the control circuit, after receiving the key, decrypts the key and uses the key to encrypt content to be stored on the storage device.

14. The audio/video system of claim 12 wherein the number comprises one or more serial numbers associated with hardware components of the audio/video system.

15. The audio/video system of claim 12 wherein the number comprises one or more serial numbers associated with software components of the audio/video system.