System and method for secure broadcast

• US 20050050333A1
• Filed: 08/27/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BCE Incorporated
• Inventors: Lou, Dafu, O'Brien, William G., Yeap, Tet Hin
• Application Number:
  US10/926,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050333A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56

Abstract

A novel system and method for secure communication is provided. In an embodiment, a satellite pay-tv system is provided that includes a head end office that broadcasts programming to one or more subscriber stations via satellite. The subscriber station includes a set top box operable to receive a smart card. The subscriber station is configured to only receive programming if the smart card contains a serial number that corresponds with the serial number of the subscriber station. Methods are provided for updating the smart card profile.

Claims

1. A removable security device for communication with one or more subscriber stations that each have a unique identifier, said device comprising a medium for storing a user profile, said user profile including a second identifier for instructing said subscriber station to receive programming if said second identifier corresponds to said unique identifier.

2. The security device according to claim 1 wherein said unique identifier is a serial number of a set top box respective to said subscriber station and said second identifier is a second serial number and said correspondence occurs when said serial numbers match.

3. The security device according to claim 1 wherein said device has a form factor selected from the group consisting of a smart card, a radio-frequency tag, and a magnetic stripe card.

4. The security device of claim 1 wherein said medium is rewritable for updating said user profile.

5. The security device of claim 1 wherein said subscriber station is a pay-TV subscriber station.

6. The security device of claim 1 wherein said user profile is stored in an encrypted format and said subscriber station includes a means for decrypting said user profile.

7. The security device of claim 1 wherein said user profile further includes an encryption key for decrypting programming received at said subscriber station.

8. The security device of claim 1 wherein said user profile further includes subscriber programming information for instructing said subscriber station to decrypt only selected portions of programming received at said subscriber station.

34. The method according to claim 3) wherein said user profile is stored in an encrypted format on said smart card and wherein said set-top box contains a decryption key for decrypting said user profile, said method comprising the additional step of, after said downloading step, decrypting said user profile using said decryption key.

9. A receiver operable to communicate with a removable security device for storing an indicium, said receiver being operable to present data received by said receiver only if said indicium matches a criterion unique to said receiver.

10. The receiver according to claim 9 wherein said receiver is a subscriber station in a pay-tv system and said data is a broadcast.

11. The receiver according to claim 10 wherein said removable security device further includes subscriber programming information and said receiver only present a portion of said broadcast corresponding to said subscriber programming information.

12. The receiver according to claim 9 wherein said receiver has a serial number and wherein said criterion is met only if said indicium matches said serial number.

13. A system for broadcasting comprising:

a transmitter operable to broadcast over a channel; and

a receiver operable to receive said broadcast over said medium, said receiver further operable to communicate with a removable security device that stores an indicium, said receiver only operating to present said received broadcast if said indicium meets a criterion local to said respective subscriber station.

14. The system according to claim 13 wherein said receiver is a subscriber station.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein said indicium is a serial number of said subscriber station and said criterion is met if said indicium matches said serial number.

16. The system according to claim 13 wherein said transmitter is a head-end office and said broadcast is a Pay-TV service.

17. The system according to claim 16 wherein said channel is at least one wireless channel carried by a satellite.

18. The system according to claim 16 wherein said channel is a CATV network.

19. The system according to claim 13 wherein said broadcast encrypted and said broadcast is presented by decrypting said broadcast.

21. The system according to claim 16 wherein a selected set of subscriber program information is stored on said removable security device and said receiver only presents a portion of said broadcast corresponding to said selected set.

22. The system according to claim 13 wherein said removable security device stores an additional item and said receiver is operable to request an update to said additional item from said transmitter via said medium, said transmitter fulfilling said request only if said indicium meets said criterion.

23. The system according to claim 22 comprising a second channel and wherein said request is carried over said second channel.

24. The system according to claim 23 wherein said second channel is the public switched telephone network.

25. The system according to claim 22 wherein said additional item is a decryption key for said broadcast and said decryption key is usable by said receiver to present said broadcast only if said indicium meets said criteria.

26. The system according to claim 22 wherein said additional item is a selected set of subscriber program information and wherein said receiver only presents a portion of said broadcast corresponding to said selected set.

27. The system according to claim 13 wherein said indicium is encrypted on said removable security device and said receiver stores a decryption key for reading said encrypted indicium.

20. The system according to 19 wherein a decryption key for said broadcast is stored on said removable security device and said decryption key is usable by said receiver to present said broadcast only if said indicium meets said criteria.

28. A removable security device for communication with one or more subscriber stations, said device comprising a medium for storing an indicium respective to one of said subscriber stations such that said respective subscriber will operate to receiving programming only if said indicium meets a criterion local to said respective subscriber station.

29. The device according to claim 28 wherein said criterion is met if said indicium matches a serial number of said subscriber station.

30. A method of receiving a broadcast comprising the steps of:

downloading a user profile from a removable security device that is in communication with a set-top box having a serial number;

presenting said broadcast only if said user profile includes an indicium that matches said serial number.

31. A method of initializing a set top box having a unique serial number comprising the steps of:

initializing said set-top box;

downloading a user profile from a smart card in communication with said set-top box;

determining if said user profile contains an indicium that matches said serial number,

terminating said initialization if said indicium does not match said serial number, and,

completing said initialization if said indicium matches said serial number.

32. The method according to claim 31 comprising the additional steps of:

extracting a decryption key from said user profile for decrypting broadcasts received by said set-top box;

decrypting said broadcast using said decryption key; and

,

presenting said decrypted broadcast.

33. The method according to claim 32 comprising the additional step of:

extracting subscriber program information from said user profile;

presenting only a portion of a received broadcast that corresponds with said subscriber program information.

35. A method of updating a user profile stored on a smart card in communication with a set top box comprising the steps of:

transmitting, from said set top box, a request to update said user profile;

transmitting, from said set top box, said user profile to a bead end office;

determining, at said bead end office, whether said user profile contains an indicium that matches a serial number of said set top box;

terminating said method if said indicium does not match said serial number;

generating, at said head end office, an updated user profile based on said request;

transmitting, from said head end office, said updated user profile to said set top box; and

,

storing said updated user profile on said smart card.

36. The method according to claim 35 wherein said user profile is transmitted in an encrypted format during at least one of said transmitting steps.

37. The method according to claim 35 wherein said user profile contains a decryption key usable by said receiver to decrypt said broadcast only if said indicium matches said serial number.

38. The method according to claim 35 wherein said user profile contains a selected set of subscriber program information and wherein said receiver is operable to only present a portion of said broadcast corresponding to said selected set.

39. A set top box having a unique serial number comprising:

means for initializing said set-top box;

means downloading a user profile from a smart card in communication with said set-top box;

means for determining if said user profile contains an indicium that matches said serial number;

means for terminating said initialization if said indicium does not match said serial number; and

,

means for completing said initialization if said indicium matches said serial number.

40. The set top box of claim 39 further comprising:

means for extracting a decryption key from said user profile for decrypting broadcasts received by said set-top box;

means for decrypting said broadcast using said decryption key; and

,

means for presenting said decrypted broadcast.

41. The set top box of claim 39 firth comprising:

means for extracting subscriber program information from said user profile; and

means for presenting only a portion of a received broadcast that corresponds with said subscriber program information.