Secure integrated media center

• US 20050125357A1
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Abbas Sasan Saadat, Lorne M. Trottier
• Original Assignee: Abbas Sasan Saadat, Lorne M. Trottier
• Inventors: Saadat, Abbas Sasan, Trottier, Lorne M.
• Application Number:
  US11/008,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20050125357A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]

Abstract

A set-top media system is disclosed which can be combined with an open architecture personal computer (PC) to provide a feature-rich secure integrated media center while meeting security rules of most major conditional access and content protection industry rules such as Cable Labs DFAST and PHILA agreements; and DTLA agreements for 5C-DTCP for IEEE1394, USB, and IP. The set-top media center and PC share common resources such as high definition display, remote control, hard disk drive, and other external unsecure storage devices. All media content is available seamlessly using a PC user interface, including controlled-content media such as high definition TV, within a PC desktop window. All controlled-content media is manipulated and managed within the set-top media system in a seamless manner. A novel mechanism is disclosed to allow controlled-content media to be stored on unsecure devices in encrypted form while overcoming the disk cloning attack problem for move operations.

Claims

1. A method for processing a controlled-content media file on a secure system, said file having copy status information, the method comprising steps of:

receiving said controlled-content media file;

checking said copy status information to ensure permission to copy;

storing a local record comprising said copy status information, in said secure system;

encrypting said controlled content media file and said copy status information;

storing the encrypted controlled-content media file and said copy status information on an unsecure storage device.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising steps of:

receiving said encrypted controlled-content media file and said copy status information from said unsecure storage device;

decrypting the encrypted controlled-content media file and said copy status information from said unsecure storage device;

comparing copy status information from said unsecure storage device with copy status information from said local record;

displaying said controlled-content media on a display device if said copy status information from said unsecure storage device matches said copy status information from said local record.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2,

wherein said step of storing a local record is preceded by a step of encrypting said local record;

and

wherein said step of retrieving said local record further comprises step of decrypting said local record.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said encrypting steps and decrypting steps use an encryption key unique to said secure system.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said steps of encrypting and decrypting said controlled-content media file use an encryption key unique to said media file;

and

wherein said local record further comprises said encryption key unique to said media file; and

wherein the steps of encrypting and decrypting said local record use an encryption key unique to said secure system.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said local record further comprises a first record digest calculated using contents of said local record;

and

wherein said step of decrypting said local record further comprises steps of;

calculating a second record digest using contents of the retrieved local record; and

comparing said first record digest with said second record digest to ensure integrity of said local record.

7. A method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising steps of generating a unique record ID for said controlled-content media file;

and

identifying said local record and the stored encrypted controlled-content media file, using said record ID.

8. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said steps of encrypting use a recognized encryption algorithm selected from the group consisting of:

DES;

3DES;

AES.

9. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said controlled-content media file comprises high definition video.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said unsecure storage device is indirectly connected to said secure system.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 wherein said unsecure storage device is part of a PC storage system.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said unsecure storage device comprises a hard disk drive.

13. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said unsecure storage device comprises a writable DVD.

14. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said unsecure storage device is connected directly to said secure system.

15. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising steps of:

receiving said encrypted controlled-content media file and said copy status information from said unsecure storage device;

checking to ensure a second unsecure storage device is authorized for a move operation;

retrieving the local record corresponding to said controlled-content media file, and if no local record exists, then aborting operation;

decrypting the encrypted controlled-content media file and said copy status information from said unsecure storage device;

checking the decrypted copy status information from said unsecure storage device to ensure a move operation is permitted;

updating copy status information of said controlled-content media;

storing a new local record comprising the updated copy status information, in said secure system;

newly encrypting said controlled content media file and said updated copy status information;

storing the newly encrypted controlled-content media file and said updated copy status information on said second unsecure storage device;

deleting the first mentioned local record from said secure system;

deleting the first mentioned encrypted controlled-content media file from the first mentioned unsecure storage device.

16. A secure system for processing a controlled-content media file having copy status information, the system comprising:

a receiver for receiving said controlled-content media file;

a checking means for checking said copy status information to ensure permission to copy;

a non-volatile memory for storing a local record comprising said copy status information;

an encrypting means for encrypting said controlled content media file and said copy status information;

a port adapted for connection to an unsecure storage device, for transmitting the encrypted controlled-content media file and copy status information.

17. A secure system as claimed in claim 16, wherein said port is further adapted to receive said encrypted controlled-content media file and said copy status information from said unsecure storage device, the secure system further comprising:

a decrypting means for decrypting the encrypted said controlled-content media file and said copy status information from said unsecure storage device;

a comparing means for comparing copy status information from said unsecure storage device with copy status information from said local record;

displaying said controlled-content media on a display device if said copy status information from said unsecure storage device matches said copy status information from said local record.

18. A set-top media system for combining with a personal computer (PC) to provide an integrated media center, said set-top media system comprising:

a receiver for receiving controlled-content media from a media content provider;

an output port for transmitting a video signal to a video display; and

a bidirectional digital connection to said PC;

wherein said set-top media system is adapted to;

receive a video signal of a PC graphical user interface (GUI) from said PC, said GUI including a window appearing to display said controlled-content media;

receive a message from said PC defining the size and location of said window within said GUI;

overlay over said GUI, a scaled video window of said controlled-content media having the defined size and location;

transmit the resulting video signal to said output port for display on said video display.

19. A set-top media system as claimed in claim 18 wherein said video signal from said PC is received via said bidirectional digital connection.

20. A set-top media system as claimed in claim 18 wherein said bidirectional digital connection of a type selected from the group consisting of:

network interface;

USB;

IEEE 1394.

21. A set-top media system as claimed in claim 18 wherein said video signal from said PC is received via a video input port.

22. A set-top media system as claimed in claim 18, further adapted to connect to an unsecure storage device for storing controlled-content media.

23. A set-top media system as claimed in claim 22, wherein said unsecure storage device can be connected remotely through said PC.

24. A set-top media system as claimed in claim 22, wherein said unsecure storage device can be connected directly, through a connection of a type selected from the group consisting of:

network interface;

USB;

IEEE 1394.