System and method of adaptive and progressive descrambling of streaming video

• US 20050193409A1
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Published: 09/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nagra France SAS (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Medialive (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: LeComte, Daniel, Parayre-Mitzova, Daniela, Georges, Sebastien
• Granted Patent: US 8,695,029 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• 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

A method of distributing digital video sequences in the form of a stream including sequences of data containing digital images, including a modification stage of an original stream by modifying at least a part of the sequences, the modification producing a modified stream of the same nominal format as the original stream, transmitting the modified stream, and a reconstruction stage implemented with a decoder, wherein the reconstruction is adaptive and progressive in function of information coming from a digital profile of the recipient.

Claims

1. A method of distributing digital video sequences in the form of a stream comprising sequences of data containing digital images, comprising:

a modification step of an original stream by modifying at least a part of the sequences, the modification producing a modified stream of the same nominal format as the original stream,

transmitting the modified stream, and

a reconstruction step implemented with a decoder, wherein the reconstruction is adaptive and progressive in function of information coming from a digital profile of the recipient.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the modification produces a main modified stream and a complementary information allowing reconstruction of the original stream by a decoder, and a transmission step to equipment of the recipient of a sub-set of the complementary modification information, the sub-set being determined in function of information coming from a digital profile of the recipient.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the main modified stream is recorded on the destination equipment prior to transmission of the complementary information to the destination equipment.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the modified main stream and the complementary information are transmitted together in real time.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein determination of the sub-set is made by a granular scalability method.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the quantity of information contained in the sub-set corresponds to a scalability level determined in function of the profile of the recipient.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the type of information contained in the sub-set corresponds to a scalability level determined in function of the profile of the recipient.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the modifying complementary information contains at least one digital routine capable of performing a function.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the functions transmitted to each recipient are personalized for each recipient in function of the session.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the complementary information is subdivided in at least two sub-parts.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the sub-parts of the complementary information can be distributed by different media.

12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the sub-parts of the complementary information can be distributed by the same media.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein all or part of the complementary information is transmitted on a physical vector.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein the complementary information is transmitted on line.

15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital images are images I, or P, or B, or planes S.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the digital images use wavelet-based technologies.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one part of the profile is stored on the destination equipment.

18. The method according to claim 2, wherein the type of information contained in the sub-set is updated in function of the behavior of the recipient during the connection with the server, or in function of user habits or in function of data communicated by a third party.

19. The method according to claim 1, further comprising a preliminary stage of analog/digital conversion in a structured format, the method being applied to an analog video signal.

20. A system for distributing digital video sequences comprising a server containing means of broadcasting a modified stream according to claim 1, and a plurality of devices equipped with a descrambling circuit, wherein the server contains in addition a recorder for the digital profile of the recipient and an analyzer for the profile of each recipient of the modified stream, the recorder commanding the nature of the complementary information transmitted to each of the analyzed recipients.

21. The system according to claim 20, wherein a level (quality, quantity, type) of the complementary information is determined for each recipient in function of the status of a profile at the time of the visualization of the main stream.