Methods and systems for a secure media computing environment

• US 20050204391A1
• Filed: 02/23/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IDHL Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: IDHL Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scheirey, Stephen, Simpkins, Daniel S., Hunleth, Frank A.
• Application Number:
  US11/064,307
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204391A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43607 Interfacing a plurality of external cards, e.g. through a DVB Common Interface [DVB-CI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4431 characterized by the use of Application Program Interface [API] libraries
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing secure access to cable data are described. A split hardware and/or software architecture are provided to enable general computer access to safe APIs while protecting privileged APIs and operator content.

Claims

1. A method for generating video output based on data received from a cable input comprising the steps of:

receiving said cable input in an access module;

demodulating and providing conditional access to at least some of said cable input in said access module;

transferring said at least some of said cable input from said access module to a media processing module;

receiving computer-generated graphics in said media processing module; and

mixing said at least some of said cable input and said computer-generated graphics in said media processing module to generate said video output.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing conditional access further comprises the step of:

providing conditional access using OCAP conditional access techniques.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of transferring further comprises the step of:

transferring said at least some of said cable input to said media processing module via an interconnect which ensures digital rights management (DRM) protocols.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said interconnect is an IEEE 1394 bus employing DTCP.

5. A computer video system comprising:

an access module for receiving a cable input, demodulating said cable input and extracting data streams associated with a customer access from said demodulated cable input;

an interconnect for transferring said extracted data streams to a media processor module;

wherein said media processor module also receives computer-generated graphics and mixes said extracted data streams with said computer-generated graphics to generate a video output stream.

6. The computer video system of claim 5, wherein said interconnect is an IEEE 1394 bus employing DTCP protocols.

7. A cable data processing system comprising:

a first module, inaccessible by a general processor associated with a computer, including privileged application program interfaces (APIs) for operating on an incoming cable data stream; and

a second module, accessible by said general processor associated with said computer, including safe APIs for operating on said incoming cable data stream.

8. The cable data processing system of claim 7, wherein said privileged APIs are a first subset of OCAP-specified APIs and said safe APIs are a second subset of OCAP-specified APIs.

9. The cable data processing system of claim 8, wherein at least one API is replicated in both said first subset and said second subset of OCAP-specified APIs.

10. A cable data input card for a computer comprising:

an RF input capable of receiving a coaxial cable that conveys cable data to said cable data input card;

a PCMCIA slot having a PCMCIA card inserted therein, said PCMCIA card including a conditional access function for selectively allowing access to data streams within said cable data; and

an output which outputs those of said data streams authorized by said conditional access function to a secure interconnect.