Secure conditional access port interface
First Claim
1. A transceiver comprising:
- a front-end unit for receiving a digital broadcast including;
a tuner;
a demodulator; and
a descrambling/encryption unit for descrambling the received digital broadcast and encrypting the descrambled digital broadcast;
an audio/video unit, including;
a demultiplexor for demultiplexing content;
a decryption engine for decrypting the encrypted digital broadcast;
wherein the decrypted digital broadcast is not externally accessible.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method thereof for providing a secure path for a digital signal in an intelligent transceiver such as a bi-directional set-top box. A digital signal (e.g., a broadcast signal or a signal received via a cable modem) is received by the intelligent transceiver at a front-end device (comprising, for example, a tuner). The digital signal is descrambled (if it is scrambled) and encrypted (if it is not encrypted) by a first functional block (e.g., an interface card or point of deployment) coupled to the front-end device. Coupled to the front-end device via the first functional block is a second functional block for processing (e.g., decoding) audio and/or visual content within the digital signal. Integrated into the second functional block is a decryption engine for decrypting encrypted signals. Signals from the front-end device are received via the first functional block by the decryption engine integral to the second functional block. There are no points between the first functional block and the decryption engine and between the decryption engine and the second functional block at which a descrambled and decrypted signal can be intercepted, thus providing a secure interface between the front-end device and the second functional block.
43 Citations
47 Claims
-
1. A transceiver comprising:
-
a front-end unit for receiving a digital broadcast including;
a tuner;
a demodulator; and
a descrambling/encryption unit for descrambling the received digital broadcast and encrypting the descrambled digital broadcast;
an audio/video unit, including;
a demultiplexor for demultiplexing content;
a decryption engine for decrypting the encrypted digital broadcast;
wherein the decrypted digital broadcast is not externally accessible. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A transceiver comprising:
-
a point of deployment (POD) for descrambling a digital signal and encrypting the descrambled digital signal; and
a decryptor/encryptor for descrambling the digital signal from the POD and re-encrypting the digital signal, an audio/video unit for decrypting the encrypted digital signal from the decryptor/encryptor and decoding the decrypted digital signal, wherein the decrypted digital signal is protected against external access and interception. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A transceiver comprising:
-
a smart card for storing a key;
a descrambling unit, coupled to the smart card, for descrambling a digital media signal using the key;
an encryption engine, coupled to the descrambling unit, for encrypting the descrambled digital media signal;
an audio/video integrated circuit, coupled to the encryption unit comprising;
a decryption engine for decrypting the encrypted digital media signal; and
a functional block, coupled to the decryption engine, for processing the decrypted digital media signal. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A receiver comprising:
-
a front-end unit including;
a network interface for receiving content;
a unit containing a descrambler for removing network-level security and a re-scrambler for applying receiver-level security to the content;
an audio/video unit, including;
a second descrambler for removing the applied receiver-level security; and
a decoder to decompress the content. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A receiver comprising:
-
a conditional access module for descrambling a digital signal and for re-scrambling the descrambled digital signal to produce a copy protected digital signal; and
an audio/video unit for descrambling the copy protected digital signal to produce a digital signal in the clear and decoding digital signal in the clear, wherein the digital signal in the clear is protected against external access and interception. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A receiver comprising:
-
a smart card for storing a key;
a first descrambling engine, coupled to the smart card, for descrambling a digital media signal using the key;
a scrambler engine, coupled to the descrambling unit, for re-scrambling the descrambled digital media signal for copy protection within the receiver;
an audio/video integrated circuit, coupled to the scrambler engine comprising;
a second descrambler engine for descrambling the copy protected digital media signal; and
a functional block, coupled to the second descrambler engine, for processing the descrambled copy protected digital media signal. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
-
Specification