Secure delivery of program content via a removable storage medium

• US 20070036516A1
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kahn, Raynold, Siegel, Philip
• Granted Patent: US 9,325,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/259
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42669 the medium being removable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7925 for more than one standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 : using transform coding

Abstract

A method and apparatus for delivering video program content with selective viewing capability. An apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a personal video recorder (PVR), which can be a portion of an Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD), an access key, coupled to the PVR, and a storage medium containing the video program content, wherein the video program content is stored on the storage medium in an encrypted manner, the access key is used to access the program content on the storage medium, and the storage medium is removable from the PVR.

Claims

1. An apparatus for delivering video program content with selective viewing capability, comprising:

a personal video recorder (PVR);

an access key, accessible to the PVR; and

a storage medium, removably couplable to the PVR, the storage medium storing video program content encrypted so as to be decryptable with the access key.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the access key is shared among multiple PVRs.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the access key is used to decrypt the video program content.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video program content is stored on the storage medium by user request at a location remote from the PVR.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage medium is mailed to a user.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein access to the program content is controlled by the access key.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a payment is charged to view the video program content.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a payment is charged to view the video program content during a predefined period of time.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein a second payment is charged to view the video program content at least a second time.

10. An apparatus for delivering video program content with selective viewing capability on a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) portion of an Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD), comprising:

an access key, which can be accessed to the IRD; and

a storage medium, removably coupled to the IRD, the storage medium storing the video program content, and wherein the access key is used to access the program content on the storage medium.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the access key is used to decrypt the video program content.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the video program content is stored on the storage medium by user request at a location remote from the IRD.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the access key is shared among multiple IRDs.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the storage medium is mailed to a user.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the storage medium is generically encrypted, and access to the program content is controlled by the access key.

16. A method for delivering video program content with selective viewing capability, comprising:

storing the video program content in an encrypted manner on a removable storage device, the removable storage device being compatible with a Personal Video Recorder (PVR);

providing the PVR with an access key, wherein the access key provides selective access to the video program content on the removable storage device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the access key is shared by more than one PVR.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising using the access key to decrypt the video program content stored on the removable storage device.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising charging a fee for access to the video program content.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the fee is charged on a per viewing basis of the video program content.