Method and apparatus for providing copy protection using a transmittal mode command

• US 20080178235A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Derek T. Nelson, Peter J. Wonfor
• Original Assignee: Derek T. Nelson, Peter J. Wonfor
• Inventors: Nelson, Derek T., Wonfor, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,250,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91314 the copy protection signal being a pulse signal inserted in blanking intervals of the video signal, e.g. pseudo-AGC pulses, pseudo-sync pulses
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91371 the video color burst signal being modified
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/6582 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 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A method and system of providing copy protection of video analog and digital signals and the like, wherein the signals are transmitted via a digital delivery network, and may comprise, for example, pay-per-view (PPV) program materials protected by copyrights of respective program rights holders. The right holders authorize video service providers (3) to apply copy protection to the program material. The copy protection process is supplied to the rights holders or the service providers (3) by a copy protection process licensor. The video service providers (3) supply suitable copy protection control software via respective control and billing (tracking) centers to generate commands which activate, control and reconfigure the copy protection process being applied to the programs being transmitted. A set-top box (10) is provided to each consumer and contains a copy protection circuit which is adapted to apply selected anticopy waveforms to the video signal corresponding to the program material in response to the commands from the service providers (3). Usage data pertinent to each consumer is returned by the set-top box (10) to the service providers (3), which then report the copy protection usage to the respective rights holders and process licensor.

Claims

1-32. -32. (canceled)

33. A method of providing programmable copy protection of a video signal, wherein a plurality of copy protection signals are available for application to the video signal, comprising:

providing programmable copy protection configurations indicative of respective copy protection signals;

providing one or more mode control bit patterns for selecting respective configurations of the programmable copy protection configurations corresponding to one or more of the copy protection signal;

applying one or more of the programmable copy protection configuration to the video signal to produce a copy protected video signal in response to a selection of the one or more corresponding mode control bit pattern; and

wherein the copy protected video signal is watchable while a recording of the copy protected video signal is not watchable.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the applied programmable copy protection configurations include one or more of the following;

vertical blanking interval signals On/Off, end of field back porch pulses On/Off, color stripe process On/Off, automatic gain control (AGC) pulse normal (amplitude cycling)/static mode select, H sync amplitude reduction On/Off, V sync amplitude reduction On/Off.

35. An apparatus for providing programmable copy protection to a video signal wherein a plurality of copy protection signals are available for application to the video signal, comprising:

a circuit for providing programmable copy protection configurations indicative of respective copy protection signals;

a circuit for providing one or more mode control bit pattern for selecting respective configurations of the programmable copy protection configurations corresponding to one or more of the copy protection signal;

a circuit for applying one or more of the programmable copy protection configuration to the video signal to produce a copy protected video signal in response to a selection of the one or more corresponding mode control bit pattern; and

wherein the copy protected video signal is viewable while a recording of the copy protected video signal is not successfully viewable.

36. A method of programming one or more copy protection waveforms for use in a video signal derived via a digital delivery network that includes a transmission link, wherein the transmission link includes one or more of the following;

a microwave system, satellite system, optical system, phone system, the method comprising;

providing one or more control bits from the transmission link to at least one remote device, wherein the remote device includes an encoder circuit that provides programmable configuration bit patterns indicative of the one or more copy protection signal to be applied to the video signal in response to the one or more control bits; and

applying the programmable copy protection signal to the video signal in response to the programmable configuration bit patterns selected by the one or more control bits to produce a copy protected video signal, wherein the copy protected video signal is to be viewable but not recordable.

37. An apparatus for programming one or more copy protection waveforms into a video signal of a remote device, wherein the video signal is derived from a digital signal provided by a digital delivery network that includes a transmission link, wherein the transmission link includes one or more of the following;

a microwave system, satellite system, optical system, phone system, the apparatus comprising;

a circuit for providing one or more control bits from the transmission link in at least one remote device, wherein the remote device includes an encoder circuit that provides programmable configuration bit patterns indicative of the one or more copy protection signals to be applied to the video signal in response to the one or more control bits; and

a circuit for applying the one or more copy protection signal to the video signal in response to the programmable configuration bit patterns selected by the one or more control bits to provide a copy protected video signal, wherein the copy protected video signal is viewable but is not recordable.

38. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the digital delivery network includes video service providers such as a telephone signal provider, an RF broadcast signal provider, or a satellite broadcast provider, for sending compressed video signals over the digital delivery network.

39. The apparatus of claim 37 further including an electronic programming guide or flash memory for supplying programmable copy protection signals.

40. The apparatus of claim 37 wherein the programmable copy protection signal includes providing one or more of the following signals;

vertical blanking interval (VBI) pulses on/off, end of field back porch pulses on/off, horizontal sync reduction on/off, vertical sync reduction on/off, automatic gain control (AGC) pulse modification on/off, AGC pulse amplitude cycling mode, AGC pulse static mode.

41. An apparatus for processing a satellite, microwave, fiberoptic, or cable signal, comprising:

a digital signal decompression circuit;

a circuit including an electronic programming guide for providing a display on a television set or monitor;

an NTSC/PAL encoder circuit for providing an output for a video signal or an RF modulator circuit for providing an output for an RF signal;

copy protection control registers or one or more programmable copy protection signal generator for providing mode control bits, for generating back porch AGC pulses, and for receiving one or more programmable copy protection configuration bits; and

wherein the video signal or RF signal is provided with a copy protection signal corresponding to the programmable copy protection configuration bits selected by the mode control bits to produce a copy protected signal including back porch AGC pulses, wherein the copy protected signal is viewable on a television monitor but is not recordable.

42. The apparatus of claim 41 including a provision for flash memory and or a provision for conditional access.

43. The apparatus of claim 41 wherein:

the video signal is provided by one or more of the following;

a video service provider, a telephone company, a cable operator, a satellite company; and

wherein the video signal is delivered via one or more of the following;

a microwave signal, a phone line, a cable coax line, an optical fiber line, a satellite signal.

44. The apparatus of claim 41 further comprising:

a device including an integrated circuit; and

wherein the device is coupled to one or more of;

a microwave signal, a phone line, a cable coax line, an optical fiber line, one or more wires, a satellite signal.

45. The apparatus of claim 41 including circuitry for programming or reconfiguring the copy protection signal, and a memory circuit for storing into memory the one or more programmable copy protection configuration bits.

46. An apparatus comprising a receiver of a digital signal that includes the capability of programming at least part of a video copy protection signal and or of sending data signals to a service provider, comprising:

circuitry for providing one or more mode control bits and one or more programmable configuration bits indicative of one or more programmable copy protection signals;

said circuitry enabling the one or more mode bits to enable programming of one or more programmable copy protection signal onto a digital signal derived from the received digital signal; and

wherein the one or more programmable copy protection signal is added or inserted onto the derived digital signal to provide a copy protected digital signal;

wherein the copy protected digital signal is converted to a copy protected analog video signal which includes at least one back porch pulse; and

wherein the copy protected analog video signal is successfully watchable but is not recordable.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the receiver includes one or more of the following;

a demodulator, a digital decompressor, an MPEG decoder, an audio processor, a demultiplexer, one or more software applications, an electronic programming guide, a flash memory configuration, a conditional access system, a computational processor or CPU, an RF modulator.

48. The apparatus of claim 47 further comprising:

one or more of the following;

audio output, AC-3 output, composite video output, component video output, RF output; and

a display responsive to the electronic programming guide or to information from the electronic programming guide.

49. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the service provider includes one or more of the following;

a telephone company, a cable operator, a satellite broadcast company, a rights owner.

50. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the one or more mode bits selects one or more of the following conditions;

pay to record allowed/prohibited, VBI pulses on/off, color stripe process on/off, AGC pulse with static amplitude or amplitude cycling, horizontal sync reduction on selected video lines, and vertical sync amplitude reduction on selected lines.

51. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein the one or more configuration bits are stored in the receiver.

52. An apparatus for receiving digital images from a service provider, comprising:

a device for reception of information derived via one or more of the following;

an RF signal, a phone line, a coaxial cable, an optical signal, a microwave signal, a satellite signal;

a digital decompressor system or circuit;

a memory and or flash memory circuit;

a programmable copy protection signal generator for providing programmable copy protection bit configurations indicative of corresponding copy protection signals and for generating a back porch pulse signal;

a circuit for providing mode control bits for selecting one or more programmable copy protection bit configurations and thus the one or more copy protection signal applied to the digital images to provide copy protected digital images;

a digital to analog converter circuit; and

wherein the apparatus includes an electronic program guide for display of the copy protected digital images on a television set or monitor and wherein the output of the digital to analog converter circuit includes an analog image signal and back porch pulses.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 further including copy protection control software which enables or disables recording and viewing of the digital images.

54. The apparatus of claim 53 wherein the device includes one or more of the following:

circuits for receiving digital audio signals and for decompressing the digital audio signals;

an MPEG decompressor; and

a circuit for providing at least part of a video copy protection process.

55. The apparatus of claim 53 wherein the copy protection control software provides for programming or enabling/disabling at least a portion of a copy protection process.

56. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the digital images converted to an analog signal comprise a video signal having horizontal and vertical sync pulses.

57. The apparatus of claim 56 wherein the device provides a modification to an amplitude of the horizontal and or vertical sync pulses of the video signal.

58. An apparatus for providing at least one copy protection signal from a plurality of programmable copy protection signals and including sync pulses, comprising:

a configuration circuit responsive to one or more control bits for providing at least one back porch pulse in a portion of a video signal, or for providing at least one back porch pulse and one or more of the following programmable copy protection signals;

a color stripe signal, a reduced horizontal or vertical sync signal, an amplitude cycling of automatic gain control (AGC) pulses, static AGC pulses, vertical blanking interval pulses, a reserved bit, to produce a corresponding copy protected video signal; and

a mode circuit for providing mode control bits to the configuration circuit for enabling inserting or adding one or more of the programmable copy protection signal to the video signal;

wherein the copy protected video signal is an analog video signal or a digital video signal converted to an analog video signal; and

wherein the analog copy protected video signal is viewable but not recordable.

59. The apparatus of claim 58 wherein the configuration circuit or the mode circuit includes a video encoder circuit.

60. The apparatus of claim 58 including one or more of the following:

an MPEG or digital decompression circuit;

an RF modulation circuit;

a software application device.

61. The apparatus of claim 58 including a video encoder circuit which outputs one or more of the following signals;

a component video signal, a composite video signal, an RF signal, an audio signal.

62. The apparatus of claim 58 including one or more of the following;

a microprocessor device, a conditional access device, an electronic programming guide circuit, a digital to analog device, a computer device.

63. The apparatus of claim 58 including one or more of the following;

a wireless device, a fiber optic device, a microwave frequency device, a wired device.

64. The apparatus of claim 58 including one or more of the following;

a subscription device, a control circuit device, a receiver or demodulation device, a transmitting device.

65. The apparatus of claim 58 wherein the output thereof is coupled to a display or a recording device.