Digital content delivery system and method

• US 20080205640A1
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Epstein, Steve, Shen-Orr, Chaim D., Wald, Stephanie, Shapiro, Yigal, Belenky, Yaakov, Hibshoosh, Eli
• Application Number:
  US12/150,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20080205640A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• 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 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56
• 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 7/1675 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

A system and a method for flexible, yet secure distribution of digital content items, optionally with an automatic payment mechanism for purchasing such content. The present invention supports the distribution of content to end user devices from a central distribution point, as in client-server models and variations thereof, and/or peer-to-peer distribution, for example between end user devices. In addition, the present invention also supports distribution models within either of these mechanisms for unitary distribution, to a specified end user device, or broadcast/multicast distribution, to a plurality of end user devices. In any case, in order for the distributed content to be operative, for example to be “played back” or otherwise displayed, the recipient end user device must be in communication with a network control center. The network control center then enables the recipient end user device to play back or otherwise display the received content, for example by sending a code to the recipient end user device. Optionally, the network control center may require payment to be received before enabling the content for the recipient end user device. Thus, the present invention supports flexible distribution of content according to a number of different distribution models, while still preventing unauthorized play back or other display throughout the lifecycle of the digital content item, and optionally enabling assured payments.

Claims

1-83. -83. (canceled)

84. A method for unscrambling scrambled content before display, the scrambled content being digital data and the unscrambled content being displayed as an analog signal, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) unscrambling the scrambled content to form unscrambled content as digital data;

(b) converting said unscrambled content from digital data to an analog signal, such that steps (a) and (b) are performed immediately before said analog signal is displayed; and

(c) displaying said analog signal;

wherein steps (a) and (b) are performed at physically separated locations connected by a secure channel.

85. A secure precision digital to analog converter, comprising:

(a) an encryption engine;

(b) a digital to analog converter for accepting input from said encryption engine for performing digital to analog conversion, said input including encrypted digital content and a key for decrypting said encrypted digital content; and

(c) a secure channel for connecting said encryption engine to said digital to analog converter, wherein said encryption engine is physically separated from said digital to analog converter.

86. The converter of claim 85, wherein said digital to analog converter further comprises:

(i) a plurality of weighted resistors; and

(ii) a plurality of control registers for controlling a weight of each resistor, said plurality of control registers determining said weight according to said key.

87. The converter of claim 86, wherein at least one weight of said weighted resistors is a fractional weight.

88. The converter of claim 87, further comprising an additional channel for transferring said encrypted digital content, such that said secure channel transfers said key.

89. The converter of claim 88, wherein said additional channel and said secure channel share identical physical lines.

90. A method for secure transmission of scrambled content to an end user device, the scrambled content comprising digital data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving the scrambled content at the end user device;

(b) receiving a permission message by the end user device;

(c) unscrambling the scrambled content to form unscrambled content as digital data only after receiving said permission message by the end user device;

(d) converting said unscrambled content to rescrambled content;

(e) unscrambling said rescrambled content when converting said content from digital data to an analog signal, such that step (e) is performed immediately before said analog signal is displayed; and

(f) displaying said analog signal.

91. A method for securely and precisely converting scrambled data to a final format for display, the steps of the method being performed within a secure device, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) completely unscrambling the scrambled data to an unscrambled format of data; and

(b) immediately converting said data in said unscrambled format to the final format for display, such that steps (a) and (b) are performed within the secure device, and such that said data in said unscrambled format is inaccessible externally to the secure device.

92. The method of claim 91, wherein converting scrambled data to the final format for display includes conversion of digital data to an analog signal.

93. The method of claim 92, wherein step (a) further comprises the steps of:

(i) receiving the scrambled data;

(ii) unscrambling the scrambled data to a first unscrambled data;

(iii) rescrambling said first unscrambled data to form rescrambled data; and

(iv) unscrambling said rescrambled data to form said data in said unscrambled format of data.

94. The method of claim 93, wherein the scrambled data is distributed to a plurality of secure devices, and wherein steps (iii) and (iv) are performed according to a different scheme by each secure device.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein the step of rescrambling said first unscrambled data to form said rescrambled data is performed differently by each secure device for each unscrambling operation.

96. A system for unscrambling scrambled content before display, the scrambled content being digital data and the unscrambled content being displayed as an analog signal, the system comprising:

(a) a descrambler operative to descramble the scrambled content to form descrambled content as digital data;

(b) a digital-to-analog converter which converts said unscrambled content from digital data to an analog signal, such that descrambling and digital-to-analog conversion are performed immediately before said analog signal is displayed; and

(c) a display, on which said analog signal is displayed;

wherein said descrambling and said digital-to-analog conversion are performed at physically separated locations connected by a secure channel.

97. A method for secure precision digital to analog conversion, the method comprising:

(a) encrypting digital content;

(b) receiving input, the input comprising the encrypted digital content and a key for decrypting said encrypted digital content; and

(c) connecting said encryption engine to said digital to analog converter via a secure channel,

wherein said digital content is encrypted at a location which is physically separated from the location whereat the receiving input occurs.

98. A system for secure transmission of scrambled content to an end user device, the scrambled content comprising digital data, the system comprising:

(a) receiving the scrambled content at the end user device;

(b) a receiver at the end user device which receives a permission message;

(c) a descrambler which descrambles the scrambled content to form descrambled content as digital data only after receiving said permission message by the end user device;

(d) a scrambler which converts said unscrambled content to rescrambled content;

(e) a second descrambler which descrambles the rescrambled content;

(f) a digital-to-analog converter which converts said descrambled rescrambled content from digital data to an analog signal; and

(g) a display on which the analog signal is displayed,

wherein the descrambler descrambles the scrambled content immediately before said analog signal is displayed.

99. A system for securely and precisely converting scrambled data to a final format for display, the conversion of the scrambled data to a final format being performed within a secure device, the system comprising:

(a) a descrambler which completely descrambles the scrambled data to an unscrambled format of data; and

(b) a digital to analog converter which immediately converts said data in said unscrambled format to the final format for display, such that the descrambler and the digital to analog converter are disposed within the secure device, and such that said data in said descrambled format is inaccessible externally to the secure device.

100. A system for unscrambling scrambled content before display, the scrambled content being digital data and the unscrambled content being displayed as an analog signal, the system comprising:

(a) means for unscrambling the scrambled content to form unscrambled content as digital data;

(b) means for converting said unscrambled content from digital data to an analog signal, such that the means for unscrambling and the means for converting are operative immediately before said analog signal is displayed; and

(c) means for displaying said analog signal;

wherein the means for unscrambling and the means for converting operate at physically separated locations connected by a secure channel.

101. A secure precision digital to analog converter, comprising:

(a) means for encrypting digital content;

(b) means for receiving input, the input comprising the encrypted digital content and a key for decrypting said encrypted digital content; and

(c) means for connecting said encryption engine to said digital to analog converter via a secure channel,

wherein said means for encrypting is physically separated from the means for receiving input.

102. A system for secure transmission of scrambled content to an end user device, the scrambled content comprising digital data, the system comprising:

(a) means for transmitting the scrambled content to the end user device;

(b) means for receiving a permission message by the end user device;

(c) means for unscrambling the scrambled content to form unscrambled content as digital data only after receiving said permission message by the end user device;

(d) means for converting said unscrambled content to rescrambled content;

(e) means for unscrambling said rescrambled content when converting said content from digital data to an analog signal, such that said means for unscrambling said rescrambled content operates immediately before said analog signal is displayed; and

(f) means for displaying said analog signal.

103. A system for securely and precisely converting scrambled data to a final format for display, the conversion of the scrambled data to a final format being performed within a secure device, the system comprising:

(a) means for completely unscrambling the scrambled data to an unscrambled format of data; and

(b) means for immediately converting said data in said unscrambled format to the final format for display, such that said means for completely unscrambling the scrambled data and said means for immediately converting said data are disposed within the secure device, and such that said data in said unscrambled format is inaccessible externally to the secure device.