Dynamically shifting control word

• US 20080240431A1
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: NDS Limited (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wald, Stephanie, Patinkin, Akiva, Poupko, Avraham
• Granted Patent: US 7,916,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/210
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26606 for generating or managing entitlement messages, e.g. Entitlement Control Message [ECM] or Entitlement Management Message [EMM] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• 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

Abstract

A method for generating a plurality of control words, each control word controlling access to an object. The method includes providing a control word packet (CWP), generating a first control word (CW) from the CWP, providing a second CW generation input and producing a second CW based, at least in part, on both of the following the first CW and the second CW generation input. Control word generating apparatus for generating a plurality of control words is also disclosed.

Claims

1-65. -65. (canceled)

66. A method for providing a multiple-question game, the method comprising:

providing a first scrambled question;

providing a first control word (CW) including descrambling information for descrambling the first question;

receiving, from a user, a first answer to the first question; and

producing a second CW based, at least in part, on both of the following;

the first CW and the first answer,

the second CW including descrambling information for descrambling a second question.

67. The method according to claim 66 and wherein at least one of the first question and the second question comprises a plurality of questions.

68. Game apparatus for providing a multiple-question game, the apparatus comprising:

a scrambled question descrambler receiving a first scrambled question and a first control word (CW) including descrambling information for descrambling the first question and operative to descramble the first question; and

a control word processor receiving, from a user, a first answer to the first question and operative to produce a second CW based, at least in part, on both of the following;

the first CW and the first answer,

the second CW including descrambling information for descrambling a second question.

69. The apparatus according to claim 68 and also comprising a security subsystem, and

wherein the security subsystem comprises at least one of the following:

the scrambled question descrambler; and

the control word processor.

70. The apparatus according to claim 69 and wherein the security subsystem comprises a removable security element, and

the removable security element comprises at least one of the following:

the scrambled question descrambler; and

the control word processor.

71. The apparatus according to claim 70 and wherein the removable security element comprises a smart card.

72. Game apparatus for providing a multiple-question game, the apparatus comprising:

scrambled question descrambling means for receiving a first scrambled question and a first control word (CW) including descrambling information for descrambling the first question and operative to descramble the first question; and

control word processing means for receiving, from a user, a first answer to the first question and operative to produce a second CW based, at least in part, on both of the following;

the first CW and the first answer,

the second CW including descrambling information for descrambling a second question.