Method for updating a table of correspondence between a logical address and an identification number

• US 20090049488A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nagravision SA (Kudelski SA)
• Original Assignee: Nagravision SA (Kudelski SA)
• Inventors: Stransky, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5076 Update or notification mechanisms, e.g. DynDNS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

This invention relates to a Method for updating a table of correspondence between a logical address associated to a user unit in a communication network and a unique identification number associated to a user unit of a group of user units managed by a management centre, a method in which messages are exchanged between said management centre and at least one specific user unit of said group by means of said communication network, these messages being forwarded to the specific user unit using the logical address of said user unit in said network, wherein it includes the steps of searching in said table of correspondence for the logical address of the user unit in said communication network corresponding to the unique identification number of the specific user unit; of sending of messages to the user unit having the concerned unique identification number, to the logical address corresponding to said communication network; in the case of incorrect reception of the messages, sending of a request containing an identifier of said specific user unit (STB*), this request being sent to all or part of the user units (STB) forming said group; detection of a return message of a user unit (STB*) whose unique identification number (UA*) corresponds to said identifier contained in the request; determination of the logical address (AD*) in said network, used by the user unit (STB*) having transmitted the return message; verification of the logical address (AD) by establishing a communication between the management centre and the user unit (STB*) and authentication of the specific user unit by the management centre; storage in the table of correspondence (TC) of the management centre of said logical address (AD*) of the user unit in said network, in connection with said unique identification number (UA*) of the user unit (STB*) having transmitted the return messages.

Claims

1. A method for updating a table of correspondence between a logical address associated to a user unit in a communication network and a unique identification number associated to a user unit of a group of user units managed by a management centre, a method in which messages are exchanged between said management centre and at least one specific user unit of said group by means of said communication network, these messages being forwarded to the specific user unit using the logical address of said user unit in said network, the method comprising:

searching, in the table of correspondence, for the logical address of the user unit in the communication network corresponding to the unique identification number of the specific user unit;

sending messages to the user unit having the concerned unique identification number, to the logical address corresponding to said communication network;

sending, in the case of incorrect reception of the messages, a request containing an identifier of said specific user unit, this request being sent to all or a part of the user units forming said group;

detecting a return message of a user unit whose unique identification number corresponds to said identifier contained in the request;

determining the logical address in said network, used by the user unit having transmitted the return message;

verifying the logical address by establishing a communication between the management centre and the user unit and authentication of the specific user unit by the management centre;

storage storing, in the table of correspondence of the management centre of said logical address of the user unit in said network, in connection with said unique identification number of the user unit having transmitted the return messages.

2. The method for updating a table of correspondence according to claim 1, wherein the authentication of a specific user unit includes:

sending a message containing a value generated by the management centre;

reception of receiving said message by a user unit;

extracting said value and transformation of this value by way of a key contained in said user unit;

returning a message containing said value transformed at the management centre;

receiving said message by the management centre;

comparing said returned value with the value expected by the management centre.

3. The method for updating a table of correspondence according to claim 1, wherein the identifier of said specific user unit is said unique identification number of this user unit.

4. The method for updating a table of correspondence according to claim 3, wherein the user unit includes a security module and wherein said unique identification number is stored in this security module.

5. The method for updating a table of correspondence according to claim 1, wherein the request is sent to a subset of user units, this subset being connected to a communication sub-network forming part of the communication network between the management centre and the group of user units.

6. The method for updating a table of correspondence according to claim 5, wherein the subset of user units is selected according to probability criteria in such a way that the probability that the specific user unit that is the object of the search belongs to this subset is greater than the possibility that it belongs to another subset containing the same number of user units.

7. The method for updating a table of correspondence according to claim 1, wherein encrypted data is transmitted to user units in broadcast mode and the messages are transmitted in point-to-point mode, these messages containing the means to access said data.

8. The method for updating a table of correspondence according to claim 1, wherein the logical address is made up of an alphanumeric code.

9. The method for updating a table of correspondence according to claim 1, wherein the logical address is stored in the decoder of the user unit.

10. The method for updating a table of correspondence according to claim 1, wherein the identification number is stored in the security module of the user unit.