FEATURE ENABLEMENT AT A COMMUNICATIONS TERMINAL

• US 20100017840A1
• Filed: 07/17/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: McMullan, Jay C. JR., Akins, Glendon L. III
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,548 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/131
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• 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

In one embodiment, a method for electronic enablement of features at a communication device that includes receiving a feature token, validating the feature token, and changing the enablement state of one or more features at the communication device in accordance with a valid feature token.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a feature token generator for generating a feature token;

a communication device communicatively coupled to said feature token generator, said communication device having a secure processor for validating said feature token and changing an enablement state of underlying hardware for a feature at said communication device; and

wherein said secure processor is configured to change said enablement state in response to and in accordance with said feature token when said feature token is determined to be valid, and not change said enablement state in response to said feature token when said feature token is determined to be not valid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication device is a television set-top box.

3. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one feature;

a secure processor for validating a feature token and changing an enablement state of underlying hardware for said feature; and

wherein said secure processor is configured to change said enablement state in response to and in accordance with said feature token when said feature token is determined to be valid, and not change said enablement state in response to said feature token when said feature token is determined to be not valid.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said changing an enablement state comprises changing a feature bit corresponding to said feature in a feature bit register.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said apparatus is a television set-top box.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said secure processor is configured to change said enablement state of said underlying hardware for said feature from an unenabled state to an enabled state.

7. A method, comprising:

receiving a feature token at a communication device, said feature token including feature enablement status information; and

validating said feature token at a secure processor at said communication device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

responsive to said feature token being determined to be valid, changing an enablement state of underlying hardware for a feature at said communication device in accordance with said feature token.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said changing an enablement state is directed by said secure processor.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said validating said feature token comprises validating communication device identity information and feature token authorization information contained within said feature token.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said changing an enablement state comprises changing a feature bit in a feature bit register.

12. A method, comprising:

transmitting a feature token request for feature enablement status information; and

transmitting an identity certificate for a communication device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said communication device transmits said feature token request and said identity certificate.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a feature token at a communication device, said feature token including feature enablement status information.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising validating said feature token at said communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

responsive to said feature token being determined to be valid, changing an enablement state of underlying hardware for a feature at said communication device in accordance with said feature token.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said enablement state is changed from an unenabled state to an enabled state.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a secure processor for generating a feature token for a communication device, said feature token containing enablement status information for at least one feature at said communication device; and

a memory for storing information pertaining to said communication device.

19. A method, comprising:

generating a secure feature token, said secure feature token containing enablement status information for at least one feature at a communication device; and

transmitting said secure feature token.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said secure feature token comprises identity information for said communication device, and an authorization that can be validated at said communication device.

21. A method, comprising:

receiving a feature token request;

receiving an identity certificate containing identity information for a communication device; and

validating said identity certificate.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

responsive to said identity certificate being determined to be valid, issuing a feature token for said communication device, said feature token containing feature enablement status information.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising recording transmission of said feature token.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said validating said identity certificate comprises validating said identity certificate at a secure processor.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said validating said identity certificate comprises attempting to decrypt a digital signature of the identity certificate with a stored public key associated with the communication device.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising validating said feature token request.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein validating said feature token request comprises attempting to decrypt a digital signature of said feature token request using a public key for the communication device contained in said identity certificate.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

responsive to said identity certificate and said feature token request being determined to be valid, transmitting a feature token for said communication device, said feature token containing feature enablement status information.