Virtually Increasing the Number of Content Broadcast Channels

• US 20100027792A1
• Filed: 07/23/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV, Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke KPN NV, Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Bangma, Menno Remco, Selgert, Franklin
• Granted Patent: US 8,284,936 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• 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 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/161 Constructional details of the subscriber equipment H04N7/164 takes precedence
• 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

The invention mostly uses conventional procedures with regard to enabling specific end-user to decrypt encrypted content information, but supplies the decryption keys, which are identical for all end-users, only after the end-user has received the encrypted content information and after the end-user has received the subscription information comprised in the specific entitlement management data that specifies the individual rights to access the content information. This approach provides additional control over the conditions under which the content information is played-out by the end-user, and enables to temporally better manage the communication bandwidth available to the service provider.

Claims

1. A method of providing a service to one or more specific end-users out of a plurality of end-users for accessing content information in a controlled manner, wherein:

the content information is provided to the one or more specific end-users in an encrypted format in such a manner that generic entitlement control data and specific entitlement management data are needed in order for the one or more specific end-users to decrypt the encrypted content information and such that the generic entitlement control data is the same for the all of the one or more specific end-users and the specific entitlement management data is specific to each of the one or more the specific end-users; and

the generic entitlement control data is provided to all of the one or more specific end-users after the encrypted content information has been provided to the specific end-user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific entitlement management data is provided to the one or more specific end-users together with the encrypted content information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the generic entitlement control data comprises communicating the generic entitlement control data to data processing equipment of the one or more specific end-users via a first communication network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the generic entitlement control data comprises providing a first physical data carrier for being used with data processing equipment of the one or more specific end-users and storing the generic entitlement control data.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the encrypted content information is made available to the one or more specific end-users via a second communication network, different from the first communication network for being stored at the data processing equipment.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the encrypted content information is made available to the one or more specific end-users on a second physical data carrier, different from the first physical data carrier, for use with the data processing equipment.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the content information is encrypted using an encryption scheme with a layered key hierarchy involving a plurality of short-term keys and a long-term key;

the specific entitlement management data comprises the long-term key; and

the generic entitlement control data comprises the short-term keys.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication network is a cellular or satellite based network.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the content information is provided to the one or more specific end-users at non-peak hours in regard to bandwidth availability on the first communication network, and the generic entitlement control data is provided to the one or more specific end-users during peak hours in regard to bandwidth availability in the first communication network.

8. Data processing equipment configured for enabling a one or more specific end-users out of a plurality of end-users to access content information, wherein:

the equipment has a first interface and first memory for respectively receiving and storing the content information in an encrypted format, the encrypted format is such that generic entitlement control data and specific entitlement management data are needed in order to decrypt the encrypted content information and such that the generic entitlement control data is the same for the plurality of end-users and the specific entitlement management data is specific to each one of the one or more specific end-users;

the equipment has a second memory for storing the specific entitlement management data;

the equipment has a second interface for receiving the generic entitlement control data; and

the equipment is configured to decrypt the stored encrypted content information in the first memory under control of the specific entitlement control data in the second memory upon receipt of the generic entitlement control data via the interface at a point in time after receiving and storing the content information.

12. The equipment of claim 8, wherein the first interface connects the equipment to a cellular or satellite based network.

13. The equipment of claim 12, wherein the equipment is configured to receive the content information at non-peak hours in regard to bandwidth availability on the cellular or satellite based network, and is configured to receive the generic entitlement control data during peak hours in regard to bandwidth availability on the cellular or satellite based network.

9. Control software stored on a physical data carrier and comprising computer-readable code for configuring data processing equipment to control accessing content information stored in an encrypted format in a first memory, wherein:

the encrypted format is such that generic entitlement control data and specific entitlement management data are needed in order to decrypt the encrypted content information for one or more specific end-users out of a plurality of end-users;

the generic entitlement data is the same for the plurality of end-users;

the specific entitlement management data is specific to each of the one or more specific end-users and is stored in a second memory;

the code comprises first instructions operative to cause the data processing equipment to retrieve the encrypted content information from the first memory after receipt of the generic entitlement control data;

the code comprises second instructions operative to cause the data processing equipment to retrieve the specific entitlement management data from the second memory after receipt of the generic entitlement control data;

the code comprises third instructions operative to cause the data processing equipment to decrypt the encrypted content information under combined control of the specific entitlement management data and the generic entitlement control data.

14. The control software of claim 9, wherein the data processing equipment is coupled to a cellular or satellite based network.

15. The control software of claim 16, wherein the code comprises instructions operative to cause the data processing equipment to receive the content information at non-peak hours in regard to bandwidth availability on the cellular or satellite based network, and to receive the generic entitlement control data during peak hours in regard to bandwidth availability on the cellular or satellite based network.