APPARATUS SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SECURELY SHARING CONTENT WITH A PLURALITY OF RECEIVING DEVICES

• US 20100333131A1
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Parker, Scott Michael, Belt, David C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,458,742 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 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

Various embodiments facilitate secure content sharing between a plurality of receiving devices, such as set-top boxes. One embodiment is a system with a distribution server communicatively coupled via a satellite communication system to a plurality of set-top boxes that are located at different customer premises. The distribution server is operable to provide access control information via the satellite communication system to a first set-top box and a second set-top box of the plurality, with the access control information enabling the first set-top box to securely share content of the first set-top box with the second set-top box. This abstract is provided to comply with rules requiring an abstract, and it is submitted with the intention that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A system to facilitate secure content sharing between a plurality of set-top boxes, comprising:

a satellite communication system;

a plurality of set-top boxes communicatively coupled to the satellite communication system, each set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes being located at a distinct respective customer premises; and

a distribution server communicatively coupled to the satellite communication system, the distribution server configured to provide access control information via the satellite communication system to a first set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes and to at least a second set-top box, the access control information enabling the first set-top box to share content of the first set-top box with the second set-top box,

wherein the first set-top box is configured to receive via the satellite communication system from the distribution server the access control information, to share content of the first set-top box for use by the second set-top box, and to restrict access to the shared content based at least in part on the access control information received by the first set-top box, such that the second set-top box has access to the shared content and other set-top boxes of the plurality of set-top boxes do not have access to the shared content; and

wherein the second set-top box is configured to receive via the satellite communication system from the distribution server the access control information, and to access the shared content of the first set-top box based at least in part on the access control information received by the second set-top box.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set-top box is further configured to determine a first cryptographic key based on the access control information received by the first set-top box, and to restrict access to the shared content by encrypting at least a portion of the shared content using the first cryptographic key;

and wherein the second set-top box is further configured to determine a second cryptographic key based on the access control information received by the second set-top box, and to decrypt the at least a portion of the shared content using the second cryptographic key.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first set-top box is further configured to generate the first cryptographic key based at least in part on the receiving the access control information.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first cryptographic key is received as at least part of the access control information received by the first set-top box.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the first and second cryptographic keys are at least one of symmetric keys and an asymmetric key pair.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set-top box is further configured to receive a request to share a particular piece of content of the first set-top box for use by the second set-top box, and to provide the requested content piece to the second set-top box in response to the request.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the distribution server is further configured to provide the access control information to the second set-top box in response to receiving an indication of a desire of a user of the first set-top box to share content of the first set-top box with the second set-top box.

8. A method for securely sharing data, the method comprising:

under control of a first set-top box located at a first customer premises, receiving first access control information via a content distribution system;

sharing data of the first set-top box for use by a second set-top box, the second set-top box being located at a distinct second customer premises, the second set-top box having received second access control information via the content distribution system; and

restricting, based at least in part on the first access control information, access to the shared data in such a manner that the second set-top box can access the shared data based at least in part on the second access control information.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising, under control of the first set-top box, determining a first cryptographic key based at least in part on the first access control information, and wherein the restricting access to the shared data includes encrypting at least a portion of the shared data using the first cryptographic key, such that the second set-top box may decrypt the at least a portion of the shared data based at least in part on the second access control information.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the determining the first cryptographic key includes generating the first cryptographic key in response to receiving the first access control information.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least a portion of the shared data is a decryption key that may be used to decrypt at least some other portion of the shared data.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the sharing data of the first set-top box for use by the second set-top box includes receiving a request from the second set-top box for the data of the first set-top box, and providing the data to the second set-top box in response to the request.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the shared data includes programming content provided to the first set-top box via the content distribution system.

14. The method of claim 8, further including, under control of the first set-top box, receiving from a user of the first set-top box an indication of a desire to share data of the first set-top box for use by the second set-top box, wherein the second access control information is provided to the second set-top box in response to the indication of the desire.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

under control of the second set-top box,

determining a second cryptographic key based on the second access control information;

receiving the shared data from the first set-top box restricted for access by the second set-top box; and

decrypting at least a portion of the shared data with the second cryptographic key.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the content distribution system is a satellite communication system.

17. A method to facilitate secure content sharing between a plurality of set-top boxes, the method comprising:

under control of a distribution server,

receiving a request to enable access for a second set-top box to content of a first set-top box, the first set-top box located in a first customer premises and the second set-top box located in a second customer premises distinct from the first customer premises; and

providing to the first and second set-top boxes, via a program distribution system, access control information that enables the first and second set-top boxes to securely share content.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the providing to the first and second set-top boxes access control information includes:

providing to the first set-top box information indicative of a first encryption key for use by the first set-top box to encrypt content of the first set-top box provided for access by the second set-top box; and

providing to the second set-top box information indicative of a second encryption key for use by the second set-top box to decrypt content provided by the first set-top box for access by the second set-top box;

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the information indicative of the second encryption includes a command for the second set-top box to generate the second encryption key.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the access control information is provided to the second set-top box in response to receiving the request to enable access for the second set-top box.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the request to enable access for the second set-top box is received from the first set-top box.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the program distribution system is a satellite communication system.