TRANSITIONING TO SECURE IP COMMUNICATIONS FOR ENCODING, ENCAPSULATING, AND ENCRYPTING DATA

• US 20110032981A1
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Widevine Technologies Incorporated (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Baker, Brian A., Rassool, Reza P., Morten, Glenn A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,532,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26609 using retrofitting techniques, e.g. by re-encrypting the control words used for pre-encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• 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

An apparatus, system, and method is directed to transcoding broadcast content, such as in a DVB, ATSC, and MPEG based network, to secure content suitable for an Internet Protocol (IP) based network. In one embodiment, a single multifunctional convergence appliance is employed to enable such transcoding actions as encryption, encoding, and/or encapsulation. For example, in one embodiment, an MPEG transport stream associated with the broadcast content may be transcoded to an IP-based transport stream. In addition, the transport stream may be decrypted, transrated to another rate, and re-encrypted using a different control word for re-encrypting, but a same service key to encrypt the different control word. The system is also enabled to transcode content formatted for the IP-based network to a content format suitable for the broadcast network.

Claims

1. A network device for managing content over a network, comprising:

a input/output interface that is configured to receive input signals including at least one of an IP signal, MPEG Transport over ASI, a DVB signal, an SDI signal, an S-video signal, an AES/EBU signal, or an S/PDIF signal, and to provide an output signal including at least one of a DVB signal, an ATSC signal, or an IP signal;

a processor in communication with the input/output interface; and

a memory in communication with the processor and for use in storing data and machine instructions that causes the processor to perform a plurality of actions, including;

determining an input signal selection;

enabling a selection of a processing action on the input signal, including at least one of filtering of a program steam, rate shaping, encoding, encapsulation, or encryption of the input signal, wherein the processing action comprises receiving a baseband video or audio signal;

digitizing, encoding, and compressing the signal into an elementary stream, and recompressing the elementary stream into another elementary stream with a different bit rate;

determining an output signal format selection for a consumer device; and

converting the processed input signal into the determined output signal selection.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein rate shaping further comprises transcoding of a bit rate of the input signal by decrypting the input signal, employing a service key inside of an EMM to decrypt an ECM to access a first Control Word key, varying a bit rate on the decrypted signal, and re-encrypting the bit rated signal using a second Control Word key, and further encrypting the second Control Word key using the same service key.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein the input signals, and the output signals are obtained through industry standard connections.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein the encoding employs a multimedia CODEC that employs at least one of video or an audio CODEC, including at least one of an MPEG CODEC, H.264 CODEC, a WMV CODEC, a DV CODEC, or an MPGA, MPG2A, MP3, or MP4A CODEC.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein a display in communication with the processor enables a user to provide a selection of the processing action.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the network device is located proximate to the consumer device within the network.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein the compressed audio and video signals are synchronized and multiplexed into a program stream using the selected process.

8. The network device of claim 1, wherein the input signal is a digital TV (DTV) signal, and wherein the processing further comprises descrambling the DTV signal using a key and de-encapsulating the descrambled DTV signal to expose an MPEG transport stream.

9. A system useable in securely transitioning television signals to IP signals, comprising:

a device configured to provide a television signal; and

a secure transitioner that is operative to perform actions, comprising;

receiving the television signal;

determining a format of the received television signal;

enabling a selection of a processing action on the television signal, including at least one of filtering out a program stream, rate shaping, encoding, encapsulation, or encryption of the television signal, wherein the processing action comprises receiving a baseband video or audio signal;

digitizing, encoding, and compressing the signal into an elementary stream, and recompressing the elementary stream into another elementary stream with a different bit rate;

determining an output signal format for a consumer device; and

converting the processed television signal into the determined output signal, for use of an IP based network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the television signal is a digital TV (DTV) signal, and the processing comprises descrambling the DTV signal using a key, and de-encapsulating the descrambled DTV signal to expose an MPEG transport stream.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing further comprises multiplexing MPEG program streams into MPEG transport streams.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein rate shaping further comprises varying a bit rate on the television signal.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the secure transitioner is operative to perform actions, further comprising:

encrypting the encoded baseband signal; and

providing the encrypted signal in SDTI format useable with the consumer device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the secure transitioner is located proximate to the consumer device within the IP based network.

15. An apparatus for securely transitioning television input to an IP based network, comprising:

a input/output interface that is configured to receive input signals including at least one of an IP signal, MPEG Transport over ASI, a DVB signal, an SDI signal, an S-video signal, an AES/EBU signal, or an S/PDIF signal, and to provide an output signal including at least one of a DVB signal, an ATSC signal, or an IP signal;

means for selecting a processing action, wherein the processing actions comprise at least one of filtering the input signal, rate shaping the input signal, encapsulating the input signal, or encrypting the input signal, wherein rate shaping comprises varying a bit rate on the television signal;

means of securely performing the selected processing action, wherein the processing action is performed upon the received input signal; and

means for converting the received input signal into a selected output signal useable over the IP based network by a consumer device.

16. The network device of claim 15, wherein the apparatus is located proximate to the consumer device within the network.