METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING BROADCAST EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS

• US 20110206202A1
• Filed: 05/04/2011
• Published: 08/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rambus Inc.
• Original Assignee: Syphermedia International, Inc. (Verimatrix SA)
• Inventors: Cocchi, Ronald P., McKee-Clabaugh, Frances C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,879,729 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/239
• 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 21/4181 for conditional access
• 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

A method and apparatus for providing conditional access to media programs is described. An exemplary method comprising the steps of transmitting media information encrypted according to a control word (CW) to a receiver station, transmitting entitlement management information (EMI) to the receiver station, the EMI comprising a service bitmap, and transmitting entitlement control information (ECI) to the receiver station, the entitlement control information including the control word (CW) encrypted according to a key (K) and an index to an element of the service bitmap, wherein the control word (CW) is decrypted by the receiver stations according to a value of the indexed element of the service bitmap.

Claims

1-61. -61. (canceled)

62. A method for providing conditional access to media programs, comprising the steps of:

transmitting media information encrypted according to a control word (CW) to a receiver station;

transmitting entitlement management information (EMI) to the receiver station, the EMI comprising a service bitmap; and

transmitting entitlement control information (ECI) to the receiver station, the entitlement control information including an index to an element of the service bitmap and the control word (CTS) encrypted according to a key (K) derived at least in part from the service bitmap;

wherein the control word (CW) is decrypted by the receiver station according to a value of the indexed element of the service bitmap.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein the media information, the EMI and the ECI are transmitted in a single time division multiple access (TDMA) data stream.

64. The method of claim 62, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with at least one media service and comprising a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media service.

65. The method of claim 62, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with at least one media program and comprising a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media program.

66. The method of claim 62, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with only one media service and consisting of a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media service.

67. The method of claim 62, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with only one media program and consisting of a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media program.

68. The method of claim 62, wherein:

the EMI further comprises an expiration and the EMI is signed according to a signature transmitted with the EMI.

69. The method of claim 62, wherein:

the entitlement management information (EMI) is transmitted in an entitlement management message (EMM); and

the entitlement control information (ECI) is transmitted in an entitlement control message (ECM).

70. The method of claim 62, wherein the ECM further comprises access condition information and the access control information and the control word (CW) are together encrypted according to the key (K).

71. The method of claim 62, wherein, and the receiver station regenerates the key (K) using the service bitmap transmitted with the EMI.

72. An apparatus for providing conditional access to media programs, comprising:

means for transmitting media information encrypted according to a control word (CW) to a receiver station;

means for transmitting entitlement management information (EMI) to the receiver station, the EMI comprising a service bitmap; and

means for transmitting entitlement control information (ECI) to the receiver station, the entitlement control information including an index to an element of the service bitmap and the control word (CW) encrypted according to a key (K) derived at least in part from the service bitmap;

wherein the control word (CW) is decrypted by the receiver station according to a value of the indexed element of the service bitmap.

73. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein the media information, the EMI and the ECI are transmitted in a single time division multiple access (TDMA) data stream.

74. The method of claim 72, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with at least one media service and comprising a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media service.

75. The method of claim 72, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with at least one media program and comprising a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media program.

76. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with only one media service and consisting of a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media service.

77. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with only one media program and consisting of a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media program.

78. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein:

the EMI further comprises an expiration and the EMI is signed according to a signature transmitted with the EMI.

79. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein:

the entitlement management information (EMI) is transmitted in an entitlement management message (EMM); and

the entitlement control information (ECI) is transmitted in an entitlement control message (ECM).

80. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein the ECM further comprises access condition information and the access control information and the control word (CW) are together encrypted according to the key (K).

81. The apparatus of claim 72, wherein the receiver station regenerates the key (K) using the service bitmap transmitted with the EMI.

82. An apparatus for providing conditional access to media programs, comprising:

a first encryptor for encrypting media information according to a control word (CW);

a second encryptor for encrypting the control word according to a key (K) derived at least in part from a service bitmap;

a processor for generating entitlement management information (EMI), including the service bitmap and for generating entitlement control information (ECI) including the encrypted control word (CW) and an index to an element of the service bitmap; and

a transmitter for transmitting the entitlement management information (EMI) in a first message and for transmitting the entitlement control information (ECI) in a second message; and

wherein the control word (CW) is decrypted by the receiver station according to a value of the indexed element of the service bitmap.

83. The apparatus of claim 82, the EMI and the ECI are transmitted in a single time division multiple access (TDMA) data stream.

84. The apparatus of claim 82, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with at least one media service and comprising a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media service.

85. The apparatus of claim 82, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with at least one media program and comprising a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media program.

86. The apparatus of claim 82, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with only one media service and consisting of a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media service.

87. The apparatus of claim 82, wherein the service bitmap comprises an array of elements, each element of the array of elements associated with only one media program and consisting of a bit, and each element indicating whether the receiver station is authorized to receive the media program.

88. The apparatus of claim 82, wherein:

the EMI further comprises an expiration and the EMI is signed according to a signature transmitted with the EMI.

89. The apparatus of claim 82, wherein:

the entitlement management information (EMI) is transmitted in an entitlement management message (EMM); and

the entitlement control information (ECI) is transmitted in an entitlement control message (ECM).

90. The apparatus of claim 82, wherein the ECM further comprises access condition information and the access control information and the control word (CW) are together encrypted according to the key (K).

91. The apparatus of claim 82, wherein the receiver station regenerates the key (K) using the service bitmap transmitted with the EMI.

92. A method for providing conditional access to media programs, comprising the steps of:

transmitting media information encrypted according to a control word (CW) to a receiver station;

transmitting entitlement management information (EMI) to the receiver station, the EMI comprising a service bitmap; and

transmitting entitlement control information (ECI) to the receiver station, the entitlement control information including an index to an element of the service bitmap;

wherein the receiver station regenerates the control word (CW) according to a value of the indexed element of the service bitmap.

93. The method of claim 92, wherein the control word (CW) is regenerated at least in part from the service bitmap.

94. The method of claim 93, wherein:

the control word (CW) is generated at least in part from a key (K);

the EMI further comprises a processed second key (K2′

) generated from a second key (K2), the service bitmap, and the key (K); and

the receiver station regenerates the key (K) using the service bitmap and the processed second key (K2′

) and regenerates the control word (CW) at least in part from the regenerated key (K).

95. The method of claim 94, wherein:

the control word (CW) is further generated at least in part from the second key (K2);

the receiver station further regenerates the second key (K2) at least in part from the service bitmap and the processed second key (K2′

); and

the receiver station further regenerates the control word (CW) at least in part from the regenerated second key (K2).

96. An apparatus for providing conditional access to media programs, comprising:

means for transmitting media information encrypted according to a control word (CW) to a receiver station;

means for transmitting entitlement management information (EMI) to the receiver station, the EMI comprising a service bitmap; and

means for transmitting entitlement control information (ECI) to the receiver station, the entitlement control information including an index to an element of the service bitmap;

wherein the receiver station regenerates the control word (CW) according to a value of the indexed element of the service bitmap.

97. The apparatus of claim 96, wherein the control word (CW) is regenerated at least in part from the service bitmap.

98. The apparatus of claim 97, wherein:

the control word (CW) is generated at least in part from a key (K);

the EMI further comprises a processed second key (K2′

) generated from a second key (K2), the service bitmap, and the key (K); and

the receiver station regenerates the key (K) using the service bitmap and the processed second key (K2′

) and regenerates the control word (CW) at least in part from the regenerated key (K).

99. The apparatus of claim 98, wherein:

the control word (CW) is further generated at least in part from the second key (K2);

the receiver station further regenerates the second key (K2) at least in part from the service bitmap and the processed second key (K2′

); and

the receiver station further regenerates the control word (CW) at least in part from the regenerated second key (K2).

100. An apparatus for providing conditional access to media programs, comprising:

a first encryptor for encrypting media information according to a control word (CW);

processor for generating entitlement management information (EMI), including a service bitmap and for generating entitlement control information (ECI) including an index to an element of the service bitmap; and

a transmitter for transmitting the entitlement management information (EMI) in a first message and for transmitting the entitlement control information (ECI) in a second message;

wherein the control word (CW) is decrypted by the receiver station according to a value of the indexed element of the service bitmap.

101. The apparatus of claim 100, wherein the control word (CW) is regenerated at least in part from the service bitmap.

102. The apparatus of claim 101, wherein:

the control word (CW) is generated at least in part from a key (K);

the EMI further comprises a processed second key (K2′

) generated from a second key (K2), the service bitmap, and the key (K); and

the receiver station regenerates the key (K) using the service bitmap and the processed second key (K2′

) and regenerates the control word (CW) at least in part from the regenerated key (K).

103. The apparatus of claim 102, wherein:

the control word (CW) is further generated at least in part from the second key (K2);

the receiver station further regenerates the second key (K2) at least in part from the service bitmap and the processed second key (K2′

); and

the receiver station further regenerates the control word (CW) at least in part from the regenerated second key (K2).