DIGITAL VIDEO GUARD

• US 20110264922A1
• Filed: 12/24/2009
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Commonwealth of Australia
• Original Assignee: Commonwealth of Australia
• Inventors: Green, Joshua David, Yiu, Kenneth Kwok-Hei, Beaumont, Mark Robert Grant, North, Christopher James Guildford
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card

Abstract

This invention relates to the veracity of information that is displayed to a user of a computer and can also relate to the veracity of information provided to a computer by human input devices such as pointing devices and keyboards. A digital video guard device is a peripheral that is retrofitted to commodity computer device. The digital video guard device provides trust in specific information presented on a digital display. The digital video guard device resides in-line with a digital display and enables secure end-to-end interactions between a user and a displayed (usually remote) application. In-band signalling within the digital video stream is used to carry encrypted information from a remote source, over untrusted network infrastructure through the digital video guard device to a user for viewing. The creation of encrypted digital video content can be achieved by either local or remote applications, and is effected by manipulating what is to be rendered on a computer'"'"'s display, i.e. encrypting data that will at some time form part of a digital display stream and be output from an information device to a digital display. The digital video guard device can decrypt and verify the integrity of the digital video content as it is sent to a digital display. The integrity of the displayed information is indicated by a trusted LED on the digital video guard device hardware. Part or the entire video signal may be designated as trusted, depending on what data within the video signal has been encrypted, signed, or otherwise labelled as being trustworthy.

Claims

1. A trusted digital video guard for controlling the display of trustworthy and untrustworthy data on a digital video display device, including:

a. a digital video data input for receiving untrustworthy digital data and in-band trustworthy digital data;

b. a trusted digital video output for outputting digital video to the video display device;

c. at least one trusted status indicator having a trusted indicator state and an untrusted indicator state; and

d. a trusted digital processor operatively connected to the digital video data input, trusted digital video output and trusted status indicator, and which processes in-band digital data to identify trustworthy and untrustworthy digital data and for directing,

i. untrustworthy digital data to the trusted digital video output; and

/or

ii. trustworthy digital data to the trusted digital video output, and controlling the status of the trusted status indicator to the trusted indicator state.

2. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 1 wherein the trusted digital processor decrypts trustworthy encrypted digital data input.

3. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 1 wherein the trusted digital processor verifies digital signatures which encapsulate digital data input.

4. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 1 further including

e. at least one peripheral interconnect input;

and

f. at least one peripheral interconnect output.

5. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 4 wherein data received by a peripheral interconnect input is encrypted as required by the trusted digital processor and output by a respective peripheral interconnect output.

6. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 4 further including at least two peripheral interconnect ports, wherein each ports includes and has the functionality of a peripheral interconnect input and a peripheral interconnect output.

7. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 1 wherein the trusted digital video output for outputting digital video to the video display device is digital video which substantially accords to the Digital Visual Interface Specification.

8. A trusted digital video guard according claim 1 wherein the trusted digital processor and/or digital video data input and trusted digital video output, is a programmed Application Specific Integrated Circuit, Field Programmable Gate Array, micro-controller or digital logic device.

9. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 4 wherein a remote computer device is connected to the trusted digital video guard through an untrusted connection and a human to computer interface device is connectable to at least one peripheral interconnect port of the trusted digital video guard and signal output from the human to computer interface device are provided to the other of the peripheral interconnect port pair of the trusted video guard for communication to the remote computer device.

10. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 9 wherein the trusted digital processor encrypts the signal output from the human to computer interface device.

11. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 9 wherein a signal output device is connectable to at least one peripheral interconnect port and signal output from the signal output device is processed by the trusted digital processor to become an in-band data signal provided to the other of the peripheral interconnect port pair for communication to the remote computer device.

12. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 1 wherein the trusted digital processor processes in-band signalling, in-band multiplexing, and tagging of data of received digital video data.

13. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 1 wherein the trusted digital processor further includes a digital data store including digital video data, and the trusted digital processor processes stored digital video data to generate in-band video content which is directed as trustworthy digital data.

14. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 1 wherein a trusted status indicator is a light emitting diode which is in the emitting state when there is a trusted indicator state.

15. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 1 further including

g. a removable media reader wherein the key or keys for decryption are stored in removable media adapted to be read by the reader.

16. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 15 wherein the removable media encrypts and decrypts coded digital data input and the key or keys for encryption and decryption are stored in the removable media.

17. A trusted digital video guard according to claim 15 wherein the removable media is a smartcard.

18. A digital data security system for delivery over an untrusted digital data network, of trusted video data from a trusted server to a video display device associated with a computer device, including

a digital video device operatively connected to the trusted server includes a digital processor for receiving trusted video content from the trusted server, encapsulating the trusted video data with a predetermined file format, transferring the encapsulated trusted video content over the untrusted digital network to the computer device associated with the video display device,

digital video guard for controlling display of trustworthy and untrustworthy data on a digital video display device including,

a. digital video data input for receiving untrustworthy digital data and in-band trustworthy digital data from the computer device associated with the video display device;

b. a trusted digital video output for outputting digital video to video display device;

c. a trusted status indicator having a trusted indicator state and an untrusted indicator state; and

d. a trusted digital processor operatively connected to the digital data input, trusted digital video output and trusted status indicator, and which processes in-band digital data to identify trustworthy and untrustworthy digital data and for directing,

i. untrustworthy digital data to the trusted digital video output; and

/or

ii. trustworthy digital data to the trusted digital video output, and controlling the status of the trusted status indicator to the trusted indicator state.

19. A digital data security system according to claim 18 wherein the digital processor of the digital video device encrypts encapsulated trusted video content and the trusted digital processor of the digital video guard decrypts encapsulated trusted video content before processing in-band digital data.

20. A digital data security system according to claim 18 wherein the computer device associated with the video display device has at least one associated human to computer interface device which generates signal data, and wherein

the digital video guard further includes,

e. at least one peripheral interconnect input operatively connected to at least one human to computer interface device;

f. at least one peripheral interconnect output;

wherein signal data, from the human to computer interface device which is received by a respective peripheral interconnect input, is encrypted as required by the trusted digital processor and output by a respective peripheral interconnect output to the computer device communicated over an untrusted digital data network, and wherein the digital processor of the digital video device decrypts received encrypted digital data generated by the human to computer interface device, and provides to the trusted server decrypted received digital data in a predetermined format representative of the signal data generated by the human to computer interface device wherein, human interaction with the displayed trusted video content is generated by the human to computer interface device and communicated to the trusted server over the untrusted digital data network.

21. A digital data security system according to claim 18 further including

a removable media reader wherein the key or keys for decryption are stored in removable media adapted to be read by the reader.

22. A digital data security system according to claim 21 wherein the removable media encrypts and decrypts coded digital data input and the key or keys for encryption and decryption are stored in the removable media.

23. A digital data security system according to claim 21 wherein the removable media is a smartcard.

24. A trusted digital guard for transferring trusted digital data from a trusted server which serves digital video data over an un-trusted digital data network, including

a. a digital video data input for receiving untrustworthy digital data and in-band trustworthy digital data from the un-trusted digital data network;

b. at least one peripheral interconnect output for outputting trustworthy digital data;

c. a trusted digital processor operatively connected to the digital video data input and at least one peripheral interconnect output which processes in-band trustworthy digital data and for directing trustworthy digital data to the at least one peripheral interconnect output.

25. A trusted digital guard according to claim 24 wherein the trusted digital processor decrypts encrypted trustworthy digital data input.

26. A trusted digital guard according to claim 24 wherein the trusted digital processor verifies digital signatures which encapsulate trustworthy digital data.

27. A trusted digital guard according to claim 25 further including

d. a removable media reader wherein the key or keys for decryption or verification of digital signatures are stored in removable media adapted to be read by the reader.

28. A trusted digital guard according to claim 27 wherein the removable media encrypts and decrypts coded digital data input and the key or keys for encryption and decryption are stored in the removable media.

29. A trusted digital guard according to claim 27 wherein the removable media is a smartcard.

30. A trusted digital video device for operatively connecting to a trusted server which serves trusted digital video data over an un-trusted digital network, including,

a. a digital video data input for receiving trusted digital video data from the trusted server;

b. a digital communications port for outputting data to the untrusted digital network;

c. a trusted digital processor operatively connected to the digital video data input and digital communications port and the processor for receiving digital video data from the trusted server, and encapsulating the trusted digital video data with a predefined file format and outputting the encapsulated trusted digital video data from the digital communications port over the un-trusted digital network.

31. A trusted digital video device according to claim 30 wherein the encapsulation includes encryption of the digital video data input prior to encapsulation by the trusted digital processor.

32. A trusted digital video device according to claim 30 further including

d. a removable media reader wherein the key or keys for encryption are stored in removable media adapted to be read by the reader.

33. A trusted digital video device according to claim 32 wherein the removable media encrypts and decrypts digital video data and the key or keys for encryption and decryption are stored in the removable media.

34. A trusted digital video device according to claim 32 wherein the removable media is a smartcard.

35. A trusted digital data guard for connection to a source of encapsulated digital video data including within the encapsulated digital video data trustworthy data, and a peripheral data storage device, including

a. a digital video data input for receiving encapsulated digital video data,

b. at least one trusted peripheral interconnect output,

c. a trusted digital processor operatively connected to the digital video data input and at least one peripheral interconnect output for un-encapsulating the digital video data to extract the trustworthy digital data and provide the trustworthy data to the peripheral device associated with the at least one peripheral interconnect output.

36. A trusted digital data guard according to claim 35 wherein the trusted digital processor verifies digital signatures which encapsulate digital data input.

37. A trusted digital data guard according to claim 35 wherein the trusted digital processor decrypts trustworthy encrypted digital data.

38. A trusted digital data guard according to claim 36 or 37 further including,

d. a removable media reader wherein the key or keys for decryption or verification of digital signatures are stored in removable media adapted to be read by the reader.

39. A trusted digital data guard according to claim 38 wherein the removable media encrypts and decrypts trustworthy digital data input and the key or keys for encryption and decryption are stored in the removable media.

40. A trusted digital data guard according to claim 38 wherein the removable media is a smartcard.

41. A trusted digital data guarding method for controlling the display of trustworthy and untrustworthy data on a digital video display device, including the steps of:

a. receiving at digital video data input untrustworthy digital data and in-band trustworthy digital data;

b. outputting at trusted digital video output digital video data to the video display device; and

c. processing with a trusted digital processor operatively connected to the digital video data input, trusted digital video output and trusted status indicator, to processes in-band digital data to identify trustworthy and untrustworthy digital data and for directing,

i. untrustworthy digital data to the trusted digital video output; and

/or

ii. trustworthy digital data to the trusted digital video output, and controlling the status of one of at least one trusted status indicator to the trusted indicator state.

42. A digital data security method for delivery over an untrusted digital data network, of trusted video data from a trusted server to a video display device associated with a computer device, including the steps of;

a. processing in a digital video device operatively connected to the trusted server to receive trusted video content from the trusted server,

b. encapsulating the trusted video data with a predetermined file format,

c. transferring the encapsulated trusted video content over the untrusted digital network to the computer device associated with the video display device, and

d. processing in a digital video guard for controlling display of trustworthy and untrustworthy data on a digital video display device including the steps of;

e. receiving at digital video data input untrustworthy digital data and in-band trustworthy digital data;

f. processing with a trusted digital processor operatively connected to the digital video data input, trusted digital video output and trusted status indicator, to processes in-band digital data to identify trustworthy and untrustworthy digital data and for directing,

i. untrustworthy digital data to the trusted digital video output; and

/or

ii. trustworthy digital data to the trusted digital video output, and controlling the status of one of at least one trusted status indicator to the trusted indicator state; and

g. outputting at a trusted digital video output digital video data to the video display device.

43. A trusted digital video communication method for operatively connecting a trusted server which serves trusted digital video data over an un-trusted digital network, including the steps of;

a. receiving at a digital video data input trusted digital video data from the trusted server;

b. outputting at a digital communications port data to the untrusted digital network; and

c. processing with a trusted digital processor operatively connected to the digital video data input and digital communications port, to encapsulate the trusted digital video data with a predefined file format and outputting the encapsulated trusted digital video data from the digital communications port over the un-trusted digital network.

44. A trusted digital data guarding method for connecting a source of encapsulated digital video data including within the encapsulated digital video data trustworthy data to a peripheral data storage device, including the steps of

a. receiving on a digital video data input encapsulated digital video data;

b. outputting data from at least one trusted peripheral interconnect output; and

c. processing with a trusted digital processor operatively connected to the digital video data input and at least one peripheral interconnect output, to un-encapsulating the digital video data to extract the trustworthy data and provide the trustworthy data to the peripheral device associated with the at least one peripheral interconnect output.