Communications network
First Claim
1. A receiver for a communications network, including a station which broadcasts coded program signals, said receiver being assigned to each user subscribing to such communications network for receiving and decoding the broadcast signals, the receiver comprising:
- means for authenticating access rights of the user to a program being broadcast by the station and having a control unit and a memory for storing a decoding key and information relating to access rights to which such user is entitled;
means for receiving and decoding the broadcast signals to a program for which access rights have been authenticated by said authenticating means;
a memory card reader having means for reading a memory card containing access rights information;
wherein said authenticating means determines the access rights of the user based on information in said memory and said memory card; and
means for copying and storing said access rights information from said memory card to said memory of said authenticating means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A communications network between a central station which broadcasts coded information and at least one receiver suitable for receiving and decoding these broadcasts, in which, in order to control the number of users, permission for users to access the network is determined by a limited number of special receivers respectively assigned to such users and also by the need to authenticate each user before granting access to the program by his receiver. In order to facilitate identification of the user and authentication of his access rights to a particular program, the receiver allows remote authentication, and also local authentication with a memory card in which information related to certain access rights is stored.
168 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A receiver for a communications network, including a station which broadcasts coded program signals, said receiver being assigned to each user subscribing to such communications network for receiving and decoding the broadcast signals, the receiver comprising:
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means for authenticating access rights of the user to a program being broadcast by the station and having a control unit and a memory for storing a decoding key and information relating to access rights to which such user is entitled; means for receiving and decoding the broadcast signals to a program for which access rights have been authenticated by said authenticating means; a memory card reader having means for reading a memory card containing access rights information; wherein said authenticating means determines the access rights of the user based on information in said memory and said memory card; and means for copying and storing said access rights information from said memory card to said memory of said authenticating means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification