TV set top box using GPS
First Claim
1. A video signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
- a signal input to receive at least one video signal from a remote source;
a video signal processor operably connected to receive video signals from the signal input;
a conditional accesser operably connected to the video signal processor;
a signal output operably connected to the video signal processor and providing a useable video output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more video signals from the remote source; and
a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals consistent with the customer access control being at an authorized location.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An integrated receiver decoder (IRD), commonly called a set-top box, has a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The GPS receiver checks to see if the IRD is at an authorized location and allows descrambling of video signals only if the location is authorized. A central access control system, remote from the customers/viewers, has a high quality GPS receiver and sends some GPS data in the transmission medium used to send video signals to the customers. This GPS data, referred to herein as indirect GPS data, is used by the IRD such that it requires less complexity than otherwise. The IRD introduces a pseudo-random time delay in generating certain signals such that spoofing (i.e., providing phony signals to the IRD) is much more difficult. Various components of the IRD are in a common sealed container such as an integrated circuit or a smart card such that tampering with the components and spoofing are more difficult.
438 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A video signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
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a signal input to receive at least one video signal from a remote source; a video signal processor operably connected to receive video signals from the signal input; a conditional accesser operably connected to the video signal processor; a signal output operably connected to the video signal processor and providing a useable video output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more video signals from the remote source; and a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals consistent with the customer access control being at an authorized location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A video signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
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a signal input to receive at least one video signal; a video signal processor operably connected to receive video signals from the signal input; a conditional accesser operably connected to the video signal processor; a signal output operably connected to the video signal processor and providing a useable video output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more video signals from the remote source; and a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals indicating that the customer access control is at an authorized location; and wherein the conditional accesser authorizes access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals consistent with the customer access control being at a single fixed location authorized for service. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A video signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
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a signal input to receive at least one video signal; a video signal processor operably connected to receive video signals from the signal input; a conditional accesser operably connected to the video signal processor; a signal output operably connected to the video signal processor and providing a useable video output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more video signals from the remote source; and a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals indicating that the customer access control is at an authorized location; and
wherein the conditional accesser uses criteria to test for authorization in addition to information about the location of the customer access control. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A video signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:
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a signal input to receive at least one video signal; a video signal processor operably connected to receive video signals from the signal input; a conditional accesser operably connected to the video signal processor; a signal output operably connected to the video signal processor and providing a useable video output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more video signals from the remote source; and a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals indicating that the customer access control is at an authorized location; and wherein the customer access control is a non-transmitting unit. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A video signal access control system comprising a central access control remote from customers and having:
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a source of at least one video signal; an output device for placing video signals from the source onto a transmission medium for transmission to customers; a central GPS receiver operable to directly receive position information from remote GPS sources, the remote sources being remote from both the central access control and the customers, and operably connected to apply data messages to the output device, the data messages corresponding to the position information and the output device supplying the position information to the transmission medium for transmission to customers. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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Specification