Time-shifted conditional access

• US 5,991,400 A
• Filed: 10/29/1996
• Issued: 11/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Kamperman, Franciscus L.A.J.
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US08/741,155
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 380/9, 380/13, 380/19, 370/358
• 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 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• 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

In a conditional access system, transmitted information is recorded in a scrambled form SV. Accordingly, any access to the recorded information SV is subject to the condition that proper control word(s) CW are available. To enable access to the recorded information SV, control word regeneration data ECM, KRD is stored. The proper control word(s) CW cannot easily be derived from this control word regeneration data ECM, KRD. However security device SCD is capable of retrieving the proper control word(s) CW from the control word regeneration data ECM, KRD. A system operator effectively masters operations carried out in the security device SCD. Accordingly, if the system operator so desires, he may inhibit retrieval of the control word(s) CW and, consequently, prevent access to the recorded information SV. The conditional access system may be used in, for example, pay-TV or multimedia purposes.

Claims

1. A conditional access system, comprising:

descrambler means for converting scrambled information into descrambled information depending on control words;

security means for supplying the control words to the descrambler means so that the descrambler means perform the conversion;

means for supplying control word generation data, different from the control words, for recording on a storage media along with the scrambled information;

and generation means for providing the control words depending on the recorded control word generation data when the scrambled information along with the generation data is read from the storage media.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the security means and generation means are incorporated in a security device.

3. The system of claim 2 in which the security device is detachable and the system further comprises holder means for holding the attached security device.

4. The system of claim 1 in which:

the means to supply control word generation data encodes control words into the generation data; and

the generation means decodes the control words to retrieve the control words from the generation data.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the security means are for receiving recording-entitlement information and controlling the generation means to supply code word generation data depending on receiving the recording-entitlement information.

6. The system of claim 1 in which the security means are for receiving reading-entitlement information and controlling the supplying means to supply the code words depending on the security means receiving the reading-entitlement information.

17. The system of claim 1 in which the scrambled information includes encoded code words and the generation means are adapted to decode the code words depending on the generation data.

7. A security device, comprising:

means for providing control words to a descrambler for converting scrambled information into descrambled information depending on the control words; and

means for supplying control word generation data, that is different than the control words, for recording along with the scrambled information on storage media;

and in which the means for providing control words are for providing the control words depending on the control word generation data read from the storage media.

8. A recording medium, comprising:

scrambled information; and

control word generation means for providing control words to descramble the scrambled information and which are different from the control words.

9. A method of time-shifted conditional access to scrambled information, comprising:

providing scrambled information;

providing control word generation data;

recording the scrambled information along with the control word generation data onto storage media;

reading the scrambled information along with the control word generation data from the storage media;

supplying the recorded scrambled information to a descrambler;

generating control words depending on the control word generation data;

supplying the control words to the descrambler; and

unscrambling the scrambled information depending on the control words.

10. The method of claim 9 in which:

the method further comprises providing recording entitlement information; and

producing control word generating data depends on receiving the recording entitlement information.

11. The method of claim 9 in which:

the method further comprises providing reading entitlement information; and

supplying control words depends on receiving the recording entitlement information.

12. A system for programming a programmable conditional access system, comprising:

apparatus to provide descrambler means for converting scrambled information into descrambled information depending on control words;

apparatus to provide security means for supplying the control words to the descrambler means so that the descrambler means perform the conversion;

apparatus to provide means for supplying control word generation data, different from the control words, for recording on a storage media along with the scrambled information;

and apparatus to provide generation means for providing the control words depending on the recorded control word generation data when the scrambled information along with the generation data is read from the storage media.

13. The system of claim 12 in which the system consists essentially of programmed computer media.

14. A signal comprising:

scrambled information for unscrambling by control words generated from control word generating data; and

recording entitlement information for allowing or preventing recording of the control word generating data different from the control words, along with scrambled information.

15. A conditional access system, comprising:

de-scrambler means for converting scrambled information into de-scrambled information depending on key words;

security means for providing the key words to the de-scrambler means depending on generation data that is independent of the scrambled information; and

means for reading or recording the scrambled information and the generation data together on storage media.

16. The system of claim 15 in which the scrambled information includes code words and the security means are adapted to decrypt the code words using the generation data to produce the key words.