Apparatus and method for receiving and decrypting encrypted data and protecting decrypted data from illegal use

• US 6,061,451 A
• Filed: 09/02/1997
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Digital Vision Laboratories Corporation
• Inventors: Muto, Akihiro, Muratani, Hirofumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/921,783
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 380/10, 380/28, 380/16, 380/20, 380/46, 380/201, 380/202, 380/203, 348/473, 360/60, 360/69, 705/58
• US Class Current: 380/201
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• 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 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• 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 data receiving apparatus is formed of a set top unit connected to a network and a security module. Digital video data which is supplied from the network and scrambled according to a first system is scrambled according to a second system in a scramble circuit in the set top unit, and is supplied to the security module. The data is descrambled according to the first system in a descramble circuit in the security module, and is transferred back to the set top unit. The data is descrambled according to the second system in a descramble circuit in the set top unit, and is outputted to an image display terminal via an MPEG decoder.

Claims

1. A data receiving apparatus comprising:

a first unit for receiving encrypted data that have been encrypted according to a first system; and

a second unit connected to said first unit detachably,

wherein said first unit comprises means for encrypting, according to a second system, the received data, which have been encrypted according to the first system, means for outputting the doubly encrypted data to said second unit, and means for decrypting data supplied from said second unit according to the second system, and

said second unit comprises means for decrypting the doubly encrypted data supplied from said first unit according to the first system and means for transmitting the data back to said first unit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which said first unit comprises key generating means for generating an encrypt/decrypt key of the second system, and the key generated from said key generating means is not outputted to the outside of said first unit.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, in which the encrypt/decrypt key of the second system generated from said key generating means of said first unit is variable.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which said second unit comprises a memory for storing a decrypt key of the first system thereinto, and the key read out from said memory is not outputted to the outside of said second unit.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, in which said second unit comprises means for inserting ID data peculiar to said second unit into the data supplied from said first unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, in which said inserting means comprises:

syntax analysis means for analyzing syntax of the data supplied from said first unit, and obtaining syntax data representing a coding characteristic and data structure of the data supplied from said first unit;

means for determining an insert position according to the syntax data; and

means for inserting the ID data into the position of the data supplied from said first unit determined by said determining means.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, in which said inserting means inserts the ID data based on an insert process program included in the data supplied from said first unit.

8. A data receiving apparatus which is connected to a card module having data inserting means for inserting predetermined ID data into input data transmitted from an external apparatus and which receives the input data, said data receiving apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the input data transmitted from the external apparatus;

interface means connected to said card module; and

control means for transmitting the input data received by said receiving means to said card module connected to said interface means and making the ID data inserted into the input data by using said data inserting means so as to receive the input data into which the ID data have been inserted from said card module.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, in which said data inserting means concealedly inserts the ID data, which identifies a user who is provided with data from a data creator or provider and which can be reproduced by a predetermined reproducing process, into the input data according to a predetermined process.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, in which said data inserting means concealedly inserts the ID data into the input data according to a process based on a program for inserting the ID data included in the input data transmitted from the external apparatus.

11. The apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, in which the process which is performed by said data inserting means is a data hiding process or a watermarking process.

12. The apparatus according to claim 8, in which said receiving means comprises an interface connected to a computer network, communication channel or broadcasting network.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, in which said receiving means comprises an interface connected to a data recording medium.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising reproducing means for reproducing the input data, into which the ID data have been inserted and which are outputted from said control means using a predetermined reproducing apparatus.

15. A card module adapted to be connected to a data receiving apparatus, comprising:

a memory for storing the ID data; and

data inserting means for receiving data received by said data receiving apparatus and inserting the ID data into received data and for transmitting the received data back to said data receiving apparatus.

16. The card module according to claim 15, in which:

said data inserting means comprises descrambling means for receiving scrambled data from said data receiving apparatus and descrambling received data, and

said data inserting means inserts the ID data into an output from said descrambling means.

17. The card module according to claim 15, in which said data inserting means concealedly inserts the ID data, which identifies a user who is provided with data from a data creator or provider and which can be reproduced by a predetermined reproducing process, into the received data according to a predetermined process.

18. The card module according to claim 15, in which said data inserting means concealedly inserts the ID data into the received data according to a process based on a program for inserting the ID data included in the received data transmitted from the external apparatus.

19. The card module according to claim 17 or 18, in which the predetermined process which is performed by said data inserting means is a data hiding process or a watermarking process.

20. A data receiving apparatus which is connected to a card module having authentication means for authenticating a user who is provided with data from a data creator or provider and which receives input data transmitted from an external apparatus, said apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the input data;

interface means connected to a card module;

data inserting means for making card module connected to said interface means to perform a user authentication process on the data received by said receiving means, inputting ID data which identifies the user and which is obtained by the authentication process, and for inserting the ID data which can be reproduced into the input data received by said receiving means; and

control means for outputting data including the ID data which have been inserted by said data inserting means.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, in which said data inserting means concealedly inserts the ID data into the input data according to a process based on a program for inserting the ID data included in the input data transmitted from the external apparatus.

22. A data receiving apparatus for receiving data transmitted from an external apparatus and outputting the data into a reproducing apparatus, comprising:

data inserting means for inserting ID data which can be reproduced into received data; and

output means for outputting the received data, into which the ID data have been inserted by said data inserting means, into said reproducing apparatus.

23. A data receiving apparatus for receiving a stream data, which is transmitted from an external apparatus and formed of a bit stream which has been coded by a predetermined coding system, and performing an outputting process according to a specification of a reproducing apparatus, said data receiving apparatus comprising:

means for receiving the stream data;

syntax analysis means for performing a syntax analysis process on the stream data received by said receiving means and obtaining syntax data relating to a coding characteristic and data structure of the stream data;

determining means for determining an insert position in the stream data, into which specific data which can be reproduced are concealedly inserted, based on the syntax data obtained by said syntax analysis means and predetermined parameter data;

inserting means for inserting the specific data into the insert position in the stream data determined by said determining means; and

output means for performing a predetermined output process according to a predetermined specification of reproduction/output on the stream data outputted from said inserting means.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23, in which said output means comprises decoding means for performing a predetermined decoding process on the stream data outputted from said inserting means.

25. The apparatus according to claim 23, in which:

the parameter data is data which includes user specific data for specifying a user, use terminal specific data for specifying a use terminal apparatus used by a user, use time data and use area specific data and which sets the specific data, and

said determining means determines an insert position in the stream data where a bad influence, which is exerted on reproduction/output characteristic and reproducibility of the specific data upon reproducing/outputting contents data included in the stream data, can be suppressed when the specific data set according to the parameter data are inserted.

26. The apparatus according to claim 23, which further comprises:

memory means for storing data of the insert position determined by said determining means as insert position history data, and in which

said determining means uses the insert position history data stored in said memory means when determining an insert position in a new stream data of the specific data.

27. The apparatus according to claim 23, in which said inserting means performs a program for executing a data hiding process for concealedly inserting prepared specific data which can be reproduced and identified, a watermarking process or a fingerprint process so as to insert the specific data into the insert position in the stream data determined by said determining means.

28. The apparatus according to claim 23, in which:

the data transmitted from the external apparatus has contents data which can be used by an image reproducing apparatus and an audio reproducing apparatus and which have been coded by a predetermined multimedia coding system, and is a stream data, which is transmitted via a computer network, a digital communication channel or a digital broadcasting network, according to a predetermined synchronizing specification and multiplexing specification, and

said output means comprises means for decoding the contents data outputted from said data inserting means based on the multimedia coding system, and for performing a signal process, which is required for the image reproducing apparatus or audio reproducing apparatus, on the decoded contents data.

29. The apparatus according to claim 23, which further comprises:

conversion table generating means for generating conversion table data for referring to a conversion result of the specific data in the partial stream constitution corresponding to the insert position in the stream data determined by said determining means; and

conversion table storing means for storing the conversion table data, and in which

said inserting means performs the data insert process for inserting the specific data based on the insert position in the stream data determined by said determining means and the conversion table data in said conversion table storing means.

30. A data inserting method, which is applied to a data receiving apparatus having functions for receiving data to be transmitted as a stream data formed of a bit stream, which has been coded by a predetermined coding system, from the outside, for outputting the data according to a predetermined specification of reproduction/output, and concealedly inserting specific data which can be reproduced and identified into the stream data, said method comprising the following steps of:

performing a syntax analysis process on the received stream data and obtaining syntax data relating to a coding characteristic and data structure of the stream data;

determining an insert position in the stream data into which the specific data which can be reproduced are concealedly inserted based on the syntax data obtained by said obtaining step and predetermined parameter data;

inserting the specific data into the insert position in the stream data determined by said determining step; and

outputting the stream data, into which the specific data have been inserted by said inserting step, according to the predetermined specification of reproduction/output.

31. A data receiving apparatus comprising:

means for receiving data transmitted from an external apparatus;

extracting means for extracting a program which is included in the data received by said receiving means and which is used for concealedly inserting specific data which can be reproduced into specified data; and

data inserting means for inserting the specific data into the specified data included in the data received by said receiving means using the program extracted by said extracting means and outputting the specified data into which the specific data is inserted.

33. The apparatus according to claim 31 or 32, in which:

the data transmitted from the outside includes contents data which can be used by reproduction/output and the program, and

said extracting means comprises means for separating the program corresponding to the contents data from the data received by said receiving means based on ID data for identifying the contents data and outputting the program.

34. The apparatus according to claim 31 or 32, in which said data inserting means comprises:

memory means for loading the program extracted by said extracting means; and

means for performing a data hiding process, watermarking process or fingerprint process for concealedly inserting the specific data which can be reproduced into the contents data included in the data received by said receiving means based on algorithm of the program.

35. The apparatus according to claim 31 or 32, in which said data inserting means comprises:

memory means for storing plural types of programs transmitted from the outside; and

means for inserting the specific data by retrieving the program corresponding to the contents data from said memory means and by using the program based on ID data for identifying the contents data included in the data received by said receiving apparatus.

37. The apparatus according to claim 31 or 32, in which:

the data transmitted from the outside is a stream data according to predetermined synchronizing and multiplexing specifications transmitted via a computer network, digital communication channel or digital broadcasting network, and

said receiving means comprises an interface which is connected to the computer network, digital communication channel or digital broadcasting network.

32. A data receiving apparatus comprising:

means for receiving data transmitted from an external apparatus;

extracting means for extracting a program which is included in the data received by said receiving means and which is used for concealedly inserting specific data which can be reproduced into specified data;

data inserting means for inserting the specific data into the specified data included in the data received by said receiving means using the program extracted by said extracting means and outputting the specified data; and

output means for outputting the data outputted from said data inserting means.

36. The apparatus according to claim 32, in which:

the data transmitted from the outside includes contents data which can be used by video output and audio output and which has been coded by a predetermined multimedia coding system, and

said output means comprises means for decoding the contents data outputted from said data inserting means based on the multimedia coding system and for performing a signal process, which is required for the video output and audio output, on the decoded contents data.

38. A data inserting method which is applied to a data receiving apparatus having functions for receiving data transmitted from an external apparatus, outputting contents data, which can be used and included in the data, according to reproduction/output forms, and concealedly inserting specific data which can be reproduced and identified into the contents data, said method comprising the following steps of:

extracting a program used for performing the insert process from the data transmitted from the external apparatus;

storing the program extracted by said extracting step into memory means according to ID data for identifying the contents data; and

concealedly inserting the specific data into the contents data by using the program stored in the memory means by said storing step.

39. A data inserting method which is applied to a data receiving apparatus having functions for receiving data transmitted from an external apparatus, outputting contents data, which can be used and included in the data, according to reproduction/output forms, and concealedly inserting specific data which can be reproduced and identified into the contents data, said method comprising the following steps of:

extracting a program used for performing the insert process from the data transmitted from the outside;

storing plural types of the programs extracted by said extracting step into memory means according to ID data for specifying the contents data;

retrieving a program corresponding to the contents data from said memory means based on the ID data; and

concealedly inserting the specific data into the contents data by using the program retrieved from the memory means by said retrieving step.