Secure distribution of video on-demand

• US 6,229,895 B1
• Filed: 03/12/1999
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DIVA Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Goode, Christopher, Son, Yong Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, Tod
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smithers, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US09/267,800
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 380/200, 380/211, 380/210, 725/31
• US Class Current: 380/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23473 by pre-encrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

In accordance with a first aspect, a remote server receives video programming in a first encrypted form and stores the video programming. After the remote server receives a request from a subscriber station for transmission of the video programming, the remote server decrypts the video programming, re-encrypts the video programming into a second encrypted form, and then transmits the video programming to the subscriber station. In accordance with a second aspect, a remote server receives video programming in a first encrypted form, decrypts the video programming, re-encrypts the video programming into a second encrypted form, and then stores the video programming. After the remote server receives a request from a subscriber station, the remote server simply transmits the video programming. In accordance with a third aspect, a remote server receives video programming in a first encrypted form and stores the video programming. After the remote server receives a request from a subscriber station, the remote server passes through the video content by transmitting the video programming. In accordance with a fourth aspect, a remote server receives pre-encrypted video programming and stores it. After the remote server receives a request from a subscriber station, the remote server completes encryption of the video programming and then transmits the video programming.

Claims

1. A secure method performed by a remote server for providing video programming requested by at least a first of a plurality of subscriber stations, the method comprising:

receiving the video programming in a first encrypted form from a programming source;

storing the video programming in the first encrypted form;

receiving a request from a subscriber station for transmission of the video programming;

decrypting the video programming from the first encrypted form;

re-encrypting the video programming into a second encrypted form; and

causing transmission of the video programming in the second encrypted form to the subscriber station.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the video programming in the second encrypted form is to be decrypted from the second encrypted form using a key.

3. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the second encrypted form comprises a form of public-key encryption, and the key comprises a private key to decrypt the public-key encryption.

4. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the key is transmitted to the subscriber station in a third encrypted form such that the subscriber station must decrypt the key before decrypting the video programming.

5. The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the second encrypted form includes encryption utilizing a Data Encryption Standard.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein a key is used to decrypt the video programming from the first encrypted form, and wherein the video programming in the first encrypted form and the key are received from the programming source via separate communication channels.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein causing transmission of the video programming in the second encrypted form to the subscriber station includes multiplexing the video programming in the second encrypted form with other signals to create a multiplexed signal and causing transmission of the multiplexed signal to the subscriber station.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the remote server comprises a remote video on-demand server.

9. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the remote server is located within a head-end, and the transmission to the subscriber station occurs via a secondary distribution network.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the receiving from the programming source occurs via a primary distribution network.

11. A secure method performed by a remote server for providing video programming requested by at least a first of a plurality of subscriber stations, the method comprising:

receiving the video programming in a first encrypted form from a programming source;

decrypting the video programming from the first encrypted form;

re-encrypting the video programming in a second encrypted form;

storing the video programming in the second encrypted form;

receiving a request from a subscriber station for transmission of the video programming; and

causing transmission of the video programming into the second encrypted form to the subscriber station.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the video programming in the second encrypted form is to be decrypted from the second encrypted form using a key.

13. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the second encrypted form comprises a form of public-key encryption, and the key comprises a private key to decrypt the public-key encryption.

14. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the key is transmitted to the subscriber station in a third encrypted form such that the subscriber station must decrypt the key before decrypting the video programming.

15. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein the second encrypted form includes encryption utilizing a Data Encryption Standard.

16. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein a key is used to decrypt the video programming from the first encrypted form, and wherein the video programming in the first encrypted form and the key are received from the programming source via separate communication channels.

17. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein causing transmission of the video programming in the second encrypted form to the subscriber station includes multiplexing the video programming in the second encrypted form with other signals to create a multiplexed signal and causing transmission of the multiplexed signal to the subscriber station.

18. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the remote server comprises a remote video on-demand server.

19. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the remote server is located within a head-end, and the transmission to the subscriber station occurs via a secondary distribution network.

20. The method as set forth in claim 11, wherein the receiving from the programming source occurs via a primary distribution network.

21. A secure method performed by a remote server for providing video programming requested by at least a first of a plurality of subscriber stations, the method comprising:

receiving the video programming in a first encrypted form from a programming source;

storing the video programming in the first encrypted form;

receiving a request from a subscriber station for transmission of the video programming; and

responding to the request by causing transmission of the video programming in the first encrypted form to the subscriber station.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the video programming in the first encrypted form is to be decrypted from the first encrypted form using a key.

23. The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the first encrypted form comprises a form of public-key encryption, and the key comprises a private key to decrypt the public-key encryption.

24. The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the key is transmitted to the subscriber station in a second encrypted form such that the subscriber station must decrypt the key before decrypting the video programming.

25. The method as set forth in claim 22, wherein the first encrypted form includes encryption utilizing a Data Encryption Standard.

26. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein a key is used to decrypt the video programming from the first encrypted form, and wherein the video programming in the first encrypted form and the key are received from the programming source via separate communication channels.

27. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein causing transmission of the video programming in the first encrypted form to the subscriber station includes multiplexing the video programming in the first encrypted form with other signals to create a multiplexed signal and causing transmission of the multiplexed signal to the subscriber station.

28. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the remote server comprises a remote video on-demand server.

29. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the remote server is located within a head-end, and the transmission from the remote server to the subscriber station occurs via a secondary distribution network.

30. The method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the receiving from the programming source occurs via a primary distribution network.

31. A secure method performed by a remote server for providing video programming requested by at least a first of a plurality of subscriber stations, the method comprising:

receiving the video programming in a pre-encrypted form from a programming source;

storing the video programming in the pre-encrypted form;

receiving a request from a subscriber station for transmission of the video programming;

completing encryption of the video programming to a fully encrypted form; and

causing transmission of the video programming in the fully encrypted form to the subscriber station.

32. The method as set forth in claim 31, wherein the fully encrypted form comprises a triple-DES encrypted form.

33. The method as set forth in claim 32, wherein the pre-encrypted form comprises a single-DES encrypted form.

34. The method as set forth in claim 32, wherein the pre-encrypted form comprises a double-DES encrypted form.