Method and apparatus for an adapter card providing conditional access in a communication system

• US 6,307,937 B1
• Filed: 05/01/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Network Systems LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Inventors: Dillon, Douglas M., Cassagnol, Robert D.
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US09/562,487
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 380/43, 380/44, 380/276, 380/278, 713/162
• US Class Current: 380/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18593 Arrangements for preventing unauthorised access or for providing user protection arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/18 Arrangements characterised by circuits or components specially adapted for receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43607 Interfacing a plurality of external cards, e.g. through a DVB Common Interface [DVB-CI]
• 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 21/6143 : involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 : Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an adapter card, for use in a computer, to provide conditional access by the computer to incoming data streams while maintaining the security of information by maintaining a listing of addresses corresponding to data streams which the computer is authorized to receive, receiving and determining the address of a frame, determining whether the frame address matches an address maintained in an Access Table, and processing and transmitting only those frames of data streams which the computer is authorized to receive.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

satellite data input means for inputting encrypted data from a satellite antenna;

computer data input means for inputting encrypted data from a computer through an interface between said apparatus and the computer;

decryption means for receiving the encrypted data from said satellite data input means and for outputting decrypted data obtained from the encrypted data to the computer through the interface, and for receiving the encrypted data from said computer data input means and for outputting decrypted data obtained from the encrypted data to the computer through the interface.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is an adapter card.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said apparatus is an adapter card insertable into the computer.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising encryption means for receiving data from the computer, encrypting the data to obtain encrypted data, and outputting the encrypted data to the computer.