Dynamic security for digital television receivers

• US 6,948,183 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2000
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peterka, Petr
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELIVEAU, SCOTT E
• Application Number:
  US09/716,682
• Time in Patent Office: 1,765 Days
• Field of Search: 713/182, 713/183, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 725/25, 725 28- 30, 725/132, 725/136, 725/140, 725/23, 725/20
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44231 Monitoring of peripheral device or external card, e.g. to detect processing problems in a handheld device or the failure of an external recording device configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network H04L12/2823; monitoring the status of connected device in data switched networks H04L43/0817
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4751 for defining user accounts, e.g. accounts for children
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

A system that allows service providers, consumer electronic (CE) manufacturers or standards bodies to define flexible security policies (110) for the execution of downloaded applications (120) on digital television (DTV) receivers (160). The current receiver environment in which a software application is to be run is evaluated. For example, environmental factors such as time of day, date, channel currently tuned in, parental lockout status, grouping of major and minor virtual channels, and so forth, may be considered. An access controller (168) determines if the receiver'"'"'s environmental factors satisfy the conditions for granting a permission to a downloadable application to allow access to the receiver functions (161), receiver resources and user private data. The security policy can be modified by installing or downloading a new security policy (110), or modified by a user with the provision of an appropriate interface. A Java code-implemented embodiment is disclosed.

Claims

1. A security method for controlling access to a function of a digital television receiver, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a software application at the receiver;

said software application being executable in response to an execution command;

(b) receiving data at the receiver from a headend, said data defining a condition of the receiver under which access to the receiver function by the software application is permitted;

(c) receiving information at the receiver from the headend, said information defining a security policy for said software application which contains a set of permissions for said software application;

(d) providing a control signal for requesting access to the receiver function upon execution of said software application;

(e) in response to said control signal, determining whether the security policy for the software application contains a permission for the software application to access the receiver function;

(f) if said security policy contains said permission;

(i) determining whether said condition of the receiver is met by data indicative of a current state of the receiver;

(ii) allowing the software application to access the receiver function if the condition is met; and

(iii) preventing the software application from accessing the receiver function if the condition is not met; and

(g) if said security policy does not contain said permission, preventing the software application from accessing the receiver function;

wherein said condition of the receiver indicates a user state of the receiver; and

said user state comprises comprising at least one of;

user preferences, a user password, and a user identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said condition further indicates a conditional access state of the receiver.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said conditional access state comprises at least one of:

a blackout state;

a pay-per-view state; and

an authorization state.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said condition of the receiver further indicates at least one of a time, date, and day.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the permission is associated with a user of the receiver.

6. A security method for controlling access to a function of a digital television receiver, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a software application at the receiver;

said software application being executable in response to an execution command;

(b) receiving data at the receiver from a headend, said data defining a condition of the receiver under which access to the receiver function by the software application is permitted;

(c) receiving information at the receiver from the headend, said information defining a security policy for said software application which contains a set of permissions for said software application;

(d) providing a control signal for requesting access to the receiver function upon execution of said software application;

(e) in response to said control signal, determining whether the security policy for the software application contains a permission for the software application to access the receiver function;

(f) if said security policy contains said permission;

(i) determining whether said condition of the receiver is met by data indicative of a current state of the receiver;

(ii) allowing the software application to access the receiver function if the condition is met; and

(iii) preventing the software application from accessing the receiver function if the condition is not met; and

(g) if said security policy does not contain said permission, preventing the software application from accessing the receiver function;

wherein said condition of the receiver indicates that one of a channel and a group of channels is tuned by the receiver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

said condition of the receiver is defined, at least in part, by said software application.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the software application is downloadable to the receiver via a broadband television network.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the software application is multicast to a receiver population including said receiver.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the software application comprises a Java code.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the execution command is initiated by a user.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the condition of the receiver is embedded in code that defines the permission.

13. A security apparatus for controlling access to a function of a digital television receiver, comprising:

(a) means for providing a software application at the receiver;

said software application being executable in response to an execution command;

(b) means for receiving data at the receiver from a headend, said data defining a condition of the receiver under which access to the receiver function by the software application is permitted;

(c) means for receiving information at the receiver from the headend, said information defining a security policy for said software application which contains a set of permissions for said software application;

(d) means for providing a control signal for requesting access to the receiver function upon execution of said software application;

(e) means for determining, in response to said control signal, whether the security policy for the software application contains a permission for the software application to access the receiver function;

(f)(i) means for determining whether said condition of the receiver is met by data indicative of a current state of the receiver when said security policy contains said permission;

(f)(ii) means for allowing the software application to access the receiver function if the condition is met, and when said security policy contains said permission;

(f)(iii) means for preventing the software application from accessing the receiver function if the condition is not met, and when said security policy contains said permission; and

(g) means for preventing the software application from accessing the receiver function if said security policy does not contain said permission,

wherein said condition of the receiver indicates that one of a channel and a group of channels is tuned by the receiver.

14. A security method for controlling access to a function of a digital television receiver, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a software application at the receiver;

said software application being executable in response to an execution command;

(b) receiving data at the receiver from a headend, said data defining a condition of the receiver under which access to the receiver function by the software application is permitted;

(c) receiving information at the receiver from the headend, said information defining a security policy for said software application which contains a set of permissions for said software application;

(d) providing a control signal for requesting access to the receiver function upon execution of said software application;

(e) in response to said control signal, determining whether the security policy for the software application contains a permission for the software application to access the receiver function;

(f) if said security policy contains said permission;

(i) determining whether said condition of the receiver is met by data indicative of a current state of the receiver;

(ii) allowing the software application to access the receiver function if the condition is met; and

(iii) preventing the software application from accessing the receiver function if the condition is not met; and

(g) if said security policy does not contain said permission, preventing the software application from accessing the receiver function;

wherein said condition of the receiver indicates a conditional access state of the receiver; and

said conditional access state comprises at least one of;

a blackout state and a pay-per-view state.