Embedded blacklisting for digital broadcast system security

• US 7,039,955 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Flaharty, Dennis R., Kahn, Raynold M., Gagnon, Gregory J., Ha, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): PERUNGAVOOR, VENKATANARAY
• Application Number:
  US09/954,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20030056110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/161, 713/171, 713/167
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2585 Generation of a revocation list, e.g. of client devices involved in piracy acts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• 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 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An apparatus and method for transmission security is presented. A receiver communicatively coupleable to an identifiable conditional access module (CAM) to enable reception of the service uses an authenticator to control the operability of the receiver according to a comparison between the identified conditional access module and a list of conditional access modules.

Claims

1. An apparatus for selectively controlling reception of a transmitted service, comprising:

a receiver communicatively coupleable to an identifiable replaceable conditional access module (CAM) identified by an identification number to enable reception of the service; and

an authenticator controlling the operability of the receiver according to a comparison of the said identification number between the identified conditional access module and a list of conditional access modules

wherein the authenticator renders the receiver inoperable according to the comparison.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the list of conditional access modules comprises more than one conditional access module.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receiver is an integrated receiver/decoder(IRD).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the authenticator comprises embedded software in the receiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the authenticator is included in a conditional access verifier of the receiver.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification number is a serial number of the CAM.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification number indicates a CAM version.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification number indicates a date of manufacture of the CAM.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the authenticator comprises a list of unauthorized CAMs and wherein the receiver is rendered inoperable when the identified CAM is on the list of unauthorized CAMs.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs is based upon a date of manufacture of the receiver.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs is based upon the version of the receiver.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs comprises older CAMs.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs comprises likely circumvented versions of CAMs.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs comprises CAMs manufactured prior to a specified date.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs comprises CAMs manufactured prior to a specified period before the date of manufacture of the receiver.

29. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs is based upon a date of manufacture of the receiver.

30. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs is based upon the version of the receiver.

31. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs comprises older CAMs.

32. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs comprises likely circumvented versions of CAMs.

33. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs comprises CAMs manufactured prior to a specified date.

34. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of unauthorized CAMs comprises CAMs manufactured prior to a specified period before the date of manufacture of the receiver.

16. A method of selectively controlling reception of a transmitted service in a receiver requiring an identifiable conditional access module(CAM) to operate, wherein the receiver is one of a plurality of receiver versions, including a most current receiver version, and the CAM is one of a plurality of CAM versions, including a most current receiver version, and the CAM is one of plurality of CAM versions including a most current CAM version, comprising the steps of:

identifying the identifiable CAM;

comparing the identified CAM to a list; and

controlling the operability of the receiver according to the comparison between the identified conditional access module and the list such that the most current CAM version is operable with all of the plurality of receiver versions, and the most current receiver version is operable only with the most current CAM version.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the list comprises a list of conditional access modules having more than one conditional access module.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiver is an integrated receiver/decoder(IRD).

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiver is rendered inoperable according to the comparison.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the receiver is rendered operable according to the comparison.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of identifying and comparing are performed by embedded software in the receiver.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of identifying and comparing are performed by a conditional access verifier of the receiver.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the identified CAM comprises a replaceable CAM including an application specific integrated circuit.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the identified CAM comprises an identification number used by the authenticator to identify the CAM.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the identification number is a serial number of the CAM.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the identification number indicates a CAM version.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the identification number indicates a date of manufacture of the CAM.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the list comprises a list of unauthorized CAMs and wherein the receiver is rendered inoperable when the identified CAM is on the list of unauthorized CAMs.

35. A broadcast security system for selectively controlling reception of a broadcasted service, comprising:

a broadcast service transmitted to one or more receivers;

wherein the one or more receivers are each communicatively coupleable to an identifiable conditional access module(CAM) identified by an identification number to enable reception of the broadcasted service, and each receiver comprises an authenticator controlling the operability of the receiver according to a comparison of the said identification number between the identified conditional access module and a list of conditional access modules, wherein the receiver is rendered inoperable according to the comparison.