Information delivery in a multi-stream digital broadcasting system
First Claim
1. A method of delivering information, the method comprising the step of:
- delivering at least a portion of the information to a receiver in an at least partially-encrypted format using multiple bitstreams of a digital communication system, such that access to the information is provided at a first quality level;
wherein the multiple bitstreams are transmitted in subbands of one or more digital sidebands of a carrier signal in the system; and
wherein upon decryption of the at least partially-encrypted format, access to the information is provided at another quality level.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Audio or other information is delivered to a user via a multi-stream digital broadcasting system in a partially-encrypted form. The information is encoded and separated into multiple bitstreams, at least a subset of which are left unencrypted. Both the encrypted and unencrypted bitstreams are received and stored by the user. A user is able, for at least a limited period of time, to access the information at a first quality level, e.g., an FM-quality level for audio information, without having the corresponding decryption key, by utilizing only the unencrypted bitstreams. The user can then access an electronic-commerce web site to purchase the decryption key. The key may be downloaded from the site to an information processing device of the user, and may be utilized to decrypt the partially-encrypted format, such that the user is provided with access to the information at a second quality level higher than the first quality level, e.g., a CD-quality level for audio information. The multiple bitstreams may correspond, e.g., to subbands of at least first and second digital sidebands of a host carrier signal in an FM in-band on-channel (FM-IBOC) digital audio broadcasting system.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. A method of delivering information, the method comprising the step of:
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delivering at least a portion of the information to a receiver in an at least partially-encrypted format using multiple bitstreams of a digital communication system, such that access to the information is provided at a first quality level; wherein the multiple bitstreams are transmitted in subbands of one or more digital sidebands of a carrier signal in the system; and wherein upon decryption of the at least partially-encrypted format, access to the information is provided at another quality level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An apparatus for delivering information, comprising:
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a transmitter operative to transmit at least a portion of the information to a receiver in an at least partially-encrypted format using multiple bitstreams of a digital communication system, such that access to the information is provided at a first quality level; wherein the multiple bitstreams are transmitted in subbands of one or more digital sidebands of a carrier signal in the system; and wherein upon decryption of the at least partially-encrypted format, access to the information is provided at another quality level. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method of receiving information, the method comprising the steps of:
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receiving at least a portion of the information from a transmitter in an at least partially-encrypted format using multiple bitstreams of a digital communication system, such that access to the information is provided at a first quality level; wherein the multiple bitstreams are transmitted in subbands of one or more digital sidebands of a carrier signal in the system; and wherein upon decryption of the at least partially-encrypted format, access to the information is provided at another quality level. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. An apparatus for receiving information, comprising:
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a receiver operative to receive at least a portion of the information from a transmitter in an at least partially-encrypted format using multiple bitstreams of a digital communication system, such that access to the information is provided at a first quality level; wherein the multiple bitstreams are transmitted in subbands of one or more digital sidebands of a carrier signal in the system; and wherein upon decryption of the at least partially-encrypted format, access to the information is provided at another quality level. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A method of delivering information, the method comprising the step of:
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delivering at least a portion of the information to a receiver, using at least first and second bitstreams of a digital communication system, wherein the first bitstream is encrypted and the second bitstream is unencrypted, such that access to the information is provided at a first quality level; wherein the first and second bitstreams are transmitted in subbands of one or more digital sidebands of a carrier signal in the system; and wherein upon decryption of the first bitstream, access to the information is provided at another quality level.
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34. An apparatus for delivering information, comprising:
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a transmitter operative to transmit at least a portion of the information to a receiver, using at least first and second bitstreams of a digital communication system, wherein the first bitstream is encrypted and the second bitstream is unencrypted, such that access to the information is provided at a first quality level; wherein the first and second bitstreams are transmitted in subbands of one or more digital sidebands of a carrier signal in the system; and wherein upon decryption of the first bitstream, access to the information is provided at another quality level.
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35. A method of delivering information, the method comprising the steps of:
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delivering at least a portion of the information to a receiver in an at least partially-encrypted format using multiple bitstreams of a digital communication system, such that access to the information is provided at a first quality level without decrypting the information in the at least partially-encrypted format; and providing via an electronic commerce system a key for decrypting the information in the at least partially-encrypted format, such that when the information is decrypted, access to the information is provided at a second quality level higher than the first quality level; wherein the multiple bitstreams are transmitted in subbands of one or more digital sidebands of a carrier signal in the system. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. An apparatus for delivering information, comprising:
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a transmitter operative to transmit at least a portion of the information to a receiver in an at least partially-encrypted format using multiple bitstreams of a digital communication system, such that access to the information is provided at a first quality level without decrypting the information in the at least partially-encrypted format, and wherein a key for decrypting the information in the at least partially-encrypted format is provided via an electronic commerce system, such that when the information is decrypted, access to the information is provided at a second quality level higher than the first quality level; wherein the multiple bitstreams are transmitted in subbands of one or more digital sidebands of a carrier signal in the system. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification