Time division partial encryption

• US 7,139,398 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2002
• Issued: 11/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Candelore, Brant L., Unger, Robert Allan, Derovanessian, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hosuk
• Application Number:
  US10/038,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 380200-203, 380217-218, 380/241, 713160-163, 713/189, 705 57- 59, 725/25, 725/30, 725/31, 725/87
• US Class Current: 380/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23897 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting only the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26606 for generating or managing entitlement messages, e.g. Entitlement Control Message [ECM] or Entitlement Management Message [EMM] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42615 involving specific demultiplexing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• 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 21/43607 Interfacing a plurality of external cards, e.g. through a DVB Common Interface [DVB-CI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43856 by partial decryption, e.g. decrypting a multiplex stream that has been partially encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44055 by partially decrypting, e.g. decrypting a video stream that has been partially encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/167 : Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible
• 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

Abstract

An encryption arrangement for multiple encryption of television programs. A system according to embodiments of the present invention multiple encrypts only a portion of the data required for full presentation of a television program to permit coexistence of multiple conditional access encryption systems associated with multiple manufacturer'"'"'s set-top boxes within a single system. In one embodiment, a time slicing technique is used to encrypt portions of a program on a time allocated basis. By only encrypting a portion of the program, dramatically less bandwidth is consumed than the alternative of multiple encryption of all program data, thus permitting a larger number of programs to be carried over the same bandwidth while permitting coexistence of multiple conditional access systems in a single cable television system.

Claims

1. A method of encrypting an unencrypted television program, comprising:

sampling the unencrypted television program at a specified time interval;

for each sample;

encrypting the sample according to a first encryption method to create a first encrypted sample;

encrypting the sample according to a second encryption method to create a second encrypted sample; and

combining the first and second encrypted samples with unsampled portions of the unencrypted television program to produce partially multiple encrypted television program as an encrypted output signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising distributing the partially multiple encrypted television program over a communication medium.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning a plurality of primary packet identifiers (PID) to data packets containing unencrypted portions of the television program, the primary packet identifiers associating the unencrypted portion with the television program.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning a plurality of primary packer identifiers (PID) to data packets containing first encrypted samples of the television program, the primary packet identifiers associating the first encrypted samples with the television program.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising assigning a plurality of secondary packet identifiers (PID) to data packets containing second encrypted samples of the television program, the secondary packet identifiers associating the second encrypted samples with the television program.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a plurality of primary packet identifiers (PID) to data packets containing unencrypted portions of the television program, the primary packet identifiers associating the unencrypted portions with the television program;

assigning the plurality of primary packet identifiers to data packets containing first encrypted samples of the television program, the primary packet identifiers associating the first encrypted samples with the television program; and

assigning a plurality of secondary packet identifiers to data packets containing second encrypted samples of the television program, the secondary packet identifiers associating the second encrypted samples with the television program.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising transmitting system information to identify the primary and secondary PID associated with the television program.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein each sample comprises data associated with a frame of video.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein each sample comprises at least one packet of data.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specified time interval comprises a randomly occurring time interval.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising distributing at least one of the first and second encrypted samples separately from unsampled portions of the unencrypted television program.

12. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 1.

13. A method of encrypting an unencrypted television program, comprising:

sampling the unencrypted television program at a specified time interval;

for each sample, encrypting the sample according to a first encryption method to create a first encrypted sample for the television program and encrypting the sample according to a second encryption method to create a second encrypted sample for the television program; and

combining the first encrypted samples with the unsampled portions of the unencrypted television program to produce a multiple partially encrypted television program as an encrypted output signal.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising distributing the multiple partially encrypted television program over a cable television system.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising assigning a packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing unencrypted portions of the television program, the packet identifier associating the unencrypted portion with a particular television program.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising assigning a packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing first encrypted samples of the television program, the packet identifier associating the first encrypted samples with a particular television program.

17. The method according to claim 13, further comprising assigning a secondary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing first encrypted sample of the television program, the secondary packet identifier associating the first encrypted samples with a particular television program.

18. The method according to claim 13, further comprising assigning a packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing first encrypted samples and unencrypted portions of the television program, the packet identifier associating the first encrypted samples and the unencrypted portions with a particular television program.

19. The method according to claim 13, further comprising

assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing unencrypted portions of the television program, the packet identifier associating the unencrypted portions with a particular television program;

and

assigning a secondary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing encrypted samples of the television program, the secondary packet identifier associating the first encrypted samples with the particular television program.

20. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sample comprises a data associated with a frame of video.

21. The method according to claim 13, wherein the sample comprises at least one packet of data.

22. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 13.

23. A method of encrypting an unencrypted television program, comprising:

identifying N periods out of every M periods of the television program for encryption, where M is greater than N;

encrypting the N periods out of every M periods of the television program according to a first encryption method,

encrypting the N periods out of every M periods of the television program according to a second encryption method; and

combining the first and second encrypted periods with unencrypted periods to produce a partially multiple encrypted television program to produce a multiple selectively encrypted output signal.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising distributing the partially multiple encrypted television program over a cable television system.

25. The method according to claim 23, further comprising assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to unencrypted periods of the television program.

26. The method according to claim 23, further comprising assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to periods encrypted under the first encryption method.

27. The method according to claim 23, further comprising assigning a secondary packet identifier (PID) to periods encrypted under the second encryption method.

28. The method according to claim 23, further comprising:

assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to unencrypted periods of the television program;

assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to periods encrypted under the first encryption method; and

assigning a secondary packet identifier (PID) to periods encrypted under the second encryption method.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising transmitting system information to identify the primary and secondary PID associated with the television program.

30. The method according to claim 23, wherein the period comprises data associated with a frame of video.

31. The method according to claim 23, wherein the period comprises at least one packet of data.

32. The method according to claim 23, wherein the N periods and M periods are selected randomly.

33. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 23.

34. A method of decoding a television program, comprising:

receiving a television signal having N periods out of every M periods of the television program encrypted according to a first encryption method, where M is greater than N, and wherein the same N periods of the television program are encrypted according to a second encryption method, wherein M–

N periods are unencrypted;

decrypting the N periods according to a first decryption method to produce decrypted periods;

discarding the N periods encrypted according to the second encryption method; and

decoding the decrypted periods and the unencrypted periods.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising filtering out the N periods encrypted according to the second encryption method.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein the filtering is carried out by filtering on a packet identifier (PID) associated with data packets.

37. The method according to claim 34, wherein the period comprises data associated with a frame of video.

38. The method according to claim 34, wherein the period comprises at least one packet of data.

39. The method according to claim 34, wherein the period comprises data associated with a frame of audio.

40. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 34.

41. The method according to claim 34, carried out in a television device.

42. The method according to claim 34, carried out in a television set-top box.

43. The method according to claim 34, carried out in an integrated circuit.

44. The method according to claim 34, carried out in one of an application specific integrated circuit, a programmable logic device and a field programmable gate array.

45. A television set-top box for decoding a television program, comprising:

a receiver receiving a television program having N periods out of every M periods of the television program encrypted according to a first encryption method, where M is greater than N, and wherein the same N periods of the television program encrypted according to a second encryption method, wherein M–

N periods are unencrypted;

a decrypter that decrypts the N periods according to a first decryption method to produce decrypted periods;

filtering means for discarding the N periods encrypted according to the second encryption method; and

a decoder that decodes the decrypted periods and the unencrypted periods.

46. The television Set-top Box according to claim 45, wherein the filtering means filters out the N periods encrypted according to the second encryption method.

47. The television Set-top Box according to claim 46, wherein the filtering is carried out by the filtering means filtering on a packet identifier (PID) associated with data packets.

48. The television Set-top Box according to claim 45, wherein the period comprises data associated with a frame of video.

49. The television Set-top Box according to claim 45, wherein the period comprises at least one packet of data.

50. The television Set-top Box according to claim 45, wherein the decoder comprises an MPEG decoder.

51. A method of encrypting a plurality of unencrypted television program, comprising:

selecting a video frame from each unencrypted television program at a specified time interval;

encrypting the frame according to a first encryption method to create a first encrypted frame for each television program;

encrypting the frame according to a second encryption method to create a second encrypted frame for each television program; and

combining the first and second encrypted frames with unencrypted frames of the unencrypted television programs to produce partially dual encrypted television programs as an encrypted output signal.

52. The method according to claim 51, further comprising distributing the partially dual encrypted television programs over one of a cable television system, a terrestrial broadcast system, and a satellite system.

53. The method according to claim 51, further comprising assigning a plurality of primary packet identifiers (PID) to data packets containing unencrypted portions of each television program, the primary packet identifiers associating the unencrypted portions with each particular television program.

54. The method according to claim 51, further comprising assigning a plurality of primary packet identifiers (PID) to data packets containing first encrypted frames of each television program, the primary packet identifiers associating the first encrypted frames with each particular television program.

55. The method according to claim 51, further comprising assigning a plurality of secondary packet identifiers (PID) to data packets containing second encrypted frames of each television program, the secondary packet identifiers associating the second encrypted frames with a particular television program.

56. The method according to claim 51, further comprising:

assigning a plurality of primary packet identifiers (PID) to data packets containing unencrypted portions of each television program, the primary packet identifiers associating the unencrypted portions with each particular television program;

assigning the plurality of primary packet identifiers to data packets containing first encrypted frames of each television program, the primary packet identifiers associating the first encrypted frames with each particular television program; and

assigning a plurality of secondary packet identifiers to data packets containing second encrypted frames of each television program, the secondary packet identifiers associating the second encrypted samples with a particular television program.

57. The method according to claim 56, further comprising transmitting system information to identify the primary and secondary packet identifiers associated with each television program.

58. The method according to claim 51, wherein the specified time interval is selected at random.

59. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 51.

60. A method of encrypting an unencrypted television program, comprising:

selecting a frame of the unencrypted television program at a specified time interval;

encrypting the frame according to a first encryption method to create a first encrypted sample for the television program;

encrypting the frame according to a second encryption method to create a second encrypted sample for the television program; and

combining the first encrypted sample and the second encrypted sample with unencrypted portions of the television program to produce a multiple partially encrypted television program.

61. The method according to claim 60, further comprising distributing the multiple partially encrypted television program over a cable television system.

62. The method according to claim 60, further comprising assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing unencrypted portions of the television program, the primary packet identifier associating the unencrypted portion with a particular television program.

63. The method according to claim 62, further comprising assigning a secondary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing first encrypted samples of the television program and assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing second encrypted samples of the television program, the secondary packet identifier associating the first encrypted samples and the primary packet identifier associating the second encrypted samples with the particular television program.

64. The method according to claim 60, further comprising assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing first encrypted samples of the television program and assigning a secondary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing second encrypted samples of the television program, the primary packet identifier associating the first encrypted samples and the secondary packet identifier associating the second encrypted samples with the particular television program.

65. The method according to claim 60, further comprising assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing first encrypted samples and unencrypted portions of the television program and assigning a secondary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing second encrypted samples of the television program, the primary packet identifier associating the first encrypted samples and the unencrypted portions and the secondary identifier associating the second encrypted samples with a particular television program.

66. The method according to claim 60, further comprising assigning a primary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing unencrypted portions of the television program, the primary packet identifier associating the unencrypted portions with a particular television program;

assigning the primary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing first encrypted samples of the television program, the primary packet identifier associating the first encrypted samples with the particular television program; and

assigning a secondary packet identifier (PID) to data packets containing encrypted samples of the television program, the secondary packet identifier associating the encrypted samples with the particular television program.

67. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method according to claim 60.