Super encrypted storage and retrieval of media programs with modified conditional access functionality

• US 7,203,314 B1
• Filed: 07/21/2000
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hughes Electronics Corporation (Rtx Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: James, Thomas H., Kahn, Raynold M., Klauss, Peter M., Gagnon, Gregory J., Curren, Christopher P., Ha, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran; Ellen C
• Application Number:
  US09/620,773
• Time in Patent Office: 2,454 Days
• Field of Search: 257/922, 365/52, 380/279, 380/281, 380/239, 380/210, 380/241, 705/39, 705/51, 705/54, 705/55, 705/59, 705/65, 707/9, 713/165, 713/172, 713/193, 713/194, 709/223, 725/89, 726/26, 726/6
• US Class Current: 380/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• 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

A method and apparatus for storing and retrieving program material for subsequent replay is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a conditional access module, for accepting encrypted access control information and the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key, the encrypted access control information including a first encryption key and temporally-variant control data; the conditional access module having a first decryptor module, for decrypting the encrypted access control information to produce the temporally variant control data; a conversion module for modifying the temporally-variant control data to produce temporally-invariant control data; a re-encryptor module, for re-encrypting the decrypted access control information; a second decryptor module for decrypting the re-encrypted access control information to produce the first encryption key; a copy protection encryption module, communicatively coupleable to the conditional access module and a media storage device, the copy protection encryption module for further encrypting the encrypted program material according to a second encryption key and for encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; and a copy protection decryption module, communicatively coupleable to the conditional access module and the media storage device, the copy protection decryption module for decrypting the encrypted fourth encryption key to produce the second encryption key using the third encryption key.

Claims

1. A method of storing program material for subsequent replay, comprising the steps of:

receiving encrypted access control information and the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key, the encrypted access control information including a first encryption key and temporally-variant control data;

decrypting the encrypted access control information to produce the temporally-variant control data;

modifying the temporally-variant control data to generate temporally-invariant control data;

re-encrypting the access control information including the temporally-invariant control data;

further encrypting the encrypted program material according to a second encryption key;

encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; and

storing the further encrypted program material and the encrypted access control information and the fourth encryption key.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the temporally-variant control data associates an expiration time with the program material and wherein:

the step of modifying the temporally variant control data to generate temporally-invariant control data further comprises the steps of decrypting the received access control information to produce the first encryption key and the temporally-variant control data, and modifying the expiration time associated with the program material; and

the step of re-encrypting the access control information comprises the step of re-encrypting the first encryption key and the temporally-invariant control data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of re-encrypting the access control information comprises the step of encrypting the access control information including the temporally-invariant control data and the first encryption key according to a fifth encryption key.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of modifying the temporally-variant control data to generate temporally invariant control data is performed by a smartcard.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving the stored further encrypted program material, the encrypted access control information, and the encrypted fourth encryption key;

decrypting the encrypted fourth encryption key to produce the second encryption key using the third encryption key;

decrypting the further encrypted program material using the second encryption key;

decrypting the access control information to produce the first encryption key; and

decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of decrypting the access control information to produce the first encryption key is performed in response to receiving a pay-per-view (PPV) request from the user.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

further encrypting the encrypted access control information according to the second encryption key before storing the encrypted access control information; and

decrypting the further encrypted access control information according to the second encryption key to produce the encrypted temporally-invariant control data before decrypting the access control information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of decrypting the first encryption key is performed in response to receiving a pay-per-view request from the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of modifying the temporally-variant control data to generate temporally-invariant control data and re-encrypting the access control information including the temporally-invariant control data is performed in response to a pre-buy message.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the access control information further comprises metadata describing viewing rights for the program material.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

generating the second encryption key from information including the metadata.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of re-encrypting the access control information comprises the step of encrypting the access control information including the temporally-invariant control data and the first encryption key according to a fourth encryption key, and the method further comprises the step of:

generating the fourth encryption key from information including the metadata.

13. A method of storing program material for subsequent replay, comprising the steps of:

receiving access control information and the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key, the access control information including a first encryption key and temporally-variant control data;

further encrypting the encrypted program material and temporally-variant control data according to a second encryption key;

encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; and

storing the further encrypted program material and the temporally-variant control data and the fourth encryption key.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the temporally-variant control data associates broadcast channel and expiration time with the program material.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

reading the stored further encrypted program material and the temporally-variant data and the fourth encryption key;

decrypting the fourth encryption key using the fourth encryption key to produce the second encryption key;

decrypting the further encrypted program material using the second encryption key;

decrypting the first encryption key using the fourth encryption key; and

decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key.

16. An apparatus for storing program material for subsequent replay, comprising:

a conditional access module, for accepting encrypted access control information and the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key, the encrypted access control information including the first encryption key and temporally-variant control data, the conditional access module having

a first decryptor module, for decrypting the encrypted access control information to produce the temporally variant control data;

a conversion module for modifying the temporally-variant control data to produce temporally-invariant control data;

a re-encryptor module, for re-encrypting the decrypted access control information;

a second decryptor module for decrypting the re-encrypted access control information to produce the first encryption key;

a copy protection encryption module, communicatively coupleable to the conditional access module and a media storage device, the copy protection encryption module for further encrypting the encrypted program material according to a second encryption key and for encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; and

a copy protection decryption module, communicatively coupleable to the conditional access module and the media storage device, the copy protection decryption module for decrypting the encrypted fourth encryption key to produce the second encryption key using the third encryption key.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a tuner, communicatively coupleable to the conditional access module, for receiving the encrypted access control information and the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key, the encrypted access control information including a first encryption key and temporally-variant control data.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising the media storage device.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the copy protection encryption module further encrypts re-encrypted access control information according to the second encryption key; and

the copy protection decryption module further decrypts the further encrypted re-encrypted access control information according to the second encryption key.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the temporally-variant control data associates an expiration time with the program material, and the conversion module modifies the expiration time associated with the program material.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the access control information further comprises metadata describing viewing rights for the program material and wherein the re-encryptor module re-encrypts the decrypted access control information according to a fifth encryption key generated at least in part from the metadata.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the access control information further comprises metadata describing viewing rights for the program material and the second encryption key is generated at least in part from the metadata.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the conditional access module is implemented in a smartcard.

24. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the smartcard is releaseably communicatively coupleable with the tuner.

25. An apparatus for storing program material for subsequent replay, comprising:

means for receiving encrypted access control information and the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key, the encrypted access control information including a first encryption key and temporally-variant control data;

means for decrypting the encrypted access control information to produce the temporally-variant control data;

means for modifying the temporally-variant control data to generate temporally-invariant control data;

means for re-encrypting the access control information including the temporally-invariant control data;

means for further encrypting the encrypted program material according to a second encryption key;

means for encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; and

means for storing the further encrypted program material and the encrypted access control information and the fourth encryption key.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the temporally-variant control data associates an expiration time with the program material and wherein:

the means for modifying the temporally variant control data to generate temporally-invariant control data further comprises means for decrypting the received access control information to produce the first encryption key and the temporally-variant control data, and means for modifying the expiration time associated with the program material; and

the means for re-encrypting the access control information comprises the step of re-encrypting the first encryption key and the temporally-invariant control data.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for re-encrypting the access control information comprises means for encrypting the access control information including the temporally-invariant control data and the first encryption key according to a fourth encryption key.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein:

the means for modifying the temporally-variant control data to generate temporally invariant control data is performed by a smartcard.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising:

means for retrieving the stored further encrypted program material, the encrypted access control information, and the encrypted fourth encryption key;

means for decrypting the encrypted fourth encryption key to produce the second encryption key using the third encryption key;

means for decrypting the further encrypted program material using the second encryption key;

means for decrypting the access control information to produce the first encryption key; and

means for decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the decryption of the access control information to produce the first encryption key is performed in response to receiving a pay-per-view (PPV) request from the user.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:

means for further encrypting the encrypted access control information according to the second encryption key before storing the encrypted access control information; and

means for decrypting the further encrypted access control information according to the second encryption key to produce the encrypted temporally-invariant control data before decrypting the access control information.

32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for decrypting the first encryption key is performed in response to receiving a pay-per-view request from the user.

33. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for modifying the temporally-variant control data to generate temporally-invariant control data and re-encrypting the access control information including the temporally-invariant control data is performed in response to a pre-buy message.

34. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the access control information further comprises metadata describing viewing rights for the program material.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising:

means for generating the second encryption key from information including the metadata.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the means for re-encrypting the access control information comprises means for encrypting the access control information including the temporally-invariant control data and the first encryption key according to a fourth encryption key, and the apparatus further comprises:

means for generating the fourth encryption key from information including the metadata.

37. An apparatus for storing program material for subsequent replay, comprising:

means for receiving access control information and the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key, the access control information including a first encryption key and temporally-variant control data;

means for further encrypting the encrypted program material and temporally-variant control data according to a second encryption key;

means for encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; and

means for storing the further encrypted program material and the temporally-variant control data and the fourth encryption key.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the temporally-variant control data associates broadcast channel and expiration time with the program material.

39. The apparatus of claim 37, further comprising:

means for reading the stored further encrypted program material and the temporally-variant data and the fourth encryption key;

means for decrypting the fourth encryption key using the fourth encryption key to produce the second encryption key;

means for decrypting the further encrypted program material using the second encryption key;

means for decrypting the first encryption key using the fourth encryption key; and

means for decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key.