Method and apparatus for encrypting media programs for later purchase and viewing

• US 7,409,562 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cocchi, Ronald P., James, Thomas H., Kahn, Raynold M., Klauss, Peter M., Gagnon, Gregory J., Curren, Christopher P., Ha, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Revak; Christopher A
• Application Number:
  US09/960,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20030061477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,510 Days
• Field of Search: 713/171, 380/200, 380/259, 380/258
• US Class Current: 713/194
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/602 Providing cryptographic facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• 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 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A system and method for storing and retrieving program material for subsequent replay is disclosed. The method includes accepting a receiver ID associated with a receiver key stored in a memory of the receiver, determining a pairing key for encrypting communications between the conditional access module and the receiver, encrypting the pairing key with the receiver key, and transmitting a message comprising the encrypted pairing key to the receiver. The apparatus comprises a receiver for receiving a data stream transmitting a media program encrypted according to a media encryption key and an encrypted media encryption key and a conditional access module, communicatively coupleable with the receiver.

Claims

1. A method of operatively pairing a receiver configured to receive a plurality of media programs and a conditional access module removably coupleable to the receiver, comprising the steps of:

accepting a receiver ID associated with a receiver key stored in a memory of the receiver in a control center;

determining a pairing key for encrypting communications between the conditional access module and the receiver;

encrypting the pairing key with the receiver key; and

transmitting a message comprising the encrypted pairing key to the receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein

the media programs received by the receiver are encrypted according to a media encryption key (CW);

and

the conditional access module communicates the media encryption key (CW) encrypted by the pairing key to the receiver.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver ID is user-readable.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver key is user-unreadable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver key is uniquely paired to the receiver ID.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the message further comprises the pairing key

the step of transmitting a message comprising the encrypted pairing key to the receiver comprises the steps of;

encrypting the message; and

transmitting the message.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the message is encrypted according to an I/O indecipherable algorithm.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

decrypting the message in the conditional access module to produce the pairing key and the encrypted pairing key;

storing the pairing key in the conditional access module;

providing the encrypted pairing key to the receiver; and

decrypting the encrypted pairing key in the receiver with the receiver key.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:

storing the pairing key in the receiver.

10. A method of operatively pairing a receiver configured to receive a plurality of media programs encrypted according to a media encryption key (CW) and a conditional access module removably coupled to the receiver, comprising the steps of:

receiving an encrypted message comprising a pairing key and an encrypted pairing key;

decrypting the encrypted message in the conditional access module to produce the pairing key and the encrypted pairing key;

storing the pairing key in the conditional access module;

transmitting the encrypted pairing key to the receiver; and

decrypting the encrypted pairing key with a receiver key stored in the receiver.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the message is encrypted according to an I/O indecipherable algorithm.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the media encryption key (CW) in the conditional access module;

encrypting the media encryption key(CW) according to the pairing key; and

transmitting the encrypted media encryption key (CW) to the receiver.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the encrypted media encryption key (CW) from the conditional access module;

decrypting the encrypted media encryption key (CW) with the pairing key stored in the receiver; and

decrypting the media program with the media encryption key (CW).

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the media encryption key (CW) in the conditional access module;

encrypting the media encryption key (CW) according to the pairing key; and

transmitting the encrypted media encryption key (CW) to the receiver.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the media encryption key (CW) in the conditional access module;

decrypting the encrypted media encryption key (CW) with the pairing key stored in the receiver; and

decrypting the media program with the media encryption key (CW).

16. An apparatus for operatively pairing a receiver configured to receive a plurality of media programs and a conditional access module removably coupleable to the receiver, comprising:

means for accepting a receiver ID associated with a receiver key stored in a memory of the receiver in a control center;

means for determining a pairing key for encrypting communications between the conditional access module and the receiver;

means for encrypting the pairing key with the receiver key; and

means for transmitting a message comprising the encrypted pairing key to the receiver.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the message further comprises the pairing key;

the means for transmitting a message comprising the encrypted pairing key to the receiver comprises means for encrypting the message and means for transmitting the message.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for decrypting the message in the conditional access module to produce the pairing key and the encrypted pairing key;

means for storing the pairing key in the conditional access module;

means for providing the encrypted pairing key to the receiver; and

means for decrypting the encrypted pairing key in the receiver with the receiver key.

19. An apparatus for operatively pairing a receiver configured to receive a plurality of media programs encrypted according to a media encryption key (CW) and a conditional access module removably coupled to the receiver, comprising:

means for receiving an encrypted message comprising a pairing key and an encrypted pairing key;

means for decrypting the encrypted message in the conditional access module to produce the pairing key and the encrypted pairing key;

means for storing the pairing key in the conditional access module

means for transmitting the encrypted pairing key to the receiver; and

means for decrypting the encrypted pairing key with a receiver key stored in the receiver.