Lower-power standby mode for consumer electronics

• US 7,546,618 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2004
• Issued: 06/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tech 5 SAS
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bacon, Kinney C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHNURR, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US10/880,777
• Publication Number:
  US 20060004661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 725/25, 725/31, 725/131, 725/133, 725/151, 725/152, 380/210, 380/211, 380/239, 380/277, 380/278, 348/460, 348/730, 713320-324
• US Class Current: 725/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42615 involving specific demultiplexing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44236 Monitoring of piracy processes or activities protecting computer platforms against harmful, malicious or unexpected behaviour or activities using intrusion detection and counter measures G06F21/566; computer virus detection and handling G06F21/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• 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 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

A conditional access device is provided. The conditional access device typically includes conditional access decryption, interface, timing and control logic. The conditional access decryption logic decrypts an incoming signal for use in a consumer electronics device in accordance with previously received entitlement management messages. The interface logic receives a control signal including an entitlement management message window from a headend control system through a receiver in the consumer electronics device. The timing logic asserts an awake signal responsive to the entitlement management message window becoming active. The control logic sends a request to the consumer electronic device to activate a receiver coupled to the headend control system in expectation of receiving an entitlement management message via the control signal in response to assertion of the awake signal. The control logic also communicates the entitlement management message to the conditional access decryption logic. Other systems and method are also provided.

Claims

1. A conditional access device, comprising:

a conditional access decryption unit operable to decrypt an incoming signal for use in a consumer electronics device in accordance with at least one previously received entitlement management message;

an interface unit operable to receive a control signal including a message window from a headend control system via a receiver in the consumer electronics device, wherein the message window defines a time interval for expected reception of an entitlement management message;

a timing unit operable to receive the message window from the interface unit, to assert an awake signal responsive to determining that the message window is active representing occurrence of the time interval, and to disable the awake signal responsive to determining that the message window is inactive representing expiration of the time interval; and

a hardware control unit operable to send requests to the consumer electronics device to activate the receiver coupled to the headend control system in expectation of receiving the entitlement management message in response to the assertion of the awake signal, and to deactivate the receiver in response to disablement of the awake signal, the control unit is further operable to communicate the entitlement management message to the conditional access decryption unit.

2. The conditional access device of claim 1, further comprising:

an unauthorized bypass unit operable to disable the conditional access decryption unit responsive to not receiving the entitlement management message for a period of time.

3. The conditional access device of claim 2, wherein the unauthorized bypass unit is further operable to enable the conditional access decryption unit responsive to receiving the entitlement management message.

4. The conditional access device of claim 2, wherein the unauthorized bypass unit disables the conditional access decryption unit after a plurality of successive message windows without receiving at least one entitlement management message.

5. The conditional access device of claim 1, wherein the conditional access device operates according to an ANSI/SCTE 28 2003 Host-POD Interface specification.

6. The conditional access device of claim 1, wherein a next message window is received with a new entitlement management message.

7. The conditional access device of claim 1, wherein the message window occurs at irregular intervals.

8. The conditional access device of claim 1, wherein the headend control system comprises:

a distribution network coupling the headend control system to a customer premise containing the consumer electronics device;

a content server operable to provide the distribution network with an encrypted audio/video signal; and

a control system operable to provide entitlement management messages to the customer premise during a plurality of message windows.

9. The conditional access device of claim 8, wherein the headend control system comprises an entitlement management message server operable to send an addressed entitlement management message to the customer premise.

10. The conditional access device of claim 9, wherein the entitlement management message server is further operable to send the message window comprising a period of time during which the entitlement management message server will send the entitlement management message to the customer premise.

11. The conditional access device of claim 9, wherein the entitlement management message server is further operable to send a plurality of entitlement management messages at determinate irregular intervals responsive to a random or pseudo-random algorithm known to customer premise equipment including the conditional access device.

12. The conditional access device of claim 10, wherein the entitlement management message server sends the message window to the customer premise while the message window is active.

13. The conditional access device of claim 1, wherein the consumer electronics device includes a low-power standby mode, and comprises:

a tuner operable to receive a digital transport stream signal which includes audio and video programs from the headend control system and filter the digital transport stream signal to produce a tuned signal;

the receiver operable to receive a control signal from the headend control system, the control signal comprising conditional access information;

an interface operable to supply the conditional access device with the tuned signal and receive a decrypted signal, the interface being further operable to supply the conditional access device with the conditional access information and receive the requests in the form of interrupt signals from the conditional access device; and

a processor operable to instruct the receiver to power-down and power-up responsive to receiving the interrupt signals from the conditional access device via the interface.

14. The conditional access device of claim 13, wherein the processor is operable to instruct the receiver to power-down while the consumer electronics device is in a standby mode, and to instruct the receiver to power-up responsive to the interrupt signal received from the conditional access device via the interface.

15. The conditional access device of claim 13, wherein the consumer electronics device further comprises:

a decoder operable to receive the decrypted signal and provide a decoded signal; and

a display operable to receive the decoded signal and display the decoded signal to a user.

16. The conditional access device of claim 13, wherein the conditional access decryption unit receives the tuned signal and provides a decrypted signal responsive to the tuned signal, and wherein the request to activate the receiver is in the form of a first interrupt to the processor responsive to the message window being active, the first interrupt comprising requesting power to the receiver.

17. The conditional access device of claim 16, wherein the request to deactivate the receiver is in the form of a second interrupt to the processor responsive to the message window becoming inactive, the second interrupt requesting the receiver be powered-down.

18. The conditional access device of claim 14, wherein the consumer electronics device operates at low-power while in the standby mode.

19. A method of establishing a determinate period for control messages, the method comprising:

receiving at a conditional access device notification of a message window from a receiver in a consumer electronics device coupled to a headend control system, wherein the message window defines a time interval for expected reception of an entitlement management message;

determining at the conditional access device that the message window is active representing occurrence of the time interval;

sending a first interrupt request from the conditional access device to the consumer electronics device to activate the receiver responsive to determining that the message window is active;

waiting for the entitlement management message to be received for the duration of the time interval; and

sending a second interrupt request from the conditional access device to the consumer electronics device to deactivate the receiver in response to expiration of the time interval.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

determining that the entitlement management message has not been received for a period of time; and

disabling the conditional access device responsive to determining that the entitlement management message has not been received for a period of time.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving the entitlement management message; and

enabling the conditional access device responsive to receiving the entitlement management message.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the determining that the entitlement management message has not been received for a period of time comprises waiting for a plurality of message windows for the entitlement management message without receiving at least one entitlement management message prior to disabling the conditional access device.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving a next message window with the entitlement management message.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising using a random or pseudo-random algorithm to determine when the next message window is active.

25. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

sending the message window to customer premise equipment including the consumer electronics device via a network, the message window comprising a period of time during which the headend control system will send a control message; and

sending the control message including the entitlement management message to the customer premise equipment responsive to determining that the message window is active.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising sending a plurality of entitlement management messages at determinate irregular intervals in accordance with a random or pseudo-random algorithm.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the sending the message window to customer premise equipment is responsive to determining that the message window is active.

28. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

receiving an input from a user to put the consumer electronics device in a standby mode;

placing the consumer electronics device in standby mode by powering down the consumer electronics device responsive to receiving the input from the user, including powering down the receiver;

receiving the first interrupt request from the conditional access device, the first interrupt request requesting that the receiver be powered up;

powering up the receiver responsive to receiving the first interrupt request;

receiving the second interrupt request from the conditional access device, the second interrupt request requesting that the receiver be powered down; and

powering down the receiver responsive to receiving the second interrupt request.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising operating the consumer electronics device at reduced power requirements while in standby mode.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

receiving a digital transport stream which includes audio/video programs; and

decoding a tuned and decrypted audio/video signal from the conditional access device, responsive to the digital transport stream and to the consumer electronics device not being in standby mode; and

displaying the decoded audio/video signal on a display device.

31. The method of claim 28, wherein the first interrupt request is received from the conditional access device at irregular intervals.

32. Logic encoded in one or more electronic storage media for execution to determine when a control message is to be received and when executed operable for:

receiving at a conditional access device a control message window from a receiver in a consumer electronics device coupled to a headend control system, wherein the message window defines a time interval for expected reception of an entitlement management message;

determining at the conditional access device when the control message window is active representing occurrence of the time interval;

sending a wake request from the conditional access device to the consumer electronics device to activate the receiver responsive to the control message window being active; and

sending a sleep request from the conditional access device to the consumer electronics device to deactivate the receiver responsive to the control message window being inactive representing expiration of the time interval.

33. The logic of claim 32, further operable for receiving a control message while the control message window is active.

34. The logic of claim 32, wherein there exist a plurality of control message windows spaced at irregular intervals, and the determining when the control message window is active includes using a random or pseudo-random algorithm to determine when a next control message window becomes active.

35. The logic of claim 32, further operable for:

receiving a next control message window while a current control message window is active; and

determining when a control message window is active responsive to the next control message window.

36. The logic of claim 32, further operable for:

determining when a control message was received previously; and

disabling the conditional access device responsive to when the control message was received.

37. The logic of claim 36, further operable for:

receiving a control message; and

enabling the conditional access device responsive to receiving the control message.

38. The logic of claim 32, further operable for disabling the conditional access device responsive to a plurality of successive control message windows passing without receiving a control message.

39. The logic of claim 32, further operable for:

sending the control message window to customer premise equipment including the consumer electronics device via a network, the control message window comprising a period of time during which the headend control system will send a control message; and

sending the control message including the entitlement management message to the customer premise equipment responsive to determining that the control message window is active.

40. The logic of claim 39, further operable for sending a plurality of entitlement management messages at determinate irregular intervals in accordance with a random or pseudo-random algorithm.

41. The logic of claim 39, wherein the sending the control message window to customer premise equipment is responsive to determining that the control message window is active.

42. The logic of claim 32, further operable for:

receiving an input from a user to put the consumer electronics device in a standby mode;

placing the consumer electronics device in standby mode by powering down the consumer electronics device responsive to receiving the input from the user, including powering down the receiver;

receiving the wake request in the form of a first interrupt request from the conditional access device, the first interrupt request requesting that the receiver be powered up;

powering up the receiver responsive to receiving the first interrupt request;

receiving the sleep request in the form of a second interrupt request from the conditional access device, the second interrupt request requesting that the receiver be powered down; and

powering down the receiver responsive to receiving the second interrupt request.

43. The logic of claim 42, further operable for operating the consumer electronics device at reduced power requirements while in standby mode.

44. The logic of claim 42, further operable for:

receiving a digital transport stream with a decrypted audio/video program; and

decoding a tuned and decrypted audio/video signal from the conditional access device, responsive to the digital transport stream and to the consumer electronics device not being in standby mode; and

displaying the decoded audio/video signal on a display device.

45. The logic of claim 42, wherein the first interrupt request is received from the conditional access device at irregular intervals.