Method for simulcrypting scrambled data to a plurality of conditional access devices

• US 8,488,788 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Desrosiers, Evans
• Application Number:
  US12/638,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20100183149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 380 28- 30, 380 44- 47, 380255-286, 713150-154, 713160-167, 713189-193
• US Class Current: 380/210
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• 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

One embodiment of the invention relates to an apparatus comprising an input, a descrambler unit and a re-scrambler unit. The input is adapted to receive scrambled content. The descrambler unit is coupled to the input. The descrambler unit descrambles the scrambled content in order to recover unscrambled content and concurrently routes both the unscrambled content over a first communication link for display on a display device and the unscrambled content over a second communication link. The re-scrambler unit is coupled to the second communication link. The re-scrambler unit is adapted to scramble the unscrambled content to produce re-scrambled content for transmission.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor to control operations of the apparatus;

an input that is to receive scrambled content;

a descrambler unit coupled to the input and to the processor, the descrambler unit descrambles the scrambled content in order to recover unscrambled content and concurrently routes the unscrambled content over a first communication link for display on a display device and routes the unscrambled content over a second communication link, wherein the descrambler unit descrambles the scrambled content by producing a first key to descramble a first control word, and thereafter, using the first control word to descramble the scrambled content and recover the unscrambled content; and

a re-scrambler unit coupled to the second communication link and to the processor, the re-scrambler unit to scramble the unscrambled content to produce re-scrambled content for transmission from the apparatus,

wherein the re-scrambler unit scrambled the unscrambled content using information within an entitlement control message (ECM), the ECM being part of the program data including the scrambled content received by the input.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 being a conditional access unit.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 being implemented within a digital device that is coupled to a transmission medium for routing the re-scrambled content to an electronic device in communication with the transmission medium.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processor unit that receives packet identifier (PID) information identifying a location of the ECM within the program data, processes the ECM to derive a key that is used by the descrambler unit to descramble the scrambled content and recover the unscrambled content.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the re-scrambler unit scrambled the unscrambled content using information stored within memory implemented within the apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the re-scrambler unit scrambles the unscrambled content using a second control word to produce the re-scrambled content, and thereafter, scrambles the second control word using a second key.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first control word is identical to the second control word.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first key is identical to the second key.

9. A digital device comprising:

a decoding unit; and

a digital receiver coupled to the decoding unit, the digital receiver comprises;

a processor to control operations of the digital receiver;

a tuner adapted to receive an incoming digital bitstream,

a demodulator unit coupled to the tuner and to the processor, the demodulator unit is to demodulate the digital bitstream to recover program data from the incoming digital bitstream, the program data including scrambled content, and

a conditional access unit coupled to the demodulator unit and to the processor, the conditional access unit is to receive the program data from the demodulator unit and descramble the scrambled content to produce unscrambled content, the unscrambled content being routed via a first communication path for display on a display device and also being routed over a second communication path for re-scrambling prior to transmission from the conditional access unit,

wherein the conditional access unit descrambles the scrambled content by producing a first key to descramble a first control word, and thereafter, using the first control word to descramble the scrambled content and recover the unscrambled content, and

wherein the conditional access unit re-scrambles the unscrambled content using information within an entitlement control message (ECM), the ECM being part of the program data that includes the scrambled content.

10. The digital device of claim 9 being a television.

11. The digital device of claim 9, wherein the digital receiver further comprises a processor coupled to the tuner and the conditional access unit, the processor is to control (i) selection of a channel frequency by the tuner and (ii) descrambling by the conditional access unit.

12. The digital device of claim 11, wherein the processor of the digital receiver controls descrambling of the scrambled content by transmitting information that identifies a location of the entitlement control message (ECM) within the program data.

13. The digital device of claim 9, wherein the conditional access unit comprising:

a descrambler unit coupled to the demodulator unit, the descrambler unit descrambles the scrambled content in order to produce the unscrambled content and concurrently routes the unscrambled content over the first communication path for display on the display device and routes the unscrambled content over the second communication path; and

a re-scrambler unit coupled to the descrambler unit over the second communication path, the re-scrambler unit to scramble the unscrambled content to produce the re-scrambled content for transmission.

14. The digital device of claim 13, wherein the re-scrambler unit of the conditional access unit of the digital receiver scrambles the unscrambled content using information within the entitlement control message (ECM), the program data including both the ECM and the scrambled content.

15. The digital device of claim 13, wherein the conditional access unit of the digital receiver further comprises a processor that receives the program data and derives a key for use by the descrambler unit to descramble the scrambled content in the program data.

16. The digital device of claim 9, wherein the decoding unit to receive the unscrambled content and to decode the unscrambled content prior to display on the display device.

17. The digital device of claim 9 being in communication with the display device over a transmission medium.

18. A system adapted to receive an incoming digital bit stream from one or more service providers with the digital bitstream including program data, the system comprising:

a transmission medium;

a hard disk recording unit coupled to the transmission medium; and

a digital device coupled to the transmission medium, the digital device comprises

a decoding unit; and

a digital receiver coupled to the decoding unit, the digital receiver comprises

a processor to control operations of the digital receiver;

a tuner adapted to receive the digital bitstream,

a demodulator unit coupled to the tuner and to the processor, the demodulator unit is to demodulate the digital bitstream to recover the program data, the program data including scrambled content, and

a conditional access unit coupled to the demodulator unit and to the processor, the conditional access unit is to receive and descramble the scrambled content to produce unscrambled content, the descrambled content being routed over both a first communication path and a second communication path, the descrambled content over the first communication path being routed to the decoding unit for decoding of the descrambled content and subsequently displayed while the descrambled content over the second communication path being re-scrambled and transmitted to the hard disk recording unit over the transmission medium,

wherein the conditional access unit descrambles the scrambled content by producing a first key to descramble a first control word, and thereafter, using the first control word to descramble the scrambled content and recover the unscrambled content, and

wherein the conditional access unit re-scrambles the unscrambled content using information within an entitlement control message (ECM), the ECM being part of the program data that includes the scrambled content.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the digital device is a digital television.