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

• US 8,677,152 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2008
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kahn, Raynold M., Gagnon, Gregory J., Ha, David D., Klauss, Peter M., Curren, Christopher P., Cocchi, Ronald P., James, Thomas H.
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US12/172,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20080279386A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,073 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 713/193
• 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 controlling access to a stored media program, comprising the steps of:

receiving a data stream in a first subscriber receiver at a receiver station having a storage device, the data stream including the media program encrypted according to a media encryption key;

decrypting the encrypted media program;

generating a copy protection key in the first subscriber receiver at least in part from a content identifier identifying the media program, the copy protection key for encrypting and decrypting information written to and read from the storage device; and

encrypting at least a portion of the decrypted data stream using the copy protection key.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the copy protection key is generated at least in part from a family key, the family key for securely sharing the media program with a second subscriber receiver at the receiver station having access to the family key.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the content identifier is obtained from a program guide.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the content identifier is entered by the user.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the content identifier further comprises copy control information.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of:

transmitting the encrypted data stream to the second subscriber receiver disposed at the receiver station.

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

generating a copy protection key in the second subscriber receiver from the content identifier and the family key; and

decrypting the encrypted data stream using the copy protection key.

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

accepting a selection of the media program in the second subscriber receiver; and

reading the content identifier associated with the media program from the storage device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the copy protection key is generated in a security module in the second subscriber receiver.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of storing the copy protection key in the second subscriber receiver.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of providing the decrypted data stream to a presentation device communicatively coupled to the second subscriber receiver.

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

receiving an encrypted family key, the family key for securely sharing the media program with a second subscriber receiver at the receiver station; and

decrypting the encrypted family key using a receiver key substantially uniquely associated with the first subscriber receiver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the encrypted family key is received at the first subscriber receiver in response to a service request including a unique identifier of the first subscriber receiver.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier is user-readable.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the receiver key is user-unreadable.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

generating the copy protection key from the content identifier and the family key; and

decrypting the encrypted data stream using the copy protection key.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a selection of the media program; and

reading the content identifier associated with the selected media program.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the copy protection key is generated from the content identifier and the family key in a security module.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of storing the copy protection key.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the copy protection key is stored in a transport module of the first subscriber receiver.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

providing the decrypted data stream to a presentation device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the media encryption key is time-variant.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the copy protection key is stored in a transport module of the first subscriber receiver.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stream includes an encrypted media encryption key (EI(CW)), and the step of decrypting the encrypted media program comprises the steps of:

decrypting the encrypted media encryption key (EI(CW)) to produce the media encryption key (CW);

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

decrypting the encrypted media encryption key EP(CW) using the pairing key; and

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

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

the step of decrypting the first encryption key EI(CW) and the step of encrypting the decrypted media encryption key (CW) according to the pairing key are performed in a conditional access module removably coupleable to the first subscriber receiver.

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

receiving an encrypted pairing key, the pairing key for cryptographically pairing the first subscriber receiver with a conditional access module removably coupleable with the first subscriber receiver by encrypting communications between the first subscriber receiver and the conditional access module;

decrypting the encrypted pairing key using a receiver key substantially uniquely associated with the first subscriber receiver.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of:

storing the decrypted pairing key in the first subscriber receiver.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the encrypted pairing key is received in response to a service request including a unique identifier of the first subscriber receiver.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the receiver key is unique to the first subscriber receiver.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

storing the encrypted data stream in the storage device.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising the step of storing the content identifier in the storage device.

32. A method of controlling access to a media program, comprising the steps of:

receiving a data stream in a first subscriber receiver at a receiver station having a storage device, the data stream including the media program encrypted according to a media encryption key (CW) and an encrypted media encryption key (CW);

generating a copy protection key (CP) from a content identifier and a family key in the first subscriber receiver, the copy protection key for encrypting and decrypting information written to and read from the storage device; and

further encrypting the data stream using the copy protection key (CP).

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of:

storing the further encrypted data stream in the storage device.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of:

storing the copy protection key in a transport module of the first subscriber receiver.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an encrypted family key in the first subscriber receiver, the family key for securely sharing the media program with a second subscriber receiver at the receiver station; and

decrypting the encrypted family key using a receiver key associated unique to the media program receiver.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein receiver key is user-unreadable.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the encrypted family key is received in response to a service request including a unique identifier of the first subscriber receiver.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of:

generating the copy protection key from the content identifier and the family key;

reading the stored further encrypted data stream;

decrypting the stored further encrypted data stream using the copy protection key to produce the media program encrypted according to the media encryption key (CW) and to produce the encrypted media encryption key;

decrypting the encrypted media encryption key and re-encrypting the media encryption key according to a pairing key;

decrypting the re-encrypted media encryption key using a pairing key to produce the media encryption key (CW); and

decrypting the media program using the first encryption key (CW).

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the media encryption key is decrypted and re-encrypted in a conditional access module removably coupleable to the first subscriber receiver, and the pairing key is stored in the conditional access module.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the re-encrypted media encryption key is decrypted and stored in the first subscriber receiver.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising the step of storing the copy protection key in the first subscriber receiver.

42. The method of claim 38, further comprising the steps of:

accepting a selection of the media program in the second subscriber receiver; and

reading the content identifier associated with the media program from the storage device.

43. The method of claim 38, wherein the step of decrypting the re-encrypted media encryption key using a pairing key to produce the media encryption key comprises the steps of:

receiving an encrypted pairing key in the first subscriber receiver, the encrypted pairing key for cryptographically pairing the first subscriber receiver with a conditional access module removably coupleable with the first subscriber receiver by encrypting communications between the first subscriber receiver and the conditional access module; and

decrypting the received encrypted pairing key using a receiver key.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the encrypted pairing key is received in response to a service request including a unique identifier of the first subscriber receiver.

45. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of storing the pairing key in the first subscriber receiver.

46. The method of claim 38, further comprising the step of:

providing the decrypted media program to a presentation device.

47. The method of claim 38, further comprising the steps of:

re-encrypting the decrypted media program according to the copy protection key;

storing the re-encrypted media program; and

decrypting the re-encrypted media program according to the copy protection key.

48. The method of claim 47, further comprising the step of:

providing the decrypted media program to a presentation device.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising the step of:

regenerating the copy protection key from the content identifier and the family key.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the decrypted media program is re-encrypted in response to at least one of a set of commands requiring re-storage of the media program.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the set of commands includes a command selected from the group comprising:

a pause command;

a rewind command;

a fast forward command; and

a reverse command.

52. The method of claim 47, further comprising the step of:

providing the decrypted media program to a second subscriber receiver.

53. The method of claim 32, wherein the media encryption key is a time-variant key.

54. The method of claim 32, wherein the content identifier is obtained from a program guide.

55. The method of claim 32, wherein the content identifier is user-entered.

56. The method of claim 32, wherein the content identifier uniquely identifies the media program.

57. The method of claim 32, wherein the content identifier further comprises copy control information.

58. An apparatus for receiving media programs, comprising:

a receiver station, comprising;

a first subscriber receiver, for receiving a data stream transmitting a media program encrypted according to a media encryption key (CW) and an encrypted media encryption key, the first subscriber receiver having;

a first decryptor, for decrypting a message from the conditional access module according to a pairing key (PK), the message comprising the media encryption key (CW); and

a conditional access module, communicatively coupleable to the first subscriber receiver, the conditional access module having;

a second decryptor for decrypting the encrypted media encryption key (CW); and

a first encryptor, for encrypting messages with the receiver according to the pairing key (PK);

wherein the pairing key cryptographically pairs the first subscriber receiver to the conditional access module by encrypting communications between the first subscriber receiver and the conditional access module.

59. The apparatus of claim 58, wherein:

the first subscriber receiver further comprises a secure memory having a receiver key (RK);

data stream further comprises the pairing key (PK) encrypted according to the receiver key (RK); and

the first decryptor further decrypts the encrypted pairing key (PK) with the receiver key (RK) to produce the pairing key (PK).

60. The apparatus of claim 59, wherein

the data stream further comprises a family key (FK) for securely sharing the media program with a second subscriber receiver at the receiver station having access to the family key (FK) wherein the family key is encrypted according to the receiver key (RK);

and

the first decryptor further decrypts the encrypted family key (FK) with the receiver key (RK) to produce the family key (FK).

61. The apparatus of claim 60, wherein

the first decryptor generates a copy protection (CP) key from the family key (FK).

62. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein the first subscriber receiver comprises a first encryptor for encrypting the media program according to the copy protection (CP) key and a second decryptor for decrypting the media program according to the copy protection (CP) key.

63. The apparatus of claim 62, further comprising a data storage device coupled to the receiver, the data storage device for storing and retrieving the media program encrypted according to the copy protection (CP) key.

64. An apparatus for controlling access to a stored media program, comprising:

means for receiving a data stream in a first subscriber receiver at a receiver station having a storage device, the data stream including the media program encrypted according to a media encryption key;

means for decrypting the encrypted media program;

means for generating a copy protection key in the first subscriber receiver at least in part from a content identifier identifying the media program, the copy protection key for encrypting and decrypting information written to and read from the storage device; and

means for encrypting the decrypted data stream using the copy protection key.

65. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising:

means for receiving an encrypted family key, the family key for securely sharing the media program with a second subscriber receiver at the receiver station having access to the family key; and

means for decrypting the encrypted family key using a receiver key substantially uniquely associated with the first subscriber receiver.

66. The apparatus of claim 65, wherein:

the means for generating the copy protection key further generates the copy protection key at least in part from the family key; and

the apparatus further comprises means for decrypting the encrypted data stream using the copy protection key.

67. The apparatus of claim 64, wherein the data stream includes an encrypted media encryption key (EI(CW)), and the means for decrypting the media program comprises:

means for decrypting the encrypted media encryption key (EI(CW)) to produce the media encryption key;

means for encrypting the decrypted media encryption key (CW) according to a pairing key;

means for decrypting the encrypted media encryption key EP(CW) using the pairing key; and

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

68. The apparatus of claim 64, further comprising:

means for receiving an encrypted pairing key, the pairing key for cryptographically pairing the first subscriber receiver with a conditional access module removably coupleable with the first subscriber receiver by encrypting communications between the first subscriber receiver and the conditional access module; and

means for decrypting the encrypted pairing key using a receiver key substantially uniquely associated with the first subscriber receiver.

69. An apparatus of controlling access to a media program, comprising:

means for receiving a data stream in a first subscriber receiver at a receiver station having a storage device, the data stream including the media program encrypted according to a media encryption key (CW) and an encrypted media encryption key (CW);

means for generating a copy protection key from a content identifier and a family key in the first subscriber receiver, the copy protection key for encrypting and decrypting information written to and read from the storage device;

means for further encrypting the data stream using the copy protection key (CP); and

means for storing the copy protection key (CP) in the receiver.

70. The apparatus of claim 69, further comprising:

means for receiving an encrypted family key in the first subscriber receiver, the family key for securely sharing the media program with a second subscriber receiver at the receiver station; and

means for decrypting the encrypted family key using receiver key associated unique to the media program receiver.

71. The apparatus of claim 70, further comprising:

means for generating the copy protection key from the content identifier and the family key;

means for reading the stored further encrypted data stream;

means for decrypting the stored further encrypted data stream using the copy protection key to produce the media program encrypted according to the media encryption key (CW) and to produce the encrypted media encryption key;

means for decrypting the encrypted media encryption key and re-encrypting the media encryption key according to a pairing key;

means for decrypting the re-encrypted media encryption key using a pairing key to produce the media encryption key (CW); and

means for decrypting the media program using the first encryption key (CW).

72. The apparatus of claim 71, further comprising:

means for accepting a selection of the media program in the second subscriber receiver; and

means for reading the content identifier associated with the media program from the storage device.

73. The apparatus of claim 71, wherein the means for decrypting the re-encrypted media encryption key according to a pairing key to produce the media encryption key comprises:

means for receiving an encrypted pairing key in the first subscriber receiver, the encrypted pairing key for cryptographically pairing the first subscriber receiver with a conditional access module removably coupleable with the first subscriber receiver by encrypting communications between the first subscriber receiver and the conditional access module; and

means for decrypting the received encrypted pairing key using a receiver key to generate the pairing key.

74. The apparatus of claim 71, further comprising:

means for providing the decrypted media program to a presentation device.

75. The apparatus of claim 71, further comprising:

means for re-encrypting the decrypted media program according to the copy protection key;

means for storing the re-encrypted media program; and

means for decrypting the re-encrypted media program according to the copy protection key.

76. The apparatus of claim 75, further comprising:

means for regenerating the copy protection key from the content identifier and the family key.

77. The apparatus of claim 76, wherein the decrypted media program is re-encrypted in response to at least one of a set of commands requiring re-storage of the media program.

78. A system for transmitting and receiving media programs, comprising:

a transmitter, for transmitting a data stream having a media program encrypted according to a media encryption key (CW) and an encrypted media encryption key;

a subscriber receiver, for receiving the transmitted data stream, the subscriber receiver having;

a first decryptor, for decrypting a message from the conditional access module according to a pairing key (PK), the message comprising the media encryption key (CW);

a conditional access module, communicatively coupleable to the subscriber receiver, the conditional access module having

a second decryptor for decrypting the encrypted media encryption key (CW); and

a first encryptor, for encrypting messages with the receiver according to the pairing key (PK);

wherein the pairing key cryptographically pairs the first subscriber receiver to the conditional access module by encrypting communications between the first subscriber receiver and the conditional access module.