Secure delivery of program content via a removable storage medium

• US 9,325,944 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kahn, Raynold M., Siegel, Philip I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhao, Daquan
• Application Number:
  US11/501,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20070036516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,547 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/94, 386125-126, 386/95, 386/239, 386/248, 386/257, 386/259, 386/258, 386/260, 380/228, 380/277, 380/227, 380/200, 380/713, 380/239
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42669 the medium being removable
• 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 21/4367 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 21/4627 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 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• 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 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 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• 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 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7925 for more than one standard
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 : using transform coding

Abstract

A method and apparatus for delivering video program content with selective viewing capability. An apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a personal video recorder (PVR), which can be a portion of an Integrated Receiver Decoder (IRD), an access key, coupled to the PVR, and a storage medium containing the video program content, wherein the video program content is stored on the storage medium in an encrypted manner, the access key is used to access the program content on the storage medium, and the storage medium is removable from the PVR.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing a stored media program with selective restrictive viewing capability for viewing by a user, comprising:

a receiver, having;

a tuner for receiving a broadcast media program transmitted by a direct broadcast system, for receiving, in response to a request transmitted from the receiver to the direct broadcast system, an access key encrypted uniquely to the receiver, and for receiving the stored media program;

a conditional access module and conditional access verifier for decrypting the broadcast media program transmitted by the direct broadcast system and for decrypting the stored media program using the access key;

a storage medium having the stored media program, the stored media program received from a source independent from the direct broadcast system and stored by a content provider so as to be decryptable by the conditional access module and conditional access verifier using the access key;

wherein the storage medium is removably coupleable to the receiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the access key is shared among multiple receivers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media program is stored by the content provider on the storage medium by request of the user, the storage occurring at a location remote from the receiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage medium having the stored media program is mailed to the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a payment is charged to view the stored media program.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a payment is charged to view the stored media program during a predefined period of time.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein a second payment is charged to view the stored media program at least a second time.

8. An apparatus for providing a stored media program with selective restrictive viewing capability to a user, comprising:

a receiver, having;

a tuner, for receiving a broadcast media program transmitted by a direct broadcast system and for receiving an encrypted access key;

a conditional access module and conditional access verifier for decrypting the access key and for decrypting the stored media program using the decrypted access key; and

a storage medium having the stored media program, the stored media program received from a source independent from the direct broadcast system and stored by a content provider so as to be decryptable using the access key;

wherein the storage medium is removably coupled to the receiver.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the stored media program is stored on the storage medium by a request of the user, the storage occurring at a location remote from the receiver.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the access key is shared among multiple receivers.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the storage medium is mailed to a user.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the storage medium is generically encrypted, and access to the program content is controlled by the access key.

13. A method for providing a stored media program with selective viewing capability, comprising:

storing the media program in an encrypted manner on a removable storage device, the removable storage device being compatible with a receiver having a tuner for receiving a broadcast media program transmitted by a direct broadcast system and a conditional access verifier and conditional access module for decrypting the broadcast media program transmitted by the direct broadcast system;

coupling the removable storage device to the receiver;

receiving an access key in the receiver from the direct broadcast system via the tuner;

providing selective access to the stored media program on the removable storage device via the conditional access module and conditional access verifier using the received access key;

wherein the stored media program is received in the removable storage device from a media program source independent from the direct broadcast system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the access key is shared by more than one receiver.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the media program source is a content provider.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising charging a fee for access to the media program.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the fee is charged on a per viewing basis of the media program.