Receiving audio/video content

• US 9,467,736 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Europe Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Europe Limited (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hill-Jowett, David
• Primary Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US14/932,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20160057484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 342 Days
• Field of Search: 725/31, 725/95, 725/100, 725/110, 725/131
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4408 involving video stream encryption, e.g. re-encrypting a decrypted video stream for redistribution in a home network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4823 using a channel name
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4825 using a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlists

Abstract

An audio/video content receiver being configured to receive media content from a content source by a broadcast data path, the media content being arranged as a plurality of media channels comprises a host module having a tuner configured to assign logical channel indices to the media channels to allow selection, at the host module, of one or more of the media channels for reproduction by selecting the corresponding logical channel index, the host module storing channel association data associating the logical channel indices with the received media channels; and a removable conditional access module (CAM), the CAM having an access control unit for decoding access-controlled encoded broadcast content, the host module and the removable CAM being arranged to provide an encrypted communication link for decoded access-controlled encoded broadcast content between the CAM and the host module; in which: the host module is configured to acquire channel association data via the broadcast data path; the CAM is configured to provide further channel association data to the host module; the host module comprises a detector configured to detect a conflict of logical channel index between the channel association data acquired by the host from the broadcast data path and the channel association data provided by the CAM and, in the case of a conflict, to detect one or more unused logical channel indices; and the CAM is configured to select one of the unused logical channel indices for use by a media channel for which the logical channel index defined in the CAM'"'"'s channel association data conflicts with a logical channel index defined in the host'"'"'s channel association data.

Claims

1. An audio/video content receiver being configured to receive media content from a content source by a broadcast data path, the media content being arranged as a plurality of media channels, the content receiver comprising:

host circuitry having a tuner configured to assign logical channel indices to the media channels to allow selection, at the host circuitry, of one or more of the media channels for reproduction by selecting the corresponding logical channel index, the host circuitry storing channel association data associating the logical channel indices with the received media channels; and

a removable conditional access circuitry configured to decode access-controlled encoded broadcast content, the host circuitry and the removable conditional access circuitry being arranged to provide an encrypted communication link for decoded access-controlled encoded broadcast content between the removable conditional access circuitry and the host circuitry, wherein;

the host circuitry is configured to acquire channel association data via the broadcast data path;

the removable conditional access circuitry is configured to provide further channel association data to the host circuitry;

the host circuitry comprises a detector configured to detect a conflict of logical channel index between the channel association data acquired by the host from the broadcast data path and the channel association data provided by the removable conditional access circuitry and, in the case of a conflict, to detect one or more unused logical channel indices for offering to the removable conditional access circuitry; and

the removable conditional access circuitry is configured to do one of;

select one of the unused logical channel indices for use by a media channel for which the logical channel index defined in the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data conflicts with a logical channel index defined in the host circuitry'"'"'s channel association data;

or

the removable conditional access circuitry responds with a request to the host circuitry for a different logical channel index to be offered;

or

the removable conditional access circuitry sets a different logical channel index for use by a media channel for which the logical channel index defined in the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data conflicts with a logical channel index defined in the host circuitry'"'"'s channel association data.

2. The receiver according to claim 1 in which the removable conditional access circuitry and the content source are configured to establish a secure communications link via an internet data connection.

3. The receiver according to claim 2, in which the removable conditional access circuitry is configured to communicate to the content source that a logical channel index of a channel defined by the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data has been changed in response to a conflict with the host circuitry'"'"'s channel association data.

4. The receiver according to claim 2, in which the removable conditional access circuitry is configured to obtain the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data, at least in part, from the content source using the communications link.

5. The receiver according to claim 1, wherein the removable conditional access circuitry is configured to obtain the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data, at least in part, from broadcast data addressed to a subset of removable conditional access circuitry of which the removable conditional access circuitry is a member.

6. The receiver according to claim 1, in which the host circuitry and the removable conditional access circuitry are arranged to provide an encrypted communication link for decoded access-controlled encoded broadcast content between the removable conditional access circuitry and the host circuitry.

7. The receiver according to claim 1, in which the content source is configured to send data to the host circuitry as one or more of:

internet protocol (IP) data, satellite broadcast data, terrestrial television broadcast data and cable broadcast data.

8. The receiver according to claim 1, in which the removable conditional access circuitry is a removable conditional access circuitry according to the Common Interface plus standard.

9. The receiver according to claim 1, in which the channel association data comprises a network information table (NIT).

10. The receiver according to claim 1, the receiver being configured to display a channel selection list to allow user selection of a channel according to the logical channel index associated with that channel.

11. The receiver according to claim 1, in which the host circuitry is configured, in the case of a conflict, to provide to the removable conditional access circuitry information representing the logical channel index at which a conflict has occurred.

12. The receiver according to claim 1, in which the host circuitry is configured, in the case of a conflict, to detect one or more unused logical channel indices which are numerically closest to the logical channel index at which a conflict has occurred.

13. An audio/video content reception method for receiving media content from a content source by a broadcast data path by a receiver having a host circuitry and a removable conditional access circuitry, the removable conditional access circuitry having an access control unit for decoding access-controlled encoded broadcast content, the host circuitry and the removable conditional access circuitry being arranged to provide an encrypted communication link for decoded access-controlled encoded broadcast content between the removable conditional access circuitry and the host circuitry, the media content being arranged as a plurality of media channels, the method comprising:

the host circuitry assigning logical channel indices to the media channels to allow selection, at the host circuitry, of one or more of the media channels for reproduction by selecting the corresponding logical channel index;

the host circuitry storing channel association data associating the logical channel indices with the received media channels;

the host circuitry acquiring channel association data via the broadcast data path;

the removable conditional access circuitry providing further channel association data to the host circuitry;

the host circuitry detecting a conflict of logical channel index between the channel association data acquired by the host from the broadcast data path and the channel association data provided by the removable conditional access circuitry and, in the case of a conflict, detecting one or more unused logical channel indices for offering to the removable conditional access circuitry; and

the removable conditional access circuitry selecting one of the unused logical channel indices for use by a media channel for which the logical channel index defined in the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data conflicts with a logical channel index defined in the host circuitry'"'"'s channel association data or the removable conditional access circuitry responding with a request to the host circuitry for a different logical channel index to be offered;

or

the removable conditional access circuitry setting a different logical channel index for use by a media channel for which the logical channel index defined in the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data conflicts with a logical channel index defined in the host circuitry'"'"'s channel association data.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium including computer program instructions, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform the method of claim 13.

14. A removable conditional access circuitry for use in an audio/video content receiver being configured to receive media content from a content source by a broadcast data path, the media content being arranged as a plurality of media channels, the content receiver comprising a host circuitry having a tuner configured to assign logical channel indices to the media channels to allow selection, at the host circuitry, of one or more of the media channels for reproduction by selecting the corresponding logical channel index, the host circuitry storing channel association data associating the logical channel indices with the received media channels, the host circuitry being configured to acquire channel association data via the broadcast data path;

the removable conditional access circuitry having an access control unit for decoding access-controlled encoded broadcast content, the host circuitry and the removable conditional access circuitry being arranged to provide an encrypted communication link for decoded access-controlled encoded broadcast content between the removable conditional access circuitry and the host circuitry;

in which;

the removable conditional access circuitry is configured to provide further channel association data to the host circuitry;

in response to the detection of a conflict of logical channel index between the channel association data acquired by the host from the broadcast data path and the channel association data provided by the removable conditional access circuitry and a detection, by the host, of one or more unused logical channel indices, the removable conditional access circuitry is configured to select one of the unused logical channel indices for use by a media channel for which the logical channel index defined in the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data conflicts with a logical channel index defined in the host'"'"'s channel association data or the removable conditional access circuitry configured to respond with a request to the host circuitry for a different logical channel index to be offered;

or

the removable conditional access circuitry configured to set a different logical channel index for use by a media channel for which the logical channel index defined in the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data conflicts with a logical channel index defined in the host circuitry'"'"'s channel association data.

15. A method of operation of a removable conditional access circuitry for use in an audio/video content receiver being configured to receive media content from a content source by a broadcast data path, the media content being arranged as a plurality of media channels, the content receiver comprising a host circuitry having a tuner configured to assign logical channel indices to the media channels to allow selection, at the host circuitry, of one or more of the media channels for reproduction by selecting the corresponding logical channel index, the host circuitry storing channel association data associating the logical channel indices with the received media channels, the host circuitry being configured to acquire channel association data via the broadcast data path;

the removable conditional access circuitry having an access control unit for decoding access-controlled encoded broadcast content, the host circuitry and the removable conditional access circuitry being arranged to provide an encrypted communication link for decoded access-controlled encoded broadcast content between the removable conditional access circuitry and the host circuitry;

the method comprising;

providing further channel association data to the host circuitry; and

in response to the detection of a conflict of logical channel index between the channel association data acquired by the host from the broadcast data path and the channel association data provided by the removable conditional access circuitry and a detection, by the host, of one or more unused logical channel indices, selecting one of the unused logical channel indices for use by a media channel for which the logical channel index defined in the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data conflicts with a logical channel index defined in the host'"'"'s channel association data or the removable conditional access circuitry responding with a request to the host circuitry for a different logical channel index to be offered;

or

the removable conditional access circuitry setting a different logical channel index for use by a media channel for which the logical channel index defined in the removable conditional access circuitry'"'"'s channel association data conflicts with a logical channel index defined in the host circuitry'"'"'s channel association data.

16. A host circuitry for use in an audio/video content receiver being configured to receive media content from a content source by a broadcast data path, the media content being arranged as a plurality of media channels,

the host circuitry having a tuner configured to assign logical channel indices to the media channels to allow selection, at the host circuitry, of one or more of the media channels for reproduction by selecting the corresponding logical channel index, the host circuitry storing channel association data associating the logical channel indices with the received media channels and being connectable to a removable conditional access circuitry, the removable conditional access circuitry having an access control unit for decoding access-controlled encoded broadcast content, the host circuitry and the removable conditional access circuitry being arranged to provide an encrypted communication link for decoded access-controlled encoded broadcast content between the removable conditional access circuitry and the host circuitry;

in which;

the host circuitry is configured to acquire channel association data via the broadcast data path and to receive further channel association data from the removable conditional access circuitry; and

the host circuitry comprises a detector configured to detect a conflict of logical channel index between the channel association data acquired by the host from the broadcast data path and the channel association data provided by the removable conditional access circuitry and, in the case of a conflict, the host circuitry is configured to notify the removable conditional access circuitry of the conflict and providing the removable conditional access circuitry with logical channel index at which the conflict occurs.

17. A method of operation of a host circuitry in an audio/video content receiver being configured to receive media content from a content source by a broadcast data path, the media content being arranged as a plurality of media channels,

the host circuitry having a tuner configured to assign logical channel indices to the media channels to allow selection, at the host circuitry, of one or more of the media channels for reproduction by selecting the corresponding logical channel index, the host circuitry storing channel association data associating the logical channel indices with the received media channels and being connectable to a removable conditional access circuitry, the removable conditional access circuitry having an access control unit for decoding access-controlled encoded broadcast content, the host circuitry and the removable conditional access circuitry being arranged to provide an encrypted communication link for decoded access-controlled encoded broadcast content between the removable conditional access circuitry and the host circuitry;

the method comprising;

acquiring channel association data via the broadcast data path and to receive further channel association data from the removable conditional access circuitry; and

detecting a conflict of logical channel index between the channel association data acquired by the host from the broadcast data path and the channel association data provided by the removable conditional access circuitry and, in the case of a conflict, the host circuitry is notifies the removable conditional access circuitry of the conflict and provides the removable conditional access circuitry with logical channel index at which the conflict occurs.