Decoding and decryption of partially encrypted information

• US 7,127,619 B2
• Filed: 01/02/2002
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2001
• 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: Unger, Robert Allan, Candelore, Brant L., Pedlow, JR., Leo M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheikh, Ayaz
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIFERAW, ELENI A
• Application Number:
  US10/037,498
• Publication Number:
  US 20020196939A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,756 Days
• Field of Search: 713/193, 713/189
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23476 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23897 by partially encrypting, e.g. encrypting only the ending portion of a movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26606 for generating or managing entitlement messages, e.g. Entitlement Control Message [ECM] or Entitlement Management Message [EMM] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42615 involving specific demultiplexing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43607 Interfacing a plurality of external cards, e.g. through a DVB Common Interface [DVB-CI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43856 by partial decryption, e.g. decrypting a multiplex stream that has been partially encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44055 by partially decrypting, e.g. decrypting a video stream that has been partially encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• 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 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 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/167 : Systems rendering the television signal unintelligible and subsequently intelligible
• 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

An encryption arrangement for multiple encryption of television programs. A system according to embodiments of the present invention multiple encrypts only a portion of the data required for full presentation of a television program to permit coexistence of multiple conditional access encryption systems associated with multiple manufacturer'"'"'s set-top boxes within a single system. By only encrypting a portion of the program, dramatically less bandwidth is consumed than the alternative of multiple encryption of all program data, thus permitting a larger number of programs to be carried over the same bandwidth while permitting coexistence of multiple conditional access systems in a single cable television system.

Claims

1. A method of decoding partially encrypted digital video content, comprising:

receiving partially encrypted digital video content comprising unencrypted data, first data encrypted under a first encryption system and second data encrypted under a second encryption system, wherein the first and second data are identical when unencrypted;

decrypting the second encrypted data;

decoding the unencrypted data and the decrypted second data to decode the partially encrypted digital video content; and

outputting decoded digital video content comprising the unencrypted data and the decrypted second data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the receiving, decrypting and decoding are carried out in a television device.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the television device comprises a television set-top box.

4. A method of decoding a partially encrypted digital television signal, comprising:

receiving a message identifying a primary packet identifier (PID) for a television program and a secondary PID for the television program;

receiving multiple selectively encrypted digital video content in which the primary PID identifies unencrypted packets of data as well as selected packets of data that are encrypted under a first encryption method, and wherein the digital video content further comprises a duplicate of the selected packets of data encrypted under a second encryption method that are identified by the secondary PID;

decrypting packets of data having the secondary PID; and

combining the decrypted packets of data with unencrypted packets of data having the primary PID to form an output data stream representing the television program.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising decoding the decrypted packets of data and the packets of data having the primary PID.

6. The method according to claim 4, further comprising mapping the decrypted packets of data to the primary PID.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the mapping is carried out in an integrated circuit device.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the mapping is carried out in one of an application specific integrated circuit device, a programmable logic device, and a field programmable gate array.

9. The method according to claim 4, wherein packets of data having the primary PID comprise unencrypted packets of data and encrypted packets of data and further comprising:

discarding the encrypted packets of data having the primary PID.

10. The method according to claim 4, carried out in a television receiver device.

11. The method according to claim 4, carried out in a television set-top box.

12. A method of decrypting a partially multiple encrypted digital television program, comprising:

receiving multiple selectively encrypted digital video data in which a primary packet identifier identifies unencrypted packets of digital video data as well as selected packets of digital video data that are encrypted under a first encryption method, and wherein the digital video data further comprises a duplicate of the selected packets of digital video data that are encrypted under a second encryption method and identified by a secondary packet identifier;

identifying the digital television program by unencrypted packets of digital video data associated with the primary packet identifier and encrypted packets of digital video data associated with the secondary packet identifier;

decrypting packets of digital video data having the secondary packet identifier in order to provide a fully unencrypted digital television; and

outputting the fully unencrypted digital television program comprising the decrypted packets of digital video data and the unencrypted digital video data.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising decoding the decrypted packets of digital video data having the secondary packet identifier along with decrypted packets of digital video data having the primary packet identifier to produce a decoded partially encrypted digital television program as an output.

14. The method according to claim 12 further comprising discarding encrypted packets of digital video data having the primary packet identifier.

15. The method according to claim 12, carried out in a television set-top box.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the encrypted packets of digital video data comprise transport stream packets carrying an MPEG packetized elementary stream (PES) header as a portion of a payload thereof.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the encrypted packets further comprise digital audio data packets.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the encrypted packets of digital video data comprise time sliced samples of the television program.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the encrypted packets of digital video data contain information critical to decoding the television program.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the television program is compressed and wherein the encrypted packets of digital video data comprise packets containing information used for decompression of the television program.

21. The method according to claim 12, wherein the encrypted packets of digital video data comprise N packets out of every M packets where N is less than M.

22. The method according to claim 12, further comprising remapping packets of digital video data having the secondary packet identifier to have the primary packet identifier.

23. An electronic storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a programmed processor, carry out the method of decoding a television program according to claim 12.

24. A digital television receiver device, comprising:

means for receiving a multiple partially encrypted digital television signal, the television signal being identified by packets of digital video data associated with either a primary packet identifier or a secondary packet identifier;

wherein the multiple partially encrypted digital television signal comprises unencrypted packets of digital video data identified by the first packet identifier, packets of digital video data encrypted under a first encryption method, and packets of digital video data encrypted under a second encryption method identified by the second packet identifier, wherein the packets of digital video data encrypted under the first and second encryption methods represent identical data when unencrypted;

a decrypter that decrypts packets of digital video data having the secondary packet identifier; and

a decoder that decodes the decrypted packets of digital video data having the secondary packet identifier along with unencrypted packets of digital video data having the primary packet identifier to decode the partially encrypted digital television signal as an output thereof.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising means for discarding encrypted packets of digital video data having the primary packet identifier.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising discarding encrypted packets of digital video data having the first packet identifier.

27. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the encrypted packets of digital video data further comprise transport stream packets carrying an MPEG packetized elementary stream (PES) header as a portion of a payload thereof.

28. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the encrypted packets of digital video data further comprise audio packets.

29. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the encrypted packets of digital video data comprise time sliced samples of the television signal.

30. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the digital television receiver device comprises a digital television set-top box.

31. A digital audio visual content player, comprising:

means for receiving digital multiple partially encrypted audio visual content, the content being identified by packets of audio visual data associated with either a primary packet identifier or a secondary packet identifier;

wherein the digital multiple partially encrypted audio visual content comprises unencrypted packets of audio visual data identified by the first packet identifier, packets of audio visual data encrypted under a first encryption method, and packets of audio visual data encrypted under a second encryption method identified by the second packet identifier, wherein the packets of audio visual data encrypted under the first and second encryption methods represent identical audio visual data when unencrypted;

a decrypter that decrypts packets of audio visual data having the secondary packet identifier; and

a decoder that decodes the decrypted packets of audio visual data having the secondary packet identifier along with certain packets of audio visual data having the primary packet identifier to produce the digital multiple partially encrypted audio visual content as an output thereof.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31, further comprising means for discarding encrypted packets of audio visual data having the primary packet identifier.

33. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein certain of the packets of audio visual data associated with the primary packet identifier are encrypted according to a first encryption method, and wherein the packets of audio visual data having a secondary packet identifier are encrypted according to a second encryption method.

34. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the encrypted packets of audio visual data comprise transport stream packets carrying an MPEG packetized elementary stream (PES) header as a portion of a payload thereof.

35. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein certain of the encrypted packets of audio visual data comprise audio packets.

36. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein certain of the encrypted packets of audio visual data comprise video packets.

37. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein the encrypted packets of audio visual data comprise time sliced samples of the television program.

38. The apparatus according to claim 31, wherein content player comprises one of a television device a PDA, a music player and a personal computer.

39. A circuit that processes a stream of packetized audio visual data, comprising:

an input that receives an input stream of audio visual packets of data, the input stream of packets comprising;

unencrypted packets of data having a first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of data having the first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of data having a second packet identifier,

wherein the encrypted packets of data having the first and second packet identifiers represent identical data when unencrypted;

a packet identifier reader that reads the packet identifiers of the packets in the input stream of packets and that discards the encrypted packets having the first packet identifier;

a packet identifier re-mapping circuit that re-maps the second packet identifier to the first packet identifier to produce re-mapped packets; and

a multiplexer that multiplexes the re-mapped packets with the unencrypted packets having the first packet identifier to produce an output stream of audio visual data packets.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the encrypted packets having the first packet identifier are encrypted according to a first encryption technique;

and wherein the encrypted packets having the second packet identifier are encrypted according to a second encryption technique.

41. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising an MPEG decoder receiving the output stream of packets.

42. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the circuit is embodied in an integrated circuit.

43. The apparatus according to claim 39, wherein the circuit is embodied in one of a field programmable gate array, a programmable logic device and an application specific integrated circuit.

44. The apparatus according to claim 39, further comprising a demultiplexer that demultiplexes the output stream of packets based upon the packet identifiers.

45. A circuit that processes an input stream of audio visual data packets, comprising:

input means for receiving an input stream of audio visual data packets, the input stream of packets comprising;

unencrypted packets of data having a first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of data having the first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of data having a second packet identifier,

wherein the encrypted packets of data having the first and second packet identifiers represent identical data when unencrypted;

packet identifier reading means for reading the packet identifiers of the packets of data in the input stream of packets and for discarding the encrypted packets of data having the first packet identifier;

packet identifier re-mapping means for re-mapping the second packet identifier to the first packet identifier to produce re-mapped packets of data; and

multiplexer means for multiplexing the re-mapped packets of data with the unencrypted packets of data having the first packet identifier to produce an output stream of audio visual data packets.

46. The apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the encrypted packets of data having the first packet identifier are encrypted according to a first encryption technique;

and wherein the encrypted packets of data having the second packet identifier are encrypted according to a second encryption technique.

47. The apparatus according to claim 45, further comprising an MPEG decoder receiving the output stream of packets of audio visual data.

48. The apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the circuit is embodied in an integrated circuit.

49. The apparatus according to claim 45, wherein the circuit is embodied in one of a field programmable gate array, a programmable logic device and an application specific integrated circuit.

50. The apparatus according to claim 45, further comprising a demultiplexer that demultiplexes the output stream of packets based upon the packet identifiers.

51. A method of processing packets of audio visual data, comprising:

receiving an input stream of packets of audio visual data, the input stream of packets of audio visual data comprising;

unencrypted packets of audio visual data having a first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of audio visual data having the first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of audio visual data having a second packet identifier,

wherein the encrypted packets of audio visual data having the first and second packet identifiers represent identical data when unencrypted;

reading the packet identifiers of the packets of audio visual data in the input stream of packets of audio visual data;

discarding the encrypted packets of audio visual data having the first packet identifier;

re-mapping the second packet identifier to the first packet identifier to produce re-mapped packets; and

multiplexing the re-mapped packets of audio visual data with the unencrypted packets of audio visual data having the first packet identifier to produce an output stream of packets of audio visual data.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein the encrypted packets of audio visual data having the first packet identifier are encrypted according to a first encryption technique;

and wherein the encrypted packets of audio visual data having the second packet identifier are encrypted according to a second encryption technique.

53. The method according to claim 51, carried out in an integrated circuit.

54. The method according to claim 51, carried out in one of a field programmable gate array, a programmable logic device and an application specific integrated circuit.

55. The method according to claim 51, carried out in a main central processor of a television set-top box.

56. The method according to claim 51, carried out in a decoder circuit of a television set-top box.

57. The method according to claim 51, further comprising demultiplexing the output stream of packets of audio visual data based upon the packet identifiers.

58. A method of processing packets of audio visual data, comprising:

receiving an input stream of packets of audio visual data, the input stream of packets of audio visual data comprising;

unencrypted packets of audio visual data having a first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of audio visual data having the first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of audio visual data having a second packet identifier,

wherein the encrypted packets of audio visual data having the first and second packet identifiers represent identical data when unencrypted;

reading the packet identifiers of the packets of audio visual data in the input stream of packets of audio visual data;

discarding the encrypted packets of audio visual data having the first packet identifier; and

re-mapping packets of audio visual data that have not been discarded so that they have the same packet identifier to produce output audio visual data.

59. The method according to claim 58, further comprising multiplexing the packets of audio visual data that have not been discarded with each other to produce an output stream of packets of audio visual data.

60. The method according to claim 58, wherein the encrypted packets of audio visual data having the first packet identifier are encrypted according to a first encryption technique;

and wherein the encrypted packets of audio visual data having the second packet identifier are encrypted according to a second encryption technique.

61. The method according to claim 58, carried out in an integrated circuit.

62. The method according to claim 58, carried out in one of a field programmable gate array, a programmable logic device and an application specific integrated circuit.

63. The method according to claim 58, carried out in a main central processor of a television set-top box.

64. The method according to claim 58, carried out in a decoder circuit of a television set-top box.

65. The method according to claim 58, further comprising demultiplexing the output stream of packets of audio visual data based upon the packet identifiers.

66. A circuit that processes a stream of digital video data packets, comprising:

an input that receives an input stream of digital video packets of data, the input stream of digital video packets of data comprising;

unencrypted packets of data having a first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of data having the first packet identifier,

encrypted packets of data having a second packet identifier,

wherein the encrypted packets of data having the first and second packet identifiers represent identical data when unencrypted;

a packet identifier reader that reads the packet identifiers of the packets of data in the input stream of digital video packets of data, and that discards the encrypted packets of data having the first packet identifier;

a packet identifier re-mapping circuit that re-maps at least one of the second packet identifier and the first packet identifier so that the packets of data that have not been discarded have the same packet identifier to produce an output of digital video data packets having the same packet identifier.

67. The circuit according to claim 66, further comprising a multiplexer that multiplexes the re-mapped packets of data with the unencrypted packets of data having the first packet identifier to produce an output stream of digital video packets of data.

68. The circuit according to claim 66, wherein the encrypted packets of data having the first packet identifier are encrypted according to a first encryption technique;

and wherein the encrypted packets of data having the second packet identifier are encrypted according to a second encryption technique.

69. The circuit according to claim 66, further comprising an MPEG decoder receiving the output stream of digital video packets.

70. The circuit according to claim 66, wherein the circuit is embodied in an integrated circuit.

71. The circuit according to claim 66, wherein the circuit is embodied in one of a field programmable gate array, a programmable logic device and an application specific integrated circuit.