Super encrypted storage and retrieval of media programs in a hard-paired receiver and storage device

• US 7,480,381 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2007
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: James, Thomas H., Kahn, Raynold M., Klauss, Peter M., Gagnon, Gregory J., Curren, Christopher P., Ha, David D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH DIEU T
• Application Number:
  US11/701,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20070133795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• Field of Search: 380/201, 380/210, 380239-240, 713/189, 713/193, 725/25, 725/31, 705 51- 52
• US Class Current: 380/201
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/4367 Establishing a secure communication between the client and a peripheral device or smart card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for storing and retrieving program material for subsequent replay is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a tuner, for receiving a data stream comprising encrypted access control information and the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key, the access control information including the first encryption key; a first encryption module, communicatively coupled to the tuner and communicatively coupleable to a media storage device, for further encrypting the encrypted program material according to a second encryption key and for encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; a first decryption module communicatively coupleable to the media storage device, for decrypting the fourth encryption key retrieved from the media storage device using the third encryption key to produce the second encryption key, and for decrypting the further encrypted program material retrieved from the media program device to produce the encrypted program material; a conditional access module communicatively coupled to the first decryption module, for decrypting the encrypted access control information to produce the first encryption key; and a second decryption module, for decrypting the program material using the first encryption key.

Claims

1. A method of storing program material for subsequent replay, comprising steps of:

receiving a data stream comprising the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key and an encrypted first encryption key;

further encrypting the encrypted program material according to a second encryption key;

encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; and

providing the further encrypted program material, the encrypted first encryption key and the fourth encryption key for storage.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of:

retrieving the further encrypted program material from storage, encrypted first encryption key, and the fourth encryption key;

decrypting the fourth encryption key using the third encryption key to produce the second encryption key;

decrypting the further encrypted program material with the second encryption key to produce the encrypted program material;

decrypting the encrypted first encryption key to produce the first encryption key; and

decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of:

further encrypting the encrypted first encryption key according to the second encryption key; and

providing the further encrypted first encryption key for storage.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising steps of:

retrieving the stored further encrypted program material, further encrypted first encryption key, and the fourth encryption key from storage;

decrypting the fourth encryption key using the third encryption key to produce the second encryption key;

decrypting the further encrypted program material with the second encryption key to produce the encrypted program material;

decrypting the further encrypted first decryption key according to the second encryption key to produce the first decryption key;

decrypting the further encrypted first encryption key to produce the first encryption key; and

decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising steps of:

accepting a pay-per-view (PPV) request before decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key; and

recording billing information regarding the program material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stream is received in a receiver and the third key is unique to the receiver.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second key is unique to the receiver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data stream further comprises metadata describing program material replay rights.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second encryption key is derived at least partially from the metadata.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second encryption key is derived at least partially from broadcast time of the program material.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising step of augmenting the second encryption key with at least a portion of the metadata before encrypting the second encryption key according to the third encryption key.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising steps of:

retrieving the stored further encrypted program material, encrypted first encryption key, and the fourth encryption key;

decrypting the fourth encryption key using the third encryption key to produce the second encryption key and the portion of the metadata;

decrypting the further encrypted program material with the second encryption key to produce the encrypted program material;

accepting a PPV request;

determining if the PPV request is permitted using the portion of the metadata; and

decrypting the encrypted first encryption key to produce the first encryption key and decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key if the PPV request is permitted.

13. An apparatus for storing program material for subsequent replay, comprising:

a receiver, for receiving a data stream comprising the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key and an encrypted first encryption key;

a first encryption module, for further encrypting the encrypted program material according to a second encryption key and for encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key;

a first decryption module, for decrypting the fourth encryption key using the third encryption key to produce the second encryption key, and for decrypting the further encrypted program material to produce the encrypted program material;

a conditional access module, for decrypting the encrypted first encryption key to produce the first encryption key; and

a second decryption module, for decrypting the program material using the first encryption key.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a media storage device, for storing the further encrypted program material the encrypted first encryption key, and the fourth encryption key.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the first encryption module further encrypts the encrypted first encryption key according to the second encryption key; and

the first decryption module further decrypts the further encrypted first encryption key according to the second encryption key.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a user I/O device for accepting a viewing request; and

a purchase history module for accepting and storing billing information regarding the program material.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the conditional access module decrypts the encrypted first encryption key in response to the acceptance of a viewing request.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second encryption key and the third encryption key are unique to the receiver.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first decryption module and the first encryption module are implemented in a single chip device.

20. An apparatus for storing program material for subsequent replay, comprising:

means for receiving a data stream comprising the program material encrypted according to a first encryption key and an encrypted first encryption key;

means for further encrypting the encrypted program material according to a second encryption key;

means for encrypting the second encryption key according to a third encryption key to produce a fourth encryption key; and

means for providing the further encrypted program material, the encrypted first encryption key and the fourth encryption key for storage.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for retrieving the further encrypted program material from storage, encrypted first encryption key, and the fourth encryption key;

means for decrypting the fourth encryption key using the third encryption key to produce the second encryption key;

means for decrypting the further encrypted program material with the second encryption key to produce the encrypted program material;

means for decrypting the encrypted first encryption key to produce the first encryption key; and

means for decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for further encrypting the encrypted first encryption key according to the second encryption key; and

means for providing the further encrypted first encryption key for storage.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for retrieving the stored further encrypted program material, further encrypted first encryption key, and the fourth encryption key from storage;

means for decrypting the fourth encryption key using the third encryption key to produce the second encryption key;

means for decrypting the further encrypted program material with the second encryption key to produce the encrypted program material;

means for decrypting the further encrypted first decryption key according to the second encryption key to produce the first decryption key;

means for decrypting the encrypted first encryption key to produce the first encryption key; and

means for decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

means for accepting a pay-per-view (PPV) request before decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key; and

means for recording billing information regarding the program material.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the data stream is received in a receiver and the third key is unique to the receiver.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the second key is unique to the receiver.

27. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the data stream further comprises metadata describing program material replay rights.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the second encryption key is derived at least partially from the metadata.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the second encryption key is derived at least partially from broadcast time of the program material.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising means for augmenting the second encryption key with at least a portion of the metadata before encrypting the second encryption key according to the third encryption key.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, further comprising:

means for retrieving the stored further encrypted program material, encrypted first encryption key, and the fourth encryption key;

means for decrypting the fourth encryption key using the third encryption key to produce the second encryption key and the portion of the metadata;

means for decrypting the further encrypted program material with the second encryption key to produce the encrypted program material;

means for accepting a PPV request;

means for determining if the PPV request is permitted using the portion of the metadata; and

means for decrypting the encrypted first encryption key to produce the first encryption key and decrypting the encrypted program material using the first encryption key if the PPV request is permitted.