Configurable encryption/decryption for multiple services support

• US 7,607,022 B1
• Filed: 06/06/2000
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Qiu, Xin, Sprunk, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pich; Ponnoreay
• Application Number:
  US09/587,932
• Time in Patent Office: 3,423 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/160, 713/201, 380/42, 380/44, 380/46, 717/171, 710/36
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/088 Usage controlling of secret information, e.g. techniques for restricting cryptographic keys to pre-authorized uses, different access levels, validity of crypto-period, different key- or password length, or different strong and weak cryptographic algorithms network architectures or network communication protocols for using time-dependent keys in a packet data network H04L63/068
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• 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 7/52 Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434

Abstract

A system to transmit a set of programs from a transmitter to a receiver is used to accommodate different levels of security used for each program. When a high level of security is necessary for transmitting or receiving a program the transmitter and/or receiver is operable to accommodate that level of security. Thus, both transmitters and receivers are operable to be reconfigured to encrypt or decrypt, respectively, at different levels. Accordingly, differing amounts of programs can be transmitted or received based on the resource requirements needed at any level of security. Consequently, a high level of encryption/decryption requires more resources and allows the processing of fewer services, while a lower level of encryption/decryption allows more services to be transmitted/received.

Claims

1. A method of providing data, the method comprising:

storing a first set of encryption data associated with a first data stream wherein the first data stream includes a first number of services;

encrypting the first data stream having a first-level-of-encryption;

sending the first data stream to a destination device for decryption;

storing a second set of encryption data associated with a second data stream wherein the second data stream includes a second number of services that is different from the first number of services and is greater than one, wherein the second number of services are each available for being played at a same time by a destination device, storing the second set of encryption data includes selecting the second number of services from a total number of services desired by an end user to be made available for being played at the destination device at the same time, and the selection is made based on a priority established by the end user among the total number of services in response to a determination that the total number of services exceeds the second number of services;

encrypting the second data stream having a second-level-of-encryption, the first-level-of-encryption being different from the second-level-of-encryption;

utilizing a common memory to encrypt the first data stream at said first-level-of-encryption and to encrypt the second data stream at the second-level-of-encryption; and

sending the second data stream to the destination device for decryption.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first set of encryption data comprises at least one encryption key.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the destination device comprises a set-top box.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising storing a plurality of decryption algorithms at the set-top box.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first-level of encryption utilizes the Data Encryption Standard and wherein the second-level-of-encryption utilizes an encryption algorithm different from said Data Encryption Standard.

6. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

decrypting the first data stream at the set-top box; and

decrypting the second data stream at the set-top box.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a portion of the first set of encryption data in a RAM.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising storing a portion of the first set of encryption data in a register of a microprocessor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the second set of encryption data includes storing encryption algorithm code for use by a processor in response to determining a change from the encryption of the first data stream to the encryption of the second data stream.