Sony Corporation

Sony Electronics Inc

Other

Jun Maruo

Atsushi Kagami

Shinobu Izumi

Tatsushi Banba

An apparatus and method thereof for providing a secure path for a digital signal in an intelligent transceiver such as a bi-directional set-top box. A digital signal (e.g., a broadcast signal or a signal received via a cable modem) is received by the intelligent transceiver at a front-end device (comprising, for example, a tuner). The digital signal is descrambled (if it is scrambled) and encrypted (if it is not encrypted) by a first functional block (e.g., an interface card or point of deployment) coupled to the front-end device. Coupled to the front-end device via the first functional block is a second functional block for processing (e.g., decoding) audio and/or visual content within the digital signal. Integrated into the second functional block is a decryption engine for decrypting encrypted signals. Signals from the front-end device are received via the first functional block by the decryption engine integral to the second functional block. There are no points between the first functional block and the decryption engine and between the decryption engine and the second functional block at which a descrambled and decrypted signal can be intercepted, thus providing a secure interface between the front-end device and the second functional block.

Secure conditional access port interface

A transceiver system for receiving content contained in a secure digital broadcast signal. The transceiver system includes a first component for generating a data stream from a received digital broadcast signal. A first encryption unit is coupled to the first component. The first encryption unit is configured to encrypt the data stream generated from the digital broadcast signal, resulting in encrypted data stream. Transceiver system includes a second component for generating a video signal for a monitor to view that content contained in digital broadcast signal. A second encryption unit is coupled to the second component for decrypting the encrypted data stream received from the first component. A bus is coupled to the first encryption unit and second encryption unit. A third component is coupled to the bus for arbitration of the bus to coordinate the transmission of the encrypted data stream from the first encryption unit to the second encryption unit such that content from the data stream is securely transferred from the first component to second component. In so doing, the security of the content of the digital broadcast signal is maintained as the resulting data stream is processed by the first component and second component.

Method and system for a secure high bandwidth bus in a transceiver device

An apparatus and method thereof for communicating a scramble key (for descrambling scrambled digital signals) and service information (used in an electronic programming guide) to an intelligent transceiver (e.g., a set-top box) using a bi-directional digital broadcast system. The intelligent transceiver includes an in-band tuner adapted to receive from the digital broadcast system in-band digital signals comprising audio content and video content. The intelligent transceiver also includes a second tuner adapted to send and receive a scramble key over the World Wide Web via a cable modem. In one embodiment, the in-band digital signals received by the in-band tuner also contain service information. In another embodiment, the digital signals received by the second tuner via the cable modem also contain service information. Thus, the scramble key is sent over the World Wide Web and is received by the intelligent transceiver using a cable modem. The service information is sent either with the in-band signal or over the World Wide Web, and is received via the in-band tuner or the cable modem, respectively. Therefore, the broadcast system does not need to use out-of-band signals. Accordingly, the intelligent transceiver does not require an out-of-band tuner and demodulator to receive the scramble key and service information, and so these devices can be omitted from the intelligent transceiver, thereby simplifying the transceiver and reducing costs.

Internet set-top box having an in-band tuner and cable modem

A digital broadcasting receiving apparatus that can be installed without regard to the location of the telephone outlet where a signal is received by a front-end, reception data is decoded by an A/V decoder, and a video signal and an audio signal are outputted from a D/A converter. Monitor information has been stored in an IC card and is periodically read into a memory by a CPU. Further, the monitor information is transmitted from the memory to a management system by the control of the CPU through a telephone line. A modem and a slave module of a cordless telephone are connected. The monitor information is transmitted between the slave module and an external master unit in a wireless manner. The monitor information is transmitted from the master unit to the management system through the telephone line.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Jun Maruo