The Titan Corporation

General Instrument Corporation

M/a-Com Government Systems, Inc.

Cable/home Communication Corp.

Telops Management, Inc.

Michael V Harding

Charles F Newby

Paul Moroney

Klein S Gilhousen

Christopher John Bennett

Jerrold A Heller

Robert D Blakeney, Ii

Steven J Urow

Stephen B Flynn

Guenter H Krauss

Bernd Grohmann

David S Spencer

Gerry A Egan

Conor P Dowling

Santosh Alexander

Sean Patrick Burke

An access control processor provides for display of a message related to an authorization status of an information receiver in a conditional access system for receiving an information segment when the information segment is provided separately by each of a plurality of different service providers. The processor processes a plurality of authorization signals respectively related to the information segment provided separately by the plurality of different service providers; determines which of a plurality of different possible authorization statuses is applicable for the received information segment for each of the respective authorization signals related to the different service providers; selects one of the determined statuses in accordance with a predetermined priority; selects from a plurality of different possible authorization status messages the message applicable to the status determined in accordance with said priority; and provides the selected message for display. The message related to an authorization status of the information receiver is retrieved for display from a plurality of different possible authorization status messages within an information stream received by the information receiver. Computer readable storage media are so configured as to cause the access control processor to perform its various functions.

Conditional access system, display of authorization status

An access control processor for a conditional access system. The processor includes a decryptor in an information receiver for decrypting encrypted information segments received by the information receiver by processing the received encrypted information segments with a session key used for encrypting the information segments in accordance with an algorithm utilized in a conditional access processes; and a conditional access controller in the information receiver for selectively enabling the decryptor to decrypt received information segments encrypted in accordance with the conditional access processes by providing to the decryptor cryptographic information for defining the algorithm utilized in the conditional access process for use by the decryptor to decrypt the received information segment encrypted in accordance with said algorithm. Algorithm-defining cryptographic information is downloaded from an information stream received by the information receiver. Transmission of the cryptographic information for enabling the conditional access controller to enable the decryptor to decrypt a selected information segment may be requested by the conditional access controller and downloaded to the conditional access controller from an information stream received by the information receiver. Computer readable storage media are so configured as to cause the access control processor to perform its various functions.

Conditional access system, downloading of cryptographic information

A device for mediating information management in a communications network for communications with a given network element having a given management-information protocol includes a NEDL file defining a structured network-element-description-language (NEDL) format referencing information-management roles pertaining to the given network element in accordance with the network-element management-information protocol; and a processor coupled to the NEDL file for recomposing messages received from of for communication to the network element. The mediation device may be configured for a given network element by adapting the NEDL file to define the management roles, parameters and resources of the given network element. Configurable systems for mediating information management between one or more network elements respectively having different management-information protocols and one or more operations support systems respectively having different management-information protocols include one or more mediation devices and a control unit for selectively connecting and/or configuring the mediation device(s) for mediating information management between selected network element(s) and selected operations support system(s). Computer readable storage media for use with a processor included in an information-management system are configured for causing and/or enabling a processor to perform various functions, respectively including (i) recognizing different predetermined message patterns within received messages and (ii) recomposing received messages.

Configurable mediation devices and systems

Conditional access system

A key security system provides for the reproduction of secure keys by using distributed key generation data and a distributed encrypted prekey. The system encrypts program key generation data with a program key prekey in accordance with a first encryption algorithm to produce the program key; processes the program key to produce a keystream; and processes an information signal with the keystream to produce a scrambled information signal. The program key prekey is encrypted with a category key in accordance with a second encryption algorithm to produce an encrypted program key prekey. The scrambled information signal, the program key generation data and the encrypted program key prekey are distributed to descramblers. The descrambler within the key security system decrypts the distributed encrypted program key prekey with the category key in accordance with the second encryption algorithm to reproduce the program key prekey; encrypts the distributed program key generation data with the reproduced program key prekey in accordance with the first encryption algorithm to produce the program key; processes the reproduced program key to reproduce the keystream; and processes the distributed scrambled information signal with the reproduced keystream to descramble the distributed scrambled information signal. The key generation data incudes authorization data that must be processed by the authorization processor in the descrambler in order to enable the descrambler. The use of authorization data as key generation data protects the authorization data from spoofing attacks. When more data must be protected than a single operation of the encryption algorithm can support, then additional data blocks are protected by chaining the system, wherein the output from one stage forms part of the input to the next. The key generation data for the program key includes a sequence number securely associated with the category key to thereby 'timelock' program key reproduction to the use of a current category key and thus prevent an attack based upon the use of an obsolete category key.

Reproduction of secure keys by using distributed key generation data

A system in a subscriber television network for enabling descrambling of a received scrambled signal on a prepaid basis and/or an impulse-purchase basis. A received mask signal uniquely related to the scrambled signal is compared with a received authorization signal indicating whether the subscriber is authorized to receive the scrambled signal on a prepaid basis and a prepaid signal for enabling descrambling is provided when the compared signals match. A not-prepaid signal is provided when they do not match. A received cost signal indicating the charge for descrambling the scrambled signal and a received credit signal indicating the subscriber's endlessly accumulated credit are processed with reference to a stored record of the subscriber's prior accumulated charges to determine whether the subscriber has sufficient available credit to pay for descrambling of the scrambled signal. If a program is not prepaid and if sufficient credit is available, the subscriber is given the option of causing the signal to be descrambled on an impulse-purchase basis. To prevent a subscriber from obtaining descrambling through such deceit as changing the mask, authorization, cost and/or credit signals, these signals are processed with key signals which are used in scrambling and descrambling the television signal such that descrambling is prevented if any of the mask et al authorization, cost and/or credit signals is changed.

Selective enablement of descramblers

Growing community of inventors

Santa Monica, CA, United States of America

Michael V Harding