Irdeto B.v.

Steeve Huin

Werner Stephanus Strydom

The invention provides a method and a system for allowing access to a digital broadcast stream on a client device in a conditional access system, wherein the start time and end time of events in the broadcast stream are predefined. If entitled, a server system transmits for an even the start time and end time to the client device. As long as the current time, which is also transmitted from the server system to the client device, is within the range from the start time to the end time, the client device is allowed to decrypt the broadcast stream. To allow events to extend in time without requiring the generation of a new end time, the start time and end time on the one hand and the current time on the other hand are defined on different timescales.

Controlling the validity period of a decryption key

Embodiments include a method and system for monitoring usage of an encrypted broadcast service, such as an encrypted television program, in a secure client module such as a SIM card. An encrypted entitlement control message is received from a head-end system via the intermediary of a client device. A service identifier indicative of the encrypted broadcast service is obtained from the decrypted entitlement control message and, in dependence of the decrypted entitlement control message, status data being indicative of a status of the broadcast service is generated. The service identifier and the status data are stored in a memory of said secure client module and can be transmitted to an external server.

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Hoofddorp, Netherlands

Steeve Huin