Descrambler subscriber key production system utilizing key seeds stored

Abstract

A system for reproducing in a descrambler of a subscriber communication network a subscriber key signal that is unique to the descrambler and was used in encrypting a key signal that must be decrypted for use in descrambling a signal received by the descrambler. The scrambled signal is received by the descrambler together with the encrypted key signal and a key generation number containing an address for accessing a predetermined area in a memory contained in the descrambler. The system includes a circuit for providing a subscriber key generation signal that is unique to the descrambler; a subscriber key generator for reproducing the unique subscriber key signal by processing the subscriber key generation signal in accordance with a predetermined encryption algorithm upon the algorithm being keyed by a prescribed subscriber key seed signal that is unique to the descrambler; a secure memory storing a plurality of different subscriber key seed signals, and for providing the prescribed seed signal to key the algorithm when the area of the memory containing the prescribed seed signal is accessed by the address contained in the received key generation number; and a circuit for accessing the first memory with the address contained in the received key generation number. The subscriber key generation signal is formed by combining the received key generation number with a unique subscriber address signal that is stored in a second memory of the descrambler.