On-line system for conditional access and audience control for communication services of the broadcast and multicast kind
OwnerPaolo Rinaldiinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A “on line” system of conditional access and audience control for communication service of the broadcast and multicast kind that does not use smartcard or other dedicated hardware on the user side, in which a set of information data for broadcast communications (unidirectional) is encrypted by means of dynamic keys that are sent to each enabled user through an interactive and bidirectional channel.
Claims17
A on-line system for conditional access and audience control for broadcast and/or multicast data flow distributing services comprising a provider and a multiplicity of users, characterised in that said provider comprises:
- an encrypting unit (T.C.M.) of said data by means of dynamically varying keys during data transmission, wherein said data flow is divided in data packets, sequentially grouped in groups of packets, a key being bi-univocally associated with each of said groups of packets;
- a transmission unit (T.F.P.) of said encrypted data to said multiplicity of users through a data transmission channel;
- a verifying unit (C.A.S.) of the authorisation of each of said users, said unit being apt to transmit keys to authorised users through an interactive and bidirectional channel,
- each user of said multiplicity of users comprising a respective decrypting unit (D.S.) apt to request a key to said verifying unit (C.A.S.) for each group of packets to be decrypted.
A method for conditional access and audience control for broadcast and/or multicast data flow distributing services by a provider to a multiplicity of users, said provider providing a step (a) of encryption of said data by means of dynamically varying keys during data transmission, the method being characterised in that said encryption step (a) comprises the following sub-steps:
- b) dividing said data flow in data packets, sequentially grouped in groups of packets;
- and
- c) bi-univocally associate a key to each of said groups of packets, and in that it comprises the following steps:
- d) transmitting said encrypted data to said multiplicity of users through a transmission channel;
- e) acquiring, by each user, a request for a key for each group of transmitted data packets to be decrypted;
- f) verifying the authorisation of said users to receive said requested key;
- and
- g) transmitting said requested key to said authorised user through an interactive and bi-directional channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.