US 5,621,793 A · TV set top box using GPS

Abstract

An integrated receiver decoder (IRD), commonly called a set-top box, has a global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The GPS receiver checks to see if the IRD is at an authorized location and allows descrambling of video signals only if the location is authorized. A central access control system, remote from the customers/viewers, has a high quality GPS receiver and sends some GPS data in the transmission medium used to send video signals to the customers. This GPS data, referred to herein as indirect GPS data, is used by the IRD such that it requires less complexity than otherwise. The IRD introduces a pseudo-random time delay in generating certain signals such that spoofing (i.e., providing phony signals to the IRD) is much more difficult. Various components of the IRD are in a common sealed container such as an integrated circuit or a smart card such that tampering with the components and spoofing are more difficult.

Claims39

Dependent claims

A video signal access control system comprising a customer access control operable at a customer location and having:

a signal input to receive at least one video signal from a remote source;
a video signal processor operably connected to receive video signals from the signal input;
a conditional accesser operably connected to the video signal processor;
a signal output operably connected to the video signal processor and providing a useable video output signal only upon the conditional accesser authorizing access to one or more video signals from the remote source;
and
a GPS signal receiver operable at the customer location to receive position information from remote sources and operably connected to the conditional accesser, the conditional accesser authorizing access only if the GPS signal receiver receives signals consistent with the customer access control being at an authorized location.

3 more elements

A video signal access control system comprising a central access control remote from customers and having:

a source of at least one video signal;
an output device for placing video signals from the source onto a transmission medium for transmission to customers;
a central GPS receiver operable to directly receive position information from remote GPS sources, the remote sources being remote from both the central access control and the customers, and operably connected to apply data messages to the output device, the data messages corresponding to the position information and the output device supplying the position information to the transmission medium for transmission to customers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

TV set top box using GPS

Life of this patent

TV set top box using GPS

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims39