Copy-protection for laptop PC by disabling TV-out while viewing protected video on PC display

A laptop personal computer (PC) for preventing illegal copying of videos played on the laptop PC, the laptop PC comprising:

• a graphics controller for generating a pixel stream in a computer-graphics format, the pixel stream for display by a flat-panel display on the laptop PC;
• an optical-disk player for playing copyrighted optical disks, the optical-disk player outputting copy-protected videos to the graphics controller for display;
• a TV encoder, coupled to receive the pixel stream from the graphics controller, for converting the computer-graphics format to a TV format;
• a video BIOS for controlling the graphics controller, the video BIOS having a scratch register for storing a flag indicating when the TV encoder is compliant with advanced copy-protection standards;
• a display driver, coupled to the video BIOS, for further controller the graphics controller, the display driver also for controlling the TV encoder;
• a player application for controlling the optical-disk player, the player application including means for generating a request for copy protection to the display driver;
• a copy-protection function in the display driver for receiving the request from the player application, the copy-protection function including means for reading the scratch register in the video BIOS to determine when the TV encoder can accept advanced copy-protection commands from the player application;
• transmitting means, in the display driver, for transmitting a encryption key from the player application to the TV encoder when TV encoder can accept advanced copy-protection commands from the player application;
• and
• emulation means, in the display driver, for disabling the TV encoder when the request from the player application is a request to enable copy-protection in the TV encoder and the flag in the video BIOS indicates that the TV encoder is not compliant with advanced copy-protection standards,
• whereby copy-protection is emulated by the display driver for non-compliant TV encoders by disabling output from the TV encoder in the TV format.

A computer-program product comprising:

• a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code means embodied therein for establishing copy-protection on a personal computer (PC), the computer-readable program code means in the computer-program product comprising:
• means for sending a copy-protection request from a video player application to a display driver;
• compliant means for determining when the PC contains a TV encoder that has advanced copy-protection features that prevent illegal copying;
• TV on means for determining when the TV encoder is active for converting computer-generated graphics for display on a computer display to TV-encoded graphics viewable on a TV monitor;
• first legacy means, activated when the PC contains a TV encoder that does not have advanced copy-protection features, for displaying a message on the computer display to a user of the PC, the message requesting that the TV encoder be disabled before the video player application resumes play of a copy-protected video when the TV encoder is active;
• second legacy means, activated when the PC contains a TV encoder that does not have advanced copy-protection features, for sending a status word to the video player application indicating that the TV encoder is off and the copy-protected video can be safely played to the computer display, when the TV encoder is not active;
• advanced copy-protection means, activated when the PC contains a TV encoder with advanced copy-protection features, including:
• advanced TV off means, activated when the TV encoder is not active, for converting computer-generated graphics to TV-encoded graphics viewable on a TV monitor and signaling the video player application to continue playing the copy-protected video to the computer display;
• key enable means, activated when the TV encoder is active and the copy-protection request is a request to enable the advanced copy-protection features of the TV encoder, for sending an encryption key from the video player application to the TV encoder to enable the advanced copy-protection features;
• and
• key disable means, activated when the TV encoder is active and the copy-protection request is a request to disable the advanced copy-protection features of the TV encoder, for sending an encryption key from the video player application to the TV encoder to disable the advanced copy-protection features,
• whereby the display driver emulates copy protection for the TV encoder without advanced copy-protection features by disabling the TV encoder when a copy-protected video is played, but the display driver sends the encryption key to the TV encoder with advanced copy-protection features.