Process for matching a number N of reception terminals with a number M of conditional access control cards

Reception equipment that can be matched with a plurality of external security modules (6, 8) to manage access to digital data distributed by an operator, characterized in that it includes:

• a configuration module adapted for receiving matching queries from a remote commercial management platform of the operator with said configuration module comprising:
• means for of verifying if the identifier of an external security module (6, 8) connected to said equipment is present in a list of external security modules memorized in a non-volatile memory of said reception equipment.

Decoder that can cooperate with a plurality of external security modules (6, 8) to manage access to audiovisual programs distributed by an operator, each external security module (6, 8) having a single identifier and comprising at least one data processing algorithm, decoder characterized in that it includes:

• a non-volatile memory designed to memorise a list of external security modules (6, 8),
• means of verifying if the identifier of an external security module (6, 8) connected to said decoder is present in the list memorised in said nonvolatile memory.

A plurality of removable security interfaces designed to cooperate firstly with a plurality of reception equipment (2), and a plurality of conditional access control cards (6), to manage access to digital data distributed by an operator, each card having a unique identifier and containing information about access rights of a subscriber to said digital data:

• wherein each of said plurality of removable interfaces include:
• a non-volatile memory designed to memorize a list of subscriber cards containing memorized information of unique identifiers for subscribers,
• means for verifying if the unique identifier in a control card is present in the list memorized in said non-volatile memory of a removable interface.

Access control system including a plurality of reception equipment (2) each having a unique identifier and that can cooperate with a plurality of external security modules (6, 8) each having a unique identifier, each external security module (6, 8) containing information about access rights of a subscriber to digital data distributed by an operator, said system also including a commercial management platform (1) communicating with said reception equipment (2) and said external security modules (6, 8), characterized in that is also includes:

• a first module arranged in said commercial platform (1) and designed for generating matching queries to determine whether or not the identifier for said external security module(s) is present in the list of identifiers memorized in said reception equipment, and whether or not the identifier for said reception equipment is present in the list of identifiers memorized in said external security module(s),
• and a second module arranged in said reception equipment (2) and in said external security modules (6, 8) and designed to process said queries to prepare a matching configuration for authorizing access to data using said external security module and said reception equipment when a matching configuration exists.

Computer program stored in memory executable on N reception equipment (2) that can cooperate with M security modules (6, 6) each having a unique identifier and in which information about access rights of a subscriber to digital data distributed by an operator are stored, characterized in that the computer memory comprises instructions for memorising a list of identifiers of part or all of N reception equipment (2) in each external security module (6, 8), and instructions to memorize a list of identifiers of part or all of the M external security modules (6, 8) in each reception equipment (2), instructions to control the identifier of a security module connected to a reception equipment (2) and the identifier of said reception equipment (2), and instructions to prevent access to said data if the identifier of the security module (6, 8) connected to the reception equipment (2) is not present in the list of identifiers previously memorized in this reception equipment (2) or if the identifier of said reception equipment (2) is not present in the list of identifiers previously memorized in said external security module (6, 8).