System, apparatus and method for enabling/disabling display data channel access to enable/disable high-bandwidth digital content protection

A switcher device, comprising:

• a multiplexer coupled in-between at least one input and output cards and configured to transmit an audiovisual data signal from the at least one input card to a first and at least a second output card;
• wherein the multiplexer is configured to dynamically switch between the first and at least second output card based on a user control signal that activates one of at least one sinks;
• wherein each of the output cards is coupled to the at least one sink;
• wherein the input card comprises:
• an integrated circuit that includes a high bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) enabled receiver;
• and
• a switch coupled in-between the HDCP enabled receiver and an Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) memory, wherein the at least one input card is configured to detect the presence of an event signal from the at least one user interface device;
• wherein in response to the detection of the event signal, the switch is configured to dynamically switch to a closed position, and change an address of an HDCP enabled receiver from a second address to a first address, in order to enable the at least one source configured to authenticate with the input card and the output card configured to authenticate with the at least one sink for security protocol encryption and the input card is configured to permit the transmission of the audiovisual signal form the at least one source to the at least one sink, and disabling control of the at least one sink from being able to record since the audiovisual signal contains copy protected content, and
• wherein in response to the non-detection of the event signal, the switch is configured to dynamically switch to an open position, and change the address of the HDCP enabled receiver from the first address to the second address, in order to disable the at least one source from initiating an authentication with the input card, therefore the output card also does not attempt to initiate an authentication with the at least one sink for security protocol encryption and the input card is configured to permit the transmission of the audiovisual signal form the at least one source to the at least on sink, and
• enabling control of the at least one sink from being able to record since the audiovisual signal contains non-copy protected content.

A method for enabling/disabling Display Data Channel (DCC) access to enable/disable High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) source, the method comprising:

• providing at least one source;
• providing at least one sink;
• coupling a switcher device communicatively in-between the at least one source and the at least one sink;
• coupling a multiplexer in-between at least one input card and output cards for transmitting an audiovisual signal from the at least one input card to a first and at least a second output card via physical connection;
• detecting, using an input card a user control signal to activate one of at least one sink for receiving audiovisual signal;
• wherein each of the output cards is coupled to the at least one sink;
• wherein the input card comprises:
• an integrated circuit that includes a high bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) enabled receiver;
• and
• a switch coupled in-between the HDCP enabled receiver and an Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) memory, wherein the at least one input card is configured to detect the presence of an event signal from the at least one user interface device;
• wherein in response to the detection of the event signal, switching the switcher device dynamically to a closed position, and change an address of an HDCP enabled receiver from a second address to a first address, for enabling the at least one source to authenticate with the input card and enabling the output card to authenticate with the at least one sink for security protocol encryption;
• permitting the transmission of audiovisual signal from the at least one source to the enabled at least one sink upon successful authentication;
• and
• disabling control of the enabled at least one sink from being able to record since the audiovisual signal contains copy protected content;
• wherein in response to the non-detection of the event signal, switching the switcher device dynamically to an open position, and change the address of the HDCP enabled receiver from the first address to the second address, in order to disable the at least one source form initiating an authentication with the input card, therefore the output card also does not attempt to initiate an authentication with the at least one sink for security protocol encryption;
• permitting the transmission of the audiovisual signal to be displayed from the at least one source to the enabled at least one sink;
• and
• enabling control to the enabled at least one sink from being able to record since the audiovisual signal contains non-copy protected content.

An integrated circuit, comprising:

• an enabled High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) receiver;
• an Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) memory;
• and
• a switch coupled in-between the security protocol enabled receiver and the EDID memory, wherein the integrated circuit is configured to detect the presence of an event signal from at least one user interface device,
• wherein in response to the detection of the event signal, the switch is configured to dynamically switch to a closed position, and change an address of an HDCP enabled receiver from a second address to a first address, in order to enable the at least one source configured to authenticate with an input card and an output card configured to authenticate with the at least one sink for security protocol encryption and the input card is configured to permit the transmission of the audiovisual signal from the at least one source to the at least one sink,
• disabling control of the enabled at least one sink from being able to record since the audiovisual signal contains copy protected content,
• and wherein in response to the non-detection of the event signal, the switch is configured to dynamically switch to an open position, and change the address of the HDCP enabled receiver from the first address to the second address, in order to disable the at least one source from initiating an authentication with the input card, therefore the output card also does not attempt to initiate an authentication with the at least one sink for security protocol encryption and the input card is configured to permit the transmission of the audiovisual signal from the at least one source to the at least one sink, and
• enabling control to the enabled at least one sink from being able to record since the audiovisual signal contains non-copy protected content.

A computer program product for enabling and disabling a security protocol, the computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to:
• provide at least one source;
• provide at least one sink;
• couple a switcher device communicatively in-between the at least one source and the at least one sink;
• couple a multiplexer in-between at least one input and output cards for transmitting an audiovisual signal from the at least one input card to a first and at least a second output card via physical connection;
• wherein each of the output cards is coupled to the at least one sink;
• wherein the input card comprises:
• an integrated circuit that includes a high bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) enabled receiver;
• and
• a switch coupled in-between the HDCP enabled receiver and an Extended Display Identification Data (EDID) memory, wherein the at least one input card is configured to detect the presence of an event signal from the at least one user interface device;
• detect, using an input card, a user control signal to activate one of at least one sinks;
• in response to the detection of the user control signal, enabling the selected at least one sink for receiving audiovisual signal;
• detect an event signal;
• wherein in response to the detection of the event signal, switching the switcher device dynamically to a closed position, and change an address of an HDCP enabled receiver from a second address to a first address, for enabling the at least one source to authenticate with the input card and enabling the output card to authenticate with the at least one sink for security protocol encryption;
• permit the transmission of audiovisual signal from the at least one source to the enabled at least one sink upon successful authentication;
• and
• disable control of the enabled at least one sink from being able to be recorded since the audiovisual signal contains copy protected content;
• wherein in response to the non-detection of the event signal, switch the switcher device dynamically to an open position, and change the address of the HDCP enabled receiver from the first address to the second address, in order to disable the at least one source from initiating an authentication with the input card, therefore the output card also does not attempt to initiate an authentication with the at least one sink for security protocol encryption;
• permit the transmission of the audiovisual signal to be displayed from the at least one source to the enabled at least one sink;
• and
• enable control of the enabled at least one sink from being able to record since the audiovisual signal contains non-copy protected content.