On-demand switched content encryption

A method of conserving bandwidth within a switched digital video (SDV) system, comprising:

• determining, via an SDV processing module, a number of encryption system types utilized by subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to a particular SDV content selection in response to each change in a number of the subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection;
• encrypting SDV content associated with the particular SDV content selection as either encrypted SDV content or multiply partially encrypted SDV content based upon the determined number of encryption system types beginning from a current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within an electronic program guide (EPG);
• distributing either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content as part of an outgoing SDV content stream to the subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection;
• and
• where one change in the number of subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection comprises a change from a number of subscriber terminal devices utilizing two encryption system types to a number of subscriber terminal devices utilizing one encryption system type and the determined number of encryption system types comprises one encryption system type;
• and
• further comprising:
• monitoring a duration of time from the one change in the number of subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection to the number of subscriber terminal devices utilizing one encryption system type;
• and
• determining whether an encryption hysteresis interval that regulates transitioning between partial encryption and full encryption has expired based upon the monitored duration of time.

An apparatus for conserving bandwidth within a switched digital video (SDV) system, comprising:

• a memory that stores an electronic program guide (EPG);
• and
• a processor programmed to:
• determine a number of encryption system types utilized by subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to a particular SDV content selection in response to each change in a number of the subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection;
• encrypt SDV content associated with the particular SDV content selection as either encrypted SDV content or multiply partially encrypted SDV content based upon the determined number of encryption system types beginning from a current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG;
• distribute either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content as part of an outgoing SDV content stream to the subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection;
• where a first change in the number of subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection comprises a change from zero subscriber terminal devices to one subscriber terminal device and the determined number of encryption system types comprises one encryption system type;
• where in being programmed to encrypt the SDV content associated with the particular SDV content selection as either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content based upon the determined number of encryption system types beginning from the current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG, the processor is programmed to encrypt the SDV content via the one encryption system type as one of fully encrypted SDV content and singular partially encrypted SDV content beginning from the current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG;
• where a second change in the number of subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection comprises a change from the one subscriber terminal device to two subscriber terminal devices that each utilize a same encryption system type and the determined number of encryption system types comprises one encryption system type;
• where in being programmed to encrypt the SDV content associated with the particular SDV content selection as either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content based upon the determined number of encryption system types beginning from the current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG, the processor is programmed to continue encrypting the SDV content via the one encryption system type as the one of the fully encrypted SDV content and the singular partially encrypted SDV content beginning from the current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG;
• where a second change in the number of subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection comprises a change from the one subscriber terminal device to two subscriber terminal devices that each utilize a different encryption system type and the determined number of encryption system types comprises two encryption system types;
• where in being programmed to encrypt the SDV content associated with the particular SDV content selection as either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content based upon the determined number of encryption system types beginning from the current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG, the processor is programmed to encrypt the SDV content via each of the two encryption system types as the multiply partially encrypted SDV content beginning from the current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG;
• and
• where in being programmed to distribute either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content as part of the outgoing SDV content stream to the subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection, the processor is programmed to transition the distributed encrypted SDV content to the multiply partially encrypted SDV content encrypted via the each of the two encryption system types.

An apparatus for conserving bandwidth within a switched digital video (SDV) system, comprising:

• a memory that stores an electronic program guide (EPG);
• and
• a processor programmed to:
• determine a number of encryption system types utilized by subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to a particular SDV content selection in response to each change in a number of the subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection;
• encrypt SDV content associated with the particular SDV content selection as either encrypted SDV content or multiply partially encrypted SDV content based upon the determined number of encryption system types beginning from a current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG;
• and
• distribute either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content as part of an outgoing SDV content stream to the subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection;
• where one change in the number of subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection comprises a change from a number of subscriber terminal devices utilizing two encryption system types to a number of subscriber terminal devices utilizing one encryption system type and the determined number of encryption system types comprises one encryption system type;
• and
• the processor is further programmed to:
• monitor a duration of time from the one change in the number of subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection to the number of subscriber terminal devices utilizing one encryption system type;
• and
• determine whether an encryption hysteresis interval that regulates transitioning between partial encryption and full encryption has expired based upon the monitored duration of time.

An apparatus for conserving bandwidth within a switched digital video (SDV) system, comprising:

• a memory that stores an electronic program guide (EPG);
• and
• a processor programmed to:
• determine a number of encryption system types utilized by subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to a particular SDV content selection in response to each change in a number of the subscriber terminal devices requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection;
• encrypt SDV content associated with the particular SDV content selection as either encrypted SDV content or multiply partially encrypted SDV content based upon the determined number of encryption system types beginning from a current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG;
• and
• distribute either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content as part of an outgoing SDV content stream to the subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection;
• where in being programmed to encrypt the SDV content associated with the particular SDV content selection as either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content based upon the determined number of different encryption system types beginning from the current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG, the processor is programmed to:
• encrypt the SDV content via the one encryption system type as singular partially encrypted SDV content beginning from the current play location indicated for the SDV content selection within the EPG in response to determining that the encryption hysteresis interval has not expired;
• and
• in being programmed to distribute either the encrypted SDV content or the multiply partially encrypted SDV content as part of the outgoing SDV content stream to the subscriber terminal devices currently requesting tuning to the particular SDV content selection, the processor is programmed to:
• transition the distributed multiply partially encrypted SDV content encrypted via each of the two encryption system types to singular partially encrypted SDV content encrypted via the one encryption system type.