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The hierarchical encryption key system uses multiple encryption processes for encrypting digital media content in a manner that supports both broadcast and delayed or time-shifted modes of content delivery. The hierarchical encryption key system uses a hierarchical series of encryption keys wherein each subsequent key in the hierarchy encrypts successively increasing time periods of the content that is transmitted from the Cable Modem Termination System to the consumer device. In addition, at one of the layers, the keys are aggregated into a collection or table of keys. The aggregation of keys facilitates the playback of recorded digital content (as opposed to broadcast or streaming digital content) by aggregating keys required for the duration of the content separately. The different layers are linked in a manner to make it difficult to use a brute force attack in an attempt to determine the keys.

Inventor: Joseph W. Weber
Original Assignee: Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
Primary Examiner: Matthew B Smithers
Attorney: Patton Boggs LLP
Current U.S. Classification: 380/277; 380/45; 726/27

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Citations

Cited PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US6069957Mar 7, 1997May 30, 2000Lucent Technologies Inc.Method and apparatus for providing hierarchical key system in restricted-access television system
US20030002668Jun 30, 2001Multi-level, multi-dimensional content protections
US20030078795Feb 22, 2002Method, apparatus and system for securely providing material to a licensee of the material

Claims

1. A system for encrypting digital media content that is transmitted from a content distribution network to a consumer device connected to the content distribution network comprising:

means for generating a hierarchical series of encryption keys;

means for encrypting said digital media content using a content key;

means for periodically changing said content key;

means for encrypting said content key;
means for storing a plurality of section keys;
means for selecting a sequence of section keys to be used for encrypting said content key in an order defined by said sequence;
means for randomizing said sequence of section keys;
means for transmitting a section key selected by said sequence to said means for encrypting said content key; and
means for transmitting said encrypted digital media content, said encrypted content key and to said consumer device.

2. The system for encrypting digital media content of claim 1 further comprising:

means for transmitting at least one of said hierarchical series of encryption keys in-band to said consumer device; and

means for transmitting at least one of said hierarchical series of keys out-of-band to said consumer device.

3. The system for encrypting digital media content of claim 1 further comprising:

means for encrypting at least one of said hierarchical series of encryption keys with another of said hierarchical series of encryption keys prior to transmission to said consumer device.

4. The system for encrypting digital media content of claim 1 further comprising:

means for aggregating a plurality of said hierarchical series of encryption keys into a table of encryption keys prior to transmission to said consumer device.

5. The system for encrypting digital media content of claim 1 further comprising:

means for aggregating said encrypted digital media content, said encrypted content key, and said randomized sequence of section keys for transmission in-band to said consumer device.

6. The system for encrypting digital media content of claim 1 further comprising:

means for generating a master key; and

means for transmitting said master key to said means for encrypting said section key.

7. The system for encrypting digital media content of claim 6 further comprising:

means for transmitting said master key out-of-band to said consumer device.

8. The system for encrypting digital media content of claim 6 further comprising:

means for aggregating said encrypted section key and said master key for transmission out-of-band to said consumer device.

9. A method for encrypting digital media content that is transmitted from a content distribution network to a consumer device connected to the content distribution network, comprising:

generating a hierarchical series of encryption keys;

encrypting said digital media content using a content key;

periodically changing said content keys;

encrypting said content key;
storing a plurality of section keys;
selecting a sequence of section keys to be used for encrypting said content key in an order defined by said sequence;
randomizing said sequence of section keys;
transmitting a section key selected by said sequence to said means for encrypting said content key; and
transmitting said encrypted digital media content, said encrypted content key and to said consumer device.

10. The method for encrypting digital media content of claim 9 further comprising:

transmitting at least one of said hierarchical series of encryption keys in-band to said consumer device; and

transmitting at least one of said hierarchical series of encryption keys out-of-band to said consumer device.

11. The method for encrypting digital media content of claim 9 further comprising:

encrypting at least one of said hierarchical series of encryption keys with another of said hierarchical series of encryption keys prior to transmission to said consumer device.

12. The method for encrypting digital media content of claim 9 further comprising:

aggregating a plurality of said hierarchical series of encryption keys into a table of encryption keys prior to transmission to said consumer device.

13. The method for encrypting digital media content of claim 9 further comprising:

aggregating said encrypted digital media content, said encrypted content key, and said randomized sequence of section keys for transmission in-band to said consumer device.

14. The method for encrypting digital media content of claim 9 further comprising:

generating a master key; and

transmitting said master key to said step of encrypting said section key.

15. The method for encrypting digital media content of claim 14 further comprising:

transmitting said master key out-of-band to said consumer device.

16. The method for encrypting digital media content of claim 14 further comprising:

aggregating said encrypted section key and said master key for transmission out-of-band to said consumer device.

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