EP0887723A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus, method and computer program product for protecting copyright data within a computer system
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1998-05-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2018-05-21
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus, method and computer program product are provided for digitally processing an encrypted data stream scrambled, for example, according to content scrambling system (CSS) technology. This digital processing insures against communication of clear data within the computer system from a central processing unit (CPU) to any accessible structure, such as memory or a system bus. Descrambling of the (CSS) scrambled data stream occurs within a module executing on the CPU, which is followed by re-encryption of the data prior to transfer from the CPU. By so processing the data, integrity of copyrighted material is maintained, while allowing for software descrambling of the CSS encrypted data stream. Various techniques for establishing the encryption/decryption algorithm pair employed are described. Decryption of the re-encrypted data can occur at a receiving software module and/or a receiving hardware device, such as a decoder.
Inventors
- 👤 Mark Louis Ciacelli
- 👤 John William Urda
- 👤 Wai Man Lam
- 👤 Jack Lawrence Kouloheris
- 👤 John Edward Fetkovich
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 10:40
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B20/00; G11B20/00086; G11B20/0021; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/10; G06F21/70; G06F21/71; G06F21/72; G11B20/00217; G11B20/00224; G11B20/0042; G11B20/00449; G11B20/00478; G11B20/00485; G11B20/00492; G11B20/00507; H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/44; H04N21/4408; G06F2211/00; G06F2211/007; G06F2221/00; G06F2221/21; G06F2221/2107
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
Apparatus for processing a scrambled data stream within a computer system having a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to receive the scrambled data stream, comprising: descrambling means within the central processing unit for descrambling the received, scrambled data stream to produce a clear data stream; re-encryption means within the central processing unit for re-encrypting the clear data stream to produce an encrypted data stream, wherein said scrambled data stream is produced from a different encryption algorithm than said encrypted data stream; means for transferring the encrypted data stream from the central processing unit to a second structure of the computer system, said second structure being coupled to the CPU; and decryption means coupled to the second structure for receiving the encrypted data stream therefrom and for decrypting the encrypted data stream to produce said clear data stream, wherein said clear data stream is unexposed when transferred from the central processing unit to said second structure coupled to the CPU, while said descrambling means within the central processing unit accomplishes descrambling of the received scrambled data stream.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said scrambled data stream comprises a scrambled, encoded data stream and wherein said apparatus further comprises a decoder coupled to said decryption means for decoding a clear, encoded data stream produced by said decryption means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said clear, encoded data stream comprises a video data stream and wherein said decoder comprises an MPEG video decoder.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said scrambled, encoded data stream comprises a CSS scrambled, MPEG encoded data stream, and wherein said descrambling means comprises means for CSS descrambling the scrambled, encoded data stream within the CPU and said decoder comprises means for MPEG decoding said clear, encoded data stream.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said decoder comprises a decoding hardware device and said decryption means resides within said decoding hardware device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
41 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said re-encryption means further comprises means for providing a key for use in re-encrypting the clear data stream, and wherein said decryption means includes means for employing the key in decrypting the encrypted data stream.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
84 words
The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said re-encryption means further comprises means for encrypting said key to produce an encrypted key, and for multiplexing the encrypted key and the encrypted data stream into a multiplexed data stream for transfer to said second structure coupled to the CPU, and wherein said decryption means further comprises means for demultiplexing said multiplexed data stream to obtain said encrypted key and said encrypted data stream, and wherein said decryption means further comprises means for decrypting said encrypted key.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
23 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for selecting an encryption/decryption algorithm pair for-use by said re-encryption means and said decryption means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
52 words
The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said means for selecting comprises means for downloading a decryption algorithm of said selected encryption/decryption algorithm pair from said re-encryption means to said decryption means, said means for downloading including means for encrypting the decryption algorithm for transfer between the re·encryption means and the decryption means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said means for selecting comprises means for selecting said encryption/decryption algorithm pair from a plurality of encryption/decryption algorithm pairs at said re-encryption means and said decryption means, and wherein said means for selecting comprises means for noticing the decryption means which decryption algorithm of said plurality of encryption/decryption algorithm pairs corresponds with an encryption algorithm employed by said re-encryption means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said decryption means comprises a decryption module disposed within the central processing unit, and said second structure coupled to the CPU comprises memory.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
101 words
Apparatus for processing a data stream within a computer system having a central processing unit (CPU) coupled to receive the data stream, said apparatus comprising: encryption means within the CPU for encrypting identified copyright data within the data stream to produce therefrom encrypted data; means for transferring the encrypted data from the central processing unit to a structure of the computer system coupled thereto, wherein said copyright data is only transferred from the central processing unit as said encrypted data; and decryption means coupled to said structure receiving the encrypted data, said decryption means comprising means for decrypting the encrypted data.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for identifying within the central processing unit said copyright data of the data stream, said means for identifying providing said identified copyright data to said encryption means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
67 words
The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the data stream comprises a scrambled, encoded data stream, and wherein said apparatus further comprises descrambling means for descrambling the scrambled, encoded data stream within the central processing unit to produce a clear, encoded data stream, and wherein said means for identifying comprises means for examining the clear, encoded data stream to identify copyright data for encryption by said encryption means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said decryption means comprises a microcode decryption device.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
61 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said data stream comprises a scrambled data stream, and wherein said apparatus further comprises means for descrambling the scrambled data stream prior to said encrypting of the identified copyright data by said encryption means, wherein said scrambled data stream is produced from a different encryption algorithm than said encrypted data produced by said encryption means.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
38 words
The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said encryption means further comprises means for providing a key for use in said encrypting of the identified copyright data and for use by said decryption means for decrypting the encrypted data.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
81 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said encryption means further comprises means for encrypting said key to produce an encrypted key, and for multiplexing the encrypted key and the encrypted data into a multiplexed data stream for transfer to said structure coupled to the CPU, and wherein said decryption means further comprises means for demultiplexing said multiplexed data stream to obtain said encrypted key and said encrypted data, and wherein said decryption means further comprises means for decrypting said encrypted key.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
66 words
The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for selecting an encryption/decryption algorithm pair for use by said encryption means and said decryption means from a plurality of predefined encryption/decryption algorithm pairs, said selected encryption/decryption algorithm pair comprising an encryption algorithm and a corresponding decryption algorithm, said encryption algorithm being employed by said encryption means, and said corresponding decryption algorithm being employed by said decryption means.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
186 words
A method for processing a scrambled data stream within a computer system having a central processing unit and a structure coupled thereto, said method comprising: (a) receiving the scrambled data stream at the central processing unit (CPU); (b) descrambling the scrambled data stream within a module executing on the central processing unit to produce clear data; (c) re-encrypting the clear data within the central processing unit, said re-encrypting producing at least partially encrypted data; (d) subsequent to said re-encrypting, transferring the at least partially encrypted data from the central processing unit to a second structure of the computer system, said second structure being coupled to the central processing unit; and (e) subsequent to said transferring, retrieving and decrypting the at least partially encrypted data to produce clear data, wherein said clear data is unexposed when transferred from the central processing unit to the structure coupled thereto, while said descrambling occurs within the module executing on the central processing unit, and wherein the scrambled data stream is produced from a different encryption algorithm than employed by said re-encrypting (c) to produce said at least partially encrypted data.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
203 words
A computer program producing comprising a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means therein for use in processing a scrambled data stream within a computer system having a central processing unit and a structure coupled thereto, said computer readable program code means in said computer program product comprising: computer readable program code means for causing a computer to affect receiving of the scrambled data stream at the central processing unit and for descrambling the scrambled data stream within the central processing unit to produce clear data, and for re-encrypting the clear data within the central processing unit to produce at least partially encrypted data; computer readable program code means for causing a computer to affect transferring of said at least partially encrypted data from the central processing unit to the structure coupled thereto; and computer readable program code means for causing a computer to affect retrieving of the at least partially encrypted data from the structure coupled to the CPU and for decrypting the at least partially encrypted data, said decrypting producing clear data, wherein said clear data is unexposed when transferred from the central processing unit to the structure coupled thereto, while said descrambling occurs within the central processing unit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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