Method and apparatus for television signal scrambling using block shuffling

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the step of dividing includes dividing the block into half block portions.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein said steps of rearranging the original block portion sequence and rearranging the original line sequence includes generating a pseudo-random number (PRN) sequence and controlling said rearranging steps in response to said PRN sequence.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, including the steps of providing a code identifying said PRN sequence and resulting in an indication of the original line sequences and the original block portion sequence.

Claim 20

The method of claim 11, wherein the step of developing sequence data includes the step of generating a pseudo-random number sequence for controlling the switching of the block positions and the shuffling of the video lines.

Claim 21

Apparatus for scrambling video lines of a raster scan video image, comprising: means for dividing the video lines into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and subdividing each block into first and second block portions each having a number of video lines arranged in an original line sequence and wherein the block portions are arranged in an original contiguous block portion sequence; means for rearranging the original block portion sequence of the block portions into a scrambled block portion sequence different than the original block portion sequence and wherein the first and second block portions remain contiguous with each other; means for rearranging the original line sequence of the video lines of at least one of the block portions into a scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence for the block portion; and means for developing an indication of the original line sequences and the original contiguous block portion sequence.

Claim 22

Apparatus for scrambling video lines of a raster scan video image, comprising: means for dividing the video lines into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and subdividing each block into first and second block portions each having a number of video lines arranged in an original line sequence and wherein the block portions are arranged in an original contiguous block portion sequence; means for rearranging the original block portion sequence of the block portions into a scrambled block portion sequence different than the original block portion sequence and wherein the first and second block portions remain contiguous with each other; means for rearranging the original line sequence of the video lines of at least one of the block portions into a scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence for the block portion; and means for developing an indication of the original line sequences and the original contiguous block portion sequence.

Claim 23

Apparatus according to claim 13, including means for dividing the block into half block portions.

Claim 24

Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said means for rearranging the original block portion sequence and said means for rearranging the original line sequence includes means for generating a pseudo-random number (PRN) sequence and controlling said rearranging steps in response to said PRN sequence.

Claim 25

Apparatus according to claim 15, including means for providing a code identifying said PRN sequence and resulting in an indication of the original line sequences and the original block portion sequence.

Claim 26

Apparatus for scrambling video lines of a raster scan video image, comprising: means for generating a pseudo-random number sequence capable of (1) dividing the video lines into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and subdividing each block into first and second block portions each having a number of video lines arranged in an original line sequence and wherein the block portions are arranged in an original contiguous block portion sequence, (2) switching the block portion sequence while maintaining the first and second block portions contiguous with each other, and (3) shuffling the video lines of at least one of the block portions into a scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence for the block portion; means for storing the video lines in a memory in a certain order responsive to said pseudo-random number sequence; and means for reading the video lines from the memory in the certain order.

Claim 27

Apparatus for scrambling video lines of a raster scan video image, comprising: means for generating a pseudo-random number sequence capable of (1) dividing the video lines into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and subdividing each block into first and second block portions each having a number of video lines arranged in an original line sequence and wherein the block portions are arranged in an original contiguous block portion sequence, (2) switching the block portion sequence while maintaining the first and second block portions contiguous with each other, and (3) shuffling the video lines of at least one of the block portions into a scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence for the block portion; means for storing the video lines in a memory in a certain order responsive to said pseudo-random number sequence; and means for reading the video lines from the memory in the certain order.

Claim 28

Apparatus for decoding scrambled video lines of a raster scan video image in a video signal to reconstruct the original video lines, the original video lines divided into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and each block subdivided into block portions each having at least two contiguous video lines arranged in an original line sequence wherein the two block portions are arranged in an original block portion sequence contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled video lines includes said plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines with said two block portions each including at least two contiguous video lines arranged in a scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence wherein the block portions are arranged in a scrambled block portion sequence different than the original block portion sequence with the two block portions remaining contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled video lines are decoded using sequence data from the video signal indicating the original block portion sequence and the original line sequences for the block portion, comprising: means for extracting the sequence data from the video signal lines; and means for using the extracted sequence data to rearranged the block portions and the video lines of the scrambled video lines to restore the original block portion sequence and the original line sequences.

Claim 29

Apparatus for decoding scrambled video lines of a raster scan video image in a video signal to reconstruct the original video lines, the original video lines divided into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and each block subdivided into block portions each having at least two contiguous video lines arranged in an original line sequence wherein the two block portions are arranged in an original block portion sequence contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled video lines includes said plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines with said two block portions each including at least two contiguous video lines arranged in a scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence wherein the block portions are arranged in a scrambled block portion sequence different than the original block portion sequence with the two block portions remaining contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled video lines are decoded using sequence data from the video signal indicating the original block portion sequence and the original line sequences for the block portion, comprising: means for extracting the sequence data from the video signal lines; and means for using the extracted sequence data to rearranged the block portions and the video lines of the scrambled video lines to restore the original block portion sequence and the original line sequences.

Claim 30

Apparatus for decoding scrambled video lines of a raster scan video image in a video signal to reconstruct the original block of video lines, the original video lines divided into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and each block subdivided into two block portions each having at least two contiguous video lines arranged in an original line sequence wherein the two block portions are arranged in an original block portion sequence contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled video lines includes said plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines with said two block portions each including at least two contiguous video lines arranged in the scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence wherein the block portions are arranged in a scrambled block portion sequence different than the original block portion sequence with the two block portions remaining contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled video lines are decoded using sequence data from the video signal indicating the original block portion sequence and the original line sequences for the block portion, comprising: means for extracting the sequence data from the video signal; means for selecting each of the video lines from the scrambled video lines; means including a memory for suing the extracted sequence data to load the selected video lines in the memory wherein the memory stores the video lines in a certain order corresponding to the original line sequences and the original block portion sequence; and means for reading the video lines from the memory in the certain order.

Claim 31

Apparatus for decoding scrambled video lines of a raster scan video image in a video signal to reconstruct the original block of video lines, the original video lines divided into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and each block subdivided into two block portions each having at least two contiguous video lines arranged in an original line sequence wherein the two block portions are arranged in an original block portion sequence contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled video lines includes said plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines with said two block portions each including at least two contiguous video lines arranged in the scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence wherein the block portions are arranged in a scrambled block portion sequence different than the original block portion sequence with the two block portions remaining contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled video lines are decoded using sequence data from the video signal indicating the original block portion sequence and the original line sequences for the block portion, comprising: means for extracting the sequence data from the video signal; means for selecting each of the video lines from the scrambled video lines; means including a memory for suing the extracted sequence data to load the selected video lines in the memory wherein the memory stores the video lines in a certain order corresponding to the original line sequences and the original block portion sequence; and means for reading the video lines from the memory in the certain order.

Claim 32

Apparatus for decoding scrambled video lines of a raster scan video image in a video signal to reconstruct the original video lines, the original video lines divided into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and each block subdivided into two block portions each having at least two contiguous video lines arranged in an original line sequence wherein the two block portions of the original block of video lines are arranged in an original block portion sequence contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled block of video lines includes said plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines with said two block portions each including at least two contiguous video lines arranged in a scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence wherein the block portions of the scrambled block of video lines are arranged in a scrambled block portion sequence different than the original block portion sequence with the two block portions remaining contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled block of video lines are decoded using sequence data from the video signal indicating the original block portion sequence and the original line sequences for the block portion, comprising: means for extracting the sequence data from the video signal; means including a memory for loading the video lines of the scrambled video lines in the memory in a first order corresponding to the scrambled line sequences and the scrambled block portion sequence; and means for using the extracted sequence data to read the video lines from the memory in a second order different than the first order corresponding to the original line sequences and the original block portion sequence.

Claim 33

Apparatus for decoding scrambled video lines of a raster scan video image in a video signal to reconstruct the original video lines, the original video lines divided into a plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines and each block subdivided into two block portions each having at least two contiguous video lines arranged in an original line sequence wherein the two block portions of the original block of video lines are arranged in an original block portion sequence contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled block of video lines includes said plurality of contiguous blocks of video lines with said two block portions each including at least two contiguous video lines arranged in a scrambled line sequence different than the original line sequence wherein the block portions of the scrambled block of video lines are arranged in a scrambled block portion sequence different than the original block portion sequence with the two block portions remaining contiguous with each other and wherein the scrambled block of video lines are decoded using sequence data from the video signal indicating the original block portion sequence and the original line sequences for the block portion, comprising: means for extracting the sequence data from the video signal; means including a memory for loading the video lines of the scrambled video lines in the memory in a first order corresponding to the scrambled line sequences and the scrambled block portion sequence; and means for using the extracted sequence data to read the video lines from the memory in a second order different than the first order corresponding to the original line sequences and the original block portion sequence.

Claim 34

Apparatus for transmitting original video signals of a a raster scan video image wherein the video signals includes a plurality of contiguous blocks each subdivided into two contiguous block portions arranged in original block positions wherein each block portion includes at least two contiguous video lines arranged in an original line sequence, comprising: means for scrambling the original video signals by switching the block positions of the two contiguous block portions of at least one of the blocks, with the two block portions remaining contiguous with each other, means for shuffling the video lines of the at least one block portion into a scrambled line sequence, and means for developing sequence data indicating the original contiguous block positions of the block portions and the original line sequences of the block portions; means for transmitting the scrambled video signals and the sequence data to a descrambler; and means for descrambling the scrambled video signals using the sequence data by rearranging the block portions and the video lines back to the original block positions and the original line sequences, respectively.

Claim 35

Apparatus for transmitting original video signals of a a raster scan video image wherein the video signals includes a plurality of contiguous blocks each subdivided into two contiguous block portions arranged in original block positions wherein each block portion includes at least two contiguous video lines arranged in an original line sequence, comprising: means for scrambling the original video signals by switching the block positions of the two contiguous block portions of at least one of the blocks, with the two block portions remaining contiguous with each other, means for shuffling the video lines of the at least one block portion into a scrambled line sequence, and means for developing sequence data indicating the original contiguous block positions of the block portions and the original line sequences of the block portions; means for transmitting the scrambled video signals and the sequence data to a descrambler; and means for descrambling the scrambled video signals using the sequence data by rearranging the block portions and the video lines back to the original block positions and the original line sequences, respectively.

Claim 36

Apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said means for developing sequence data includes means for generating a pseudo-random number sequence for controlling the switching of the block positions and the shuffling of the video lines.