WO2009008847A1

WO2009008847A1 - Content coding system and method in digital broadcasts

Info

Publication number: WO2009008847A1
Application number: PCT/TR2007/000065
Authority: WO
Inventors: Can Ahmet Gurakin
Original assignee: Fg Digital Teknolojiler Elektronik Yazilim Gelistirme Bilgisayar Ve Danismanlik Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi
Priority date: 2007-07-10
Filing date: 2007-07-10
Publication date: 2009-01-15
Also published as: EP2098074A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a content coding system that is developed for encrypting the signals which are encoded with the universal encoding systems by the broadcasters in a server (1 ) and for sending them to the user via signal transmission line (10); comprising an encoding system server (1 ), an application unit (7) within the said encoding system server (1 ) and an encoding and security unit (8) which sends the securely encoded signals at the output of the said application unit (7); coming from the application unit (7) provided by the broadcaster; with the output (9) via signal transmission line (10).

Description

CONTENT CODING SYTEM AND METHOD IN DIGITAL BROADCASTS

The Related Art

The invention relates to a coding system that is developed for providing the security of the channels those were chosen by the broadcasters wherein digital broadcasts and especially satellite broadcasts are needed to be coded.

The invention especially relates to an encoding system that is flexible to be used in all systems (ip-phone, video and audio conference, wireless communication) requiring content coding feature; that can not be decoded by sharing systems and do not require smart card to be used as a decoder.

The background of the related art

In the prior Art the analogue broadcasts are gradually replaced by the digital broadcasts. Today, the electronic systems are divided into two groups as 'analogue' and 'digital'. In the said analogue systems electrical signals change constantly and are able to take any value within certain limits. However, in digital systems electrical signals are not transmitted as they are. Instead of these signals some numbers, those match the samplings, are transmitted as a result of the samplings which are created on the said signals in regular periods.

As the digital systems develop very rapidly, TV systems are affected by these developments and a rapid changeover has started towards digital TV. Especially, satellite broadcasting gained a great speed. However, in the existing applications, since it is not possible to convert millions of TV receivers in use at the first phase, instead of converting these devices, new devices were developed which are called satellite receivers, in order to receive the digital broadcasts with the existing analogue receivers.

Just after the spread of satellite systems today, the broadcasters needed to encode some of their channels and they allow their subscribers; who want to watch the satellite channels, watch these channels by password questioning. In general terms, the user should have a satellite dish, a LNB, satellite receiver, a Cl / CM (Common Interface / Conditional Access Module) that decodes the encoded signals and a smart card for the encoded broadcasts; in order to watch an encoded / un - encoded satellite broadcast.

Today, the size of the satellite dish which is used to watch satellite broadcast is important. Small satellite dishes cause not receiving enough signals and big satellite dishes cause receiving too much signals; thus low quality image. The LNB which is attached to the centre of the satellite dish collects the signals, increases the required frequency range and sends them to the satellite receiver (set -top box). The simplest type of these said satellite receivers are the FTA's (free to air). Encoded / encrypted broadcasts can not be watched with this type of satellite receiver. So as to watch these encoded channels, a decoder which decodes these codes is needed. These kinds of decoders are called Cl - Common Interface or CAM - Conditional Access Module. CAM is a PCMCI module which is designed for satellite receivers and Cl is a socket wherein CAM module can be fixed.

Considering the fact that most of the broadcasters today use encoded and encrypted signals, it appears that Conditional Access module - CAM is required for encoding the said encoded signals. The broadcasters those broadcast over the satellite use various coding systems such as Alphacrypt, Conax, Cryptoworks, Irdeto, Nagravision, Seca and Viaccess. There exists one type of CAM for each said encoding system. Decoding the encoding system of a broadcaster does not provide the access to the channels. If correct key doesn't exist the channel does not open. Said broadcasters have their own mixer and encoder systems. In order to receive the image and sound in the signals of the broadcasts where encoding systems are used, the keys in the smart card are needed.

In the Prior art, the user needs smart cards to encode the encrypted channels and might buy these cards in the expense of a certain amount of money. However, the weaknesses and deficiencies of these encoding systems allow some people break the keys of these cards and allow free usage of the cards. Satellite broadcasters developed so many encoding algorithms in order to prevent piracy in watching the broadcasts; together with this, many broadcasters renew their codes everyday even some of them renew the codes in every 15 - 20 minutes. All these algorithms and methods couldn't make the pirates give up the piracy. Today, the newly developing card sharing devices allow more than one user to use a single card; therefore they are used widespread.

At the marketing phase, since the existing systems are provided to be suitable for the last user and because of the strategies created, they are marketed as smart card applications in general. By this means the broadcaster provides the security of the media with these cards. However, the data on the card is readable so it is reproducible. In the said methods, the high costs and the necessity of increasing the version or put a new card on the market in case of breaking the code and together with this possibility of reproducing the smart cards in low costs with today's sharing methods forced the broadcasters towards various activities of investigation and development.

In the existing situation of the art, it is possible to find patent applications relating to decoders developed for decoding the encryption systems and encoded signals. For example, the patent application number US2006210065 A1 relates to a method and a device which is developed for encoding AES keys and decoding its codes. Another application is the one with number WO2005119963 A1 and this application relates to a method and algorithm developed for changing the codes with new keys while the program continues.

Since the encoding systems in the prevent applications don't have a flexible structure and might be decoded with a few different methods, and together with this, data copying with card sharing devices; increase the number of illegal watchers. Because of the fact that used systems do not have a flexible structure, in case of an attack or sharing with card sharing devices, they do not have the necessary algorithms to protect themselves. The encoding systems used in the existing applications are not developed accordingly to be used in all the Digital

Video Broadcasting products (DVB - S, DVB - T, DVB - IP, DVB - H, DVB - C, and DVB - S & T & H & C & IP).

Broadcasters' this method of providing earnings with these non - recyclable cards leads to limitations in the usage of sophisticated technologies. Updating these media with changing data sources or cryptogram is difficult or even impossible in some situations. However, these problems can be prevented by intervention from outside but these methods are possible only by loading them to the systems or media one by one physically.

When all the developments and technical documents related to the above said satellite broadcasts and digital broadcasts are examined, amongst the encoding systems which are developed for using in the satellite systems; there is not any finding about an encoding system whose general security factors and conditions change and encoding algorithm automatically changes while all the structure is protected in case of any kind of attack to the system or sharing by card sharing devices, since it has a flexible structure.

As a result, especially in the prevent applications; the need for an encoding system which is non - decodable with different methods prevents data copying with card sharing devices and has a wide compatibility with all the digital broadcasts; and inefficiency of the prevent solutions forced to make an improvement in the related technical field.

Brief Description of the Invention

Prevent invention relates to a content encoding method and algorithm which meets the above said requirements, eliminates all the disadvantages and brings some additional advantages.

Starting from the prior Art of the technique, the object of the invention is to present a system which includes all of the examples of general working principles which were not applied before and can not be decoded with the card sharing devices.

The object of the invention is to provide the system to be changed from a distance by the broadcasters without the need for changing the media (card - chip - password) in case of decoding and thus prevent working of any sharing and reproduction systems.

The object of the invention is to prevent data copying and decoding with card sharing devices. The object of the invention is to put forward a decoding system that is developed to be used with all (DVB - S, DVB - T, DVB - IP, DVB - H, DVB - C, and DVB - S & T & H & C & IP) of the digital video broadcasting products.

The object of the invention is to put forward an encoding system which offers a wider security by including even a simple algorithm since the system sends the code directories sent by the broadcaster as encoded.

The object of the invention is to provide being managed from outside and to provide being automatically controlled with its flexibility in case of any factors.

Another object of the invention is to provide the user to buy any one or more encoded content channels offered by the broadcasters; via internet by means of a secure connection (SSL) with web interface, via satellite directly or with short message services.

Another object of the invention is to prevent tax and profit loss and unfair competition amongst the companies arising from illegal passing of the pre - paid smart cards from the customs which are already in use for the DVB encoding, since the need for smart cards is eliminated.

This invention brings many facilities with its said features to realize all the advantages those can be understood from the above and below mentioned explanations.

Structural and characteristic features of the invention and its all advantages shall be understood more clearly with the below given figures and the explanations with reference of these figures; and therefore the assessment shall be done with considering these figures and detailed explanations.

Description of Figures

The invention shall be assessed by considering the explained figures below in order to be built and understood in the best way with the advantages of it together with its additional elements. Figure 1 , is the block schema that shows the working principles of the content encoding system which is the subject of this invention.

Reference Numbers

I. Encoding system server

2. Collector

3. Inner access network input

4. Outer access management unit

5. Outer access maintaining unit

6. Outer access network input

7. Application unit

8. Encoding and security unit

9. Output (ASI)

10. Signal transmission line

II. Satellite receiver

12. Micro processor unit

Detailed Description of the Invention

In this detailed description, the content encoding system in satellite broadcasts is explained without any limiting affects to provide the subject to be understood more clearly.

The block schema is given in the figure 1 shows the working principles of the content encoding system which is the subject of the invention. The signals which are encoded with the universal coding systems by the broadcasters, who broadcast via satellite as the signal transmission line (10), are collected in the collector (2) by means of inner access network input (3). These encoded signals which are collected in the collector (2) are transmitted to the application unit (7). In the said application unit (7) the required works are realized by means of management unit (4) and inner and outer access network inputs (3, 6) of code algorithm. By means of the encoding and security unit (8) which is connected to the output of the application unit (7), it sends the securely encoded signals, coming from the application unit (7) provided by the broadcaster, by encrypting and thus the system turns out to be an encoding system which offers a wider security including even a simple algorithm.

The signal which is encoded by the said encoding and security unit (8) is sent via the output (ASI) (9) which that sends the broadcasts to the satellite directly. This signal which is received by the satellite and sent to the satellite receiver (11 ) of the user is encoded by the micro processor unit (12) which is in the said receiver (11 ) and the user is provided to watch the channel. By means of the security which is offered by the said encoding system and unauthorized watching is being prevented. With this said management unit (7) and the encoding and security unit (8) at the end of it, an encoding system is obtained which is developed to be used with all of the digital video broadcasting products (DVB - S, DVB - T, DVB - IP, DVB - H, DVB - C, and DVB - S & T & H & C & IP).

As an alternative the said encoding system might be used with the pre - paid systems and watch and pay (VOD) systems.

The encoding system said as an alternative is able to work with different technologies which are used as signal transmission lines (10). For example, it provides the user to buy any one or more encoded content channels offered by the broadcasters via internet by means of a secure connection (SSL) with web interface, via satellite directly or with short message services.

The protection content of this application is determined in the claims chapter and certainly can not be limited by the explanations given above for sampling. It is obvious that a technical expert might put forward the innovation which is provided by the invention with using similar structures and / or apply this structure in similar object areas used in the related technique. Therefore, it is obvious that these kinds of structures are lacking in the criteria of innovation and especially exceeding the existing situation of the art.

Claims

1. The invention is a content encoding system preventing the unauthorized access to the digital broadcasts; those are put into the market by the broadcasters; without the need for the applications of smart card which allow the users watch the channels they want in the expense of a certain payment and developed for presenting the encoded signals, which are encoded with the universal encoding systems by the broadcasters, to the users by encoding the signals in a server (1 ) and transmitted via a signal transmission line (10); and it is characterized in that it comprises:

- At least one collector (2) wherein the encoded signals, which are sent by the broadcaster via inner access network input (3) are collected, a management unit (4) that provides management of the system via outer access network inputs, in the said encoding system server (1 ),

- A management unit (4) wherein the encoded signals of the said collector (2) are transmitted and an application unit (7) wherein the required works are realized by means of the inner and outer access network inputs (3, 6),

- An encoding and a security unit (8) that sends the securely encoded signals coming from the application unit (7) that is provided by the broadcaster in the output of the said application unit (7), via output (9) by encrypting.

2. A system according to claim 1 and it is characterized in that; it also comprises at least one micro processor unit (12) within the said receiver (11 ) decoding the code of the signal sent to the satellite receiver (11 ) of the user by the said encoding and security unit (8) via the satellite broadcast used as the said signal transmitting line (10).

3. A system according to the claims 1 and 2 and it is characterized in that; the signal encoded by the said encoding and security unit (8), is sent by the output (ASI) (9) that sends the broadcast to the satellite directly.

4. A system according to the claims 1 and 2 and it is characterized in that; the said signal transmission line (10) is an internet line used by the means of a secure connection created by a web interface.

5. A system according to the claims 1 and 2 and it is characterized in that; the said signal transmission line (10) is the short message services.

6. The invention is a content encoding method preventing the unauthorized access to the digital broadcasts; those are put into the market by the broadcasters; without the need for the applications of smart card which allow the users watch the channels they want in return of a certain payment and developed for presenting the encoded signals, which are encoded with the universal encoding systems by the broadcasters, to the users by encoding the signals in a server (1 ) and transmitted via a signal transmission line (10); and it is characterized in that; it comprises the following steps:

- The encoded signals, which are sent by the broadcaster, are collected in the said encoding system server (1 ).

- The collected encoded signals are transmitted to the application unit (7) and the required duties are realized in the said application unit (7) by a distant management.

- The encoded signals are encrypted from a distance and transmitted to the receiver via a transmission line (10).

- The encoded signals which are sent in order to provide the user to watch the channel are decoded in the said receiver (11).

7. A method according to the claim 6 and it is characterized in that; the securely coded signals coming from the application unit (7) which is provided by the broadcaster, are encoded by a simple algorithm by the encoding and security unit (8).

8. A method according to the claim 6 and it is characterized in that; it is used with pre - paid systems and / or watch and pay (VOD) systems.