Patent · US Expired

Apparatus, method and computer program product for protecting copyright data within a computer system

US6236727A · kind A · utility

219Cited by
11References
41Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 24, 1997
Grant dateMay 22, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 24, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06F2221/2107
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

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 reencryption 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.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.