Patent · US Expired

Method for controlling copy protection in digital video networks

US6381747B1 · kind B1 · utility

260Cited by
13References
52Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 31, 1998
Grant dateApr 30, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 31, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N2005/91371
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system of providing copy protection of video analog and digital signals and the like, wherein the signals are transmitted via a digital delivery network, and may comprise, for example, pay per view (PPV) program materials protected by copyrights of respective program rights holders. The right holders authorize video service providers (3) to apply copy protection to the program material. The copy protection process is supplied to the rights holders or the service providers (3) by a copy protection process licensor. The video service providers (3) supply suitable copy protection control software via respective control and billing (tracking) centers to generate commands which activate, control and reconfigure the copy protection process being applied to the programs being transmitted. A settop box (10) is provided to each consumer and contains a copy protection circuit which is adapted to apply selected anticopy waveforms to the video signal corresponding to the program material in response to the commands from the service providers (3). Usage data pertinent to each consumer is returned by the settop box (10) to the service providers (3), which then report the copy protec…

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