Content scrambling with minimal impact on legacy devices
US7292692B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 29, 2004 |
| Grant date | Nov 6, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 24, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N21/435
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An encryption arrangement for television programs or other digital programming consistent with certain embodiments sends content completely in-the-clear and also encrypts only a portion of the content required for full presentation of a television program. The arrangement allows interoperability between new TVs that can handle encryption and older TVs that cannot. Regulations prevent new TVs from receiving only the clear content. New TVs are made to descramble the encrypted portions of the content. Older legacy TVs can receive all the content in the clear. The encrypted portions are chosen so that dramatically less bandwidth is required as compared to full dual carriage of the content. Licensing provisions relating to the encryption technology can be used to control unauthorized use of content. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.