System and method for secure transmission of media content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9736124-B2
Application number	US-201615057191-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2016
Priority date	Mar 17, 2009
Publication date	Aug 15, 2017
Grant date	Aug 15, 2017

Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a gateway comprising a controller to receive from a communication device a request for media content, receive a key and a record associated with the communications device from an interactive television system, wherein the record comprises a list of entitled media content, determine whether the requested media content is in the list of entitled media content, retrieve the requested media content from the interactive television system when the requested media content is determined to be in the list of entitled media content, encrypt the retrieved media content utilizing the key, and transmit the encrypted media content to the communications device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
storing, by a home location register, subscription information about subscribers authorized to access a communication system;
receiving, by the home location register, a query from a gateway concerning a request for requested media content from a communications device of a subscriber; and
providing, by the home location register, an encryption key and a record comprising the subscription information to the gateway in response to the query concerning the requested media content,
wherein the communications device does not have access to the record,
wherein the gateway determines whether the requested media content is associated with the subscription information,
wherein the gateway signals a content provider system to send the requested media content responsive to determining the requested media content is associated with the subscription information,
wherein the gateway encrypts the requested media content received from the content provider system by using the encryption key to generate encrypted media content and transmits the encrypted media content to the communications device, and
wherein encrypted media content is decrypted using a decryption key limited for use by the communications device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the record comprises a list of entitled media content of the subscriber and wherein the gateway determines whether the requested media content is on the list of entitled media content.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising grouping, by the home location register, entries corresponding to the list of entitled media content based on a programming tier.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the record comprises a programming tier to which the subscriber has subscribed, wherein the programming tier indicates whether the requested media content is on the list of entitled media content.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the record comprises a flag indicating whether the requested media content is associated with the subscription information.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the encrypted media content is configured for decryption based on the decryption key stored on a subscriber identity module card of the communications device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requested media content is retrieved from an interactive television system.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the interactive television system comprises internet protocol television, interactive satellite television, or interactive cable television.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the record further comprises information indicating whether the communications device is compromised and wherein the gateway denies the request for media content when the communications device is compromised.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating, by the home location register, the encryption key and an encryption method associated with the encryption key by utilizing an updated key and an updated encryption method, wherein the encrypted media content is configured for decryption by the communications device based on an updated decryption key stored on the communications device and wherein the updated decryption key is updated to correspond with the updated key and the updated encryption method.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing and providing, by the home location register, routing information to the gateway.

12. A gateway, comprising:
at least one memory to store computer instructions; and
at least one controller coupled to the memory, wherein the at least one controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
submitting to a home location register a query concerning media content requested by a communications device of a subscriber, wherein the home location register stores information about subscribers authorized to access a communication system;
receiving from the home location register an encryption key and a list of entitled media content of the subscriber responsive to submitting the query to the home location register;
determining whether the media content is on the list of entitled media content;
submitting a request to a content provider system to send the media content responsive to determining that the media content is on the list of entitled media content;
generating encrypted media content by encrypting the media content received from the content provider system using the encryption key; and
transmitting the encrypted media content to the communications device, wherein the communications device does not have access to the list of entitled media content, and wherein media content encrypted with the encryption key is decrypted using a decryption key limited for use by the communications device.

13. The gateway of claim 12 , wherein the home location register arranges entries in the list of entitled media content by groups according to a programming tier.

14. The gateway of claim 12 , wherein the list of entitled media content is included in a record, and wherein the record further comprises a programming tier to which the subscriber has subscribed and the programming tier indicates whether access to the media content should be granted.

15. The gateway of claim 14 , wherein the record further comprises information indicating whether the communications device is compromised, and wherein the operations further comprise denying the request for media content when the communications device is compromised.

16. The gateway of claim 12 , wherein the decryption key is stored on a subscriber identity module card of the communications device.

17. The gateway of claim 12 , wherein the content provider system comprises an interactive television system.

18. The gateway of claim 17 , wherein the interactive television system comprises an internet protocol television system, interactive satellite television system, or an interactive cable television system.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:
submitting to a system a query concerning media content requested by a communications device of a subscriber;
responsive to the query, receiving from the system an encryption key and a record including a list of media content items that the communications device is entitled to receive;
responsive to determining that the media content requested by the communications device is on the list of media content items, submitting a request to a content provider system to send the media content;
generating encrypted media content by encrypting the media content using the encryption key; and
transmitting the encrypted media content to the communications device, wherein the communications device does not have access to the record, wherein media content encrypted with the encryption key is decrypted using a decryption key stored in a subscriber identity module card of the communications device.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise updating the encryption key and an encryption method associated with the encryption key by utilizing an updated key and an updated encryption method, and wherein the decryption key is updated to correspond with the updated key and the updated encryption method.

Assignees

• At & T Mobility Ii Llc

Inventors

• Johnston Robert
• Coppa Frank
• Wood James

Classifications

• H04N21/63345

  by transmitting keys (key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06) · CPC title

• H04L9/0894

  Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage · CPC title

• H04L9/0891

  Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying · CPC title

• H04N21/4227

  {Providing} Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work · CPC title

• H04N21/6187

  involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS · CPC title