Abstract: The present invention may be deployed in a system comprising a security module housed on a chip card and a host device comprising a chip card reader. The host device is comprised in a housing with a slot for the chip card. The housing is shielded to reduce the amount of electromagnetic radiation generated by the security module and/or the host device from penetrating to the exterior of the housing. Similarly, the shielding is adapted to reduce the effects of electromagnetic radiation generated outside of the host device on the components within the housing. The slot is also shielded by a flap made of an electrically conductive epoxy material or an electrically conductive resin.

Abstract: A system and method give a user control of personal data. A trusted center comprises a database for personal data, access conditions for the personal data, and a counter. A user loads personal data into the database and assigns access conditions to said data. The personal data is divided into at least two categories, each associated with a user's value. A third party requests access to personal data of a plurality of users, the request comprising search criteria. The trusted center identifies a first set of users matching the search criteria and returns the quantity of users in, and a sum of user's values for, the first set. The third party acknowledges all or part of the sum, and the trusted center returns the personal data of a second set of users for which the sum covers the user's values and updates the counters of user in the second set.

Abstract: To view media, a user may select a media stream by operating a portable device that controls a media presentation device. The portable device may be configured to multicast this stream selection to both the media presentation device and a selection analysis machine. The remote control may have or include both an infrared emitter and a cellular telephone, and the stream selection may be sent both to the media presentation device and to the selection analysis machine. The selection analysis machine may receive and store stream selections over a period of time, and these aggregated stream selections may form all or part of a profile of a user or a group of users who use the media presentation device. This profile may indicate viewing habits and choices of one or more users of the media presentation device, and the selection analysis machine may analyze this profile.

Abstract: A method for validating access to a product by a security module associated with a user unit unidirectionally connected to a managing center MC transmitting management messages being generated following the receipt of a request for an access right to the product, said method comprises the steps of purchasing a product, determining a code representing the product, displaying said code on a display device, transmitting to the MC, a request comprising said code and an security module identifier, transmitting a right confirmation message addressed to the user unit associated with said security module, wherein, at purchasing of the product, a temporary right is registered in the security module, said temporary right being replaced by a definitive right by the right confirmation message received from the MC, said definitive right authorizing the access to the purchased product by debiting the value amount associated with said product.

Abstract: The present invention provides a security module having a communication interface being capable of operating according to any from a selection from a plurality of predetermined operation modes or communication protocols. The security module further comprises a voltage detector to detect the voltage on the module's power supply connection. Depending on the value of the detected voltage or to which of a plurality of predetermined voltage ranges the detected voltage may be categorized, the security module is made to function according to one from the plurality of predetermined communication protocols. According to an embodiment of the present invention the plurality of communication protocols require that the security module operate at a plurality of different frequencies.

Abstract: A method to bind the use of a digital audio/video service data receiver to a network on which at least one services provider broadcasts access controlled and free digital audio/video services streams, the method having the steps: receiving by the receiver a periodic signal transmitted by a conditional access system server via the network, said periodic signal being processed by a run time software embedded in the receiver to check legitimacy of the network; displaying services available on the network only if said run time software recognizes the periodic signal as indicating network legitimacy; and checking operability of the run time software and if necessary taking actions to enforce limitation of using the receiver on the network checked as legitimate. The invention further discloses a receiver bound to a specific network configured to perform the method.

Abstract: The present invention proposes a system comprising a television decoding unit and a plurality of access modules, said access modules comprising wireless communication means with the television decoding unit, a memory comprising an identification of said module, said television decoding unit comprising means for detecting the presence and to receive the identification of an access module, means to apply a filter on events displayed on the television unit, said filter being defined with pre-defined filter category attached to the identification, and means to record the events consumption while the access module is detected by the television unit.

Abstract: The present invention describes a system and a method for securely loading digital information from an external storage device in a non-trusted environment into a memory module in a trusted environment within a data processing system. A master mode and a service mode are described, the master mode being when the secure loading is requested by a secure processor residing within the trusted environment and the service mode being when the loading is requested by an element which is external to the trusted environment i.e. in the non-trusted environment. The system comprises at least one storage device, one memory module and at least one first processor, and further comprises a memory access controller module connected between the processor and the memory module, and a secure memory management module connected to the processor, the memory module, the storage device and the memory access controller.

Abstract: In example embodiments, a system and method for managing switching between devices are provided. A consolidated catalog of applications available on devices coupled to a master device is maintained. The consolidated catalog of applications is graphically presented on a screen controlled by the master device. A selection of an application from the consolidated catalog of applications is received via a control device. Based on the selected application being located at a device coupled to the master device, input is automatically switched from the master device to the device having the selected application. As a result, a display corresponding to the selected application is presented on the screen.

Abstract: A method is described for rewarding a viewer of a broadcast program in exchange for the viewer proving his presence at the time that certain program content is being broadcast. The method involves the use of running an application in a television environment, said application displaying a graphic inviting the viewer to intervene in some manner and to subsequently log the viewer's intervention, thereby documenting his viewing activity. The method further allows for the convenient and mobile reporting of the status of a log of the viewer's viewing activity. Finally, the method allows for the convenient and flexible redemption of accrued credit, as documented in the viewing log, against goods and/or services.

Abstract: The present invention refers to a method for scrambling an original digital image into a scrambled image and for descrambling the scrambled image into a reconstructed image. The method firstly comprises a scrambling operation for substituting a plurality of original coefficients by dummy coefficients, while safeguarding the coding format, and for storing the substituted original coefficients with their respective position, as original data into at least two control objects, each control object corresponding to a specific degradation level of the original image. This method secondly comprises a descrambling operation for receiving the scrambled image and at least a part of said control objects, and for using original data derived from a selection of at least one of said control objects, performed on the basis of a user access condition, to obtain the reconstructed image by putting back the original coefficients instead of said dummy coefficients thanks to their respective position.

Abstract: The present invention concerns the field of broadcast encryptionmethod, i.e. a method to organize the distribution of keys into a group of users so that it is possible to manage the revocation of one member of the group in an efficient way. The proposed solution is a private encryption key ciphertext constant collusion-resistant broadcast encryption. The main idea behind the invention is to mix the notion of efficient tree-based key derivation (also called subset management) with individual and personalized key blinding thus achieving a full collusion-resistant broadcast encryption system. The key de-blinding is performed at the last moment thanks to a cryptographic technique called pairings (also known as bilinear maps) resulting in a global key commonly shared by all authorized (non-revoked) devices.

Abstract: Method and system to prevent control words sharing. The system comprises a receiver capable of processing a digital data stream. The receiver, having a video descrambler device, is coupled to a primary and secondary secure device. The digital data stream comprises video content data scrambled by a first algorithm using a control word, audio content data encrypted with a secret second algorithm using a system key, and encrypted control messages comprising the control word. The primary secure device decrypts the control message and obtains the control word. The video descrambler device uses this control word to descramble the video content data. The secondary secure device comprises a decryption device which decrypts the encrypted audio content data and a watermarking module configured to add a watermark to the decrypted audio content data and return watermarked decrypted audio content data to the receiver.

Abstract: A method and cryptographic system for descrambling content packets, included within a digital transport stream, having conditional access messages and header data. The method and system require a deciphering algorithm, processed by a descrambler of a multimedia unit, using an initialization vector as a first input and a control word as a second input. The multimedia unit is connectable to a security module for processing the conditional access messages and extracting control words therefrom. The initialization vector, or intermediate data to determine the initialization vector, is the result of a cryptographic function based on at least one variable extracted from the digital transport stream and processed by the security module.

Abstract: A method and system to confirm co-location of multiple devices within a geographic area, while filtering spurious alarms, is provided. An example method comprises processing first GPS data obtained from a first GPS sensor and second GPS data obtained from a second GPS sensor. A sensing data evaluator compares a sensing error from the first GPS data and a sensing error from the second GPS data. Based on the result of the comparing, the sensing data evaluator determines whether the sensing errors are to be ignored. An approach where an alarm that otherwise would be generated is disabled or canceled may be termed as filtering spurious alarms.

Abstract: A method for securely transferring digital content between two electronic devices, comprising an activation phase performed by a management center for generating a common network key, calculating for each device an encrypted network key with a unique device key and transmitting to each device the encrypted network key and a unique device value involving said device key and a unique device secret value, a keys recovering performed by each device for obtaining the device key from both the device value and the secret value of said device and obtaining the network key from both the encrypted network key and the previously obtained device key, and an operating phase performed by each device for generating or obtaining a random value, generating a final key by encrypting the random value with the network key and using said final key for encrypting/decrypting said content.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for carrying out a transaction between a payment module and a security module connected to a user's unit, this process being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: entering an identifier representative of the transaction to be carried out by means of an input device; generating by the user's unit, a control message containing at least a representative code of said transaction and an identifier of the security module requiring the transaction; sending said control message to said payment module (PP); verifying in said payment module whether it is entitled to carry out the desired transaction; if the payment module is entitled to carry out this transaction, execution of the transaction, storage of the result of the transaction in said payment module and generation by the payment module, of a receipt relating to the desired transaction and to the related security module; sending said receipt to a management center; sending an unlocking code to the security mod

Abstract: A method to identify content within a data stream, comprising: capturing a data stream, analysing and filtering the data stream by isolating a test stream of the data stream and disabling the other sub-streams, applying the test stream to the application so as to produce an output, applying the output to a comparator, the comparator receiving a reference and determining by the comparator a distance between the application output and the reference, if the distance is below a predefined level, repeating the isolating step with a new test stream selected among the previous test stream, the new test stream being a subset of the previous test stream, if that the distance is above or equal a second predefined level, repeating the isolating step by selecting a different test stream from the data stream not already applied to the application.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for controlling the operating of a consumption appliance by way of a selector switch controlled by an energy saving device connected to a management center. The consumption appliance is kept in its default power mode, until receiving, by the energy saving device, an authentic secured control message sent by the management center. This message includes a command onto the mode in which the consumption appliance has to be switched. A counter is initialized with an initialization value before to be triggered. The consumption appliance is switched in the mode indicated by the command, either until the counter has reached a threshold value, or until receiving another authentic control message. If the counter has reached the threshold value, then the consumption appliance is switched in its default power mode. If another authentic secured control message has been received, then returning to the step of initializing the counter.