Abstract: In a video-communication receiver provided with a deciphering module (13) used for the descrambling of scrambled transmissions, using a memory card (17) for providing information required for descrambling, service information is introduced into the receiver, for example, by replacing the memory card by a service card containing the information in a ciphered form. The receiver is provided with apparatus (29, 12, 31) for deciphering ciphered service information by means of its own deciphering module (13).

Abstract: An apparatus for encrypted communication in which transmission data is encrypted based upon a cipher key and is transmitted. The received encrypted data is decrypted based upon a cipher key. A cipher key checker checks for agreement of the cipher keys by decoding the decrypted received data. The cipher key checker decodes the decrypted data in a unit of a preselected number of lines and determines whether the data are properly decoded or not.

Abstract: In a method for dynamically updating a cellular-phone-unique-encryption key previously stored in, and common to, each of a cellular phone and an associated home location register (HLR) for providing security in a cellular-phone-network operation, a random number and shared secret random data generated at least partly based on the random number are transmitted and verified between the cellular phone and the associated HLR. A previously stored version of the cellular-phone-unique-encryption key is then dynamically updated in both the cellular phone and in the HLR by independent calculations based on an algorithm using the shared secret random data and the previously stored version of the cellular-phone-unique-encryption key. In this manner, the cellular-phone-unique-encryption key is dynamically updated as desired, e.g.

Abstract: A computer implemented method for processing streams of data signals representing different data items of a common business attribute transmitted by a plurality of different vendors. The streams of data signals are transmitted to the computer by the vendors. Each one of the vendors transmits the data items in a different vendor associated data item format. A rules table is provided in the computer relating each of the vendors with such vendors associated data item format. The streams of data signals transmitted by the plurality of different vendors are stored in a memory. The vendors transmitting the streams of data signals are identified by the computer. The formats of the streams of data signals transmitted by each of the vendors are mapped by the computer in accordance with the rules table into a common predetermined format for the data items. The common format of the data items is stored in a computer memory.