Abstract: A video source device includes a cipher unit. The video source device uses the cipher unit to generate cipher bits for ciphering video to be transmitted to protect the video from unauthorized copying. The video source device authenticates video receiving devices using a symmetric ciphering/deciphering process that requires the video source device to generate and provide the video receiving device with a pseudo random number as the seed/basis number for the symmetric ciphering/deciphering process. The video source device is further provided with a state machine that controls the cipher unit to generate the required pseudo random number for the video source devices, thereby eliminating the need of having to provide separate circuitry to generate the required pseudo random numbers.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for limiting transmission of data to a localized area in a networked environment. In an example method, a request to transmit data from a source device to a sink device is received. If the data to be transmitted is localized data, a time to live value associated with the data is set to a first predetermined value. If the data to be transmitted is not localized data, a time to live value associated with the data is set to a second predetermined value. The data is transmitted toward the sink device. If the transmitted data is routed through the Internet, the time to live value associated with the transmitted data is decremented every time the data passes through an IP router. If the time to live value reaches zero, the transmitted data is destroyed.

Abstract: Playback of digital multimedia content by a player application may be modified according to title specific parameters. The method includes accessing the digital multimedia content, accessing title specific parameters associated with the digital multimedia content, and processing the digital multimedia content to render the content to a user according to the title specific parameters. The title specific parameters may be stored with the digital multimedia content on a removable storage medium such as a digital versatile disk (DVD) or received from a source over a computer network, satellite, or cable. The title specific parameters may be used to modify at least one of the decoding, decompressing, and downsampling of at least one track or title of the content. In one embodiment, the content is digital audio data in the DVD-Audio format.

Abstract: Protection of content by deterring unauthorized redistribution may be accomplished by at least one of three methods in a consumer modulator device. A first method protects content from unauthorized redistribution by other devices in a content protection system by verifying authenticity of a validated flag, the validated flag being at least a portion of the content, and by removing the validated flag when the validated flag is not authentic. A second method protects content from unauthorized redistribution by other devices by checking whether the content includes a broadcast flag, the broadcast flag being at least a portion of the content, and by removing the broadcast flag from the content when the broadcast flag is detected in the content.

Abstract: A video source device provides a basis value to a symmetric ciphering/deciphering process to a video sink device, to which the video source device is to provide a video content. The video source device ciphers the video content for transmission to the video sink device, including generation of a first cipher key through functional transformation of the basis value. The video source device further verifies periodically that the transmitted video content is indeed being symmetrically deciphered by the video sink device. The video sink device practices symmetric deciphering, including generation of a first decipher key through functional transformation of the basis value. The video sink device also provides verification values to the video source device to facilitate confirmation of symmetric deciphering. In one embodiment, the video source and sink devices further authenticate each other, including generation of an authentication key, which is used in the generation of the first cipher/decipher key.

Abstract: A system is described for protecting digital content stored on a storage medium from unauthorized copying. The system includes a number generator to generate a nonce, an encryption subsystem and a decryption subsystem. The encryption subsystem encrypts data accessed from a storage medium containing a key distribution data block using an encryption bus key prior to transmitting the encrypted data via a data bus. The encryption bus key is derived based on at least a portion of the key distribution data block, at least one device key assigned to the encryption subsystem and the nonce generated by the number generator. The decryption subsystem is coupled to the data bus to decrypt the encrypted data received over the data bus using a decryption bus key derived based on at least a portion of the key distribution data block, at least one device key assigned to the decryption subsystem and the nonce generated by the number generator.

Abstract: A method and apparatus to protect unencrypted content or data in a storage media from prohibited use or reproduction by encrypting unprotected content before it is transmitted to another device or software application. A compliant device or software application is capable of decrypting the content, detecting any watermark within the content, and accessing or processing the content according to the restrictions associated with the detected watermark. Non-compliant devices or software are prevented from accessing or processing the content since they are unable to decrypt it.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention is a method for preventing unauthorized copies of a medium, such as a DVD, from being played by a compliant device by using the validation area (VA) region of a medium to validate keying material. A compliant device is a device that will validate keying material. In one embodiment of the invention, a compliant device validates keying material by using the value in the VA region of the medium. In alternative embodiments, a compliant device will validate keying material by checking correspondence between keying material written to a non-VA region of a medium and validation data written to a VA region of a medium. In the alternative embodiments, if the keying material does not correspond to the validation data, then a compliant device will prevent the contents of the medium from being played.

Abstract: Avoiding transitory uncertainty caused by delayed watermark detection by a device in a content protection system may be accomplished by receiving content having a watermark from a content source, receiving a request for action to process the received content, checking the received content for data associated with the watermark, performing at least one of halting and preventing the requested action when associated data is found in the received content and the associated data indicates that the requested action is not permitted, and beginning the requested action when associated data is found in the received content and the associated data indicates that the requested action is permitted.

Abstract: One embodiment of an apparatus for communicating routing and attribute information for a transaction between hubs in a computer system is disclosed. The apparatus includes a data path input/output unit to output a packet header for a transaction. The packet header includes a transaction descriptor routing field to identify an initiating agent that initiated the transaction. The transaction descriptor routing field includes a hub identification portion and a pipe identification portion. The hub identification portion identifies a hub that contains the initiating agent. The pipe identification portion further identifies the initiating agent within the identified hub if the transaction has no ordering requirements with respect to a second agent in the identified hub.

Abstract: A method of dynamically changing draining priority in a first-in/first out (“FIFO”) device to prevent over-run errors is described. The method includes the steps of detecting data received in the FIFO, asserting a request to drain the FIFO, detecting when an amount of data received in the FIFO has reached a predetermined high watermark value, and asserting a higher priority request to drain the FIFO. The method further includes the steps of detecting when the amount of data received in the FIFO has fallen below the predetermined high watermark value, maintaining assertion of the higher priority request, detecting when the amount of data in the FIFO has fallen below a predetermined hysteresis value, and deasserting the higher priority request to drain the FIFO.

Abstract: Integrated counter-based instrumentation for generating a frequency distribution representation such as a histogram. An integrated circuit device includes an event counter to count a number of a predetermined type of events detected in each of a plurality of measurement periods during a first sub-experiment period. A frequency counter coupled to the event counter is to be incremented at the end of each measurement period if the number counted by the event counter meets a first test. A count stored in the frequency counter is provided to a frequency distribution data store at the end of the first sub-experiment period.

Abstract: An arbitration method for access to a serial bus includes the steps of monitoring for the presence of an arbitration reset gap on the serial bus, and arbitrating for an access, if needed, upon recognizing the presence of an arbitration reset gap on the serial bus. The method further comprises the steps of determining if immediately arbitrating for an additional access without waiting for the presence of another arbitration reset gap on the serial bus is authorized, upon successfully arbitrating for an access. If immediately arbitrating for an additional access is authorized, and the additional access is needed, arbitration for the additional access is immediately made. A method for controlling arbitration for access to a serial bus includes the step of programming bus agents with information for the bus agents to determine whether immediately arbitrating for additional accesses to the serial bus are authorized.

Abstract: Security from an unwanted intrusion into a computer system is provided by coupling a host component with a peripheral component using a high-speed serial bus having a high-speed physical layer and using features of the bus to implement the security. In an embodiment, the high-speed serial bus has a secondary bus layer that is used to implement a number of the security features of the invention.

Abstract: A host interface comprising a reassembler for reassembling and decrypting data that has been encrypted in accordance with a pre-defined key and segmented into a plurality of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells. Each cell comprises a virtual channel identifier (VCI), a multiplexing identifier (MID) if the data is transmitted using the CCITT specified Class 4 connectionless transfer ATM adaptation layer (AAL), and a cell body.

Abstract: A host interface 1 for an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network comprises a Segmenter 2 and Reassembler 3. The host interface 1 is connected to a Sunshine ATM switch 7 via an electrical to optical converter 6 and an IBM RS/6000 workstation 4 via a MicroChannel bus 5. The Reassembler 3 comprises three components, respectively referred to as the Linked List Manager, Dual Port Reassembly Buffer and SONET Interface and VCI Lookup Controller, that are capable of concurrent operation once they are initialized and configured. Those components are capable of reassembling an ATM cell in less than 2.7 microseconds.