System for protecting security registers and method thereof

摘要

A system and methods are shown for protecting registers among data processors. Sets of protected registers on data processors are used for enabling security features related to the protection of multimedia content. The security features relate to techniques used to prevent the multimedia content from being successfully copied. The data processors also include general registers used for general processor features and settings. Commands to control the general and security features are placed on a non-secure data bus. The commands related to the general settings are passed directly to the data processors' registers, allowing direct access and control. The commands related to the security settings are addressed to a secure processor. The secure processor processes the commands to determine whether the source application that generated the commands is authorized to make such changes. If the source application is authenticated, the security related commands are passed along a secured data bus to the security related registers. The security registers can only be accessed through the secure data bus and the secure processor. The secure data bus is isolated from the non-secure data bus and is invisible external to the system encompassing the secure processor and the data processors.