METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING CONDITIONAL ACCESS IN CONNECTION-ORIENTED, INTERACTIVE NETWORKS WITH A MULTIPLICITY OF SERVICE PROVIDERS

摘要

Methods and apparatus are described for ensuring that programs comprising at least one of video, audio, and data that are requested by a customer from a service provider (SP) (110) via an interactive information services system (10), which transmits the requested programs in program bearing packets to a set top unit (STU) (90) associated with the customer (130), are accessible by only authorized customers (130). The apparatus is positioned between the SP (110) and the STU (90) and comprises: means for receiving the program bearing packets in a first network protocol from a first data link (40) and removing the packets from the first network protocol; means for adding conditional access to the program bearing packets; and, means for re-encapsulating the program bearing bpackets in a second network protocol and outputting the program bearing packets over a second data link (50). Methods and apparatus for applying conditional access are described that comprise encrypting selected program bearing packets with a first key; encrypting the first key with a second key; and, encrypting the second key according to a public-key encryption algorithm using a public key corresponding to a private key stored within the STU (90) associated with the customer (130).