Patent ID: 6898285
Filing Date: 2005-05-24
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for enabling a primary conditional access provider (CAP) and at least one secondary CAP to provide conditional access (CA) data in respective different formats to control access to at least one data service, comprising the steps of: (a) providing at the primary CAP, first CA data in a first format for encrypting the at least one data service during a plurality of successive crypto-periods, and time data for identifying the successive crypto-periods; (b) transmitting the first CA data and the time data from the primary CAP to the at least one secondary CAP; wherein the at least one secondary CAP is responsive to the first CA data and time data for providing second CA data in a different, second format for the successive crypto-periods; and (c) transmitting a data stream comprising the at least one encrypted data service and first and second CA data to user terminals, including at least a first user terminal that is compatible with the first CA data, and a second user terminal that is compatible with the second CA data.