Patent ID: 8677462
Filing Date: 2014-03-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for granting a grace period entitlement, the method comprising: receiving, at a removable security element, a grace period entitlement message comprising an entitlement to a grace period, the grace period entitlement comprising an entitlement to a service which extends an expiration date of an existing expired entitlement to the service; establishing whether a grace period flag indicates that a grace period may be granted; granting a grace period to the existing expired entitlement based, at least in part, on the grace period entitlement message, only if the grace period flag is “off”; predetermining a threshold, such that no further grace periods may be granted to the existing expired entitlement if a grace period counter exceeds the predetermined threshold; setting the grace period flag to indicate that the grace period has been granted; and incrementing the grace period counter once the existing expired entitlement is extended, the flag being “off” when the predetermined threshold is not exceeded, and the flag being “on” when the predetermined threshold is exceeded.