Patent ID: 8761394

Claim:
A method for enabling providing a communication device to decrypt and decode a secure broadcast communication, the method comprising: distributing to a customer a communication device, the communication device comprising: a first circuit that, when enabled, performs at least one function supportive of the decryption, the decoding, or the decryption and decoding of the secure broadcast communications, the communication device fabricated with the first circuit enabled; and a security engine operably coupled to an input of the first circuit and configured to apply thereto a control signal, the first circuit configured to switch between enabled and disabled states in response to changes in the control signal; authorizing the customer as properly subscribed to one or more satellite broadcast services; and after authorizing the customer as properly subscribed to one or more satellite broadcast services, transmitting an encrypted message to the communication device instructing the security engine to alter the state of the control signal applied to the first circuit to enable the first circuit and allow use of the communication device in decrypting and decoding the secure broadcast communication.