Patent ID: 7995577

Claim:
A method of broadcasting multimedia programs generated by different service operators via a broadband network in which information can be routed to a multicast address so that only one group of terminals corresponding to that multicast address receives the information whereas other terminals connected to the same network do not receive that information, in which method: each network head end multiplexes a multimedia program scrambled using a control word and a cryptogram of that control word in order to obtain a multiplexed content and then broadcasts the multiplexed content to a broadcast multicast address used to set up a point to point multipoint connection between the network head end and the terminals via the network; and one or more network head ends broadcast(s) service messages specific to each service operator in parallel to one or more service multicast addresses to adapt the operation of each terminal so that it is capable of descrambling and using the broadcast multimedia program or, to the contrary, to disable that capability; wherein the network head end(s) broadcast(s) to a reference multicast address a list associating service operator identifiers with one or more first level service multicast addresses, the reference multicast address being known beforehand to all terminals adapted to receive and demultiplex the broadcast multiplexed contents and that reference multicast address being different from all the broadcast multicast addresses; and wherein each terminal receives the multiplexed content by listening at a broadcast multicast address, demultiplexes the multiplexed content, and then, provided that it is authorized to do so, decrypts the cryptogram of the control word, descrambles the multimedia program, and uses the descrambled multimedia program, the terminal including a memory and being adapted to listen simultaneously at a number of multicast addresses; and each terminal receives service messages by listening at the service multicast address(es) as a function of the content of the service message received and the terminal adapts its operation so as to be capable of descrambling and using the broadcast multimedia program or, to the contrary, to disable that capability; and in response to broadcasting the list to the reference multicast address, the terminal listens at one or more first level service multicast addresses specified in that list to receive service messages.