Patent ID: 7242766

Claim:
A repeater configured to implement a content protection protocol, for use in a communication system including a transmitter, an external agent configured to be coupled to the repeater and the transmitter, at least one transition minimized differential signaling-like (“TMDS-like”) link coupled to the transmitter, a second TMDS-like link, and a receiver coupled to the second TMDS-like link and configured to receive re-encrypted data transmitted over the second TMDS-like link and to decrypt the re-encrypted data, wherein the transmitter is configured to implement the content protection protocol and is operable in an encryption mode to generate encrypted data using a secret value and transmit the encrypted data over the at least one TMDS-like link, the external agent is configured to respond to a ticket request by determining or obtaining a determination as to whether to grant the request, and to send signals to the transmitter and the repeater when coupled thereto in response to each granted ticket request to enable the transmitter and the repeater to operate respectively in the encryption mode and a decryption mode, wherein the signals include at least one of the secret value, an encrypted version of the secret value, and data enabling the transmitter and the repeater to obtain the secret value, and wherein the repeater includes: first circuitry configured to be coupled to at least one said TMDS-like link to receive the encrypted data from the transmitter and configured to operate in the decryption mode in response to at least one of the signals sent by the external agent in response to said granted ticket request to generate decrypted data by decrypting the encrypted data using the secret value and to generate translated data by processing the decrypted data; and second circuitry coupled to the first circuitry and configured to be coupled to the second TMDS-like link, wherein the second circuitry is configured to generate re-encrypted data by encrypting the translated data, and to transmit the re-encrypted data over the second TMDS-like link when coupled to said second TMDS-like link, wherein the repeater is configured to send the ticket request to the external agent when the repeater is coupled to said external agent.