Patent ID: 7502470

Claim:
A method for content protection in an apparatus comprising: receiving encrypted data in the apparatus according to a first encryption protocol wherein the apparatus comprises: an open system architecture configured to allow end users to add or remove hardware components, software modules, or both; a closed subsystem of the apparatus to receive the encrypted data, wherein the closed subsystem does not allow end users to add hardware components or software modules thereto or remove hardware components or software modules therefrom; and combiner circuitry that may add unprotected graphics and audio data to raw data; generating raw data in a closed subsystem of the apparatus within the open system architecture, the raw data being generated in the closed subsystem by decrypting the encrypted data and performing additional processing on the encrypted data wherein the additional processing comprises: decompressing the encrypted data if compressed encrypted data is received; and manipulating the encrypted data for output; preventing access to the raw data outside of the closed subsystem; adding any applicable unprotected graphics and audio data to the raw data using the combiner circuitry; generating protected data in the closed subsystem by re-encrypting the raw data using a second encryption protocol to generate protected data with any added graphics and audio data; and asserting the protected data from the closed subsystem to an external device or system.