TH73532A - How to manage price notification of services delivered per unit of time - Google Patents

Abstract

DC60 (07/05/46) The purpose of this invention is to propose a method for accounting for the consumption time of services delivered per unit of time to a decoder in a system that encrypts news content with a control command which is changed at intervals called the cryptographic interval. The method consists of verifying whether the current time (TC) contains a time variable (Rdate) representing the permitted time for using the service; if so, it decodes the switch and sends the control command back to the decoder; if not, it records the amount (CT) corresponding to the time of use (AT) and adjusts the time variable (Rdate) with the corresponding time. The purpose of this invention is to propose a method for accounting for the consumption time of services delivered per unit of time to a decoder in a system that encrypts news content with a control command which is changed at intervals called the cryptographic interval. The method consists of verifying whether the current time contains a time variable (Rdate) representing the permitted time for using the service; if so, it decodes the switch and sends the control command back to the decoder; if not, it records the amount (CT) corresponding to the time of use (AT). It will then record the amount of money (CT) corresponding to the time of use (AT) and adjust the time variable (Rdate) with the corresponding time.

Claims (10)

1. The accounting method for access times of an encrypted data stream containing a time-changing control word (CW) and encrypted message (CP) is as follows: A user unit (UU) connected to a security module (SC) that verifies user access and decrypts the message (ECM) containing the CW receives the stream. This accounting relies on a cost-to-cost (CT) unit that allows the service to be accessed at a specified time (AT). The method consists of the following steps: a) Communication from the user on the encrypted incoming stream containing the service with time-to-time access; b) Receiving the encrypted message (ECM) containing the CW and specific information for that service via the module (SC), which allows the determination of the specified time (AT) and cost (CT) of the accounting unit; c) Reading the time variable (Rdate), during which time the access is performed. The service will be authorized as follows: g) Determine whether the current time (TC) is set within the authorized time period defined by the time variable (Rdate). If so, authorize the service by sending a control command (CW) back to the user unit (UU). c) If not, instruct the accounting unit (CT) to record the account and determine whether the current time (TC) is within the specified time (AT) attached to the time period defined by the time variable (Rdate). If so, redefine the time variable (Rdate) to move it away from the specified time (AT), and authorize the service by sending a control command (CW) back to the user unit. f) If not, set the condition for the time variable (Rdate) to the specified time (AT) starting from the current time (TC). 2. The time-based accounting method under Claim 1 is characterized by the verification of the credits contained in the module (SC) to determine whether the credits are at least equal to the accounting units (CT). 3. The time-based accounting method according to claim 1 or 2, which has the special characteristic of the new authorized time (Rdate') following the last authorized time or preceding the last authorized time (Rdate), based on the movement in the encrypted stream. 4. The time-based accounting method under claim 3, which is characterized by the movement of such data, is transmitted to the Security Module (SC) and the Communication Module (ECM) with a User Unit (UU). 5. The time-based accounting method under Claim 3 is characterized by the current time (TC) being separated from the message (ECM), and by the permitted time (Rdate') following the last permitted time (Rdate') if the current time falls within this time period, or by the permitted time (Rdate') preceding the last permitted time (Rdate') if the current time falls within this time period. 6. The time-based accounting method under claims 3 through 5 is characterized by the new authorized period preceding the current authorized period. This method involves: - Shifting the time variable (Rdate) so that the new authorized period partially overlaps the previous period. The ratio between the overlapping area and the new area is used to determine the accounting reduction (CT). 7. The time-based accounting method for claims 1 through 6 is characterized by a time variable (Rdate) consisting of a time indicator and a time period (AT), allowing for the determination of the permitted time period. 8. The accounting method based on claim 7, which is characterized by an Electronic Transaction Management Message (ECM) containing the current time base (TC) and a time variable (Rdate) containing the period at which the authorized service expires based on this time base. 9. The time-based accounting method under claims 7 or 8 is characterized by a verification process where the time variable (Rdate) is in the future, compared to the present time (TC), to determine if the time variable lies outside the time period defined by the sum of the present time (TC) and the specified time. If so, the time variable (Rdate) is considered to be outside the permitted time period. 10. The time-based accounting method for claims 1 through 6 is characterized by a time variable (Rdate) consisting of two pointers (Rdatel, Rdateh) that define the start and end points of the permitted service period.