System and method for identifying empty locations in a scrambled memory

1. A set-top box, comprising:

a tuner operable to capture input signals from an external source;

a demodulator operable to demodulate the captured input signals; and

a demultiplexer operable to select at least one desired signal from the demodulated input signals, the demultiplexer comprising:

a memory operable to store scrambled data at a plurality of memory locations; and

an empty detector operable to determine whether a specified memory location is empty using contents of the specified memory location/ wherein the contents of the specified memory location are not descrambled for use by the empty detector in determining whether the specified memory location is empty.

2. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the empty detector is operable to determine whether the specified memory location is empty by:

determining whether the specified memory location has an address contained in a first address range or in a second address range; and

determining whether the specified memory location is empty based at least partially on contents of the specified memory location and on whether the address of the specified memory location is contained in the first address range or the second address range.

3. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the demultiplexer further comprises:

a write scrambler operable to scramble the data before storage in the memory;

a read de-scrambler operable to de-scramble the data after retrieval from the memory; and

a memory controller operable to control storage of data in and retrieval of data from the memory.

4. The set-top box of claim 3 wherein:

the empty detector is operable to set a flag indicating whether the specified memory location is empty; and

the memory controller is operable to:

store a value in the specified memory location when the flag indicates that the specified memory location is empty; and

clear the specified memory location and then store the value in the specified memory location when the flag indicates that the specified memory location is not empty.

5. The set-top box of claim 1 , further comprising a decoder operable to decode the at least one demultiplexed desired signal.

6. The set-top box of claim 5 , wherein:

the tuner comprises at least one of a digital coaxial tuner, a digital satellite system tuner, and a cable modem tuner;

the demodulator comprises at least one of a quadrature amplitude modulator, a quadrature phase shift keying modulator, and a cable modem;

the decoder comprises at least one of a Motion Picture Experts Group-1 (MPEG-1) decoder, an MPEG-2 decoder, and an MPEG-4 decoder; and

the demultiplexer is operable to select at least one desired signal from an MPEG transport stream.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

demultiplexing the demodulated encrypted video signal.

8. The set-top box of claim 1 , wherein the memory comprises a non-volatile memory.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving an encrypted video signal;

identifying a specified memory location in a memory, wherein the memory stores scrambled data;

determining whether the specified memory location is empty by retrieving data stored at the specified memory location from the memory, wherein the retrieved data has not been descrambled; and

writing decryption data associated with the encrypted video signal at the specified memory location in response to determining that the specified memory location is empty.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

determining whether the specified memory location has an address contained in a first address range or in a second address range; and

determining whether the specified memory location is empty further based on whether the address of the specified memory location is contained in the first address range or the second address range.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first address range is associated with a first memory mapping and the second address range is associated with a second memory mapping.

12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

setting a flag in response to determining that the specified memory location is empty.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining whether the specified memory location is empty further based on a comparison of the retrieved data to an erase state.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory.

15. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

in response to determining that the specified memory location is not empty, erasing the specified memory location.

16. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

reading the decryption data from the specified memory location; and

decrypting the encrypted video signal based on the decryption data.

17. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

demodulating the encrypted video signal to produce a demodulated encrypted video signal.