PERSONALIZING ANY TV GATEWAY

1 . A method for personalizing a TV gateway of a digital TV system, the digital TV system including the TV gateway, which is connected to external networks, a TV display connectable to the TV gateway, and a TV gateway authentication infrastructure and a user authentication infrastructure in communication with the external networks, the method comprising:

a) authenticating the TV gateway by the TV gateway authentication infrastructure accessing the external networks;

b) authenticating an end-user via end-user credentials contained in a personal tamper resistant device in communication with the TV gateway by the user authentication infrastructure;

c) loading an end-user profile on the TV gateway as a result of the end-user being authenticated;

d) enabling the fruition of authorized end-user TV content on the TV display, by the TV gateway using TV service credentials contained in the end-user profile.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein step a is achieved via gateway specific credentials.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein step b is achieved via end-user specific credentials stored on a tamper resistant device.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the personal tamper resistant device is at least one of (i) in wired communication with the TV gateway via a reader integrated within the TV gateway and (ii) in wireless communication with the TV gateway via a reader external to the TV gateway.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the TV gateway is selected from a group consisting of:

set top boxes;

home gateways; and

residential gateways.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the personal tamper resistant device is selected from a group consisting of:

smart cards;

SIM cards;

USIM cards;

electronic ID cards; and

social security cards.

7 . An apparatus for personalizing a TV gateway of a digital TV system, comprising:

a TV gateway authentication infrastructure in communication with the external networks, the TV gateway authentication infrastructure accessing the external networks and authenticating the TV gateway, which is connected to the external networks:

a user authentication infrastructure in communication with the external networks, the user authentication infrastructure including a personal tamper resistant device in communication with the TV gateway, the personal tamper resistant device authenticating an end-user via end-user credentials contained in the personal tamper resistant device at a first time;

an end-user profile, the end-user profile loadable after the first time onto the TV gateway; and

a TV display connectable to the TV gateway, the TV display enabling the fruition of authorized end-user TV content on the TV display by the TV gateway using TV service credentials contained in the end-user profile.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the gateway authentication infrastructure uses gateway specific credentials.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the personal tamper resistant device stores end-user specific credentials.

10 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the personal tamper resistant device is at least one of (i) in wired communication with the TV gateway via a reader integrated within the TV gateway and (ii) in wireless communication with the TV gateway via a reader external to the TV gateway.

11 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the TV gateway is selected from a group consisting of:

set top boxes;

home gateways; and

residential gateways.

12 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the personal tamper resistant device is selected from a group consisting of:

smart cards;

SIM cards;

USIM cards;

electronic ID cards; and

social security cards.