IP Library Granted Patent US 8,737,620
Granted Patent B2
US 8,737,620 · App. 12/714,179 · Granted May 27, 2014

Securely providing secret data from a sender to a receiver

Inventors: Philip Allan Eisen (Ottawa, CA); Ettore Benedetti (Leiden, NL); Arnoud Evert Van Foreest (Leiden, NL); Andrew Augustine Wajs (Haarlem, NL)
Assignee: Irdeto B.V.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,737,620
App. No.
12/714,179
Granted
May 27, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention provides a system and a method for securely providing a secret data from a sender to one or more receivers. The receiver uses a sequence of functions originating from a hierarchy of functions to migrate the secret data from an input transform space to an output transform space using a mathematical transformation under control of one or more seeds. The seeds are provided to the receiver by the sender. The sender conditionally allows the receiver to obtain the secret data by controlling the seeds.

Claims (54)

1. A system for securely providing a secret data to one or more receivers, wherein the receiver comprises a first memory configured for storing a sequence of functions originating from a hierarchy of functions, for migrating the secret data from an input transform space to a final output transform space, the system comprising:

a sender including:

an interface for communication with one or more receivers;

a processor configured to:

define the hierarchy of functions such that the sequence of the functions comprises:

a first function at a first level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the secret data using a first seed,

a second function at a second level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the output of the first function using a second seed, and

a third function at a third level of the hierarchy of functions for transformation of the output of the second function using a third seed;

provide either one or more of the seeds including the second seed to the receiver; and

change accessibility of the receiver to the secret data by updating the second seed based on the third seed of the receiver,

wherein a transformation is a particular data encoding chosen to be lossless and not easily reversible.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each function in the sequence of functions is controlled by a unique seed and wherein the sender is configured to provide each unique seed to the receiver.

3. The system according to claim 2 , wherein the sequence of functions is unique to the receiver.

4. The system according to any of the claims 1 - 3 , wherein the receiver comprises a second memory configured for storing a personalized seed and wherein the receiver is configured to obtain the secret data by migrating the secret data from the final output transform space to a clear text transform space under control of the personalized seed.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein each function is protected by code obfuscation.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sender is configured to transmit a new function to the receiver and wherein the receiver is configured to replace in the memory one or more of the functions in the sequence of functions with the new function.

7. A receiver for securely receiving a secret data from a sender and for use in a system according to claim 1 , comprising:

a first memory configured for storing a sequence of functions originating from a hierarchy of functions, the sequence of the functions comprising:

a first function at a first level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the secret data using a first seed,

a second function at a second level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the output of the first function using a second seed, and

a third function at a third level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the output of the second function using a third seed, and

a processor configured to:

migrate the secret data from an input transform space to a final output transform space using the sequence of functions, and

receive either one or more of the seeds including the second seed, from the sequence of functions being configured such that accessibility of the receiver to the secret data being changed based on a relationship between the second seed for the second function and the third seed for the third function,

wherein a transformation is a particular data encoding chosen to be lossless and not easily reversible.

8. A method for securely providing a secret data from a sender t, one or more receivers, the receiver comprising a processor and a memory configured for storing a sequence of functions originating from a hierarchy of functions he method comprising the steps of:

defining the hierarchy of functions such that the sequence of function comprises:

a first function at a first level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the secret data using a first seed;

a second function at a second level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the output of the first function using a second seed; and

a third function at a third level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the output of the second function using a third seed;

providing one or more of the seeds including the second seed from the sender to the receiver to mitigate, by the processor in the receiver, the secret data from an input transform space to a final output transform space using the sequence of functions under control of the seeds; and

changing accessibility of the receiver to the secret data, including updating the second seed based on the third seed of the receiver.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein each function in the sequence of functions is controlled by a unique seed and wherein the method comprises the step of providing each unique seed from the sender to the receiver.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the sequence of functions is unique to the receiver.

11. The method according to any of the claims 8 - 10 , further comprising the steps of reading a personalized seed from a second memory in the receiver and obtaining in the receiver the secret data by migrating the secret data from the final output transform space to a clear text transform space under control of the personalized seed.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein each function is protected by code obfuscation.

13. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising the steps of transmitting a new function from the sender to the receiver and replacing in the memory of the receiver one or more of the functions in the sequence of functions with the new function.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a computer device, cause the computer device to perform a method in a sender for securely providing a secret data to one or more receivers, the method comprising:

defining a hierarchy of functions, the hierarchy of the functions forming a sequence of functions comprising:

a first function at the first level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the secret data using a first seed,

a second function at a second level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the output of the first function using a second seed; and

a third function at a third level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the output of the second function using a third seed;

providing one or more of the seeds including the second seed to the receivers; and

changing accessibility of the receiver to the secret data, including updating the second seed based on the third seed of the receiver,

wherein a transformation is a particular data encoding chosen to be lossless and not easily reversible.

15. A method in a receiver for securely receiving a secret data, the receiver comprising a processor and a memory configured for storing a sequence of functions originating from a hierarchy of functions, the sequence of functions comprising:

a first function at a first level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the secret data using a first seed;

a second function at a second level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the output of the first function using a second seed; and

a third function at a third level of the hierarchy of functions, for transformation of the output of the second function using a third seed,

the method comprising:

receiving one or more of the seeds including the second seed from the sender; and

migrating, by the processor, the secret data from an input transform space to a final output transform space using the sequence of functions under control of the seeds; and

in response to receiving a selectively provided second seed for the second function, changing accessibility to the final output transform space by updating the second seed based on the third seed of the receiver,

wherein a transformation is a particular data encoding chosen to be lossless and not easily reversible.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 11, 2013
From: IRDETO ACCESS B.V.
To: IRDETO B.V.
Reel/Frame 031207/0045 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2010
From: EISEN, PHILIP ALLAN; BENEDETTI, ETTORE; FOREEST, ARNOUD EVERT VAN; WAJS, ANDREW AUGUSTINE
To: IRDETO ACCESS B.V.
Reel/Frame 024556/0323 →
Priority Claims (2)
EP 09154129 · Mar 2, 2009 · regional
EP 10154150 · Feb 19, 2010 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100246822A1 · Sep 30, 2010