Computational efficiently obtaining a control word in a receiver using transformations

1. A receiver for securely obtaining a control word, the receiver comprising:

a first memory configured for storing a transform function configured to receive a transformed control word and a seed and to migrate the transformed control word from an input transform space to an output transform space to obtain the control word using a mathematical transformation under control of the seed, wherein the control word is in a clear text form or in an encrypted form;

a cache memory; and

a cache control module configured to:

intercept the transformed control word and the seed;

search in the cache memory for the control word matching the transform function, the transformed control word and the seed;

in response to the control word matching the transform function and the transformed control word and the seed is found in the cache memory, provide the control word in the cache memory to an output of the transform function without invoking the transform function; and

in response to the control word matching the transform function and the transformed control word and the seed is not found in the cache memory, activate the transform function to transform the transformed control word into the control word, provide the transformed control word and the seed to an input of the transform function, obtain the control word from the transform function based on the transformed control word and the seed, and store the control word associatively with the transform function, the transformed control word and the seed in the cache memory.

2. The receiver according to claim 1 , wherein the first memory is configured for storing two or more transform functions forming a sequence of transform functions and/or a tree of transform functions, and wherein the cache control module is linked to a data bus communicatively connecting the cache memory with one or more of the transform functions.

3. The receiver according to claim 1 , comprising a secure computation environment comprising the first memory, the receiver further comprising a generic computation environment comprising the cache memory.

4. The receiver according to claim 3 , wherein the generic computation environment comprises the cache control module and wherein the data bus communicatively connects the cache control module to inputs and the output of the one or more of the transform functions.

5. The receiver according to claim 3 , wherein each of the one or more of the transform functions comprises a cache control module and wherein the data bus communicatively connects each cache control module to the cache memory.

6. The receiver according to claim 3 , further comprising a smartcard, the smartcard possibly being detachably connected to the receiver, and wherein the smartcard comprises the secure computation environment.

7. The receiver according to claim 6 , wherein the receiver is communicatively linked to the smartcard via a network.

8. The receiver according to claim 1 , wherein the transformed control word is an intermediate value in an entitlement transform tree.

9. A method executed on a processor, for securely obtaining a control word in a receiver comprising a first memory configured for storing a transform function, the method comprising:

receiving a transformed control word and a seed;

intercepting in a cache control module the transformed control word and the seed; searching in a cache memory for the control word matching the transform function, the transformed control word and the seed;

in response to the control word matching the transform function and the transformed control word and the seed is found in the cache memory, providing the control word to an output of the transform function without invoking the transform function, thereby bypassing the transform function; and

in response to the control word matching the transform function and the transformed control word and the seed is not found in the cache memory, activating the transform function including:

providing the transformed control word and the seed to the transform function,

migrating in the transform function the transformed control word from an input transform space to an output transform space based on the transformed control word and the seed to obtain the control word using a mathematical transformation under control of the seed, and

storing the control word associatively with the transform function, the transformed control word and the seed in the cache memory; and

wherein the control word is in a clear text form or in an encrypted form.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the transformed control word is an intermediate value in an entitlement transform tree.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a transformed control word and a seed;

intercepting in a cache control module the transformed control word and the seed; searching in a cache memory for the control word matching the transform function, the transformed control word and the seed;

in response to the control word matching the transform function and the transformed control word and the seed is found in the cache memory, providing the control word to an output of the transform function without invoking the transform function, thereby bypassing the transform function; and

in response to the control word matching the transform function and the transformed control word and the seed is not found in the cache memory, activating the transform function including:

providing the transformed control word and the seed to the transform function,

migrating in the transform function the transformed control word from an input transform space to an output transform space based on the transformed control word and the seed to obtain the control word using a mathematical transformation under control of the seed, and

storing the control word associatively with the transform function, the transformed control word and the seed in the cache memory; and

wherein the control word is in a clear text form or in an encrypted form.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the transformed control word is an intermediate value in an entitlement transform tree.

13. A conditional access system comprising: one or more receivers comprising:

a first memory configured for storing a transform function configured to receive a transformed control word and a seed and to migrate the transformed control word from an input transform space to an output transform space to obtain the control word using a mathematical transformation under control of the seed, wherein the control word is in a clear text form or in an encrypted form;

a cache memory; and

a cache control module configured to:

intercept the transformed control word and the seed;

search in the cache memory for the control word matching the transform function, the transformed control word and the seed;

in response to the control word matching the transform function and the transformed control word and the seed is found in the cache memory, provide the control word in the cache memory to an output of the transform function without invoking the transform function; and

in response to the control word matching the transform function and the transformed control word and the seed is not found in the cache memory, activate the transform function to transform the transformed control word into the control word, provide the transformed control word and the seed to an input of the transform function, obtain the control word from the transform function based on the transformed control word and the seed, and store the control word associatively with the transform function, the transformed control word and the seed in the cache memory; and

a head-end system configured to transmit an entitlement control message and an entitlement management message; wherein the entitlement control message comprising the transformed control word, and an entitlement management message comprising the seed; and

wherein the receiver communicates with a head-end system.

14. The conditional access system according to claim 13 , wherein the transformed control word is an intermediate value in an entitlement transform tree.