Method and apparatus for detecting protection of audio and video signals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for protecting access to audio and/or video data is accomplished when data is received, where the data may be audio data and/or video data. Having received the data, it is interpreted to determine whether an embedded data access parameter is active. If so, an indication of the particular type of data access is generated. The data access parameter may control access to the data as at least one of: copy restrictions, viewing restrictions, and/or use restrictions. The indication is subsequently provided to a computer system such that unauthorized accessing, including unauthorized copying, of the video and/or audio data is prohibited.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for a computing system to provide protection of incoming data, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving, by a video decoder of the computing system, data of at least one of analog audio data and analog video data, wherein a line of the data includes screen end information, a data access parameter, color burst information, and at least one of audio and video data and wherein the data access parameter is independent of a source of the data; 
 digitizing, by the video decoder independent of the data access parameter, the at least one of audio and video data to produce digital video, wherein, once the at least one of audio and video data is digitized, the data access parameter is lost; 
 prior to enabling a central processing unit to access the digital video, determining by a graphics controller whether the data access parameter restricts accessing of the digital video; and 
 when the data access parameter restricts accessing of the digital video, preventing the central processing unit from accessing the digital video without restriction. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  1  further comprises, within step (a), receiving the date from at least one of: a digital video disc driver within the computing system, a video cassette recorder, and a video transmission source. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data access parameter comprises at least one of: copy restrictions and parental control. 
     
     
       4. A video decoder system comprising:
 a processing circuit; and 
 memory that stores programming instructions that, when read by the processing circuit, causes the processing circuit to: 
 cause a video decoder of a computing system to receive data of at least one of analog audio data and analog video data, wherein a line of the data includes screen end information, a data access parameter, color burst information, and at least one of audio and video data and wherein the data access parameter is independent of a source of the data; 
 digitizing, independent of the data access parameter, at least one of audio and video data to produce a digital signal, wherein once the at least one of audio and video data is digitized, the data access parameter is lost; 
 prior to enabling a central processing unit to access the digital signal, determine whether the data access parameter restricts accessing of the digital signal; and 
 when the data access parameter restricts accessing of the digital signal, prevent the central processing unit from accessing the digital signal without restriction. 
 
     
     
       5. The video decoder of  claim 14 , wherein the memory further comprises programming instructions that, when read by the processing circuit, causes the processing circuit to receive the data from at least one of: a digital video disc driver within the computing system, a video cassette recorder, and a video transmission source. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the accessing performed by the central processing unit further comprises copying the digital signal. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the accessing performed by the central processing unit further comprises providing the digital signal to a display device. 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the digital signal further comprises audio and/or video data. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the data access parameter includes copy restriction information. 
     
     
       10. A digital storage medium that stores programming instructions that, when read by a processing device, causes the processing device to detect protection of at least one of audio and video, the digital storage medium comprises:
 first storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing device, causes the processing device to cause a video decoder of a computing system to receive data of at least one of analog audio data and analog video data, wherein a line of the data includes screen end information, a data access parameter, color burst information, and at least one of audio and video data and wherein the data access parameter is independent of a source of the data; 
 second storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing device, causes the processing device to digitize, independent of the data access parameter, the at least one of audio and video data to produce digital video, wherein, once the at least one of audio and video data is digitized, the data access parameter is lost; 
 third storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing device, causes the processing device to contemporaneous with the digitizing and prior to enabling a central processing unit to access the digital video, determine whether the data access parameter restricts accessing of the digital video; and 
 fourth storage means for storing programming instructions that, when read by the processing device, causes the processing device to, when the data access parameter restricts accessing of the digital video, prevent the central processing unit from accessing the digital video without restriction. 
 
     
     
       11. A method for a computing system to provide protection of incoming data, the method comprising:
 receiving, by a video decoder, data of at least one of analog audio data and analog video data, wherein a line of the data includes screen end information, a data access parameter, color burst information, and at least one of audio and video data and wherein the data access parameter is independent of a source of the data;   digitizing, by the video decoder, independent of the data access parameter, at least one of audio and video data to produce digital video, wherein once the at least one of audio and video data is digitized, the data access parameter is lost;   prior to enabling a central processing unit to access the digital video, determine whether the data access parameter restricts accessing of the digital video;   when the data access parameter restricts accessing of the digital video, prevent the central processing unit from accessing the digital video without restriction; and   wherein the incoming data includes an embedded data access parameter and wherein the method includes storing the digital video in memory wherein the stored digital video in the memory does not include the embedded data access parameter.   
     
     
       12. The method of claim 11 wherein preventing the central processing unit from accessing the digital video without restriction includes controlling access to the digital video to provide at least one of: copy restriction, viewing restriction and use restriction of the digital video. 
     
     
       13. The method of claim 12 wherein providing at least one of: copy restriction, viewing restriction and use restriction of the digital video includes controlling access to the digital video to provide a viewing option, parental control, still frame copy restriction, copying with copyright notices, and reduced quality copying. 
     
     
       14. A computing system to provide protection of incoming data that includes an embedded data access parameter comprising:
 a video digitizer circuit operative to receive data of at least one of analog audio data and analog video data, wherein a line of the data includes screen end information, a data access parameter, color burst information, and at least one of audio and video data and wherein the data access parameter is independent of a source of the data and the digitizer circuit is operative to digitize, independent of the data access parameter, at least one of audio and video data to produce digital video, wherein once the at least one of audio and video data is digitized, the data access parameter is lost;   memory operatively coupled to the video digitizer circuit, for storing the digital video wherein the stored video data does not include the data access parameter;   a protection detection circuit operative to detect the presence of the embedded data access parameter and provide an indication of protection based on the embedded data access parameter when the embedded data access parameter is detected wherein the indication of protection indicates one of a plurality of different types of data access; and   at least one of: a central processing unit and another computer element, responsive to the indication of protection from the protection detection circuit and operative to process the stored video data based on the indication of protection.   
     
     
       15. A method for a computer system to protect access to video data received from an analog video signal that includes an embedded data access parameter comprising:
 digitizing, by a video decoder, the analog video signal to produce stored digital video wherein once the analog video signal is digitized, the embedded data access parameter is lost;   receiving, by a controller, an indication of data access restriction for stored digital video data that is stored in memory, based on the embedded data access parameter, wherein the stored digital video data was generated by the digitizing operation and does not include any embedded data access parameter from the analog video signal or any other data access parameter; and   processing the stored digital video data in accordance with the received indication of data access restriction.   
     
     
       16. The method of claim 15 wherein the indication of data access restriction indicates one of a plurality of different types of data access of the stored digital video data and wherein processing the stored digital video data in accordance with the received indication of data access restriction includes controlling access to the stored digital video data to provide at least one of: copy restriction, viewing restriction and use restriction of the digital video data. 
     
     
       17. The method of claim 16 wherein controlling to provide at least one of: copy restriction, viewing restriction and use restriction of the digital video includes controlling access to the stored digital video data to provide at least one of a viewing option, parental control, still frame copy restriction, copying with copyright notices, and reduced quality copying. 
     
     
       18. A computer system to protect access to video data received from an analog video signal that includes an embedded data access parameter comprising:
 a video digitizer circuit operative to digitize, independent of the data access parameter, at least one of audio and video data to produce digital video, wherein once the at least one of audio and video data is digitized, the data access parameter is lost;   memory containing stored digital video data obtained from the analog video signal wherein the stored digital video data does not include the embedded data access parameter from the analog video signal or any other data access parameter; and   at least one of: a central processing unit, a computer element and a peripheral device, operatively coupled to the memory, and operative to receive an indication of data access restriction based on monitoring of the analog video signal, for stored digital video data that is stored in memory, based on the embedded data access parameter, and operative to process the stored digital video data in accordance with the received indication of data access restriction.   
     
     
       19. The computer system of claim 18 wherein the indication of data access restriction indicates one of a plurality of different types of data access of the stored digital video data and wherein the at least one of the CPU, computer element and peripheral device processes the stored digital video data in accordance with the received indication of data access restriction and includes controlling access to the stored digital video data to provide at least one of: copy restriction, viewing restriction and use restriction of the digital video data. 
     
     
       20. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the at least one of the CPU, computer element and peripheral device provides at least one of: copy restriction, viewing restriction and use restriction of the digital video by controlling access to the digital video data to provide at least one of a viewing option, parental control, still frame copy restriction, copying with copyright notices, and reduced quality copying. 
     
     
       21. A method for a computer system to protect access to video data received from an analog video signal that includes an embedded data access parameter comprising:
 monitoring the analog video signal via a controller in a first processing path to obtain the embedded access parameter;   converting the analog video signal via a digitizer in a second processing path to produce digital video data wherein once the analog video signal is digitized, the digital video data does not include the embedded access parameter;   storing the digital video data that does not include the embedded access parameter; and   processing by a processor, the stored digital video data that does not include the embedded access parameter, in response to the obtained embedded access parameter obtained by the controller in the first processing path.