Security Module Dynamic Priority Message Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Pay-TV security modules have limited processing capacity, leading to issues with managing and processing multiple messages simultaneously, resulting in potential decryption failures and blank screens, especially when prioritization is inflexible and fixed.
Innovation Solution
A method for processing messages that categorizes them into high and standard priority levels, with dynamic threshold-based processing, allowing messages with standard priority to be processed ahead of higher priority ones if their associated value exceeds a threshold, ensuring flexible and effective message management according to real-time needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed priority processing is used for control messages, then message processing order is simple and deterministic, but decryption failures occur when multiple messages are received simultaneously due to limited processing capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic priority adjustment where the priority of control messages is not fixed but changes based on system state. When the security module detects that standard priority messages have accumulated beyond a threshold, it promotes their priority to high priority, ensuring they are processed before new high priority messages. This dynamic mechanism adapts to the limited processing capacity of the security module while maintaining reliable decryption.
2Reliability
If all messages are processed sequentially with equal priority, then processing is simple, but decryption failures and blank screens occur when multiple messages are received in short period
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts message processing priority based on queue depth and system state. When standard priority messages accumulate beyond a threshold, their priority is elevated to ensure processing, preventing decryption failures while maintaining efficient throughput by not always processing at maximum priority level.
Solution Approach 2:
The security module continuously monitors the number of pending standard priority messages and uses this feedback to adjust processing priority. When the count exceeds a threshold, the system responds by processing standard messages with high priority, ensuring continuous content access while adapting to the processing capacity constraints.
3Reliability
If high priority messages are always processed first, then important decryption operations are ensured, but standard priority messages may accumulate and cause delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic priority promotion where standard priority messages are elevated to high priority when their queue depth exceeds a threshold. This prevents indefinite delays for standard messages while maintaining reliable handling of high priority messages, as the system adapts priority based on actual queue conditions rather than using fixed priority levels.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention concerns a method for processing messages intended to allow the access to conditional access content and to a security module arranged for implementing this method. The method comprises the steps of receiving by a security module comprising at least one decryption module, a plurality of messages, these messages belonging to at least two different categories; assigning a different priority level to messages from each different category, one of said priority level being defined as high and another priority level, lower that the high priority level, being defined as the standard priority level; associating a value to the messages to which the standard priority level has been assigned; assigning at least one threshold value for the value associated with messages having a standard priority level; and comparing between the threshold value for a determined message and the value associated with said message. If no value associated with said message having standard priority level exceeds the corresponding threshold value, processing the messages according to their priority level, a message to which the high priority level has been assigned being processed before a message to which a lower priority level has been assigned, and change of the value associated with the messages having a standard priority level according to said predefined rule. If the value associated with one of said messages having a standard priority level exceeds the threshold value for the corresponding message, processing one of the messages having a standard priority level before processing a message having a higher priority level, and change of the value associated with the messages having a standard priority level according to said predefined rule.