Information processing apparatus and method

• US 20020035690A1
• Filed: 07/06/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakano, Takehiko
• Granted Patent: US 7,343,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/171
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 Wired systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3252 using DSA or related signature schemes, e.g. elliptic based signatures, ElGamal or Schnorr schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

In order to limit use of content, when a source receives a request for transmitting content from a sink, the source performs an authentication process. When the authentication is successful, the source transmits to the sink key information necessary for decrypting the encryption applied to the content. The sink can receive the content by receiving the key information and by decrypting the encryption applied to the content by using the key information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for transmitting content to another apparatus via a network, said information processing apparatus comprising:

an encryption unit operable to encrypt the content;

an authentication unit operable to perform an authentication procedure with the another apparatus when the another apparatus requests permission to receive the encrypted content, said authentication procedure providing an authentication result;

a transmitter operable to transmit a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted content to the another apparatus based on said authentication result;

a first obtaining unit operable to obtain identification information of the another apparatus based on said authentication result;

a first counting unit operable to count a total number of units desiring to receive the encrypted content based on said identification information;

a storage unit operable to store said identification information of the another apparatus; and

a controller operable to control a total number of units approved to receive the encrypted content based on said total number of units desiring to receive the encrypted content.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second obtaining unit operable to obtain a number of additional units desiring to receive the encrypted content from the another apparatus based on said authentication result; and

a second counting unit operable to count a total number of units of the another apparatus desiring to receive the encrypted content based on said number of additional units.

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information updating unit operable to delete said identification information stored in said storage unit and to reset said total number of units approved to receive the encrypted content when said decryption key is changed.

4. A method for transmitting content from an information processing apparatus to another apparatus via a network, said method comprising:

encrypting the content;

performing an authentication procedure with the another apparatus when the another apparatus requests permission to receive the encrypted content, said authentication procedure producing an authentication result;

transmitting a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted content to the another apparatus based on said authentication result;

obtaining identification information of the another apparatus based on said authentication result;

counting a total number of units desiring to receive the encrypted content based on said identification information;

storing said identification information of the another apparatus; and

controlling a total number of units approved to receive the encrypted content based on said total number of units desiring to receive the encrypted content.

5. A recording medium having recorded thereon a program for transmitting content from an information processing apparatus to another apparatus via a network, said program comprising:

encrypting the content;

performing an authentication procedure with the another apparatus when the another apparatus requests permission to receive the encrypted content, said authentication procedure producing an authentication result;

transmitting a decryption key for decrypting the encrypted content to the another apparatus based on said authentication result;

obtaining identification information of the another apparatus based on said authentication result;

counting a total number of units desiring to receive the encrypted content based on said identification information;

storing said identification information of the another apparatus; and

controlling a total number of units approved to receive the encrypted content based on said total number of units desiring to receive the encrypted content.

6. An information processing apparatus for receiving content from a first apparatus via a first network, said information processing apparatus comprising:

a first transmitter operable to transmit to the first apparatus a request for permission to receive the content;

a first authentication unit operable to perform a first authentication procedure with the first apparatus, said first authentication procedure producing a first authentication result;

a receiver operable to receive from the first apparatus a first decryption key for decrypting the content based on said first authentication result;

a second transmitter operable to transmit the content received from the first apparatus to a second apparatus via a second network;

a second authentication unit operable to perform a second authentication procedure with said second apparatus when a request for permission to receive the content is made from said second apparatus, said second authentication procedure producing a second authentication result;

a third transmitter operable to transmit a second decryption key to said second apparatus based on said second authentication result;

a first obtaining unit operable to obtain identification information of said second apparatus based on said second authentication result;

a first counting unit operable to count a number of units desiring to receive the content based on said identification information;

a storage unit operable to store said identification information of said second apparatus; and

a controller operable to control a number of units approved to receive the content based on said number of units desiring to receive the content.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a decryption unit operable to decrypt the content; and

an encryption unit operable to encrypt the content decrypted by said decryption unit.

8. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a fourth transmitter operable to transmit said number of units desiring to receive the content to the first apparatus based on said first authentication result;

a second obtaining unit operable to obtain a number of additional units desiring to receive the content from said second apparatus based on said second authentication result; and

a second counting unit operable to count a total number of units of said second apparatus desiring to receive the content based on said number of additional units.

9. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

an information updating unit operable to delete said identification information stored in said storage unit and to reset said number of units approved to receive the content when said second decryption key is changed.

10. A method for receiving content in an information processing apparatus from a first apparatus via a first network, said method comprising:

transmitting to the first apparatus a request for permission to receive the content;

performing a first authentication procedure with the first apparatus to obtain a first authentication result;

receiving from the first apparatus a first decryption key for decrypting the content based on said first authentication result;

transmitting the content received from the first apparatus to a second apparatus via a second network;

performing a second authentication procedure with said second apparatus when a request for permission to receive the content is made from said second apparatus, said second authentication procedure producing a second authentication result;

transmitting a second decryption key to said second apparatus based on said second authentication result;

obtaining identification information of said second apparatus based on said second authentication result;

counting a number of units desiring to receive the content based on said identification information;

storing said identification information of said second apparatus; and

controlling a number of units approved to receive the content based on said number of units desiring to receive the content.

11. A recording medium having recorded thereon a program for receiving content in an information processing apparatus from a first apparatus via a first network, said program comprising:

transmitting to the first apparatus a request for permission to receive the content;

performing a first authentication procedure with the first apparatus to obtain a first authentication result;

receiving from the first apparatus a first decryption key for decrypting the content based on said first authentication result;

transmitting the content received from the first apparatus to a second apparatus via a second network;

performing a second authentication procedure with said second apparatus when a request for permission to receive the content is made from said second apparatus, said second authentication procedure producing a second authentication result;

transmitting a second decryption key to said second apparatus based on said second authentication result;

obtaining identification information of said second apparatus based on said second authentication result;

counting a number of units desiring to receive the content based on said identification information;

storing said identification information of said second apparatus; and

controlling a number of units approved to receive the content based on said number of units desiring to receive the content.