Computer system and usage method thereof

• US 20020120722A1
• Filed: 02/01/2002
• Published: 08/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Okamoto, Shinichi, Kutaragi, Ken, Miura, Kazuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,447,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/206 Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00855 involving a step of exchanging information with a remote server

Abstract

A computer system enabling mutual exchange of information between users and digital contents, in a manner corresponding to each individual disk, comprises a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with an optical disk having a unique disk ID, and a verification server capable of being connected with the computers via a network. Each optical disk has a unique ID, and the verification server has a user database for accumulating user information corresponding to the disk ID. The verification server identifies the optical disk based on the disk ID, and transmits data corresponding to the optical disk to the computer.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium having a unique recording medium ID;

a server capable of being connected with said computers via a network; and

a database associated with said server for accumulating user information corresponding to said recording medium ID;

wherein said server comprises;

means for obtaining said recording medium ID from one of the plurality of computers when that one computer issues a communication request, and

means for identifying said recording medium based on said recording medium ID and said user information in said database,

whereby communication is able to be established between the server and a computer specified by said one of the plurality of computers in response to said identified recording medium.

2. A computer system according to claim 1;

wherein the computer that issues a communication request is the same as the computer that establishes communication with the server.

3. A computer system according to claim 1;

wherein the computer that issues a communication request is different from the computer that establishes communication with the server.

4. A computer system according to claim 1;

wherein said recording medium contains at least one of programs and data; and

said computer system further comprising means for identifying may comprise means for identifying at least one of programs and data stored in the identified recording medium.

5. A computer system according to claim 4;

said communication is able to be established for uploading or downloading of one of programs and data.

6. A computer system according to claim 4 further including means for preparing data for performing at least one of upgrading and debugging for the identified at least one of programs and data, as said data for updating.

7. A computer system according to claim 1;

said computer system further comprising means for preparing data prepares said requested data corresponding to said status and identified recording medium;

wherein said recording medium contains at least one of programs and data; and

wherein said computers each comprise means for supplying to said server the status of said at least one of programs and data stored in said recording medium.

8. A computer system according to claim 1;

wherein each of said computers have unique device IDs; and

wherein said user information in said database contains information relating to said device ID;

said server further comprising

means for obtaining said device ID from said computers in the event that said computers request said data, and

means for identifying said computer based on said device ID and said user information in said database.

9. A computer system according to claim 1;

wherein each user of each of said computers have unique user IDs; and

wherein said user information in said database contains information relating to said user ID;

said server further comprising

means for obtaining said user ID from said computers in the event that said computers request said data, and

means for identifying said user based on said user ID and said user information in said database.

10. A computer system according to claim 1,

wherein the server is connected, via a network, further to at least one contents server having digital contents.

11. A computer system according to claim 10, said server further comprising:

means for performing verification of said recording medium based on said recording medium ID; and

means for judging whether or not to permit providing of said digital contents from said contents server to said computer, based on the results of said verification.

13. A computer system according to claim 12, wherein said requested data is data for updating at least one of programs and data stored in said recording medium.

14. A computer system according to claim 12, further comprising at least one contents server having digital contents, capable of being connected to said server via a network;

wherein said means for preparing data comprises means for sending said status to said contents server; and

wherein said contents server comprises means for selecting said digital contents according to said status and transmitting the selected digital contents to said server.

12. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium storing at least one of programs and data; and

a server capable of being connected with said computers via a network;

wherein said computers each comprise means for supplying to said server the status of said at least one of programs and data stored in said recording medium; and

wherein said server comprises

means for obtaining said status from said computers in the event that said computers request data,

means for preparing said requested data according to said status, and

means for transmitting said requested data to said computer.

15. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium storing at least one of programs and data; and

a server capable of being connected with said computers via a network;

wherein each of said computers have unique device IDs;

said server comprising

a database for accumulating user information corresponding to said device ID,

means for obtaining said device ID from said computers in the event that said computers request data,

means for identifying said computer based on said device ID and said user information in said database,

means for preparing said requested data according to the identified computer, and

means for transmitting said requested data to said computer.

16. A computer system comprising:

a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium storing at least one of programs and data; and

a server capable of being connected with said computers via a network;

wherein each user of each of said computers have unique user IDs;

said server further comprising

a database for accumulating user information corresponding to said user ID,

means for obtaining said user ID from said computers in the event that said computers request said data,

means for identifying said user based on said user ID and said user information in said database,

means for preparing said requested data according to the identified user, and

means for transmitting said requested data to said computer.

17. A server capable of being mutually connected, via a network, with a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium having a unique recording medium ID, said verification server comprising:

a database for accumulating user information corresponding to said recording medium ID;

means for obtaining said recording medium ID from said computers in the event that said computers request data;

means for identifying said recording medium based on said recording medium ID and said user information in said database;

means for preparing said requested data according to the identified recording medium; and

means for transmitting said requested data to said computer.

18. A server capable of being connected, via a network, with a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium storing at least one of programs and data, said server comprising:

means for obtaining the status relating to said at least one of programs and data stored in said recording medium from said computers in the event that said computers request data;

means for preparing said requested data according to said status; and

means for transmitting said requested data to said computer.

19. A method of processing in a computer system comprising a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium having a unique recording medium ID, and a server capable of being connected with said computers via a network;

wherein the processing at said server comprises

a step for obtaining said recording medium ID from said computers in the event that said computers request data,

a step for inputting user information corresponding to said recording medium ID from a database,

a step for identifying said recording medium based on said recording medium ID and said user information,

a step for preparing said requested data according to the identified recording medium, and

a step for transmitting said requested data to said computer.

20. A method of processing in a computer system comprising a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium storing at least one of programs and data, and a server capable of being connected with said computers via a network;

wherein the processing at said server comprises

a step for obtaining the status relating to said at least one of programs and data stored in said recording medium from said computers in the event that said computers request data,

a step for preparing said requested data according to said status, and

a step for transmitting said requested data to said computer.

21. A computer capable of being mounted with a recording medium storing at least one of programs and data, and capable of being connected with a server via a network,;

said recording medium having a unique ID; and

further

said computer comprising;

means supplying at least one of an ID unique to said computer, an ID unique to said recording medium and an ID unique to said user, to said server as verification information, in the event of making a request for data to said server following operations made by a user; and

means for receiving the result of verification from the server.

22. A recording medium for using in a computer system which comprises a plurality of computers, said recording medium storing at least one of programs and data and being capable of being mounted into a computer, wherein the method recorded in the programs comprises;

a step of managing a status relating to the at least one of programs and data stored in the recording medium, with the recoding medium ID,

a step of transmitting request for data the server;

a step for receiving from the server data prepared as requested in response to the status by the server, whereby the recording medium is updated in response thereto.

23. A program for use in a computer system comprising a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium having a unique recording medium ID, and a server capable of being connected with said computers via a network;

wherein the program that record the processing at said server comprises

a step for obtaining said recording medium ID from said computers in the event that said computers request data,

a step for inputting user information corresponding to said recording medium ID from a database,

a step for identifying said recording medium based on said recording medium ID and said user information,

a step for preparing said requested data according to the identified recording medium, and

a step for transmitting said requested data to said computer.

24. A program for use in a computer system comprising a plurality of computers each capable of being mounted with a recording medium storing at least one of programs and data, and a server capable of being connected with said computers via a network;

wherein the program that record the processing at said server comprises

a step for obtaining the status relating to said at least one of programs and data based on a unique ID given to said recording medium from said computers in the event that said computers request data,

a step for preparing said requested data according to said status, and

a step for transmitting said requested data to said computer.