Data reception system capable of replacing recording medium

• US 20020133741A1
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Published: 09/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yokota, Hiroshi, Ikoma, Tatsuro, Maeda, Kazuki
• Granted Patent: US 7,010,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1402 Saving, restoring, recovering or retrying

Abstract

A reception apparatus 11 records a content distributed from a content distribution apparatus 1 on a hard disk 81. Following an instruction from a viewer, the reception apparatus 11 reproduces the content. The reception apparatus 11 transmits management information including identification information about the content recorded on the hard disk 81 to a management apparatus 21. The management apparatus 21 stores the information in a management information storage 50. When the hard disk 81 fails, a replacement hard disk 82 is attached to the management apparatus 21. The management apparatus 21 retrieves, based on the stored management information, the same content as the content recorded on the hard disk 81 from a content distribution apparatus 1, etc., and records the retrieved content on the replacement hard disk 82. The hard disk 81 is then replaced with the hard disk 82 with the content recorded thereon.

Claims

1. A data reception system comprising a reception apparatus having a recording medium and a management apparatus for managing the reception apparatus,

the reception apparatus comprising:

data reception means for receiving data from a data source;

the recording medium for recording the data received by the data reception means;

recording control means for controlling access to the recording medium; and

management information output means for outputting management information including identification information about the data recorded on the recording medium, and

the management apparatus comprising;

management information input means for inputting the management information; and

data recovery means for recovering, when the recoding medium is replaced, the data recorded on the recording medium before replaced as recovered data based on the management information inputted by the management information input means.

2. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the management apparatus is so constructed as to enable the recording medium to be removably attached thereto, and

the management apparatus further comprises second recording control means for recording, when the recording medium is replaced, the recovered data on a replacement recording medium attached to the management apparatus.

3. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the management apparatus further comprises recovered data transmission means for transmitting the recovered data,

the reception apparatus further comprises recovered data reception means for receiving the recovered data, and

the recording control means records the recovered data received by the recovered data reception means on a replacement recording medium when the recording medium is replaced.

4. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the management apparatus is so constructed as to enable the recording medium to be removably attached thereto,

the management apparatus further comprises:

second recording control means for recording, when the recording medium is replaced, a program for receiving the recovered data on a replacement recording medium attached to the management apparatus; and

recovered data transmission means for transmitting the recovered data,

the reception apparatus further comprises recovered data reception means for receiving, when the recording medium is replaced, the recovered data by reading the program from the replacement recording medium removed from the management apparatus and then attached to the reception apparatus and using the read program, and

the recording control means records the recovered data received by the recovered data reception means on the replacement recording medium when the recording medium is replaced.

5. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the management information output means transmits the management information to the management apparatus, and

the management information input means receives the management information from the reception apparatus for storage, and, when the recording medium is replaced, outputs the stored management information to the data recovery means.

6. The data reception system according to claim 5, wherein

the management information output means transmits use limit information of the data recorded on the recording medium as being included in the management information to the management apparatus, and, when the data recorded on the recording medium is used, transmits a use report about the data to the management apparatus, and

the management information input means updates the use limit information of the data included in the stored management information based on the use report received from the management information output means.

7. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the reception apparatus and the management apparatus are both so constructed as to enable a second recording medium differed from the recording medium to be removably attached thereto;

the management information output means records the management information on the second recording medium attached to the reception apparatus, and

when the recording medium is replaced, the management information input means reads the management information from the second recording medium removed from the reception apparatus and then attached to the management apparatus, and outputs the read management information to the data recovery means.

8. The data reception system according to claim 7, wherein

the management information output means records, on the second recording medium, use limit information of the data recorded on the recording medium as being included in the management information, and, when the data recorded on the recording medium is used, updates the use limit information of the data recorded on the second recording medium.

9. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the management information output means stores therein the management information, and, when the recording medium is replaced, transmits the stored management information to the management apparatus, and

the management information input means receives, when the recording medium is replaced, the management information from the reception apparatus, and outputs the received management information to the data recovery means.

10. The data reception system according to claim 9, wherein

the management information output means stores therein use limit information of the data recorded on the recording medium as being included in the management information, and, when the data recorded on the recording medium is used, updates the stored use limit information included in the management information.

11. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

when the recording medium is replaced, the data recovery means receives the data from the data source, and obtains the recovery data based on the received data.

12. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

when the recording medium is replaced, the data recovery means receives the data from a reception apparatus other than the reception apparatus where the recording medium is replaced, and obtains the recovery data based on the received data.

13. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the management apparatus further comprises time-limited data reception means for receiving data distributed within a limited time period for storage, and

when the recording medium is replaced, the data recovery means obtains the recovery data based on the data stored in the time-limited data reception means.

14. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the reception apparatus further comprises decision means for deciding whether the recording medium should be replaced or not.

15. The data reception system according to claim 14, wherein

the decision means decides whether the recording medium should be replaced or not based on a state of failure on the recording medium.

16. The data reception system according to claim 14, wherein

the decision means decides whether the recording medium should be replaced or not based on an amount of remaining free space of the recording medium.

17. The data reception system according to claim 14, wherein

the reception apparatus further comprises display means for displaying a decision result made by the decision means.

18. The data reception system according to claim 14, wherein

the data recovery means starts to obtain the recovered data based on a decision result made by the decision means.

19. The data reception system according to claim 14, wherein

after the decision means decides that the recording medium should be replaced, the recording control means receives the recovery data from the management apparatus instead of making access to the recording medium until replacement of the recording medium is completed.

20. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the data recorded on the recording medium is encrypted by an encryption key unique to the reception apparatus.

21. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

after a predetermined time elapses from the time of recovery, the recovered data can be used only when a condition for returning the recording medium is satisfied.

22. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the recording medium is so constructed as to have the recorded data deleted when removed from the reception apparatus.

23. The data reception system according to claim 1, wherein

the reception apparatus and the management apparatus are connected via the Internet to each other.

24. A data reception method using a reception apparatus having a recording medium and a management apparatus for managing the reception apparatus,

the reception apparatus executing:

a step of receiving data to be recorded on the recording medium from a data source;

a step of controlling access to the recording medium; and

a step of outputting management information including identification information about the data recorded on the recording medium, and

the management apparatus executing;

a step of receiving the management information; and

a step of recovering, when the recoding medium is replaced, the data recorded on the recording medium before replaced as recovered data based on the management information received in the management information receiving step.