Recording /reproduction apparatus, recording method, reproduction apparatus and distribution apparatus

• US 20030031107A1
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamoto, Masaya, Horii, Noriaki, Shimbo, Masatoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/214,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20030031107A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/53.21
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/122 involving the detection of an identification or authentication mark record carriers indicating unauthorised or prior use G11B23/28
• 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 20/00797 wherein the usage restriction limits the number of times a content can be reproduced, e.g. using playback counters
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0084 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific time or date
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data

Abstract

A recording/reproduction apparatus comprises a reading section for reading out audio contents and reproduction controlling information from audio information, a converting section for judging whether or not the reproduction controlling information can be set upon reproduction of the audio contents, wherein when the reproduction controlling information can be set, the converting section outputs the reproduction controlling information, while when the reproduction controlling information cannot be set, the converting section converts the reproduction controlling information to other reproduction controlling information which can be set and outputs the other reproduction controlling information, and a recording section for recording the audio contents and the other reproduction controlling information onto the recording medium when the converting section outputs the other reproduction controlling information.

Claims

1. A recording/reproduction apparatus, comprising:

a reading section for reading out audio contents and reproduction controlling information for controlling the audio contents from audio information containing the audio contents and the reproduction controlling information;

a converting section for judging whether or not the reproduction controlling information can be set upon reproduction of the audio contents, wherein when the reproduction controlling information can be set, the converting section outputs the reproduction controlling information, while when the reproduction controlling information cannot be set, the converting section converts the reproduction controlling information to other reproduction controlling information which can be set and outputs the other reproduction controlling information; and

a recording section for recording the audio contents and the reproduction controlling information onto the recording medium when the converting section outputs the reproduction controlling information, or recording the audio contents and the other reproduction controlling information onto the recording medium when the converting section outputs the other reproduction controlling information.

2. A recording/reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the converting section judges whether or not the reproduction controlling information can be set upon reproduction of the audio contents based on type information indicating a type of the reproduction controlling information which can be set.

3. A recording/reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio information further contains conversion permission information indicating whether or not the reproduction controlling information is permitted to be converted to the other reproduction controlling information;

the reading section further reads out the conversion permission information from the audio information;

the recording/reproduction apparatus further comprises a judging section for judging based on the conversion permission information whether or not the reproduction controlling information can be converted to the other reproduction controlling information; and

the converting section converts the reproduction controlling information to the other reproduction controlling information when the judging section judges that conversion is possible and does not convert the reproduction controlling information to the other reproduction controlling information when the judging section judges that conversion is impossible.

4. A recording/reproduction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audio information further contains conversion information for controlling conversion of the reproduction controlling information to the other reproduction controlling information;

the reading section further reads out the conversion information from the audio information; and

the converting section converts the reproduction controlling information to the other reproduction controlling information based on the conversion information.

5. A recording/reproduction apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the conversion information contains type information indicating a type of reproduction controlling information which can be set.

6. A recording/reproduction apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the conversion information further contains designation information designating contents of the type information.

7. A recording method, comprising:

a first step of reading out audio contents and reproduction controlling information for controlling the audio contents from audio information containing the audio contents and the reproduction controlling information;

a second step of judging whether or not the reproduction controlling information can be set upon reproduction of the audio contents, wherein when the reproduction controlling information can be set, the reproduction controlling information is output, while when the reproduction controlling information cannot be set, the reproduction controlling information is converted to other reproduction controlling information which can be set and the other reproduction controlling information is output; and

a third step of recording the audio contents and the reproduction controlling information onto the recording medium when the reproduction controlling information is output in the second step, or recording the audio contents and the other reproduction controlling information onto the recording medium when the other reproduction controlling information is output in the second step.

8. A distribution apparatus, comprising:

a database storing a plurality of audio contents; and

an output section for outputting audio information containing at least one of the plurality of audio contents,

wherein the audio information further contains reproduction controlling information for controlling the at least one of the plurality of audio contents, and conversion permission information indicating whether or not the reproduction controlling information is permitted to be converted to other reproduction controlling information.

9. A distribution apparatus, comprising:

a database storing a plurality of audio contents; and

an output section for outputting audio information containing at least one of the plurality of audio contents,

wherein the audio information further contains reproduction controlling information for controlling the at least one of the plurality of audio contents, and conversion information for controlling conversion of the reproduction controlling information to other reproduction controlling information.

10. A distribution apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the conversion information contains type information indicating a type of reproduction controlling information which can be set.

11. A distribution apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the conversion information further contains designation information designating contents of the type information.

12. A reproduction apparatus, comprising:

a reading section for reading out audio contents and reproduction controlling information for controlling the audio contents from audio information containing the audio contents and the reproduction controlling information;

a judging section for judging whether or not the audio contents can be reproduced; and

a reproduction section for reproducing the audio contents when a result of judgment by the judging section indicates that reproduction is possible, or not reproducing the audio contents when a result of judgment by the judging section indicates that reproduction is impossible,

wherein the judging section judges whether or not the reproduction controlling information can be set upon reproduction of the audio contents;

when the reproduction controlling information can be set, the judging section judges whether or not the audio contents can be reproduced based on the reproduction controlling information; and

when the reproduction controlling information cannot be set, the judging section converts the reproduction controlling information to other reproduction controlling information which can be set, and judges whether or not the audio contents can be reproduced based on the other reproduction controlling information.

13. A reproduction apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the judging section converts the reproduction controlling information to the other reproduction controlling information based on conversion information for controlling conversion of the reproduction controlling information to the other reproduction controlling information.

14. A recording/reproduction apparatus, comprising:

a reading section for reading out audio contents and permission information indicating a recording medium onto which the audio contents are permitted to be recorded, from audio information containing the audio contents and the permission information;

a judging section for judging whether or not the audio contents can be recorded onto a recording medium based on the permission information; and

a recording section for recording the audio contents onto the recording medium when the judging section judges that recording is possible, and not recording the audio contents onto the recording medium when the judging section judges that recording is impossible.

15. A distribution apparatus, comprising:

a database storing a plurality of audio contents; and

an output section for outputting audio information containing at least one of the plurality of audio contents,

wherein the audio information further contains permission information indicating a recording medium onto which the at least one of the plurality of audio contents is permitted to be recorded.

16. A distribution apparatus, comprising:

a database storing a plurality of audio contents; and

an output section for outputting a plurality of types of reproduction controlling information for controlling at least one of the plurality of audio contents,

wherein the output section outputs audio information containing the at least one of the plurality of audio contents and at least one piece of the plurality of types of reproduction controlling information selected by the user.

17. A distribution apparatus according to claim 16, wherein a bill for the audio information output by the output section is changed based on the at least one reproduction controlling information selected by the user.