Content delivery server and content delivery system having the same

• US 20030182306A1
• Filed: 01/14/2003
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Stark Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Stark Company Limited
• Inventors: Maeda, Yukitoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/333,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20030182306A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/103R
• 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: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present invention offers a file distribution system that can restrict the use of files within a certain limit. The system includes a file distribution server. The file distribution server 2 is set up so that it can be connected with user terminals via communication network 3. The server 2 consists of several units. The units included are: the file data memory 24 to store digital file data to distribute, the program memory 25 to store a computer program to manage and play back digital file data, and the transfer-processing unit 26 to transfer management/playback program and digital file data in response to the request from user terminals. The management/playback program carries out the following processes: making storage space on the user terminals to store digital file data, storing the distributed digital file data after converting it to divided-and-spread data group according to certain rules, restoring the stored converted-file data to original digital file data by re-converting the converted-file data according to the rules, and playing back the restored digital file data.

Claims

1. A server for file distribution connected to a user terminal through a communication network comprising:

a file data memory having digital file data to be transmitted;

a program memory having a computer program managing and playing back said digital file data;

a management/playback program stored in said program memory requested from said user terminal; and

a transfer processing unit transferring said digital file data stored in said file data memory;

wherein said management/playback program performs a step of setting a storage space of said digital file data transferred from said file distribution server into a memory of said user terminal,

a step of storing said digital file data converted to data group divided and spread by a setting rule in said storage space of said digital file data,

a step of decoding said data group stored in said memory of said user terminal to said digital file data by said setting rule, and

a step of playing back said decoded digital file data on said user terminal.

2. The server for file distribution connected to a user terminal through a communication network according to claim 1 wherein said setting rule is unique to each one of its users.

3. The server for file distribution connected to a user terminal through a communication network according to claim 1 or 2 wherein said transfer processing unit transferring said digital file data requested from said user terminal with a deletion condition data,

said management/playback program performs a step of setting a storage space of said digital file data and said deletion condition data transferred from said file distribution server into said memory of said user terminal,

a step of storing said digital file data converted to data group divided and spread by a setting rule in said storage space with said deletion condition data,

a step of decoding said data group stored in said memory of said user terminal to said digital file data by said setting rule,

a step of playing back said decoded digital file data on said user terminal

a step of comparing said deletion condition, and

a step of deleting said converted digital file data stored in said memory of said user terminal when said deletion condition is satisfied.

4. The server for file distribution connected to a user terminal through a communication network according to any one of claim 1 to 3 wherein said management/playback program performs a step of dividing said transferred digital file data into a plurality of data groups by a setting rule,

a step of converting said divided data groups to discontinuously spread data, and

a step of storing said discontinuously spread data in said storage space with said deletion condition data.

9. The server for files distribution connected to a user terminal through a communication network according to claim 1 or 8 wherein said transfer processing unit codes data being transferred, and wherein said management/playback program performs a step of decoding said coded transferred data and a step of playing back said decoded transferred data.

10. A file distribution system comprising:

a server for file distribution;

a user terminal connected through a communication network;

wherein said server for file distribution is any server described the above any one of claim 1 to 9.

5. A server for file distribution connected to a user terminal through a communication network comprising:

a file data memory having digital file data to be transmitted;

a program memory having a computer program managing and playing back said digital file data;

a management/playback program stored in said program memory requested from said user terminal; and

a transfer processing unit transferring said digital file data stored in said file data memory;

wherein said transfer processing unit converting said digital file data requested from said user terminal into data groups divided and spread by a setting rule and transferring said converted digital file data to said user terminal,

wherein said management/playback program performs a step of setting a storage space of said digital file data transferred from said file distribution server into a memory of said user terminal,

a step of storing said converted digital file data in said setting storage space,

a step of decoding said converted digital file data in said memory of said user terminal to said digital file data by said setting rule, and

a step of playing back said decoded digital file data on said user terminal.

6. The server for file distribution connected to a user terminal through a communication network according to claim 5 wherein said setting rule is unique to each one of users.

7. The server for file distribution connected to a user terminal through a communication network according to claim 5 or 6 wherein said transfer processing unit transferring said converted digital file data with a deletion condition data to said user terminal,

wherein said management/playback program performs a step of setting a storage space of said digital file data and said deletion condition data transferred from said file distribution server into said memory of said user terminal,

a step of storing said converted digital file data with said deletion condition data in said storage space,

a step of decoding said converted digital file data stored in said memory to said digital file data by said setting rule,

a step of playing back said decoded digital file data on said user terminal,

a step of comparing said deletion condition, and

a step of deleting said converted digital file data stored in said memory of said user terminal when said deletion condition is satisfied.

8. The server for file distribution connected to a user terminal through a communication network according to any one of claim 5 to 7 wherein said transfer processing unit dividing said digital file data requested from said user terminal in a plurality of data groups by a setting rule,

converting said divided data groups to discontinuously spread data, and

transferring said converted digital file data to said user terminal.