Content-log analyzing system and data-communication controlling device

• US 20030228015A1
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Published: 12/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tatebayashi, Makoto, Futa, Yuichi, Kitatora, Hirohito, Ohmori, Motoji, Yokota, Kaoru, Matsuzaki, Natsume
• Granted Patent: US 7,886,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2803 Home automation networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2812 describing content present in a home automation network, e.g. audio video content retrieval from the Internet G06F16/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2823 Reporting information sensed by appliance or service execution status of appliance services in a home automation network device-related reporting H04L43/065; arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom H04Q9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2834 Switching of information between an external network and a home network access arrangements H04L12/2856
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263

Abstract

In a content-log analyzing system 1, content includes additional information indicating, according to a property of the content, whether or not to record communication of the content in the content-log. When transmitting content to a TV 20 or a PC 30, a data-communication controlling device 40 judges whether or not to record the communication in the content-log based upon additional information of the content, and when judging affirmatively, generates and stores content-log information. A content-log analyzing server 50 obtains the content-log stored in the data-communication controlling device 40, and analyzes the obtained content-log.

Claims

1. A content distributing system for transmitting content from a transmission device to a reception device via a routing device, the system comprising:

the transmission device operable to generate additional information of content according to a property of the content, the additional information indicating whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device, and transmit the additional information, a transmission target address specifying the reception device, and the content, to the routing device;

the routing device operable to receive the additional information, the transmission target address, and the content from the transmission device, and transmit the content to the reception device specified by the transmission target address, and when the additional information indicates to log the communication, generate log information indicating that the content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device, and store the log information;

the reception device operable to receive the content transmitted from the routing device; and

an analyzing device operable to obtain the log information from the routing device, and judge whether the reception device is an unauthorized device, based upon the obtained log information.

2. A transmission device that transmits content to a reception device via a routing device, the transmission device comprising:

an additional information generating unit operable to judge a property of content, and generate additional information of the content according to the property, the additional information indicating whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device; and

a transmitting unit operable to transmit the additional information, a transmission target address specifying the reception device, and the content, to the routing device.

3. A routing device that routes content from a transmission device to a reception device, the routing device comprising:

a receiving unit operable to receive content, additional information of the content, and a transmission target address specifying the reception device, from the transmission device, the additional information indicating, according to a property of the content, whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device;

a routing unit operable to transmit the content to the reception device specified by the transmission target address; and

a log information generating unit operable to generate log information indicating that the content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device, and store the generated log information, when the additional information received by the receiving unit indicates to log the communication.

4. The routing device of claim 3,

wherein the routing device has a device ID that uniquely identifies the routing device, and a certificate that is used to authenticate the device ID,

the routing device further comprises:

a log request receiving unit operable to receive a log request from an analyzing device that analyzes log information, the log request requesting to transmit the log information stored in the log information generating unit; and

a log transmitting unit operable to transmit, to the analyzing device, the device ID, the certificate, and the log information that is stored in the log information generating unit, and

the routing device is authenticated by the analyzing device based upon the device ID and the certificate transmitted to the analyzing device.

5. The routing device of claim 4,

wherein the receiving unit is operable to receive content that includes first encrypted content information, the first encrypted content information having been generated by encrypting, using first key information, content information that is composed of video data and audio data, and

the routing device further comprises:

a first key information obtaining unit operable to obtain the first key information;

a decrypting unit operable to decrypt the first encrypted content information using the first key information obtained by the first key information obtaining unit, so as to generate first content information;

a second key information storing unit operable to store second key information that is different from the first key information;

an encrypting unit operable to encrypt the first content information generated by the decrypting unit, using the second information stored in the second key information storing unit, so as to generate second encrypted content information; and

a transmitting unit operable to transmit content that includes the second encrypted content information generated by the encrypting unit, to the reception device.

6. The routing device of claim 5,

wherein the first key information obtaining unit includes:

a third key information storing unit operable to store third key information that is different from the first key information and the second key information;

an encrypted first key information receiving unit operable to receive, from the analyzing device, encrypted first key information generated by encrypting the first key information using the third key information; and

a decrypting unit operable to decrypt the encrypted first key information received by the encrypted first key information receiving unit, using the third key information, so as to obtain the first key information.

7. The routing device of claim 3, further comprising:

an analyzing condition storing unit operable to store an analyzing condition that serves as a criterion to judge whether the reception device is an unauthorized device when the log information stored in the log information generating unit is analyzed; and

an analyzing unit operable to analyze the log information based upon the analyzing condition, to judge whether the reception device is an unauthorized device.

8. An analyzing device that analyzes log information generated by a routing device that routes content from a transmission device to a reception device, the analyzing device comprising:

an analyzing condition storing unit operable to store an analyzing condition that serves as a criterion to judge whether the reception device is an unauthorized device, when log information generated by the routing device is analyzed;

a log receiving unit operable to obtain, from the routing device, log information indicating that content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device; and

an analyzing unit operable to analyze the log information received by the log receiving unit, based upon the analyzing condition stored in the analyzing condition storing unit, to judge whether the reception device is an unauthorized device.

9. The analyzing device of claim 8,

wherein the routing device has a device ID that uniquely identifies the routing device, and

the analyzing device further comprises:

a log transmission table storing unit operable to store a log transmission table showing a device ID of the routing device that has transmitted log information to the analyzing device in response to a log request from the analyzing device, the log request requesting to transmit the log information;

a device ID receiving unit operable to receive the device ID together with the log information, from the routing device; and

a log transmission table writing unit operable to write the device ID into the log transmission table when the log receiving unit receives the log information and the device ID.

10. The analyzing device of claim 8,

wherein the routing device has a device ID that uniquely identifies the routing device, and a certificate that is used to authenticate the device ID, and

the analyzing device further comprises:

a log transmission table storing unit operable to store a log transmission table showing a device ID of the routing device that has transmitted log information to the analyzing device in response to a log request from the analyzing device, the log request requesting to transmit the log information;

a certificate receiving unit operable to receive the device ID and the certificate, together with the log information, from the routing device;

an authenticating unit operable to authenticate the device ID by authenticating the certificate received by the certificate receiving unit; and

a log transmission table writing unit operable to write the device ID into the log transmission table when the device ID is successfully authenticated by the authenticating unit.

11. The analyzing device of claim 10, further comprising:

a key information generating unit operable to generate key information when the device ID is written into the log transmission table;

an encryption key storing unit operable to store an encryption key that is different from the key information;

an encrypting unit operable to encrypt the key information using the encryption key, so as to generate encrypted key information; and

an encrypted key information transmitting unit operable to transmit the encrypted key information to the routing device identified by the device ID.

12. A content distributing system for transmitting content from a transmission device to a reception device via a routing device, the system comprising:

the transmission device operable to transmit content, additional information of the content, and a transmission target address specifying the reception device, to the routing device, the additional information indicating, according to a property of the content, whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device;

the routing device operable to receive the content, the additional information, and the transmission target address, and transmit the content to the reception device specified by the transmission target address, and when the additional information indicates to log the communication, generate log information indicating that the content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device, and analyze the generated log information based upon an analyzing condition internally stored therein, to judge whether the reception device is an unauthorized device; and

the reception device operable to receive the content transmitted from the routing device.

13. The content distributing system of claim 12, further comprising

an analyzing-condition updating device operable to transmit, to the routing device, information for updating the analyzing condition stored in the routing device,

wherein the routing device is operable to receive the update information from the analyzing-condition updating device and update the analyzing condition internally stored therein based upon the received update information.

14. A content distributing method for use in a content distributing system for transmitting content from a transmission device to a reception device via a routing device, the method comprising:

generating additional information of content according to a property of the content, the additional information indicating whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device, and transmitting the additional information, a transmission target address specifying the reception device, and the content, to the routing device;

receiving the additional information, the transmission target address, and the content from the transmission device, and transmitting the content to the reception device specified by the transmission target address, and when the additional information indicates to log the communication, generating log information indicating that the content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device, and storing the log information;

receiving the content transmitted from the routing device; and

obtaining the log information from the routing device, and judging whether the reception device is an unauthorized device, based upon the obtained log information.

15. A content distributing program for use in a content distributing system for transmitting content from a transmission device to a reception device via a routing device, the program comprising:

a transmitting operating of generating additional information of content according to a property of the content, the additional information indicating whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device, and transmitting the additional information, a transmission target address specifying the reception device, and the content, to the routing device;

a routing operation of receiving the additional information, the transmission target address, and the content from the transmission device, and transmitting the content to the reception device specified by the transmission target address, and when the additional information indicates to log the communication, generating log information indicating that the content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device, and storing the log information;

a receiving operation of receiving the content transmitted from the routing device; and

an analyzing operation of obtaining the log information from the routing device, and judging whether the reception device is an unauthorized device, based upon the obtained log information.

16. A computer-readable recording medium on which a content distributing program is recorded for use in a content distributing system for transmitting content from a transmission device to a reception device via a routing device, the program comprising:

a transmitting operation of generating additional information of content according to a property of the content, the additional information indicating whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device, and transmitting the additional information, a transmission target address specifying the reception device, and the content, to the routing device;

a routing operation of receiving the additional information, the transmission target address, and the content from the transmission device, and transmitting the content to the reception device specified by the transmission target address, and when the additional information indicates to log the communication, generating log information indicating that the content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device, and storing the log information;

a receiving operation of receiving the content transmitted from the routing device; and

an analyzing operation of obtaining the log information from the routing device, and judging whether the reception device is an unauthorized device, based upon the obtained log information.

17. A routing method for use in a routing device that routes content from a transmission device to a reception device, the method comprising:

receiving content, additional information of the content, and a transmission target address specifying the reception device, from the transmission device, the additional information indicating, according to a property of the content, whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device;

transmitting the content to the reception device specified by the transmission target address; and

generating log information indicating that the content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device, and storing the generated log information, when the additional information received by the receiving unit indicates to log the communication.

18. A routing program for use in a routing device that routes content from a transmission device to a reception device, the program comprising:

a receiving operation of receiving content, additional information of the content, and a transmission target address specifying the reception device, from the transmission device, the additional information indicating, according to a property of the content, whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device;

a routing operation of transmitting the content to the reception device specified by the transmission target address; and

a log information generating operation of generating log information indicating that the content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device, and storing the generated log information, when the additional information received by the receiving unit indicates to log the communication.

19. A computer-readable recording medium on which a routing program is recorded for use in a routing device that routes content from a transmission device to a reception device, the program comprising:

a receiving operation of receiving content, additional information of the content, and a transmission target address specifying the reception device, from the transmission device, the additional information indicating, according to a property of the content, whether or not to log communication of the content when the content is transmitted from the routing device to the reception device;

a routing operation of transmitting the content to the reception device specified by the transmission target address; and

a log information generating operation of generating log information indicating that the content has been routed from the transmission device to the reception device, and storing the generated log information, when the additional information received by the receiving unit indicates to log the communication.