Data transfer system, data transfer apparatus, data recording apparatus, data transfer method

• US 20040010468A1
• Filed: 08/08/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masao, Matsuda, Hiromi, Abe, Miki, Hosoi, Takafumi
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,770 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2003/0697 device management, e.g. handlers, drivers, I/O schedulers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage 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 20/00181 using a content identifier, e.g. an international standard recording code [ISRC] or a digital object identifier [DOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00478 wherein contents are decrypted and re-encrypted with a different key when being copied from/to a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00492 wherein content or user data is encrypted
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00789 wherein the usage restriction limits the number of functional copies, which can be accessed at a time, e.g. electronic bookshelf concept, virtual library, video rentals or check-in/check out
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1277 for managing gaps between two recordings, e.g. control data in linking areas, run-in or run-out fields, guard or buffer zones
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A data transfer apparatus referred to as a primary-recording-medium apparatus implements proper system operations by acquisition of information on a secondary recording medium mounted on a secondary-recording-medium apparatus to serve as a destination of a transfer (or a check-out) of a content. If a medium adopting its own unique management technique as is the case with a mini disc is used as the secondary recording medium serving as a destination of a check-out, the primary-recording-medium apparatus acquires information on the secondary recording medium from the secondary-recording-medium apparatus, which is typically a data-recording apparatus. The information includes an indicator as to whether or not the secondary recording medium has been mounted on the data-recording apparatus, the name of the secondary recording medium, the name of each content stored in the secondary recording medium, the number of contents stored in the secondary recording medium and attributes of each content stored in the secondary recording medium.

Claims

1. A data transfer system including a data transfer apparatus and a data-recording apparatus wherein:

said data transfer apparatus comprises;

primary-recording-medium drive means for recording and reproducing data onto and from a primary recording medium;

storage control means for controlling said primary-recording-medium drive means to store content data onto said primary recording medium in an encrypted state;

communication means for carrying out a variety of data communications including transfers of content data with said data-recording apparatus;

command-transmission control means for driving said communication means to transmit a command for making a request for information on a secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus to said data-recording apparatus; and

information-obtaining means for obtaining information on said secondary recording medium from said data-recording apparatus, whereas

said data-recording apparatus comprises;

communication means for carrying out data communications including exchanges of content data with said data transfer apparatus;

secondary-recording-medium drive means for recording and reproducing data onto and from said secondary recording medium;

decryption means for decrypting encrypted content data received from said data transfer apparatus, putting said content data in an unencrypted state;

recording control means for controlling said secondary-recording-medium drive means to record said encrypted content data decrypted by said decryption means onto said secondary recording medium; and

information-transmission control means for requesting said communication means to transmit information on said secondary recording medium to said data transfer apparatus in accordance with a command received from said data transfer apparatus requesting said information.

2. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is information indicating whether or not said secondary recording medium has been mounted on said data-recording apparatus.

3. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is a name of said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus or a name of each content data recorded on said secondary recording medium.

4. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is a capacity of said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus.

5. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is the number of contents stored on said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus.

6. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is attributes of each content data recorded on said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus.

7. A data transfer system according to claim 1, wherein said data transfer apparatus forms a judgment as to whether or not data content stored in said primary recording medium should be transmitted to said data-recording apparatus on the basis of said information on said secondary recording medium, which is information obtained by said information-obtaining means.

8. A data transfer apparatus comprising:

primary-recording-medium drive means for recording and reproducing data onto and from a primary recording medium;

storage control means for controlling said primary-recording-medium drive means to store content data onto said primary recording medium in an encrypted state;

communication means for carrying out a variety of data communications including transfers of content data with an external data-recording apparatus which performs recording and reproducing said content data onto and from a secondary recording medium;

command-transmission control means for driving said communication means to transmit a command for making a request for information on a secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus to said data-recording apparatus; and

information-obtaining means for obtaining information on said secondary recording medium from said data-recording apparatus.

9. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is information indicating whether or not said secondary recording medium has been mounted on said data-recording apparatus.

10. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is a name of said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus or a name of each content data recorded on said secondary recording medium.

11. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is a capacity of said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus.

12. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is the number of contents stored on said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus.

13. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said information on said secondary recording medium is attributes of each content data recorded on said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus.

14. A data transfer apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said data transfer apparatus forms a judgment as to whether or not data content stored in said primary recording medium should be transmitted to said data-recording apparatus on the basis of said information on said secondary recording medium, which is information obtained by said information-obtaining means.

15. A data-recording apparatus comprising:

communication means for carrying out data communications including exchanges of content data with an external data transfer apparatus;

secondary-recording-medium drive means for recording and reproducing data onto and from a secondary recording medium;

decryption means for decrypting encrypted content data received from said data transfer apparatus, putting said content data in an unencrypted state;

recording control means for controlling said secondary-recording-medium drive means to record said encrypted content data decrypted by said decryption means onto said secondary recording medium; and

information-transmission control means for requesting said communication means to transmit information on said secondary recording medium to said data transfer apparatus in accordance with a command received from said data transfer apparatus requesting said information.

16. A data-recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said information-transmission control means transmits information indicating whether or not said secondary recording medium has been mounted on said data-recording apparatus to said data transfer apparatus as said information on said secondary recording medium as requested by said data transfer apparatus.

17. A data-recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said information-transmission control means transmits a name of said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus or a name of each content data recorded on said secondary recording medium to said data transfer apparatus as said information on said secondary recording medium as requested by said data transfer apparatus.

18. A data-recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said information-transmission control means transmits a capacity of said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus to said data transfer apparatus as said information on said secondary recording medium as requested by said data transfer apparatus.

19. A data-recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said information-transmission control means transmits the number of contents stored on said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus to said data transfer apparatus as said information on said secondary recording medium as requested by said data transfer apparatus.

20. A data-recording apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said information-transmission control means transmits attributes of each content data recorded on said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus to said data transfer apparatus as said information on said secondary recording medium as requested by said data transfer apparatus.

21. A data transfer method adopted by a data transfer apparatus forming a transfer system wherein:

said data transfer apparatus has a primary recording medium used for storing encrypted content data;

a data-recording apparatus is employed;

said data-recording apparatus is capable of recording and reproducing said content data onto and from a secondary recording medium in an unencrypted state; and

said data transfer apparatus is connected to said data-recording apparatus so that said data transfer apparatus and said data-recording apparatus are capable of communicating with each other, said data transfer method comprising;

a confirmation procedure for confirming that said secondary recording medium has been mounted onto said data-recording apparatus;

an information acquisition procedure for acquiring information on said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus from said data-recording apparatus;

an authentication procedure for confirming that said data-recording apparatus is indeed an apparatus serving as a valid destination of a transfer of said content data stored in said primary recording medium;

a judgment procedure for forming a judgment as to whether or not said content data stored in said primary recording medium should-be transferred to said data-recording apparatus on the basis of an authentication result produced by said authentication procedure; and

a transfer procedure for transferring said content data to said data-recording apparatus in accordance with a result of said judgment formed by said judgment procedure.

22. A data transfer method according to claim 21, wherein said information acquisition procedure is executed to acquire a name of said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus or a name of each content data recorded on said secondary recording medium from said data-recording apparatus as said information on said secondary recording medium.

23. A data transfer method according to claim 21, wherein said information acquisition procedure is executed to acquire a capacity of said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus from said data-recording apparatus as said information on said secondary recording medium.

24. A data transfer method according to claim 21, wherein said information acquisition procedure is executed to acquire the number of contents recorded on said secondary recording medium mounted on said data-recording apparatus from said data-recording apparatus as said information on said secondary recording medium.

25. A data transfer method according to claim 21, wherein said information acquisition procedure is executed to acquire attributes of each content data recorded on said secondary recording medium from said data-recording apparatus as said information on said secondary recording medium.