Content providing system, content providing method, content processing apparatus, and program therefor

• US 20040010705A1
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro, Utsumi, Yoshimasa, Furukawa, Shunsuke, Inokuchi, Tatsuya, Sakurai, Kazuko, Toriyama, Mitsuru, Kijima, Kaoru, Kihara, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• 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]

Abstract

A method for processing content data includes the steps of, when content data is transmitted from a data provider, adding usage rule information prescribing a rule of usage of the content data to the content data and transmitting the content data with the usage rule information; receiving the transmitted content data; extracting the usage rule information from the received content data; and notifying a user of the content data of the extracted usage information.

Claims

1. A content data processing method comprising the steps of:

when content data is transmitted from a data provider, adding usage rule information prescribing a rule of usage of the content data to the content data and transmitting the content data with the usage rule information;

receiving the transmitted content data;

extracting the usage rule information from the received content data; and

notifying a user of the content data of the extracted usage information.

2. A content data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of processing the received content data in accordance with a process request signal input in accordance with the notified usage rule information.

3. A content data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of restricting the operation of recording and/or reproducing the received content data, in accordance with the extracted usage rule information.

4. A content data processing method according to claim 3, wherein the usage rule information includes information indicating whether copying of the content data is permitted.

5. A content data processing method according to claim 4, further comprising the step of, if the usage rule information indicates that copying of the content data is permitted, recording the received content data in response to a process request signal input in accordance with the notified usage rule information.

6. A content data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of, when the content data is transmitted, transmitting the content data after encrypting it using the usage rule information.

7. A content data processing method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of extracting the usage rule information from the received content data and decrypting the received content data using the usage rule information.

8. A content data processing method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of recording or reproducing the received content data in accordance with a process request signal input in accordance with the notified usage rule information.

9. A content data processing method according to claim 8, wherein the usage rule information includes information indicating whether copying of the content data is permitted.

10. A content data processing method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of, if the usage rule information indicates that copying of the content data is permitted, recording the received content data in response to a process request signal input in accordance with the notified usage rule information.

11. A content data processing method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

if the content data to be transmitted needs fee payment, transmitting the content data after imposing usage restriction on the content data in accordance with the usage rule information; and

transmitting, to the data provider, a request signal to request release of the usage restriction in processing of the received content data.

12. A content data processing method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

authenticating a user of the received content data, in response to the transmitted restriction release request signal; and

if the authentication has been successfully passed, transmitting a signal for releasing the usage restriction from the data provider.

13. A content data processing method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of, if the signal for releasing the usage restriction is received, recording or reproducing the received content in response to a process request signal input in accordance with the notified usage rule information.

14. A content data processing method according to claim 13, wherein the usage rule information includes information indicating whether the content data needs fee payment.

15. A content data providing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit in which a plurality of content data are stored;

an addition unit for adding usage rule information to content data read from the storage unit; and

a transmitting unit for transmitting the content data with the usage rule information added thereto by the addition unit.

16. A content data providing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising an encrypting unit for encrypting the content data read from the stored unit, in accordance with the usage rule information.

17. A content data providing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a usage restriction unit for imposing usage restriction on the content data read from the storage unit, in accordance with the usage rule information.

18. A content data providing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a processing unit for, in response to receiving a signal indicating a request for release of usage restriction, authenticating a user of a content data to be transmitted and generating a signal for releasing the usage restriction depending on the authentication result.

19. A content data providing apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a generator for generating the usage rule information.

20. A content data processing apparatus comprising:

a communication unit for receiving transmitted content data;

an extractor for extracting the usage rule information from the content data received by the communication unit;

a notifying unit for notifying a user of the content data of the extracted usage rule information;

an input unit for inputting in accordance with the usage rule information notified by the notifying unit; and

a processing unit for processing the received content data in accordance with the input given via the input unit.

21. A content data processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the processing unit controls recording or reproducing of the received content data in accordance with the usage rule information extracted by the extractor.

22. A content data processing apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the usage rule information includes information indicating whether copying of the content data is permitted.

23. A content data processing apparatus according to claim 22, wherein, if the usage rule information indicates that copying of the content data is permitted, the processing unit performs recording of the received content data in accordance with a process request signal input in accordance with the notified usage rule information.

24. A content data processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the received content data is data which has been encrypted using the usage rule information, and said content data processing apparatus further comprises a decrypting unit for decrypting the received content data, using the usage rule information extracted by the extractor.

25. A content data processing apparatus according to claim 24, wherein if the usage rule information indicates that copying of the content data is permitted, the processing unit performs recording of the received content data in accordance with a process request signal input in accordance with the notified usage rule information.

26. A content data processing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the usage rule information includes information indicating whether copying of the content data is permitted.

27. A content data processing apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the received content data is data on which usage restriction has been imposed in accordance with the usage rule information, and said content data processing apparatus further comprises a generator for generating a restriction release request signal to request releasing of the usage restriction in processing of the received content data.

28. A content data processing apparatus according to claim 27, wherein if the processing unit receives a signal for releasing the usage restriction transmitted in response to the restriction release request signal, the processing unit performs processing on the received content data in response to inputting performed via the input unit.

29. A content data processing apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the usage rule information includes information indicating whether the content data needs fee payment.