Communication system, terminal, reproduction program, recorded medium on which reproduction program is recorded, server device, server program, and recorded medium on which server program is recorded

• US 20040024860A1
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sato, Katsuhiko, Nako, Kazuyuki, Iwasaki, Keisuke, Sawada, Yuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,246,228 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• 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: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08

Abstract

Reproduction means of a general-purpose computer (1) reproduces a digital content only when a device ID included in the digital content corresponds to a device ID of a device by which it is intended to reproduce the digital content. When the device ID of the general-purpose computer (1) is altered, a recovery program for recovering an original device ID is downloaded from a recovery program generation server (2), thereby the device ID is recovered. With this arrangement, it is possible to provide a communication system which is capable of recovering a device ID when, for instance, the device ID is altered on account of the reinstall of a program such as an OS or content player.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a terminal device including reproduction means which carries out reproduction of a digital content; and

a server machine which is connected to the terminal device via a communication link and includes program generation means for generating a device ID alteration program by which a device ID of the terminal device is altered,

the communication system being characterized in that;

the reproduction means includes ID setting means for setting a device ID corresponding to the terminal device;

the digital content is reproduced only when a device ID included in the digital content corresponds to a device ID of a device by which it is intended to reproduce the digital content;

when the device ID alteration program is supplied from the server machine, the device ID of the terminal device is altered in accordance with the device ID alteration program; and

when the server machine receives a request to alter the device ID from the terminal device, the device ID alteration program is sent to the terminal device.

2. The communication system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that:

the reproduction means sends a current device ID and a device ID which is desired to be recovered, to the server machine, the server machine further includes ID check means for checking whether or not the device ID which has been received is proper, and if the ID check means judges that the device ID is a proper ID, the program generation means generates the device ID alteration program by which the current device ID which has been received is replaced with the device ID which is desired to be recovered, then the device ID alteration program is supplied to the terminal device.

3. The communication system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that, the reproduction means sends (i) a user identification ID for identifying a user, (ii) an authentication password corresponding to the user identification ID, (iii) a current device ID, and (iv) a device ID which is desired to be recovered, to the server machine, the server machine further includes:

ID check means for checking whether or not the device ID which has been received is proper;

a customer information management database which stores user identification IDs of formally registered users and corresponding authentication passwords; and

user identification means for judging whether or not the user identification ID and the authentication password, which have been received, correspond to any one of the user identification IDs and any one of the authentication IDs, which are stored in the customer information management database, and if the ID check means judges that the device ID is a proper ID and the user identification means confirms that the user is formally registered, the program generation means generates the device ID alteration program by which the current device ID which has been received is replaced with the device ID which is desired to be recovered, then the device ID alteration program is supplied to the terminal device.

4. The communication system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that, the reproduction means sends (I) a user identification ID for identifying a user, (II) an authentication password corresponding to the user identification ID, and (III) a device ID which is desired to be recovered, to the server machine, the server machine further includes:

a customer information management database which stores user identification IDs of formally registered users and corresponding authentication passwords; and

user identification means for judging whether or not the user identification ID and the authentication password, which have been received, correspond to any one of the user identification IDs and any one of the authentication IDs, which are stored in the customer information management database, and if the user identification means confirms that the user is formally registered, the program generation means generates the device ID alteration program by which the current device ID which has been received is replaced with the device ID which is desired to be recovered, then the device ID alteration program is supplied to the terminal device.

5. The communication system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that, the reproduction means sends (1) a user identification ID for identifying a user, (2) an authentication password corresponding to the user identification ID, and (3) a current device ID, to the server machine, the server machine further includes:

ID check means for checking whether or not the device ID which has been received is proper;

a customer information management database which stores user identification IDs of formally registered users, corresponding authentication passwords, and device IDs of the users; and

user identification means for judging whether or not the user identification ID and the authentication password, which have been received, correspond to any one of the user identification IDs and any one of the authentication IDs, which are stored in the customer information management database, and if the ID check means judges that the device ID is a proper ID and the user identification means confirms that the user is formally registered, the program generation means generates the device ID alteration program by which the current device ID which has been received is replaced with a device ID which has been stored in the customer information management database, then the device ID alteration program is supplied to the terminal device.

6. The communication system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that, the reproduction means sends a user identification ID for identifying a user and an authentication password corresponding to the user identification ID, to the server machine, the server machine further includes:

a customer information management database which stores user identification IDs of formally registered users, corresponding authentication passwords, and device IDs of the users; and

user identification means for judging whether or not the user identification ID and the authentication password, which have been received, correspond to any one of the user identification IDs and any one of the authentication IDs, which are stored in the customer information management database, and if the user identification means confirms that the user is formally registered, the program generation means generates the device ID alteration program by which the current device ID which has been received is replaced with the device ID which has been stored in the customer information management database, then the device ID alteration program is supplied to the terminal device.

7. The communication system as defined in any one of claims 3 through 6, characterized in that:

the server machine further includes device ID search means;

the customer information management database further stores device IDs of the users;

when the ID setting means of the reproduction means newly generates a device ID, the terminal device sends the newly generated device ID, to the server machine; and

in the server machine, the device ID search means judges whether or not a device ID, which is identical with the newly generated device ID which has been received, is included in the customer information management database, and if no identical device ID is stored, the newly generated device ID which has been received is registered to the customer information management database as a device ID of the user.

8. The communication system as defined in claim 7, characterized in that:

the server machine further includes device ID issuing means;

when the device ID search means confirms that a device ID, which is identical with the newly generated device ID which has been received, is included in the customer information management database, the device ID issuing means generates a device ID which has not been stored in the customer information management database; and

the device ID alteration program, which is for alteration to the device ID which has been generated, is sent to the terminal device.

9. A terminal device, comprising reproduction means for reproducing a digital content, characterized in that, the reproduction means includes:

ID setting means for setting a device ID corresponding to the terminal device; and

communication means for receiving a device ID alteration program, which is for altering the device ID and is generated by program generation means of a server machine, from the server machine via a communication link, the reproduction means reproduces the digital content only when a device ID included in the digital content corresponds to a device ID of a device by which it is intended to reproduce the digital content, and when the device ID alteration program is supplied from the server machine, the device ID of the terminal device is altered in accordance with the device ID alteration program.

10. A reproduction program which reproduces a digital content, characterized by causing a terminal device to effect the process of:

setting a device ID corresponding to the terminal device;

receiving a device ID alteration program, which is for altering the device ID and is generated by program generation means of a server machine, from the server machine via a communication link;

reproducing the digital content only when a device ID included in the digital content corresponds to a device ID of a device by which it is intended to reproduce the digital content; and

altering the device ID in accordance with the device ID alteration program, when the device ID alteration program is received from the server machine.

11. A storage medium storing a reproduction program which reproduces a digital content, the reproduction program being characterized by causing a terminal device to effect the process of:

setting a device ID corresponding to the terminal device;

receiving a device ID alteration program, which is for altering the device ID and is generated by program generation means of a server machine, from the server machine via a communication link;

reproducing the digital content only when a device ID included in the digital content corresponds to a device ID of a device by which it is intended to reproduce the digital content; and

altering the device ID in accordance with the device ID alteration program, when the device ID alteration program is received from the server machine.

12. A server machine, which is connected to a terminal device including reproduction means for reproducing a digital content, via a communication network, and includes:

program generation means for generating a device ID alteration program by which a device ID of the terminal device is altered; and

communication means which carries out data transmission with the terminal device,

the server machine being characterized in that;

the reproduction means includes ID setting means for setting a device ID corresponding to the terminal device;

the digital content is reproduced only when a device ID included in the digital content corresponds to a device ID of a device by which it is intended to reproduce the digital content;

when the device ID alteration program is supplied from the server machine, the device ID of the terminal device is altered in accordance with the device ID alteration program; and

when the communication means receives a request to alter the device ID from the terminal device, the device ID alteration program is sent to the terminal device.

13. A server program, executed in a server machine which is connected, via a communication network, to a terminal device including reproduction means for reproducing a digital content,

the terminal device being arranged in such a manner that:

the reproduction means determines a device ID corresponding to the terminal device;

the digital content is reproduced only when a device ID included in the digital content corresponds to a device ID of a device by which it is intended to reproduce the digital content; and

when the device ID alteration program is supplied from the server machine, the device ID of the terminal device is altered in accordance with the device ID alteration program,

the server program being characterized by causing the server machine to effect the process of;

generating the device ID alteration program by which the device ID of the terminal device is altered;

carrying out data transmission with the terminal device; and

sending the device ID alteration program to the terminal device, when receiving a request to alter the device ID from the terminal device.

14. A storage medium which stores a server program executed in a server machine which is connected, via a communication network, to a terminal device including reproduction means for reproducing a digital content,

the terminal device being arranged in such a manner that:

the reproduction means determines a device ID corresponding to the terminal device;

the digital content is reproduced only when a device ID included in the digital content corresponds to a device ID of a device by which it is intended to reproduce the digital content; and

when the device ID alteration program is supplied from the server machine, the device ID of the terminal device is altered in accordance with the device ID alteration program,

the server program being characterized by causing the server machine to effect the process of;

generating the ID device alteration program by which the device ID of the terminal device is altered;

carrying out data transmission with the terminal device; and

sending the device ID alteration program to the terminal device, when receiving a request to alter the device ID from the terminal device.