Method of controlling digital content distribution, a method of reproducing digital content, and an apparatus using the same

• US 20040073451A1
• Filed: 10/22/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Maari, Koichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,691 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• 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 20/00144 involving a user identifier, e.g. a unique customer ID
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00152 involving a password
• 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 20/00224 wherein the key is obtained from a remote server
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0071 involving a purchase action
• 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

A digital content distribution control method, a digital content reproducing method, and a digital content reproducing apparatus. The digital content distributing side manipulates digital content by encrypting and compressing the same, transmits the manipulated digital content, an encrypted content key, and encrypted billing information to the other party of communication, and distributes to digital content proprietors the digital content usage fees collected based on digital content usage information received from the other party. On the other hand, the digital content reproducing side decrypts, in a single portable terminal, the manipulated digital content by the digital key and decompresses the decrypted digital content for reproduction. At the same time, the reproducing side decrements the billing information according to the use of the content and generates content usage information to be transmitted to the content distributing side. The digital content reproducing apparatus associated with the present invention is made portable to solve the above-mentioned problems.

Claims

1. A digital content distribution control method comprising:

a digital content manipulating process for encoding digital content by use of a content key specified for each digital content and compressing the encoded digital content;

a content transmitting process for transmitting the manipulated digital content upon request from a portable terminal of another party of communication for transmitting said manipulated digital content;

a content key transmitting process for encoding a content key for decoding said manipulated digital content and transmitting the encoded content key upon request from said portable terminal of said another party of communication for transmitting said encoded content key;

a billing information transmitting process for encoding billing information that is decremented every time said manipulated digital content is decoded and transmitting the encoded billing information upon request from said portable terminal of said another party of communication for transmitting said encoded billing information;

a content use information receiving process for receiving encoded content use information sent from said portable terminal of said another party of communication and decoding said encoded content use information; and

a fee distributing process for distributing a fee collected based on said content use information to a proprietor of said digital content.

2. A digital content distribution control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said content key is a common key.

3. A digital content distribution control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said content key is encoded by use of a public key of said another party of communication.

4. A digital content distribution control method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a common-key decoding process for receiving an encoded common key transmitted from said portable terminal of said another party of communication and decoding the received encoded common key.

5. A digital content distribution control method as claimed in claim 4, wherein said common key is a session key.

6. A digital content distribution control method as claimed in claim 4, wherein, in said billing information transmitting process, billing information is encoded by use of the decoded common key.

7. A digital content distribution control method as claimed in claim 4, wherein, in said content use information receiving process, said common key is used for decoding said encoded content use information.

8. A digital content distribution control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in said content use information receiving process, said encoded content use information is received that is transmitted from said another party of communication upon request from the same for transmitting said billing information.

9. A digital content distribution control method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in said billing information transmitting process, information indicative of a content use condition is transmitted along with said billing information.

10. A digital content reproducing method comprising:

a content receiving process for receiving digital content manipulated by encoding and compression and storing the received content;

a content key request information generating process for generating content key request information for requesting a content key necessary for decoding said manipulated digital content;

a content key request information transmitting process for encoding said content key request information and transmitting the encoded content key request information;

a content key receiving process for receiving said content key transmitted upon the request for said content key;

a content key decoding process for decoding encryption performed on said content key;

a content key storing process for storing said encoded content key or said content key after decoding;

a content decoding process for decoding said manipulated digital content by use of said content key;

a billing information request information generating process for generating billing information request information for requesting billing information that is decremented every time said manipulated digital content is decoded;

a billing information request information transmitting process for encoding said billing information request information and transmitting the encoded billing information request information;

a billing information receiving process for receiving the billing information transmitted upon request for said billing information, decoding encryption performed on said billing information, and storing the decoded billing information;

a content decompressing process for decompressing said manipulated digital content;

a content use information storing process for generating content use information according to decoding of said manipulated digital content and storing the generated content use information; and

a content use information transmitting process for encoding said content use information and transmitting the encoded content use information;

wherein each of these processes is processed inside a single portable terminal.

11. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in said content use information storing process, a balance of the stored billing information is confirmed, said stored billing information is decremented according to decoding of said manipulated digital content, and digital content use information at least including a decremented amount of said billing information is generated.

12. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a digital-to-analog converting process for converting the decoded and decompressed digital content into an analog signal.

13. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in said content receiving process, said manipulated digital content is stored in an external storage medium.

14. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said content key is a common key.

15. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in said content key decoding process, said content key is decoded by use of a unique secret key.

16. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a common-key transmitting process for generating a common key, encoding the generated common key, and transmitting the encoded common key.

17. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 16, wherein, in said common-key transmitting process, a session key is generated as said common key.

18. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 16, wherein, in said billing information request information transmitting process, said billing information request information is encoded by use of said common key.

19. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 16, wherein, in said content use information transmitting process, said content use information is encoded by use of said common key.

20. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in said content use information transmitting process, said encoded content use information is transmitted upon request for said billing information by said billing information request information generating process.

21. A digital content reproducing method as claimed in claim 10, wherein, in said billing information receiving process, information indicative of a use condition of encoded content transmitted along with said billing information is also received.

22. A digital content reproducing apparatus comprising:

a data communication means for performing data communication;

a content storage control means for receiving digital content manipulated by encoding and compression and storing said digital content into a storage medium;

a content key decoding means for decoding an encoded content key;

a content key storing means for storing said encoded content key or the content key after decoding;

a content decoding means for decoding said manipulated digital content by use of said content key;

a billing information decoding means for decoding encryption performed on billing information that is decremented every time said manipulated digital content is decoded;

a billing information storing means for storing the decoded billing information;

a content decompressing means for decompressing said manipulated digital content;

a content use information generating means for generating content use information according to decoding of said manipulated digital content;

a content use information storing means for storing said content use information; and

a content use information encoding means for encoding said content use information;

wherein each of these means is provided inside a single portable terminal.

23. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

a content key request information encoding means for encoding content key request information for requesting a content key necessary for decoding said manipulated digital content; and

a billing information request information encoding means for encoding billing information request information for requesting billing information that is decremented every time said manipulated digital content is decoded.

24. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said content use information generating means confirms a balance of the billing information stored in said billing information storing means, decrements the stored billing information according to decoding of said manipulated digital content, and generates the content use information at least including a decremented amount of said billing information.

25. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

a digital-to-analog converting means for converting said decoded and decompressed digital content into an analog signal.

26. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said content storage control means stores said manipulated digital content into an external storage medium.

27. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said content key is a common key.

28. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

a unique-key storing means for storing a key unique to the apparatus;

wherein, in said content key decoding means, said encoded content key is decoded by use of the apparatus-unique secret key stored in said unique-key storing means.

29. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

a common-key generating means for generating a common key; and

a common-key encoding means for encoding said common key.

30. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein said common-key generating means generates a session key as said common key.

31. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein said billing information decoding means decodes said billing information by use of said common key.

32. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 29, wherein said content use information encoding means encodes said content use information by use of said common key.

33. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said content use information encoding means encodes said content use information when said billing information request information is encoded by said billing information request information encoding means.

34. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein, in said billing information decoding means, information indicative of a use condition of content encoded along with said billing information is also decoded.

35. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said digital content reproducing apparatus is portable.

36. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said digital content reproducing apparatus is shaped like a card.

37. A digital content reproducing apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein said digital content reproducing apparatus is implemented by an integrated circuit.