Information delivery apparatus, information processing terminal, external content storage method, external content output method, content data, output control program, and information delivery system

• US 20040073580A1
• Filed: 08/21/2003
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Nagai, Riko, Maeda, Yoshiaki, Nakayama, Hirobumi, Inomata, Toshihiro
• Application Number:
  US10/468,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20040073580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/201
• 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: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

It is possible to use a content in various ways while protecting rights assigned to the content including copyright. Output permission level judgment means (22) judges an output permission level (L1 to Ln) described in content files (F1 to Fn). According to the output permission level (L1 to Ln), output control means (23) permits the content files (F1 to Fn) to be stored in internal storage means (24) and an external memory (27) or image-output to a main body monitor (25) and an external monitor (26) or transferred via a communication network (11).

Claims

1. An information distributing device comprising:

a content usage level setting means for setting a content usage level indicating a permission to output content; and

an information distributing means for distributing to an information processing terminal the content for which said content usage level is set.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said content usage level comprises:

a level for permitting said terminal to store the content only in a storage unit of said terminal;

a level for permitting only a terminal in which the content was downloaded to replay the content;

a level for permitting only a single user to replay the content;

a level for permitting only devices following identical criteria to replay the content; and

a level for permitting any device to store the content.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said content usage level comprises:

a level for permitting outputting the image to a monitor of said terminal;

a level for permitting outputting the image in a general analog form; and

a level for permitting outputting the image in a general digital form.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein information on said content usage level is stored in a comment area of a content file.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a determining means for determining that a receiver of the content has a function of outputting the content according to the content usage level;

wherein said distributing means distributes the content to said receiver on the basis of the determination result made by said determining means.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said content usage level designates a receiver of the content and allows said information processing terminal to output the content to the receiver.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said content usage level comprises at least one of:

a level for permitting said information processing terminal to output the content to said information distributing device;

a level for permitting said information processing terminal to output the content to said designated receiver; and

a level for permitting said information processing terminal to output the content to a communication device, to which an address for communication including at least a part of a designated address is assigned.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said content usage level designates a content outputting means of said information processing terminal and allows said information processing terminal to output the content to a communication device.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said content usage level comprises at least one of:

a level for permitting said information processing terminal to output content to the communication device using an e-mail transmitting/receiving means;

a level for permitting said information processing terminal to output content to the communication device using a communication means for transmitting content to a communication device directly.

17. The data of claim 1, wherein said content is an image and said content usage level comprises:

a level for permitting outputting the image to a built-in monitor of said terminal;

a level for permitting outputting the image in a general analog form; and

a level for permitting outputting the image in a general digital form.

10. An information processing terminal comprising:

means for specifying a content usage level representing whether to permit outputting content by referring to a content file of the content; and

means for controlling output of the content according to the content usage level.

11. A method for storing content, comprising the steps of:

downloading content in which a content usage level representing whether to permit output of the content is set; and

controlling output of the content according to the content usage level.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the content usage level comprises:

a first level for permitting storing the content in an internal storage unit;

a second level for permitting replaying the content only on a terminal which has downloaded the content;

a third level for permitting only a single user to replay the content;

a fourth level for permitting communication devices following identical criteria to replay the content;

a fifth level for permitting any device to replay the content; and

the content has at least one of;

a first identifier indicating that usage of the content is permitted on any of the first through the fifth levels;

a second identifier indicating that usage of the content is permitted on any of the first through the fourth levels;

a third identifier indicating that usage of the content is permitted on any of the first through the third levels;

a fourth identifier indicating that usage of the content is permitted on the first or the second level;

a fifth identifier indicating that usage of the content is permitted only on the first level;

whereby,

if the first identifier is assigned to the content, usage of the content on any of the first through the fifth levels is permitted;

if the second identifier is assigned to the content, usage of the content on any of the first through the fourth levels is permitted;

if the third identifier is assigned to the content, usage of the content on any of the first through the third levels is permitted;

if the fourth identifier is assigned to the content, usage of the content on both the first and the second levels is permitted; and

if the fifth identifier is assigned to the content, usage of the content on only the first level is permitted.

13. A method for outputting content, comprising the steps of:

downloading content in which a content usage level indicating whether to permit usage of an image of the content is set; and

controlling output of the image according to the content usage level.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein:

the content usage level comprises;

a first level for permitting outputting the image to a built-in monitor;

a second level for permitting outputting the image in a general analog form;

a third level for permitting outputting the image in a general digital form; and

the content has at least one of;

a first identifier indicating that usage of the content is permitted on any of the first through the fifth levels;

a second identifier indicating that usage of the content is permitted on both the first and the second levels;

a third identifier indicating that usage of the content is permitted on only the first level;

whereby,

if the first identifier is assigned to downloaded content, usage of the downloaded content on any of the first through the fifth levels is permitted;

if the second identifier is assigned to downloaded content, usage of the downloaded content on the first and the second level is permitted;

if the third identifier is assigned to downloaded content, usage of the downloaded content on only the first level is permitted.

15. Content data having information on a content usage level representing whether to permit usage of the content.

16. The data of claim 15, wherein the content usage level comprises:

a level for permitting only a terminal in which the content was downloaded to replay the content;

a level for permitting only a single user to replay the content;

a level for permitting only devices following identical criteria to replay the content; and

a level for permitting any device to store the content.

18. A computer program product for enabling a computer to execute the functions of:

specifying a content output level indicating whether to permit usage of content by referring to a content file of the content; and

controlling usage of the content according to the content usage level.

19. An information distributing system comprising an information distributing device and an information processing terminal,

said information distributing device comprising:

means for assigning to content a content usage level indicating whether to permit usage of the content; and

means for distributing to an information processing terminal the content in which the content usage level is assigned; and

said information processing terminal comprising;

means for specifying a content usage level of the distributed content; and

means for controlling usage of the content according to the content usage level.