Information management apparatus

• US 20040165301A1
• Filed: 02/26/2004
• Published: 08/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FIPA Frohwitter Intellectual Property AG
• Original Assignee: FIPA Frohwitter Intellectual Property AG
• Inventors: Nishijima, Hideo, Ono, Hiroaki, Nishimura, Keizo, Kano, Kiyoshi, Fujimori, Shinya, Owaski, Hitoaki, Arai, Takao, Okamoto, Hiroo, Kaku, Nobuyuki, Amada, Nobutaka, Noguchi, Takaharu
• Granted Patent: US 7,706,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 360/27
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/03 by using counters
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/087 by sensing recorded signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/125 conditioned by the operating function of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• 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 20/00166 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00188 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised devices recording or reproducing contents to/from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00746 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific number
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/0086 using cyclically driven heads providing segmented tracks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91328 the copy protection signal being a copy management signal, e.g. a copy generation management signal [CGMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An information management apparatus capable of reliable management of distributed information and an information providing system employing the same information management apparatus has a main information reproducing system for reproducing main information recorded in a given recording medium; and a reproduction management system for managing the main information reproducing system for reproducing the main information. A receiver is provided with a unit for recording distributed information and control information limiting the number of main information reproducing cycles on a recording medium, and a main information reproducing system provided with a reproduction disabling function for limiting the reproduction of main information.

Claims

1. A recording/reproducing apparatus for recording a transmitted signal onto a recording medium and for reproducing the recorded signal from the recording medium, comprising:

a recorder which records the transmitted signal by a recording/reproducing head onto a recording medium;

a reproducer which reproduces the recorded signal by a recording/reproducing head from the recording medium and outputs the reproduced signal; and

a disabling circuit which disables the signal recorded on the recording medium by a recording/reproducing head,

wherein the transmitted signal is scrambled using key code and restricted to be copied, and

said reproducer descrambles the reproduced signal using the key code and outputs the descrambled signal after adding information to restrict copying and said disabling circuit disables the signal which has been reproduced.

2. A recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said disabling circuit erases at least a portion of said signal recorded on said recording medium.

3. A recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said disabling circuit rewrites another signal at least a portion of said signal recorded on said recording medium.

4. A recording/reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said disabling circuit disables within a predetermined time after said reproducer reproduces the recorded signal on the recording medium.