Recording-and-reproducing apparatus, information transfer-and-management method, and recording medium

• US 20050207430A1
• Filed: 03/02/2005
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamada, Eiichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/401
• 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 software program of a flash memory loaded into an IC recorder is read and executed by a PC connected to the IC recorder via an external interface and an input-and-output end, so that an information signal, such as audio data held by the PC, is transferred from the PC to the flash memory. Management information about the information signal that is transferred and stored in the flash memory is generated by the software program executed by the PC and stored in the flash memory, so that the IC recorder can use the management information.

Claims

1. A recording-and-reproducing apparatus comprising:

a connection end for connecting to an information-processing apparatus;

a memory accessible by the information-processing apparatus connected to the connection end and storing a software program executed by the information-processing apparatus so that at least one information signal is transferred from the information-processing apparatus and managed;

a data memory that stores the at least one information signal transferred from the information-processing apparatus, where the software program is executed by the information-processing apparatus;

a management memory for storing management information of the at least one information signal stored in the data memory, the management information being generated by the software program executed by the information-processing apparatus; and

reproduction-control means that performs control processing, so as to reproduce the at least one information signal stored in the data memory based on the management information stored in the management memory.

2. The recording-and-reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software program is configured to transfer the at least one information signal in files and/or folders, wherein each of the folders includes a plurality of the files.

3. The recording-and-reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software program is configured to move a reproduction position of the at least one information signal stored in the data memory, delete the at least one information signal stored in the data memory, and change the management information stored in the management memory according to the moving and the deletion.

4. An information transfer-and-management method that causes a recording-and-reproducing apparatus to receive at least one information signal transmitted from an information-processing apparatus so that the at least one information signal can be used in a predetermined order that a user intends, the information transfer-and-management method comprising the steps of:

storing a predetermined software program in a program memory of the recording-and-reproducing apparatus accessible by the information-processing apparatus, wherein the software program is executed by the information-processing apparatus so that the at least one information signal is transferred from the information-processing apparatus and managed;

transferring the at least one information signal to a data memory of the recording-and-reproducing apparatus accessible by the information-processing apparatus by making the information-processing apparatus accessible to the program memory of the recording-and-reproducing apparatus and execute the software program;

generating predetermined management information about the at least one information signal that is transferred to the data memory in a management memory of the recording-and-reproducing apparatus accessible by the information-processing apparatus through the executed software program; and

reproducing the at least one information signal stored in the data memory by the recording-and-reproducing apparatus based on the management information stored in the management memory.

5. The information transfer-and-management method according to claim 4, wherein the software program is configured to transfer the at least one information signal in files and/or folders, wherein each of the folders includes a plurality of the files.

6. The information transfer-and-management method according to claim 4, wherein the software program is configured to move a reproduction position of the at least one information signal stored in the data memory, delete the at least one information signal stored in the data memory, and change the management information stored in the management memory according to the moving and the deletion.

7. A recording medium that is rewritable and loaded into a recording-and-reproducing apparatus for use thereby, the recording medium comprising:

a storage area accessible by the recording-and-reproducing apparatus, or an information-processing apparatus connected to a predetermined adapter, where the recording medium is loaded into the recording-and-reproducing apparatus, or the adapter, and the storage area stores a software program executed by the information-processing apparatus for transferring at least one information signal from the information-processing apparatus and managing the at least one information signal;

a data area for storing the at least one information signal transferred from the information-processing apparatus, by using the software program executed by the information-processing apparatus; and

a management area for storing management information that generated by the software program executed by the information-processing apparatus and used for reproducing the at least one information signal stored in the data area.

8. The recording medium according to claim 7, wherein the software program is configured to transfer the at least one information signal in files and/or folders, wherein each of the folders includes a plurality of the files.

9. The recording medium according to claim 7, wherein the software program is configured to move a reproduction position of the at least one information signal stored in the data memory, delete the at least one information signal stored in the data memory, and change the management information stored in the management memory according to the moving and the deletion.