Information-processing system, information-processing apparatus and method, recording medium and program

• US 20050234907A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 10/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamagishi, Yasuaki, Hashimoto, Katsunori
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/101 applying security measures for digital rights management data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for commerce, e.g. marketing, shopping, billing, auctions or e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an information-processing system including a first information-processing apparatus and a second information-processing apparatus, in which: the first information-processing apparatus has transmission unit for transmitting a metadata utilization condition representing information on rights required for utilizing metadata relevant to a content to the second information-processing apparatus; and the second information-processing apparatus has: reception unit for receiving the metadata utilization condition from the first information-processing apparatus; metadata-processing determination unit for determining whether or not metadata can be processed on the basis of the metadata utilization condition received by the reception unit; and metadata-processing unit for processing the metadata in accordance with the metadata utilization condition if a determination result produced by the metadata-processing determination unit indicates that the metadata can be processed.

Claims

1. An information-processing system comprising a first information-processing apparatus and a second information-processing apparatus, wherein:

said first information-processing apparatus has transmission unit for transmitting a metadata utilization condition representing information on rights required for utilizing metadata relevant to a content to said second information-processing apparatus; and

said second information-processing apparatus has;

reception unit for receiving said metadata utilization condition from said first information-processing apparatus;

metadata-processing determination unit for determining whether or not metadata can be processed on the basis of said metadata utilization condition received by said reception unit; and

metadata-processing unit for processing said metadata in accordance with said metadata utilization condition if a determination result produced by said metadata-processing determination unit indicates that said metadata can be processed.

2. An information-processing system according to claim 1 wherein said metadata utilization condition is a metadata identifier or a condition relevant to a target person, who is allowed to utilize metadata or has a right to use the metadata, a device security level or operations.

3. An information-processing system according to claim 1 wherein said second information-processing apparatus further has:

content-processing determination unit for determining whether or not a content can be processed on the basis of a content utilization condition representing information on rights required for utilizing said content; and

content-processing unit for processing said content in accordance with said content utilization condition if a determination result produced by said content-processing determination unit indicates that said content can be processed.

4. An information-processing system according to claim 1 wherein said metadata-processing unit further includes:

metadata decryption unit for decrypting metadata; and

storage control unit for controlling an operation to store said metadata decrypted by said metadata decryption unit.

5. An information-processing apparatus for receiving a content, said information-processing apparatus comprising:

reception unit for receiving a metadata utilization condition representing information on rights required for utilizing metadata relevant to said content from another information-processing apparatus;

metadata-processing determination unit for determining whether or not metadata can be processed on the basis of said metadata utilization condition received by said reception unit; and

metadata-processing unit for processing said metadata in accordance with said metadata utilization condition if a determination result produced by said metadata-processing determination unit indicates that said metadata can be processed.

6. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said metadata utilization condition is a metadata identifier or a condition relevant to a target person, who is allowed to utilize metadata or has a right to use the metadata, a device security level or operations.

7. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 5, said information-processing apparatus further having:

content-processing determination unit for determining whether or not a content can be processed on the basis of a content utilization condition representing information on rights required for utilizing said content; and

content-processing unit for processing said content in accordance with said content utilization condition if a determination result produced by said content-processing determination unit indicates that said content can be processed.

8. An information-processing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said metadata-processing unit has:

metadata-decryption unit for decrypting metadata; and

storage control unit for controlling an operation to store said metadata decrypted by said metadata decryption unit.

9. An information-processing method adopted by an information-processing apparatus for receiving a content, said information-processing method comprising:

a reception step of receiving a metadata utilization condition representing information on rights required for utilizing metadata relevant to said content from another information-processing apparatus;

a metadata-processing determination step of determining whether or not said metadata can be processed on the basis of said metadata utilization condition received in processing carried out at said reception step; and

a metadata-processing step of processing said metadata in accordance with said metadata utilization condition if a determination result produced by processing carried out at said metadata-processing determination step indicates that said metadata can be processed.

10. A program-recording medium for recording a program to be executed by a computer to carry out processing to receive a content wherein said program comprises:

a reception step of receiving a metadata utilization condition representing information on rights required for utilizing metadata relevant to said content from another information-processing apparatus;

a metadata-processing determination step of determining whether or not said metadata can be processed on the basis of said metadata utilization condition received in processing carried out at said reception step; and

a metadata-processing step of processing said metadata in accordance with said metadata utilization condition if a determination result produced by processing carried out at said metadata-processing determination step indicates that said metadata can be processed.

11. A program to be executed by a computer to carry out processing to receive a content, said program comprising:

a reception step of receiving a metadata utilization condition representing information on rights required for utilizing metadata relevant to said content from another information-processing apparatus;

a metadata-processing determination step of determining whether or not said metadata can be processed on the basis of said metadata utilization condition received in processing carried out at said reception step; and

a metadata-processing step of processing said metadata in accordance with said metadata utilization condition if a determination result produced by processing carried out at said metadata-processing determination step indicates that said metadata can be processed.