Contents distribution system, method thereof, server, user terminal, encryption device, managing device and streaming device

• US 20060005258A1
• Filed: 01/07/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Hirose, Takeshi
• Application Number:
  US11/030,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20060005258A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0457 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply dynamic encryption, e.g. stream encryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for stream encryption H04L9/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819

Abstract

A contents distribution system and a method thereof, a server, a user terminal, an encryption device, a managing device, and a streaming device for enabling contents to be acquired inexpensively by performing charging in accordance with viewing time only, and also a communication charge to be limited only to a charge for acquiring encryption key information. A contents management server transmits contents information encrypted by an encryption processing section of a contents encryption device to a user terminal via a communication network, and a streaming server device transmits an encryption key information made into a stream via a portable telephone communication network so as to enable a charging processing section to calculate a charge based on the state of the transmission.

Claims

1. A contents distribution system including a server and a user terminal which are connected via a network, wherein:

the server comprises;

an acquisition section for acquiring contents information;

an encryption section for encrypting contents information acquired by the acquisition section;

an encrypted contents storage for storing contents information encrypted by the encryption section; and

an encryption key storage for making encryption key information used for encrypting by the encryption section into a stream and storing the encryption key information, and

the user terminal comprises;

a first communication section for receiving the encrypted contents information from the server via a first network;

a second communication section for receiving the encryption key information made into a stream from the server via a second network having a speed lower than the first network; and

a decryption section for decrypting the encrypted contents information received by the first communication section using the encryption key information received by the second communication section.

2. The contents distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the server further comprises a transmission measuring section for measuring the state of transmission of the encryption key information for enabling the user terminal to receive the encryption key information by the second communication section.

3. The contents distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the transmission measuring section measures transmission time and/or the number of transmissions of the encryption key information to the user terminal.

4. The contents distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the server further comprises a charging processing section for calculating use charge based on the encrypted contents information and/or the encryption key information, each information being received by the user terminal via the network.

5. The contents distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the server further comprises a charging processing section for calculating use charge based on the encrypted contents information and/or the encryption key information, each information being received by the user terminal via the network.

6. The contents distribution system according to claim 3, wherein the server further comprises a charging processing section for calculating use charge based on the encrypted contents information and/or the encryption key information, each information being received by the user terminal via the network.

7. The contents distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the user terminal further comprises a display for displaying the encrypted contents information decrypted by the decryption section.

8. The contents distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the user terminal further comprises a display for displaying the encrypted contents information decrypted by the decryption section.

9. The contents distribution system according to claim 3, wherein the user terminal further comprises a display for displaying the encrypted contents information decrypted by the decryption section.

10. The contents distribution system according to claim 4, wherein the user terminal further comprises a display for displaying the encrypted contents information decrypted by the decryption section.

11. The contents distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the server further comprises:

a generation section for generating partial contents information which is contents information acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section, and

a partial contents information disclosing section for enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

12. The contents distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the server further comprises:

a generation section for generating partial contents information which is contents information acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section, and

a partial contents information disclosing section for enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

13. The contents distribution system according to claim 3, wherein the server further comprises:

a generation section for generating partial contents information which is contents information acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section, and

a partial contents information disclosing section for enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

14. The contents distribution system according to claim 4, wherein the server further comprises:

a generation section for generating partial contents information which is contents information acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section, and

a partial contents information disclosing section for enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

15. The contents distribution system according to claim 7, wherein the server further comprises:

a generation section for generating partial contents information which is contents information acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section, and

a partial contents information disclosing section for enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

16. The contents distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the server further comprises an encryption key location information disclosing section for enabling information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

17. The contents distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the server further comprises an encryption key location information disclosing section for enabling information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

18. The contents distribution system according to claim 3, wherein the server further comprises an encryption key location information disclosing section for enabling information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

19. The contents distribution system according to claim 4, wherein the server further comprises an encryption key location information disclosing section for enabling information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

20. The contents distribution system according to claim 7, wherein the server further comprises an encryption key location information disclosing section for enabling information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

21. The contents distribution system according to claim 11, wherein the server further comprises an encryption key location information disclosing section for enabling information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to be disclosed and viewed by the user terminal.

22. A server comprising:

an acquisition section for acquiring contents information;

an encryption section for encrypting contents information acquired by the acquisition section;

an encrypted contents storage for storing contents information encrypted by the encryption section;

an encryption key storage for making encryption key information used for encrypting by the encryption section into a stream, and storing the encryption key information; and

a communication section for transmitting the encrypted contents information via a first network, and transmitting the encryption key information made into a stream via a second network having a speed lower than the first network.

23. The server according to claim 22, further comprising a transmission measuring section for measuring the state of transmission of the encryption key information by the communication section.

24. The server according to claim 23, wherein the transmission measuring section measures transmission time and/or the number of transmissions of the encryption key information.

25. The server according to claim 22, further comprising a charging processing section for calculating use charge based on the encrypted contents information and/or encryption key information, each information being transmitted via the network.

26. The server according to claim 23, further comprising a charging processing section for calculating use charge based on the encrypted contents information and/or encryption key information, each information being transmitted via the network.

27. The server according to claim 24, further comprising a charging processing section for calculating use charge based on the encrypted contents information and/or encryption key information, each information being transmitted via the network.

28. A user terminal comprising:

a first communication section for receiving encrypted contents information via a first network;

a second communication section for receiving encryption key information made into a stream via a second network with a speed lower than the first network; and

a decryption section for decrypting the encrypted contents information received by the first communication section using the encryption key information received by the second communication section.

29. The user terminal according to claim 28, further comprising a display for displaying the encrypted contents information decrypted by the decryption section.

30. A contents encryption device comprising:

an acquisition section for acquiring contents information;

an encryption section for encrypting contents information acquired by the acquisition section; and

a streaming section for making encryption key information used for encrypting the contents information into a stream.

31. A contents managing device comprising:

an encrypted contents acquisition section for acquiring encrypted contents information;

an encrypted contents storage for storing the encrypted contents information acquired by the encrypted contents acquisition section; and

a communication section for transmitting the encrypted contents information via a network.

32. A streaming device comprising:

an encryption key information acquisition section for acquiring encryption key information which is made into a stream and used for encrypting contents information;

an encryption key storage for storing the encryption key information; and

a communication section for transmitting the encryption key information made into a stream via a network.

33. The streaming device according to claim 32, further comprising a transmission measuring section for measuring the state of transmission of the encryption key information by the communication section.

34. The streaming device according to claim 33, wherein the transmission measuring section measures transmission time and/or the number of transmissions of the encryption key information.

35. The streaming device according to claim 32, further comprising a charging processing section for calculating use charge based on the encrypted contents information and/or the encryption key information, each information being transmitted via the network.

36. The streaming device according to claim 33, further comprising a charging processing section for calculating use charge based on the encrypted contents information and/or the encryption key information, each information being transmitted via the network.

37. The streaming device according to claim 34, further comprising a charging processing section for calculating use charge based on the encrypted contents information and/or the encryption key information, each information being transmitted via the network.

38. A contents distribution method utilizing a server and a user terminal which are connected via a network, wherein:

the server comprises the steps of;

acquiring contents information by an acquisition section;

encrypting by an encryption section contents information acquired by the acquisition section;

storing by an encrypted contents storage the contents information encrypted by the encryption section;

making an encryption key storage convert encryption key information used for encrypting by the encryption section into a stream and store the encryption key information, and

the user terminal comprises the steps of;

receiving the encrypted contents information from the server by a first communication section via a first network;

receiving the encryption key information made into a stream from the server by a second communication section via a second network with a speed lower than the first network; and

decrypting by a decryption section the encrypted contents information received by the first communication section using the encryption key information received by the second communication section.

39. The contents distribution method according to claim 38, further comprising the step of measuring by a transmission measuring section the state of transmission of the encryption key information so as to enable the user terminal to receive the encryption key information by the second communication section.

40. The contents distribution method according to claim 39, wherein, in the measuring step, the transmission measuring section measures time and/or the number of times of transmission of the encryption key information to the user terminal.

41. The contents distribution method according to claim 38, wherein the server further comprises the step of calculating use charge by a charging processing section based on the encrypted contents information and/or the encryption key information, each information being received by the user terminal via the network.

42. The contents distribution method according to claim 39, wherein the server further comprises the step of calculating use charge by a charging processing section based on the encrypted contents information and/or the encryption key information, each information being received by the user terminal via the network.

43. The contents distribution method according to claim 40, wherein the server further comprises the step of calculating use charge by a charging processing section based on the encrypted contents information and/or the encryption key information, each information being received by the user terminal via the network.

44. The contents distribution method according to claim 38, wherein the user terminal further comprises the step of displaying by a display the encrypted contents information decrypted by the decryption section.

45. The contents distribution method according to claim 39, wherein the user terminal further comprises the step of displaying by a display the encrypted contents information decrypted by the decryption section.

46. The contents distribution method according to claim 40, wherein the user terminal further comprises the step of displaying by a display the encrypted contents information decrypted by the decryption section.

47. The contents distribution method according to claim 41, wherein the user terminal further comprises the step of displaying by a display the encrypted contents information decrypted by the decryption section.

48. The contents distribution method according to claim 38, wherein the server further comprises the steps of:

generating by a generation section partial contents information which is acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section; and

enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed by a partial contents information disclosing section and to be viewed by the user terminal.

49. The contents distribution method according to claim 39, wherein the server further comprises the steps of:

generating by a generation section partial contents information which is acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section; and

enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed by a partial contents information disclosing section and to be viewed by the user terminal.

50. The contents distribution method according to claim 40, wherein the server further comprises the steps of:

generating by a generation section partial contents information which is acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section; and

enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed by a partial contents information disclosing section and to be viewed by the user terminal.

51. The contents distribution method according to claim 41, wherein the server further comprises the steps of:

generating by a generation section partial contents information which is acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section; and

enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed by a partial contents information disclosing section and to be viewed by the user terminal.

52. The contents distribution method according to claim 44, wherein the server further comprises the steps of:

generating by a generation section partial contents information which is acquired by the acquisition section and which is not encrypted by the encryption section; and

enabling the non-encrypted partial contents information generated by the generation section to be disclosed by a partial contents information disclosing section and to be viewed by the user terminal.

53. The contents distribution method according to claim 38, wherein the server further comprises the step of disclosing by an encryption key location information disclosing section information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to allow the user terminal to view the location information.

54. The contents distribution method according to claim 39, wherein the server further comprises the step of disclosing by an encryption key location information disclosing section information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to allow the user terminal to view the location information.

55. The contents distribution method according to claim 40, wherein the server further comprises the step of disclosing by an encryption key location information disclosing section information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to allow the user terminal to view the location information.

56. The contents distribution method according to claim 41, wherein the server further comprises the step of disclosing by an encryption key location information disclosing section information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to allow the user terminal to view the location information.

57. The contents distribution method according to claim 44, wherein the server further comprises the step of disclosing by an encryption key location information disclosing section information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to allow the user terminal to view the location information.

58. The contents distribution method according to claim 48, wherein the server further comprises the step of disclosing by an encryption key location information disclosing section information of location where the encryption key information is stored by the encryption key storage to allow the user terminal to view the location information.