Apparatus, system and method for secure information dissemination

• US 20060069718A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hirayama, Tomoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,984,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/15 on receiving information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2347 involving video stream encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4623 Processing of entitlement messages, e.g. ECM [Entitlement Control Message] or EMM [Entitlement Management Message] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

An apparatus transfers the title of content to an ID-assigning unit which assigns an ID to the content and transmits the content ID to a broadcasting unit via a tagging unit. A broadcasting apparatus then broadcasts the content ID and a receiver extracts the content ID from a received signal and transfers the content ID to a verification unit which determines whether or not the content ID received from a reception functional unit matches a stored content ID. If the content ID received from the reception unit matches a stored content ID, user information of the receiver is transmitted to a privacy-guarding unit. The privacy-guarding unit searches privacy-guarding items and, in accordance with a result of the search, only necessary user information presented by the verification unit is transmitted to a provider unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a first acquisition means for acquiring content identification information for identifying a content presented by a first information processing apparatus, first information processing apparatus identification information for identifying said first information processing apparatus and second information processing apparatus identification information for identifying a second information processing apparatus from said second information identifying apparatus;

a judgment means for forming a judgment on validity of said content identification information, said first information processing apparatus identification information and said second information processing apparatus identification information which are acquired by said first acquisition means;

a second acquisition means for acquiring user information on a user of said second information processing apparatus; and

an output means for outputting the user information acquired by said second acquisition means in conformity with a result of said judgment formed by said judgment means as information for receiving a presented content identified by said content identification information.

2. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if said first information processing apparatus identification information and said content identification information are disseminated by broadcasting, said first acquisition means further acquires broadcasting identification information (transmission identification information) assigned to said broadcasting;

and

said judgment means further forms a judgment on validity of said content identification information, said first information processing apparatus identification information, said second information processing apparatus identification information and said broadcasting identification information (transmission identification information).

3. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first acquisition means further acquires additional information;

and

said judgment means further forms a judgment on validity of said additional information.

4. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said information processing apparatus further includes an assignment means for assigning customer identification information for identifying a customer to said content identification information, said first information processing apparatus identification information and said second information processing apparatus identification information.

5. An information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said output means outputs said customer identification information instead of outputting said second information processing apparatus identification information among pieces of information for receiving said content.

6. An information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said information processing apparatus further includes a request means for requesting said first information processing apparatus to present a content identified by said content identification information through a network instead of requesting said second information processing apparatus.

7. An information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said information processing apparatus further includes a presentation means for directly or indirectly presenting a content identified by said content identification information to said second information processing apparatus in place of said first information processing apparatus.

8. An information processing method comprising the steps of:

controlling acquisition, from said second information identifying apparatus, of content identification information for identifying a content presented by a first information processing apparatus, first information processing apparatus identification information for identifying said first information processing apparatus and second information processing apparatus identification information for identifying a second information processing apparatus;

forming a judgment on validity of said content identification information, said first information processing apparatus identification information and said second information processing apparatus identification information, whose acquisition is controlled by the processing at said first acquisition controlling step;

controlling acquisition of user information on a user of said second information processing apparatus; and

outputting said user information, whose acquisition is controlled by the processing at said second acquisition controlling step in conformity with a result of said judgment formed by the processing at said judgment step as information for receiving said content identified by said content identification information.

9. A recording medium for recording a program executable by a computer, said program comprising:

a first acquisition controlling step of controlling acquisition, from said second information identifying apparatus, of content identification information for identifying a content presented by a first information processing apparatus, first information processing apparatus identification information for identifying said first information processing apparatus and second information processing apparatus identification information for identifying a second information processing apparatus;

a judgment step of forming a judgment on validity of said content identification information, said first information processing apparatus identification information and said second information processing apparatus identification information, whose acquisition is controlled by the processing at said first acquisition controlling step;

a second acquisition controlling step of controlling acquisition of user information on a user of said second information processing apparatus; and

an output step of outputting said user information, whose acquisition is controlled by the processing at said second acquisition controlling step in conformity with a result of said judgment formed by the processing at said judgment step as information for receiving said content identified by said content identification information.

10. An information processing apparatus connected by a network to a first information processing apparatus for presenting a content comprising:

an acquisition means for acquiring content identification information for identifying a content, first information processing apparatus identification information for identifying said first information processing apparatus and second information processing apparatus identification information for identifying a second information processing apparatus to receive said content;

an assignment means for assigning customer identification information for identifying a customer to said content identification information, said first information processing apparatus identification information and said second information processing apparatus identification information;

a request means for requesting said first information processing apparatus to present a content identified by said content identification information through said network instead of requesting said second information processing apparatus; and

an output means for outputting customer identification information to said first information processing apparatus through said network as information for receiving said content instead of outputting said second information processing apparatus identification information.

11. An information processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said information processing apparatus further includes a presentation means for directly or indirectly presenting a content identified by said content identification information to said second information processing apparatus in place of said first information processing apparatus.

12. An information processing method adopted in an information processing apparatus connected by a network to a first information processing apparatus for presenting a content comprising the steps of:

controlling acquisition of content identification information for identifying a content, first information processing apparatus identification information for identifying said first information processing apparatus and second information processing apparatus identification information for identifying a second information processing apparatus to receive said content;

assigning customer identification information for identifying a customer to said content identification information, said first information processing apparatus identification information and said second information processing apparatus identification information;

requesting said first information processing apparatus to present a content identified by said content identification information through said network instead of requesting said second information processing apparatus; and

outputting customer identification information to said first information processing apparatus through said network as information for receiving said content instead of outputting said second information processing apparatus identification information.

13. A recording medium for recording a computer executable program of an information processing apparatus connected by a network to a first information processing apparatus for presenting a content, said program comprising:

an acquisition controlling step of controlling acquisition of content identification information for identifying a content, first information processing apparatus identification information for identifying said first information processing apparatus and second information processing apparatus identification information for identifying a second information processing apparatus to receive said content;

an assignment step of assigning customer identification information for identifying a customer to said content identification information, said first information processing apparatus identification information and said second information processing apparatus identification information;

a request step of requesting said first information processing apparatus to present said content identified by said content identification information through said network instead of requesting said second information processing apparatus; and

output step of outputting customer identification information to said first information processing apparatus through said network as information for receiving a presented content instead of outputting said second information processing apparatus identification information.