Method for judging use permission of information and content distribution system using the method

• US 20060272026A1
• Filed: 10/05/2004
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Niwano, Satoshi, Tokuda, Katsumi, Miura, Kouji
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• 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 method for judging use permission of information on one or more terminal apparatuses which uses content provided by a content provider and metadata provided by a metadata provider and supplementing the content, the method comprising: metadata use permission judgment judging use permission of the metadata based on usage control information regarding use control of the metadata; and using the metadata in the case where in said metadata use permission judgment, the use of the metadata is permitted. Specifically, the usage control information includes the first signer identification information which identifies the range of the provider of the metadata that can be used. The metadata includes a signature of the metadata provider identified in the first signer identification information, and the second signer identification information identifying the signer of the signature. And, said metadata use permission judgment judges the metadata use permission based on the metadata provider identified in said first signer identification information, said second signer identification information, and signature verification.

Claims

1-46. -46. (canceled)

47. A method for judging use permission of information used by one or more terminal apparatuses which use content provided by a content provider and metadata which is data provided by a metadata provider and supplementing the content, the method comprising:

judging use permission of the metadata based on usage control information regarding use control of the metadata; and

using the metadata in the case where it is judged that the use of the metadata is permitted in said judging,

wherein the usage control information includes first signer identification information identifying a range of a provider of metadata that can be used,

a signature of the metadata provider is included in the metadata,

second signer identification information is included in a public key certificate used for verifying the signature of the metadata, the second signer identification information identifying at least one of the signer of the metadata and the signer of the public key certificate,

in said judging, it is judged whether the metadata use is permitted based on the metadata provider identified in the first signer identification information, the second signer identification information, and the signature verification using the public key certificate, and

the first signer identification information includes information identifying at least one of (i) the signer of the metadata, (ii) the signer of the public key certificate used for the signature verification of the metadata and (iii) no limit.

48. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the one or more terminal apparatuses hold the public key certificate used for the signature verification of the metadata signer, and

in said judging, it is judged that the use of the metadata is permitted in the case where (i) the signature verification of the metadata is successful using the public key certificate held by the one or more terminal apparatuses, and (ii) the subject of the public key certificate corresponds with the identification of the first signer identification information.

49. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the one or more terminal apparatuses previously hold third signer identification information uniquely identifying the second signer identification information, and

in said judging, it is judged that the use of the metadata is permitted in the case where the third signer identification information corresponds with the second signer identification information.

50. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the content includes third signer identification information uniquely identifying the second signer identification information, and

in said judging, it is judged that the use of the metadata is permitted in the case where the third signer identification information corresponds with the second signer identification information.

51. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the metadata is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the metadata, and hold a second license for using the metadata,

third signer identification information is included in the second license, the third signer identification information uniquely identifying the second signer identification information, and

in said judging, the use of the metadata is permitted in the case where third signer identification information corresponds with the second signer identification information, the third signer identification information uniquely identifying the second signer identification information included in the second license.

52. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the first signer identification information includes third signer identification information uniquely identifying the second signer identification information.

53. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein user identification information is included in user metadata generated by a user in the one or more terminal apparatuses.

54. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 53,

wherein for the user metadata, a digital signature is omitted, and

in said judging, verification of the signature is omitted.

55. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 53, wherein the user metadata is at least partially encrypted.

56. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 55,

wherein the one or more terminal apparatuses hold secret information common to the one or more terminal apparatuses owned by the user, and

the secret information decrypts the user metadata.

57. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the content is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the content, and hold a first license for using the content, and

the first signer identification information is included in the first license.

58. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the content is encrypted, and

the first signer identification information is included in the encrypted content.

59. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47, wherein the metadata is encrypted, and

the first signer identification information includes an encryption key for decrypting the encrypted metadata, and is included in a second license for using the metadata.

60. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the usage control information includes revision permission information indicating revision permission of metadata, and

said method for judging use permission of information further includes judging revision permission of metadata based on the revision permission information.

61. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 60,

wherein the revision permission information is information identifying whether revision can be permitted or not.

62. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 60,

wherein the revision permission information is identification information which uniquely identifies the metadata.

63. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 61,

wherein the revision permission information is identification information which identifies the provider of the metadata which can be revised, using the first signer identification information.

64. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 60,

wherein the revision permission information is either of terminal identification information which uniquely identifies the one or more terminal apparatuses and user identification information which uniquely identifies a user who uses the terminal apparatuses.

65. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 60,

wherein the content is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the content, and hold a first license for using the content, and

the revision permission information is included in the first license.

66. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 60,

wherein the content is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the content, and hold a first license for using the content, and

the revision permission information is included in the content.

67. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 60,

wherein the metadata is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the metadata, and hold a second license for using the metadata, and

the revision permission information is included in the second license.

68. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 60,

wherein the revision permission information is included in the metadata.

69. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the usage control information includes control permission information indicating use permission of user metadata generated by a user in the one or more terminal apparatuses, and

in said judging, metadata use permission is judged based on the control permission information.

70. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 69,

wherein the content is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the content, and hold a first license for using the content, and

the control permission information is included in the first license.

71. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 69,

wherein the content is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the content, and hold a first license for using the content, and

the control permission information is included in the content.

72. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 47,

wherein the usage control information includes moving range specifying information which specifies moving range of user metadata generated by a user in the one or more terminal apparatuses, and

in said judging, metadata use permission is judged based on the moving range specifying information.

73. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 72,

wherein in the case where the moving range specifying information indicates unlimited moving range, the metadata includes user identification information indicating that the metadata is user metadata generated in the one or more terminal apparatuses by a user,

for the user metadata a digital signature is omitted, and

in said judging, in the case where the user identification information is included, verification of the signature is omitted.

74. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 72,

wherein at least a part of the user metadata generated by the user in the one or more terminal apparatuses is encrypted using an encryption key common to the one or more terminal apparatuses owned by the user, and

in said metadata use permission judging, in the case where the moving range specifying information indicates that the moving range is limited to the one or more terminal apparatuses owned by the user, it is judged that the use of the user metadata is permitted in one or more terminal apparatuses which can decrypt the user metadata.

75. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 74,

wherein the encryption key common to the one or more terminal apparatuses is secret information common to the one or more terminal apparatuses owned by the user, and

for the user metadata, at least a part of the user metadata is encrypted using the secret information.

76. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 72,

wherein the user metadata is assigned with a digital signature of the one or more terminal apparatuses which have generated the user metadata, and

in said metadata use permission judging, the one or more terminal apparatuses which have generated the user metadata are identified.

77. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 72,

wherein the content is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the content, and hold a first license for using the content, and

the moving range specifying information is included in the first license.

78. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 72,

wherein the content is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the content, and hold a first license for using the content, and

the moving range specifying information is included in the content.

79. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 72,

wherein the metadata is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the metadata, and hold a second license for using the metadata, and

the revision permission information is included in the second license.

80. The method for judging use permission of information according to claim 72,

wherein the metadata is encrypted,

the one or more terminal apparatuses include an encryption key for decrypting the metadata, and hold a second license for using the metadata, and

the revision permission information is included in the metadata.

81. One or more terminal apparatuses which use content provided by a content provider and metadata which is data provided by a metadata provider and supplementing the content, the apparatus comprising:

metadata use permission judging unit operable to judge use permission of the metadata based on usage control information regarding use control of the metadata; and

use unit operable to use the metadata in the case where in said metadata use permission judging unit, the use of the metadata is permitted,

wherein the usage control information includes first signer identification information identifying a range of a provider of metadata that can be used,

a signature of the metadata provider is included in the metadata,

second signer identification information is included in a public key certificate used for verifying the signature of the metadata, the second signer identification information identifying at least one of the signer of the metadata and the signer of the public key certificate,

in said judging, it is judged whether the metadata use is permitted based on the metadata provider identified in the first signer identification information, the second signer identification information, and the signature verification using the public key certificate, and

the first signer identification information includes information identifying at least one of (i) the signer of the metadata, (ii) the signer of the public key certificate used for the signature verification of the metadata and (iii) no limit.

83. A content distribution system comprising

the one or more terminal apparatuses according to claim 81 and a transmitting apparatus which transmits, to the one or more terminal apparatuses, content provided by a content provider and metadata which is data, provided by a metadata provider, supplementing the content, based on a request, the apparatus comprising:

a means to transmit usage control information regarding use control of the metadata so as to have the one or more terminal apparatuses judge use permission of the metadata,

wherein the usage control information includes first signer identification information identifying a range of a provider of metadata that can be used,

a signature of the metadata provider is included in the metadata,

second signer identification information is included in a public key certificate used for verifying the signature of the metadata, second signer identification information identifying at least one of the signer of the metadata and the signer of the public key certificate,

in said judging, it is judged whether the metadata use is permitted based on the metadata provider identified in the first signer identification information, the second signer identification information, and the signature verification using the public key certificate, and

the first signer identification information includes information identifying at least one of (i) the signer of the metadata, (ii) the signer of the public key certificate used for the signature verification of the metadata and (iii) no limit.

82. A transmitting apparatus which transmits, to one or more terminal apparatuses, content provided by a content provider and metadata which is data, provided by a metadata provider, supplementing the content, based on a request, the apparatus comprising:

a means to transmit usage control information regarding use control of the metadata so as to have the one or more terminal apparatuses judge use permission of the metadata,

wherein the usage control information includes first signer identification information identifying a range of a provider of metadata that can be used,

a signature of the metadata provider is included in the metadata,

second signer identification information is included in a public key certificate used for verifying the signature of the metadata, second signer identification information identifying at least one of the signer of the metadata and the signer of the public key certificate,

in said judging, it is judged whether the metadata use is permitted based on the metadata provider identified in the first signer identification information, the second signer identification information, and the signature verification using the public key certificate, and

the first signer identification information includes information identifying at least one of (i) the signer of the metadata, (ii) the signer of the public key certificate used for the signature verification of the metadata and (iii) no limit.

84. A program for judging use permission of information on one or more terminal apparatuses which use content provided by a content provider and metadata which is data provided by a metadata provider and supplementing the content, the program causing a computer to execute the following:

judging use permission of the metadata based on usage control information regarding use control of the metadata; and

using the metadata in the case where in said metadata use permission judging, the use of the metadata is permitted,

wherein the usage control information includes first signer identification information identifying a range of a provider of metadata that can be used,

a signature of the metadata provider is included in the metadata,

second signer identification information is included in a public key certificate used for verifying the signature of the metadata, the second signer identification information identifying at least one of the signer of the metadata and the signer of the public key certificate,

in said judging, it is judged whether the metadata use is permitted based on the metadata provider identified in the first signer identification information, the second signer identification information, and the signature verification using the public key certificate, and

the first signer identification information includes information identifying at least one of (i) the signer of the metadata, (ii) the signer of the public key certificate used for the signature verification of the metadata and (iii) no limit.