Reproducing apparatus and reproducing method

• US 20070116439A1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Maruyama, Koji
• Application Number:
  US11/602,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116439A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/231
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding

Abstract

Systems and methods control an analog output of an information reproducing apparatus, such as a high-definition DVD player. At least partially in response to a determination that a multimedia presentation is content protected, one embodiment reduces a displayed resolution of an analog output to less than a full available resolution. In another embodiment, the analog output for the multimedia presentation is disabled, and the analog output carries an instruction for a user to switch to a digital output of the reproducing apparatus.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the playback of multimedia data, the method comprising:

receiving multimedia data, wherein the multimedia data is in a digital form;

determining whether content protection is indicated for the multimedia data; and

at least partially in response to a determination that the content protection is indicated, performing;

inhibiting presentation of at least a visual portion of the multimedia data in analog form; and

providing an indication in analog form that the multimedia data is available for presentation in another form.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises a message in an analog video signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the multimedia data from an optical disk, wherein determining whether content protection is indicated comprises inspecting the multimedia data for a content protection indicating flag.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the content protection complies with Advanced Access Content System (AACS) standards.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication in analog form comprises a message that the multimedia data is available at an High-Definition Multi-media Interface (HDMI) output.

6. A method of controlling the playback of multimedia data, the method comprising:

receiving multimedia data, wherein the multimedia data is in a digital form;

determining whether content protection is indicated for the multimedia data; and

at least partially in response to a determination that the content protection is indicated, reducing a resolution of an analog presentation of the multimedia data to less than a full available resolution for the multimedia data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising at least temporarily providing an indication in an analog output signal carrying the analog presentation, where the indication indicates that the resolution has been reduced.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing an indication in an analog output signal carrying the analog presentation, where the indication indicates that a higher resolution output is available at a digital output signal.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the indication comprises a message that the multimedia data is available at an High-Definition Multi-media Interface (HDMI) output.

10. An apparatus for controlling the playback of multimedia data, the apparatus comprising:

a decoder configured to receive multimedia data, wherein the multimedia data is in a digital form;

an analog output for providing a decoded analog presentation of the multimedia data; and

a controller configured to determine whether content protection is indicated for the multimedia data, where, at least partially in response to a determination that the content protection is indicated, the controller is configured to;

inhibit presentation of at least a visual portion of the multimedia data at the analog output; and

provide an indication at the analog output that the multimedia data is available for presentation in another form.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising an optical drive, wherein the multimedia data is retrieved by the optical drive from an optical disk, wherein content protection is indicated with a content protection indicating flag.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the content protection complies with Advanced Access Content System (AACS) standards.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the digital output comprises an High-Definition Multi-media Interface (HDMI) output, and wherein the indication at the analog output comprises a message that the multimedia data is available at the High-Definition Multi-media Interface (HDMI) output.

14. An apparatus for controlling the playback of multimedia data, the apparatus comprising:

a decoder configured to receive multimedia data, wherein the multimedia data is in a digital form;

an analog output for providing a decoded analog presentation of the multimedia data; and

a controller configured to determine whether content protection is indicated for the multimedia data, where the controller is further configured to, at least partially in response to a determination that the content protection is indicated, reduce a resolution of a presentation of the multimedia data at the analog output to less than a full available resolution for the multimedia data.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configure to provide an indication at the analog output that the resolution of the presentation carried by the analog output has been reduced.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to provide an indication at the analog output that a higher resolution output is available at a digital output of the apparatus.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the digital output comprises an High-Definition Multi-media Interface (HDMI) output, and wherein the indication at the analog output comprises a message that the multimedia data is available at the High-Definition Multi-media Interface (HDMI) output.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus further comprises an optical drive, wherein the multimedia data is retrieved by the optical drive from an optical disk, wherein content protection is indicated with a content protection indicating flag.

19. An apparatus for controlling the playback of multimedia data, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving multimedia data, wherein the multimedia data is in a digital form;

means for determining whether content protection is indicated for the multimedia data; and

means, at least partially responsive to a determination that the content protection is indicated, for;

inhibiting presentation of at least a visual portion of the multimedia data in analog form; and

providing an indication in analog form that the multimedia data is available for presentation in digital form.

20. An apparatus for controlling the playback of multimedia data, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving multimedia data, wherein the multimedia data is in a digital form;

means for determining whether content protection is indicated for the multimedia data; and

means, at least partially responsive to a determination that the content protection is indicated, for reducing a resolution of an analog presentation of the multimedia data to less than a full available resolution for the multimedia data.