Digital data processing apparatus and method, data reproducing terminal apparatus, data processing terminal apparatus, and terminal apparatus

• US 20070156609A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro, Inokuchi, Tatsuya, Kudo, Junichi, Kijima, Kaoru
• Application Number:
  US11/714,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156609A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/77
• 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 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems

Abstract

A digital data processing apparatus which receives digital data whose use is charged for through a data recording medium or a network and uses the received digital data by using use right data, wherein the apparatus has memory means in which use history information of the digital data has been stored, and an accumulation of uses of the digital data is monitored by use history information, and when the accumulation of the uses reaches a preset value, a transfer of the use history information is promoted.

Claims

1. A digital data processing apparatus for receiving digital data having a use is charged for through one of a data recording medium and a network and for using the received digital data by employing use permission data, comprising:

memory means in which use history information of the digital data has been stored,

wherein a transfer of the use history information is induced at a preset date comes.

2. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after the transfer is induced one of the use of and an operation of the use data is disabled during the transfer of the use history information.

3. A digital data processing apparatus for receiving digital data having a use charged for through one of a data recording medium and a network and for using the received digital data by using use permission data, comprising:

memory means in which use history information of the digital data has been stored; and

communicating means for communicating with a settlement center,

wherein the use history information is automatically transferred through the communicating means to the settlement center at a preset date.

4. A digital data processing apparatus for receiving digital data having a use charged for through one of a data memory medium and a network and for using the received digital data by employing use permission data, comprising:

memory means in which use history information of the digital data has been stored; and

display means for displaying a use fee of one of a capacity of the memory means and a remaining amount of the capacity.

5. The digital data processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the digital data are one of audio data, video data, still image data, character data, computer graphics data, game software, and a computer program.