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

• US 20070156610A1
• Filed: 03/06/2007
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2000
• 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:
  US11/714,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20070156610A1
• 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 2221/2135 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 data reproducing terminal apparatus comprising:

a signal processing unit for performing a signal process necessary for reproduction of content data read from a medium in which a plurality of content data to which an encrypting process and a compressing process have been executed and subordinate data associated with each of the plurality of content data are recorded;

notifying means for notifying whether the content data read from the medium require a charging process upon reproduction; and

a control unit for determining whether the charging process is necessary upon reproduction of the content data read from the medium when the signal process is executed by the signal processing unit and driving the notifying means when the charging process is necessary upon reproduction of the content data read from the medium as a result of the determination.

2. The data reproducing terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a result of the determination indicates that the content data read from the medium do not require the charging process upon reproduction the control unit starts the reproduction of the content data read from the medium.

3. The data reproducing terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit determines whether the content data read from the medium require the charging process upon reproduction based on the subordinate data of the content data.

4. The data reproducing terminal apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit:

notifies that the content data read from the medium require the charging process upon reproduction by driving the notifying means;

executes the charging process based on the subordinate data; and

reproduces the content data read from the medium.

5. The data reproducing terminal apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notifying means is constructed by a display unit and a message displaying that the content data read from the medium require the charging process upon reproduction is displayed on the display unit by the control unit.

6. The data reproducing terminal apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the display unit is a charge display unit for displaying that the content data read from the medium and requiring the charging process upon reproduction are being reproduced.

7. The data reproducing terminal apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit for performing an operation to inhibit the reproduction of the content data when the content data read from the medium require the charging process upon reproduction.

8. The data reproducing terminal apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when the operation to inhibit the reproduction of the content data when the content data read from the medium require the charging process upon reproduction is released by the operation unit the reproduction is enabled irrespective of whether the content data read from said medium require the charging process upon reproduction.

9. A terminal apparatus comprising:

a memory unit in which a plurality of downloaded content data to which an encrypting process and a compressing process have been executed and subordinate data associated with each of the plurality of content data are stored;

a signal processing unit for performing a signal process necessary for reproduction to the content data read from the memory unit;

notifying means for notifying whether the content data read from the memory unit require a charging process upon reproduction; and

a control unit for determining whether the content data read from the memory unit require the charging process upon reproduction when the signal process is executed by the signal processing unit and driving the notifying means when the charging process is required upon reproduction of the content data read from the memory unit as a result of the determination.

10. The terminal apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the notifying means has a display unit and a message regarding titles of a plurality of content data that can be downloaded into the terminal apparatus and a mark displaying whether the charging process is required upon reproduction are displayed on the display unit.

11. The terminal apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a mode change-over operation unit, wherein the control unit downloads content data that satisfy conditions set by the mode change-over unit.

12. The terminal apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the control unit downloads the content data that satisfy the conditions set by the mode change-over unit based on the subordinate data of the content data.