Content distribution service providing system and content distribution device and user terminal device thereof

• US 20070271186A1
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Kurihara, Shinichi, Kato, Taku, Unno, Hiroaki
• Application Number:
  US11/878,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271186A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/51
• 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: H04L 2209/24 Key scheduling, i.e. generating round keys or sub-keys for block encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms

Abstract

A content distribution device carries out distribution services of contents whose copyright protection is required via a communication line, to a user terminal device that enables to record contents to an information storage medium in which medium information is written, when receiving a content distribution request from the user terminal device, distributes a content list, and receives content selection information. At that moment, the content distribution device acquires the medium information from the user terminal device, sends this medium information to an encoded content key issuing device and receives an encoded content key based on the medium information concerned, and encodes contents by this encoded content key and distributes them to the user terminal device as distribution request source. The encoded content key is to be distributed at every viewing and/or listening request from the user terminal device, and when viewing and/or listening valid period expires, key distribution is stopped.

Claims

1-3. -3. (canceled)

4. A content distribution device of a content distribution service providing system for carrying out distribution services of contents whose copyright protection is required via a communication line, to a user terminal device that enables recording contents to an information storage medium in which medium information of a medium specific identifier and medium key information are written, or to another information storage medium different from the information storage medium in a status where the information storage medium is set, comprising:

content distribution request acquisition means for receiving a content distribution request based on a content selection list to be distributed in advance, from the user terminal device;

viewing and/or listening condition acquisition means for distributing a viewing and/or listening condition list including at least one of a viewing and/or listening valid period and the number of viewing and/or listening times to the user terminal device that has made the request at receiving of the content distribution request, and receiving a viewing and/or listening condition selection result thereof;

medium information control means for acquiring and controlling the medium information from the user terminal device;

encoded content control means for encoding and controlling contents specified in the content selection list by a predetermined content key, and distributing encoded contents corresponding to the content distribution request to the user terminal device that has made the request;

encoded content key acquisition means for sending the medium information to an encoded content key issuing device, asking it to encode a content key used in encoding the distribution contents on the basis of the medium information and device specific key information registered in advance, and receiving the encoded content key;

encoded content key distribution means for distributing an encoded content key corresponding to the user terminal device that has made a viewing and/or listening request according to a viewing and/or listening request for already distributed encoded contents, from the user terminal device; and

user control means for controlling the viewing and/or listening conditions in unit of user, and determining whether viewing and/or listening conditions are satisfied or not at the viewing and/or listening request, wherein

the encoded content key distribution means distributes the encoded content key only when it is determined that viewing and/or listening conditions are satisfied at the viewing and/or listening request.

5. The user control means according to claim 4, wherein the user control means controls distribution history information of contents distributed to the user terminal device in unit of user;

when acquiring the content distribution request or the viewing and/or listening request, refers to content distribution history information of the user; and

causes the encoded content control means to distribute requested encoded contents if not distributed yet.

6. The content distribution device according to claim 4, wherein the medium information control means, at a viewing and/or listening request from the user terminal device, requests and confirms medium information at necessity.

7. The content distribution device according to claim 4, wherein in selection of contents by the content selection list, quality of contents can be selected.

8. The content distribution device according to claim 4, wherein the encoded content control means puts information for requesting the encoded content key in the encoded contents in the course of replaying contents.

9. The content distribution device according to claim 4, wherein the encoded content key distributing means distributes the encoded content key in response to a key distribution request that is made in the course of replaying contents.

10. The content distribution device according to claim 4, wherein the encoded content control means divides the encoded contents into plural contents and controls them, and distributes the divided encoded contents selectively or sequentially or in a designated order according to a distribution request mode from the user terminal device.

11. The content distribution device according to claim 10, wherein the encoded content control means sends divided contents of predetermined indispensable distribution, among the divided encoded contents, and distributes other divided contents by an optional designation.

12. The user control means according to claim 10, wherein the user control means executes a charging process by a viewing and/or listening request for predetermined divided contents, among the divided encoded contents.

13. The user control means according to claim 4, wherein the user control means further controls a content distribution history including the viewing and/or listening conditions, acquires a content accumulation state from the user terminal device at a content viewing and/or listening request, compares and collates it with a content recording state under distribution at present, and grasps the portion that is not distributed yet in contents from the collation result.

14. The content distribution device according to claim 4, wherein the encoded content control means, when distributing encoded contents to the user terminal device, informs at least one of a data amount required for distribution and time information.

15. The content distribution device according to claim 4, wherein the encoded content control means, at content distribution, determined whether or not all or part of encoded contents have already been recorded in the information storage medium of the user terminal device that has made a request from control information of the user control means, and if they have been already recorded, requests for at least a medium specific identifier of the information storage medium set at recording, and if matching of medium specific identifier cannot be obtained, informs that new costs occur.

16. The user control means according to claim 4, wherein the user control means accepts a viewing and/or listening condition change from the user terminal device, and carries out a charging process according to the change contents.

17. The user control means according to claim 4, wherein the user control means accepts a purchase request for distributed contents from the user terminal device, carries out a purchase charging process, and allows the request source to store the encoded content key.

18-30. -30. (canceled)