Contents-data using system

• US 20070300309A1
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Published: 12/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Victor Company of Japan Limited (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: Naito, Joji
• Application Number:
  US11/889,367
• Publication Number:
  US 20070300309A1
• 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]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect

Abstract

Each of data using apparatuses generates a history information piece which represents a term of the use of content data and a received user ID while relating them with each other. The history information piece is sent to a managing apparatus. In each of the data using apparatuses, the use of the content data is prohibited when a user ID in a multiple use notice sent from the managing apparatus is equal to the received user ID. In the case where at least two of terms represented by history information pieces sent from the data using apparatuses are related with a same user ID and at least partially overlap each other, the managing apparatus generates a multiple use notice inclusive of the same user ID. The generated multiple use notice is sent to the data using apparatuses.

Claims

1. A contents-data using system comprising a plurality of data using apparatuses and a use-history-information managing apparatus;

wherein each of the data using apparatuses comprises;

first means for receiving a user ID;

second means for using content data;

third means for generating a use history information piece including a record data piece which represents a term of the use of content data by the second means and the user ID received by the first means, and which relates the term of the use of the content data by the second means and the user ID received by the first means with each other;

fourth means for sending the use history information piece generated by the third means to the use-history-information managing apparatus;

fifth means for receiving a multiple use notice from the use-history-information managing apparatus;

sixth means for deciding whether or not a user ID in the multiple use notice received by the fifth means is equal to the user ID received by the first means; and

seventh means for prohibiting the second means from using content data when the sixth means decides that the user ID in the multiple use notice received by the fifth means is equal to the user ID received by the first means;

wherein the use-history-information managing apparatus comprises;

eighth means for receiving use history information pieces from the data using apparatuses respectively;

ninth means for deciding whether or not at least two of terms represented by record data pieces in the use history information pieces received by the eighth means are related with a same user ID and at least partially overlap each other;

tenth means for, when the ninth means decides that at least two of terms represented by record data pieces in the use history information pieces received by the eighth means are related with a same user ID and at least partially overlap each other, generating a multiple use notice inclusive of the same user ID; and

eleventh means for sending the multiple use notice generated by the tenth means to the data using apparatuses.

2. A data using apparatus comprising:

first means for receiving a user ID;

second means for using content data;

third means for generating a use history information piece including a record data piece which represents a term of the use of content data by the second means and the user ID received by the first means, and which relates the term of the use of the content data by the second means and the user ID received by the first means with each other;

fourth means for sending the use history information piece generated by the third means to an external apparatus;

fifth means for receiving a multiple use notice from the external apparatus;

sixth means for deciding whether or not a user ID in the multiple use notice received by the fifth means is equal to the user ID received by the first means; and

seventh means for prohibiting the second means from using content data when the sixth means decides that the user ID in the multiple use notice received by the fifth means is equal to the user ID received by the first means.

3. A use-history-information managing apparatus comprising:

first means for receiving use history information pieces from external apparatuses respectively;

second means for deciding whether or not at least two of terms represented by record data pieces in the use history information pieces received by the first means are related with a same user ID and at least partially overlap each other;

third means for, when the second means decides that at least two of the terms are related with a same user ID and at least partially overlap each other, generating a multiple use notice inclusive of the same user ID; and

fourth means for sending the multiple use notice generated by the third means to the external apparatuses.

4. A contents-data using system comprising a content-data distributing apparatus, a plurality of data using apparatuses, and a use-history-information managing apparatus;

wherein each of the data using apparatuses comprises;

first means for receiving a user ID;

second means for receiving content data from the content-data distributing apparatus;

third means for using the content data received by the second means;

fourth means for selectively permitting and prohibiting the use of the content data by the third means in response to content-use prohibiting information in the content data received by the second means;

fifth means for generating a use history information piece including a record data piece which represents a term of the use of the content data by the third means and the user ID received by the first means, and which relates the term of the use of the content data by the third means and the user ID received by the first means with each other; and

sixth means for sending the use history information piece generated by the fifth means to the use-history-information managing apparatus;

wherein the use-history-information managing apparatus comprises;

seventh means for receiving use history information pieces from the data using apparatuses respectively;

eighth means for deciding whether or not at least two of terms represented by record data pieces in the use history information pieces received by the seventh means are related with a same user ID and at least partially overlap each other;

ninth means for, when the eighth means decides that at least two of terms represented by record data pieces in the use history information pieces received by the seventh means are related with a same user ID and at least partially overlap each other, generating a multiple use notice inclusive of the same user ID; and

tenth means for sending the multiple use notice generated by the ninth means to the content-data distributing apparatus;

wherein the content-data distributing apparatus comprises;

eleventh means for receiving a multiple use notice from the use-history-information managing apparatus;

twelfth means for extracting a user ID from the multiple use notice received by the eleventh means;

thirteenth means for generating content-use prohibiting information in response to the user ID extracted by the twelfth means;

fourteenth means for generating first content data;

fifteenth means for adding the content-use prohibiting information generated by the thirteenth means to the first content data generated by the fourteenth means to generate second content data; and

sixteenth means for distributing the second content data generated by the fifteenth means.

5. A content-data distributing apparatus comprising:

first means for receiving a multiple use notice from an external apparatus;

second means for extracting a user ID from the multiple use notice received by the first means;

third means for generating content-use prohibiting information in response to the user ID extracted by the second means;

fourth means for generating first content data;

fifth means for adding the content-use prohibiting information generated by the third means to the first content data generated by the fourth means to generate second content data; and

six means for distributing the second content data generated by the fifth means.

6. A contents-data using system comprising:

a plurality of data using apparatuses each including a data using device for using content data, and an input device for receiving a user ID before the data using device uses content data;

first means for deciding whether or not at least two apparatuses which have received a same user ID use content data during respective terms at least partially overlapping each other, the at least two apparatuses being among the data using apparatuses;

second means for, in cases where the first means decides that at least two apparatuses which have received a same user ID use content data during respective terms at least partially overlapping each other, designating the same user ID as a specified user ID;

third means for deciding whether or not a user ID newly received by any one of the data using apparatuses is equal to the specified user ID; and

fourth means for, when the third means decides that a user ID newly received by any one of the data using apparatuses is equal to the specified user ID, prohibiting the one of the data using apparatuses from using content data.

7. In a contents-data using system comprising a plurality of data using apparatuses each including a data using device for using content data, and an input device for receiving a user ID before the data using device uses content data, a method comprising the steps of:

deciding whether or not at least two apparatuses which have received a same user ID use content data during respective terms at least partially overlapping each other, the at least two apparatuses being among the data using apparatuses;

in cases where it is decided that at least two apparatuses which have received a same user ID use content data during respective terms at least partially overlapping each other, designating the same user ID as a specified user ID;

deciding whether or not a user ID newly received by any one of the data using apparatuses is equal to the specified user ID; and

when it is decided that a user ID newly received by any one of the data using apparatuses is equal to the specified user ID, prohibiting the one of the data using apparatuses from using content data.