Data decoding apparatus and method, charge information processing apparatus and method, data reproducing apparatus and method, electronic money, electronic use right, and terminal apparatus

• US 20080052540A1
• Filed: 10/15/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sako, Yoichiro, Inokuchi, Tatsuya
• Application Number:
  US11/974,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20080052540A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• 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 21/16 Program or content traceability, e.g. by watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1235 with control of digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Reproduction data is supplied to a decoder and encryption is decoded. A reproducing conditions label is detected by a reproducing conditions label detecting unit. Compression encoding is decoded by a decompressor. A watermark detecting unit discriminates whether the reproducing conditions label has been falsified or not. In a listening right counter, each time the reproduction data is decoded, listening right data is changed. The listening right data transmitted from a prepaid data charger by an antenna and a communicating module is stored into a memory unit. An encrypting module and a decoding module are provided in the communicating module. In a watermark adding unit, a watermark is added to output data. The data is converted into an analog output by a D/A converter and outputted to the outside.

Claims

1. A data reproducing apparatus for reproducing compression encoded and/or encrypted digital data, comprising

a decoding apparatus for decoding said digital data,

and wherein said decoding apparatus has:

decoding means for decoding the encoded or encrypted digital data;

memory means for storing monitoring right data; and

charge control means for, when said encoded or encrypted data is decoded, changing said monitoring right data in said memory means in accordance with an instruction of reproducing conditions information associated with said digital data, thereby performing a charging process.

2. A data reproducing method of reproducing compression encoded and/or encrypted digital data, comprising the steps of:

decoding the encoded or encrypted digital data; and

when said encoded or encrypted digital data is decoded, changing stored monitoring right data in accordance with an instruction of reproducing conditions information associated with said digital data, thereby performing a charging process.

3. A reproducing apparatus comprising:

a decoding unit for performing a decoding process to compressed and/or encrypted data which was read out from a medium and includes data regarding reproducing conditions and;

a storing unit for storing monitoring right data; and

a control unit for, when said read-out data is decoded by said decoding unit in the case where said read-out data is data as a target of charging, performing a changing process to said monitoring right data stored in said storing unit on the basis of the data regarding the reproducing conditions separated by said decoding unit;

an operation unit which is operated by the user; and

a system control unit for supplying a control signal to said control unit on the basis of an input from said operation unit.

4. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when said read-out data is not the data as a target of charging, said control unit does not change said monitoring right data stored in said storing unit.

5. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a converting unit for converting output data which is outputted from said decoding unit into an analog signal.

6. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein reproduction history information of said read-out data which was decoded by said decoding unit is written into said storing unit.

7. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a communicating unit, and wherein said reproduction history information can be outputted to an external apparatus through said communicating unit and said monitoring right data can be written into said storing unit.

8. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein an electric power necessary for an operation is also supplied to said apparatus from an outside through said communicating unit.

9. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said decoding unit comprises:

a decoder for decoding the encryption performed to said read-out data; and

a decompressing unit for decompressing the data decoded by said decoder.

10. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a watermark detecting unit for detecting whether a watermark has been added to output data outputted from said decoding unit or not, and wherein when the watermark is not detected by said watermark detecting unit, the output data from said decoding unit is outputted.

11. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein when data regarding said reproducing conditions is included in the watermark detected by said watermark detecting unit, said control unit collates said data with the data regarding said reproducing conditions extracted from the data read out from said medium and outputs the output data from said decoding unit when the data regarding said reproducing conditions detected by said watermark detecting unit coincides with the data regarding said reproducing conditions extracted from the data read out from said medium.

12. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the data regarding said reproducing conditions detected by said watermark detecting unit does not coincide with the data regarding said reproducing conditions extracted from the data read out from said medium, said control unit does not output the output data from said decoding unit.

13. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said decoding unit further has a reproducing conditions detecting unit for extracting the data regarding said reproducing conditions from said read-out data.

14. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a watermark adding unit for adding a watermark formed on the basis of the data regarding said reproducing conditions, and wherein when the watermark cannot correctly be detected by said watermark detecting unit from the output data outputted from said decoding unit, said watermark adding unit forms the watermark and adds it to the output data from said decoding unit.

15. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein when the watermark is correctly detected from the output data from said decoding unit by said watermark detecting unit, said watermark adding unit does not add the watermark.

16. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said decoding unit, said storing unit, and said control unit are constructed as one chip.

17. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when said monitoring right data stored in said storing unit indicates that said read-out data cannot be reproduced, said control unit stops the decoding process of said read-out data by said decoding unit.

18. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a display unit and a modem unit for transmitting the reproduction history information stored in said storing unit through a communicating line.

19. A reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a display unit, and wherein data regarding a remaining reproduction possible amount formed by said system control unit on the basis of the reproduction history information and said monitoring right data stored in said storing unit is displayed on said display unit.