Broadcasting method and broadcast receiver

• US 20080273705A1
• Filed: 06/30/2008
• Published: 11/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Hasegawa, Takashi
• Granted Patent: US 8,045,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/278
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/40 Arrangements for broadcast specially adapted for accumulation-type receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/04 Studio equipment; Interconnection of studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/16 on playing information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A broadcasting method and a broadcast receiver whereby contents are first distributed only for storage so that the stored contents are later played back in a time period predetermined by the distributing party, the contents being encrypted for protection against unauthorized reproduction in any time period other than the intended one. A content is transmitted together with a begin store command in a first time period for storage onto a storage medium at the receiving side. In a time period subsequent to the first time period, a play command is broadcast so as to get the content retrieved from storage for playback. The content should preferably be encrypted. The encrypted content is decrypted and played back using a decryption key transmitted along with the play command in the second time period. The decryption key is deleted the moment the decryption process is terminated.

Claims

1. A distributing method comprising the step of:

distributing encrypted contents from a distributing side wherein said encrypted contents are encrypted by said distributing side and said encrypted contents are stored into a storage medium at a receiving side; and

distributing a play command with a decryption key at a time after distributing said encrypted contents to cause the encrypted contents to be played, wherein the time at which the play command and decryption key are distributed is predetermined by said distributing side and said decryption key is stored into a memory at a receiving side;

wherein, upon receiving said play command, the receiving side causes said encrypted contents to be retrieved from said storage medium and said decrypted using said decryption key to produce decrypted contents, and

wherein the decrypted contents are outputted and said decryption key is deleted from said memory when output of said decrypted content is finished,

wherein said encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying said encrypted contents, and

wherein said play command is distributed with a second identifier identifying said first identifier to indicate said encrypted contents to be retrieved from said storage medium for output.

2. A distributing method according to claim 1, wherein said encrypted contents distributed in a first time period include an end store command for terminating the storing of said contents into said storage medium.

3. A distributing receiver comprising:

a receiving unit which receives encrypted contents, which is encrypted by a distributing side, and which is distributed from the distributing side, and receives a play command with a decryption key at a time after distributing said encrypted contents to cause the encrypted contents to be played, wherein the time at which the play command and decryption key are distributed is predetermined by said distributing side;

a storage medium which stores said encrypted contents;

a memory which stores said decryption key;

a processor which stores said encrypted contents into said storage medium, stores said decryption key into said memory, retrieves said encrypted contents from said storage medium in accordance with said play command, decrypts said encrypted contents by using said decryption key stored in said memory, outputs decrypted contents, and deletes said decryption key from said memory when output of said decrypted contents is finished,

wherein said encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying said encrypted contents, and

wherein said play command is distributed with a second identifier identifying said first identifier to indicate said encrypted contents to be retrieved from said storage medium for output.

4. The distributing receiver according to claim 3, wherein said encrypted contents distributed in a first time period include an end store command for terminating the storing of said contents into said storage medium.

5. The distributing receiver according to claim 4, wherein the processor terminates the storing of said encrypted contents into said storage medium at a time when said end store command is received.

6. The distributing receiver according to claim 3, wherein the processor finds a store start command and stores said encrypted contents subsequent to said store start command into said storage medium.

7. The distributing receiver according to claim 4, wherein the processor finds a store start command and stores said encrypted contents subsequent to said store start command into said storage medium.

8. A distributing method comprising the step of:

distributing encrypted contents from a distributing side wherein said encrypted contents are encrypted by said distributing side and said encrypted contents are stored into a memory storage unit at a receiving side; and

distributing a play command with a decryption key at a time after distributing said encrypted contents to cause the encrypted contents to be played, wherein the time at which the play command and decryption key are distributed is predetermined by said distributing side and said decryption key is stored into said memory storage unit at a receiving side;

wherein, upon receiving said play command, the receiving side causes said encrypted contents to be retrieved from said memory storage unit and decrypted using said decryption key to produce decrypted contents, and wherein the decrypted contents are outputted and said decryption key is deleted from said memory storage unit when output of said decrypted content is finished,

wherein said encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying said encrypted contents, and

wherein said play command is distributed with a second identifier identifying said first identifier to indicate said encrypted contents to be retrieved from said memory storage unit for output.

9. A distributing method according to claim 8, wherein said encrypted contents distributed in a first time period include an end store command for terminating the storing of said contents into said memory storage unit.

10. A distributing receiver comprising:

a receiving unit which receives encrypted contents, which is encrypted by a distributing side, and which is distributed from the distributing side, and receives a play command with a decryption key at a time after distributing said encrypted contents to cause the encrypted contents to be played, wherein that time at which the play command and decryption key are distributed is predetermined by said distributing side;

a memory storage unit which stores said encrypted contents and said decryption key;

a processor which stores said encrypted contents into said memory storage unit, stores said decryption key into said memory storage unit, retrieves said encrypted contents from said memory storage unit in accordance with said play command, decrypts said encrypted contents by using said decryption key stored in said memory storage unit, outputs decrypted contents, and deletes said decryption key from said memory storage unit when output of said decrypted contents is finished,

wherein said encrypted contents are distributed with a first identifier identifying said encrypted contents, and wherein said play command is distributed with a second identifier identifying said first identifier to indicate said encrypted contents to be retrieved from said memory storage unit for output,

11. The distributing receiver according to claim 10, wherein said encrypted contents distributed in a first time period include an end store command for terminating the storing of said contents into said memory storage unit.

12. The distributing receiver according to claim 11, wherein the said processor terminates the storing of said encrypted contents into said memory storage unit at a time when said end store command is received.

13. The distributing receiver according to claim 10, wherein the processor finds a store start command and stores said encrypted contents subsequent to said store start command into said memory storage unit.

14. The distributing receiver according to claim 11, wherein the processor finds a store start command and stores said encrypted contents subsequent to said store start command into said memory storage unit.