Contents distribution system, contents distribution method, terminal apparatus, and recording medium on which program thereof is recorded

• US 20080317250A1
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Yanagihara, Yasushi, Matsuo, Hideki, Unotoro, Hirotsugu
• Granted Patent: US 8,201,262 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/279
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1086 Superdistribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0836 using tree structure or hierarchical structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• 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 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

To prevent a preview of contents by a person who does not have a right to view or listen, by distributing encoded contents data which are difficult for a third person to decode. A new participation terminal apparatus, as well as transmitting a participation request to a parent terminal apparatus of a connection destination candidate, transmits a participation disclosure key for encoding a contents decoding key. The parent terminal of the connection destination candidate which receives the participation disclosure key from the new participation terminal apparatus generates an encoded decoding key, which is a contents decoding key encoded using the participation disclosure key received, and transmits it to the new participation terminal apparatus. The new participation terminal apparatus decodes the encoded decoding key received, using a participation secret key stored in a participation key storage section, acquiring a contents decoding key. Using the contents decoding key, the new participation terminal apparatus decodes distributed encoded contents data, and carries out a reproduction process.

Claims

1. A contents distribution system comprising a connection management apparatus which manages in such a way that a plurality of terminal apparatus are logically connected, multi-layered in a hierarchical structure, with a distribution apparatus which distributes contents data as an apex, wherein the contents data distributed from the distribution apparatus being sequentially relayed to a lower level terminal apparatus by a relaying function of the terminal apparatus, and distributed to all of the plurality of terminal apparatus, the contents data can be reproduced by the plurality of terminal apparatus,

the connection management apparatus including:

a connection condition information storage section which stores connection condition information of the terminal apparatus configuring the hierarchical structure;

a connection destination candidate selection section which, when receiving a connection destination introduction request from a terminal apparatus which is not configuring the hierarchical structure, selects a connection destination candidate from the connection condition information stored in the connection condition information storage section; and

a notification section which notifies the terminal apparatus which has transmitted the connection destination introduction request of the connection destination candidate selected by the connection destination candidate selection section, and

the terminal apparatus including;

a participation key storage section which stores a participation disclosure key and a participation secret key corresponding to the participation disclosure key;

a connection destination introduction request transmission section which transmits the connection destination introduction request to the connection management apparatus;

a connection destination candidate reception section which receives the connection destination candidate from the connection management apparatus;

a new participation request section which, in order to connect to the connection destination candidate received from the connection management apparatus, transmits a participation request and the participation disclosure key to the connection destination candidate;

an encoded decoding key reception section which receives an encoded decoding key, encoded by the participation disclosure key, from the connection destination candidate;

a contents decoding key acquisition section which decodes the encoded decoding key, received by the encoded decoding key reception section, with the participation secret key;

a contents decoding key storage section which stores the contents decoding key decoded by the contents decoding key acquisition section;

a contents data reception section which receives encoded contents data transmitted from the connection destination candidate;

a contents data decoding section which decodes the encoded contents data with the contents decoding key; and

a contents data reproduction section which reproduces the contents data decoded by the contents data decoding section.

2. The contents distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution apparatus includes:

a contents data storage section which stores the contents data;

a contents encoding key storage section which stores a contents encoding key which encodes the contents data;

a contents data encoding section which encodes contents data stored in the contents data storage section with the contents encoding key, generating encoded contents data;

a contents decoding key storage section which stores a contents decoding key necessary for decoding the encoded contents data; and

an encoded contents data transmission section which transmits the encoded contents data, and

the terminal apparatus includes;

a new participation request reception section which receives the participation request and participation disclosure key from the terminal apparatus which is not configuring the hierarchical structure;

a decoding key encoding section which encodes the contents decoding key, stored in the contents decoding key storage section, with the participation disclosure key received by the new participation request reception section, generating the encoded decoding key;

an encoded decoding key transmission section which transmits the encoded decoding key to the terminal apparatus which has made the participation request; and

an encoded contents data relaying section which relays the encoded contents data to a connected lower level terminal apparatus.

3. The contents distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal apparatus includes:

a re-encoding key storage section which stores a contents re-encoding key which re-encodes the contents data decoded by the contents data decoding section;

a contents data re-encoding section which encodes the decoded contents data with the contents re-encoding key, generating re-encoded contents data;

a re-encoded contents decoding key storage section which stores a contents decoding key necessary to decode the re-encoded contents data;

a new participation request reception section which receives the participation request and participation disclosure key from the terminal apparatus which is not configuring the hierarchical structure;

a decoding key encoding section which encodes the contents decoding key, stored in the re-encoded contents decoding key storage section, with the participation disclosure key received by the new participation request reception section, generating the encoded decoding key;

an encoded decoding key transmission section which transmits the encoded decoding key to the terminal apparatus which has made the participation request; and

a re-encoded contents data transmission section which transmits the re-encoded contents data encoded by the contents data re-encoding section to the terminal apparatus which has made the participation request.

4. A contents distribution method using a contents distribution system including a connection management apparatus which manages in such a way that a plurality of terminal apparatus are logically connected, multi-layered in a hierarchical structure, with a distribution apparatus which distributes contents data as an apex, wherein the contents data distributed from the distribution apparatus being sequentially relayed to a lower level terminal apparatus by a relaying function of the terminal apparatus, and distributed to all of the plurality of terminal apparatus, the contents data can be reproduced by the plurality of terminal apparatus,

the method comprising:

a step of the connection management apparatus storing connection condition information of the terminal apparatus configuring the hierarchical structure;

a step of the terminal apparatus transmitting a connection destination introduction request to the connection management apparatus;

a step of the connection management apparatus, when receiving the connection destination introduction request from a terminal apparatus which is not configuring the hierarchical structure, selecting a connection destination candidate from the connection condition information stored in a connection condition information storage section;

a step of the connection management apparatus notifying the terminal apparatus which has transmitted the connection destination introduction request of the selected connection destination candidate;

a step of the terminal apparatus receiving the connection destination candidate from the connection management apparatus;

a step of the terminal apparatus, in order to connect to the connection destination candidate received from the connection management apparatus, transmitting a participation request, and a participation disclosure key stored in a participation key storage section, to the connection destination candidate;

a step of the terminal apparatus receiving an encoded decoding key, encoded by the participation disclosure key, from the connection destination candidate;

a step of the terminal apparatus decoding the received encoded decoding key with a participation secret key corresponding to the participation disclosure key, generating a contents decoding key;

a step of the terminal apparatus receiving encoded contents data transmitted from the connection destination candidate;

a step of the terminal apparatus decoding the encoded contents data with the contents decoding key; and

a step of the terminal apparatus reproducing the decoded contents data.

5. A terminal apparatus in a contents distribution system including a plurality of terminal apparatus logically connected, multi-layered in a hierarchical structure, with a distribution apparatus which distributes contents data as an apex, wherein the contents data distributed from the distribution apparatus are sequentially relayed to a lower level by a relaying function of the terminal apparatus, and distributed to all of the plurality of terminal apparatus,

the terminal apparatus comprising:

a participation key storage section which stores a participation disclosure key and a participation secret key corresponding to the participation disclosure key;

a new participation request section which, in order to connect to an existing connection destination candidate already participating in the contents distribution system, transmits a participation request and the participation disclosure key to the connection destination candidate;

an encoded decoding key reception section which receives an encoded decoding key, encoded by the participation disclosure key, from the connection destination candidate;

a contents decoding key acquisition section which decodes the encoded decoding key, received by the encoded decoding key reception section, with the participation secret key;

a contents decoding key storage section which stores the contents decoding key decoded by the contents decoding key acquisition section;

a contents data reception section which receives encoded contents data transmitted from the connection destination candidate;

a contents data decoding section which decodes the encoded contents data with the contents decoding key; and

a contents data reproduction section which reproduces the contents data decoded by the contents data decoding section.

6. The terminal apparatus according to claim 5, comprising:

a new participation request reception section which receives the participation request and participation disclosure key from a new participation terminal apparatus which is not configuring the hierarchical structure;

a decoding key encoding section which encodes the contents decoding key, stored in the contents decoding key storage section, with the participation disclosure key received by the new participation request reception section, generating the encoded decoding key;

an encoded decoding key transmission section which transmits the encoded decoding key to the new participation terminal apparatus which has made the participation request; and

an encoded contents data relaying section which relays the encoded contents data to a connected lower level terminal apparatus.

7. The terminal apparatus according to claim 5, comprising:

a re-encoding key storage section which stores a contents re-encoding key which re-encodes the contents data decoded by the contents data decoding section;

a contents data re-encoding section which encodes the decoded contents data with the contents re-encoding key, generating re-encoded contents data;

a re-encoded contents decoding key storage section which stores a contents decoding key necessary to decode the re-encoded contents data;

a new participation request reception section which receives the participation request and participation disclosure key from the terminal apparatus which is not configuring the hierarchical structure;

a decoding key encoding section which encodes the contents decoding key, stored in the re-encoded contents decoding key storage section, with the participation disclosure key received by the new participation request reception section, generating the encoded decoding key;

an encoded decoding key transmission section which transmits the encoded decoding key to the terminal apparatus which has made the participation request; and

a re-encoded contents data transmission section which transmits the re-encoded contents data encoded by the contents data re-encoding section to the terminal apparatus which has made the participation request.

8. The terminal apparatus according to claim 7, comprising:

a contents re-encoding key setting section which sets the contents re-encoding key, and stores it in the re-encoding key storage section; and

a contents decoding key setting section which sets the contents decoding key for decoding re-encoded contents data encoded by the contents re-encoding key stored in the re-encoding key storage section, and stores it in the re-encoded contents decoding key storage section.

9. The terminal apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the contents re-encoding key setting section sets the contents re-encoding key for each item of encoded contents data received by the contents data reception section.

10. The terminal apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the contents re-encoding key setting section sets the contents re-encoding key at each predetermined time.

11. The terminal apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the contents re-encoding key setting section sets the contents re-encoding key for each new participation terminal apparatus which has made the participation request.

12. The terminal apparatus according to claim 9, comprising:

a contents re-encoding key generation section which newly generates the contents re-encoding key for each item of encoded contents data received by the contents data reception section, at each predetermined time, or for each new participation terminal apparatus which has made the participation request; and

a contents decoding key generation section which generates the contents decoding key for decoding re-encoded contents data, encoded with the contents re-encoding key, by the contents re-encoding key generation section, wherein

the contents re-encoding key setting section sets the generated contents re-encoding key, and stores it in the re-encoding key storage section, and

the contents decoding key setting section sets the generated contents decoding key, and stores it in the re-encoded contents decoding key storage section.

13. The terminal apparatus according to claim 8, wherein

the contents re-encoding key setting section sets one contents re-encoding key from among a plurality of settable contents re-encoding keys, and stores it in the re-encoding key storage section, and

the contents decoding key setting section sets one contents decoding key from among a plurality of contents decoding keys which are settable, and which correspond to the plurality of contents encoding keys, and stores it in the re-encoding key storage section.

14. The terminal apparatus according to claim 6, wherein

the new participation request reception section has an authentication section which receives license information, proving an existence of a right to reproduce contents data, from the new participation terminal apparatus which has made the participation request, and determines whether or not the license information received is legitimate license information, and

the encoded decoding key transmission section, in the event that it is verified that the license information is legitimate license information, transmits the encoded decoding key to the new participation terminal apparatus which has made the participation request.

15. The terminal apparatus according to claim 5, comprising:

an input section with which a user inputs a contents viewing or listening finishing instruction, and

a contents decoding key destruction section which, on the viewing or listening finishing instruction being input, destroys the contents decoding key stored in the contents decoding key storage section.

16. A recording medium on which is recorded a program for causing a computer to function as each section of the terminal apparatus according to claim 5.