RECORDING AND PLAYBACK APPARATUS

• US 20100046918A1
• Filed: 08/20/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanigawa, Kentaroh, Takao, Naoya, Shibata, Kenichi, Nagai, Takahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00753 wherein the usage restriction limits the number of copies that can be made, e.g. CGMS, SCMS, or CCI flags
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0084 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific time or date
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00847 wherein the usage restriction is defined by a licence file
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2516 Hard disks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content 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 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8133 specifically related to the content, e.g. biography of the actors in a movie, detailed information about an article seen in a video program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8405 represented by keywords
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape

Abstract

A recording and playback apparatus can continue the playback of a content with playback time limit, even after the playback time limit expires during the playback of the content, and does not play back the content even though an instruction receiver receives a playback instruction when the playback of the content is stopped after the playback time limit of the content expires during the playback of the content with the playback time limit. The recording and playback apparatus outputs the warning information, when the instruction receiver receives the stop instruction after the playback time limit of the content expires during the playback of the content.

Claims

1. A recording and playback apparatus capable of recording and playing back a content downloaded from a server, comprising:

a recording medium capable of storing a content with a playback time limit;

an instruction receiver configured to receive a playback instruction to start playback of the content or a stop instruction to stop the playback of the content;

a playback unit configured to play back the content recorded in the recording medium in accordance with the instruction received by the instruction receiver; and

a warning output unit configured to output warning information related to the playback time limit of the content with the playback time limit recorded in the recording medium, wherein

the playback unit continues the playback of the content, even after the playback time limit expires during the playback of the content with the playback time limit, and, when the playback of the content is stopped after the playback time limit of the content expires during the playback of the content, does not play back the content if the instruction receiver receives the playback instruction, and

the warning output unit outputs the warning information, when the instruction receiver receives the stop instruction after the playback time limit of the content expires during the playback of the content with the playback time limit.

2. The recording and playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a still image of the content is output while the warning information is output.

3. The recording and playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

in cases where the warning information is output when the instruction receiver receives the stop instruction of the playback of the content after the playback time limit of the content with the playback time limit expires during the playback of the content,

the playback unit does not execute the playback of the content after a predetermined time elapses after the stop instruction is received, even though the instruction receiver receives the playback instruction of the content.

4. The recording and playback apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the playback unit stops the playback of the content, when the instruction receiver receives the stop instruction of the playback of the content after the warning information is output by the warning output unit.

5. The recording and playback apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the playback of the content is stopped, the stopped content is erased.

6. The recording and playback apparatus according to claim 5, wherein

after the playback time limit of the content with the playback time limit expires during the playback of the content,

the warning information output when the instruction receiver receives the stop instruction of the content includes a message indicating that the content is being erased if the content is stopped.

7. A recording and playback apparatus comprising:

a controller;

an interface portion receiving content having a time-limit for playback and user commands; and

a recording medium storing the content and instructions for configuring the controller to;

generate video and/or audio signals to be output based on the content in response to a user command including a request to start the output;

determine if the time-limit for playback of the content will expire during the output of the video and/or audio signals;

generate warning information related to the time limit if it determines the time limit will expire when a user command including a request to stop output is received during output of the video and/or audio signals;

continue the output when a user command including a request to cancel the request to stop is received in response to the warning information; and

if a user command including a confirmation of the request to cancel the request to stop is received, prohibiting the output thereafter even if another user command including a request to start the output is received.

8. The recording and playback apparatus of claim 7, wherein the interface further receives meta information including the time-limit for the content prior to receiving the content.

9. The recording and playback apparatus of claim 8, wherein the controller determines if the time-limit for playback of the content is likely to expire during the output of the video and/or audio signals in accordance with the time-limit from the metal information.