CONTENT DOWNLOAD SYSTEM, CONTENT DOWNLOAD METHOD, CONTENT SUPPLYING APPARATUS, CONTENT SUPPLYING METHOD, CONTENT RECEIVING APPARATUS, CONTENT RECEIVING METHOD, AND PROGRAM

• US 20100280953A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kitazato, Naohisa
• Application Number:
  US12/602,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280953A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/59
• 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: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• 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 21/8133 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 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention relates to a content download system and content download method, content supplying device and content supplying method, content receiving device, content receiving method, and program, whereby a system corresponding to various types of operating modes of content download services can be realized.

FIG. 7 shows a descriptive example of a playing control meta file that is downloaded along with the content. in the playing control meta file 41 is described <content_title>, <drm_server_uri>, <license_id>, <license_type>, <license_description>, <user_confirmation>, <user_messsage>, and <price>. In the case that multiple licenses are set as to a single content, the items <license_id> through <price> are described only the amount of the number of set licenses. The present invention is applicable to a content download service.

Claims

1. A content download system comprising:

a content supplying device to supply content; and

a content receiving device to receiving content from said content supplying device via a network;

said content receiving device including

operating input means to input user operations;

download means to download encrypted content and playing control data necessary for playing said content from said content supplying device, corresponding to said user operations;

obtaining means to confirm the existence of a license that includes a key for decrypting said encrypted content based on said playing control data when playing said downloaded content, and to obtain said license corresponding to the confirmation results; and

playing means to play said encrypted content using said obtained license; and

said content supplying device including

control data supplying means to supply said playing control data necessary for playing already-downloaded content in response to a request from said content receiving device;

content supplying means to supply said encrypted content in response to a request from said content receiving device; and

license supplying means to supply said license including a key for decrypting said encrypted content in response to a request from said content receiving device based on said playing control data;

wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data.

2. A content download method for a content download system including a content supplying device to supply content, and a content receiving device to receive content from said content supplying device via a network;

including the steps of;

with said content receiving device,

inputting user operations,

requesting encrypted content and playing control data necessary for playing said content from said content supplying device, corresponding to said user operations;

and with said content supplying device,

supplying said encrypted content and said playing control data in response to requests from said content receiving device;

and with said content receiving device,

when playing said downloaded content, confirming the existence of a license that includes a key for decrypting said encrypted content based on said playing control data, and requesting said license to said content supplying device corresponding to the confirmation results;

and with said content supplying device,

supplying said license to said content supplying device in response to the request from said content receiving device based on said playing control data;

and with said content receiving device,

playing said encrypted content using said obtained license; and

wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data.

3. A content supplying device configured to supply content to a content receiving device connected via a network, comprising:

control data supplying means to supply, to said content receiving device, playing control data necessary for playing the content downloaded by said content receiving device;

content supplying means to supply the encrypted content in response to requests from said content receiving device;

license supplying means to supply said license that includes a key for decrypting said encrypted content in response to the request from said content receiving device based on said playing control data;

wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data.

4. The content supplying device according to claim 3, wherein in said license type information is described at least one of:

normal playing which indicates that license has a restriction applied to the playable period of said content;

additional playing which indicates that the license has an extended playable period after the playable period corresponding to said normal playing has ended;

preview playing which indicates that the license is for test viewing/listening;

progressive download playing which indicates that the license is such that the content can be played while downloading; and

exporting which indicates that the license allows said content to be output and recorded from said content receiving device to an external device.

5. The content supplying device according to claim 4, wherein said license supplying means supplies said additional playing license after the playable period corresponding to said normal playing license has ended, in response to the request from said content receiving device based on said playing control data.

6. The content supplying device according to claim 3, wherein said license supplying means supplies said preview playing license as to the same content only one time, in response to the request from said content receiving device based on said playing control data.

7. The content supplying device according to claim 3, wherein said license supplying means supplies a license for said progressive download playing only during the content download, in response to the request from said content receiving device based on said playing control data.

8. The content supplying device according to claim 3, wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, approval information indicating whether or not approval will be obtained from the user of the content receiving device at time of obtaining license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data.

9. A content supplying method for a content supplying device configured to supply content to a content receiving device that is connected via a network, including the steps of:

supplying playing control data necessary for playing the content downloaded by said content receiving device to said content receiving device;

supplying encrypted content in response to the request from said content receiving device; and

supplying said license which includes a key for decrypting encrypted content in response to the request from said content receiving device based on said playing control data;

wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data.

10. A program to cause a computer to execute processing to control a content supplying device to supply content to a content receiving device that is connected via a network, including the steps of:

supplying playing control data necessary for playing the content downloaded by said content receiving device to said content receiving device;

supplying encrypted content in response to the request from said content receiving device; and

supplying said license which includes a key for decrypting said encrypted content in response to the request from said content receiving device based on said playing control data;

wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data.

11. A content receiving device configured to receive content from a content supplying device connected via a network, comprising:

operating input means configured to input user operations;

download means configured to download, from said content supplying device, encrypted content and playing control data necessary for playing said content, corresponding to said user operations;

obtaining means configured to confirm the existence of a license that includes a key for decrypting said encrypted content based on said playing control data when playing said downloaded content, and to obtain said license corresponding to the confirmation results; and

playing means to play said encrypted content using said obtained license;

wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data.

12. The content receiving device according to claim 11, further including:

output means configured to output said content wherein encryption has been decrypted by said playing means to said external device, having performed the processing of at least one of encoding method changing processing or re-encrypting processing.

13. The content receiving device according to claim 12, wherein in said license type information is described at least one of

normal playing which indicates that license has a restriction applied to the playable period of said content;

additional playing which indicates that the license has an extended playable period after the playable period corresponding to said normal playing has ended;

preview playing which indicates that the license is for test viewing/listening;

progressive download playing which indicates that the license is such that the content can be played while downloading; and

exporting which indicates that the license allows said content to be output and recorded from said content receiving device to an external device.

14. The content receiving device according to claim 13, wherein said operating input means accepts the operation of a user who approves obtaining said additional playing license after the playable period corresponding to said normal playing license has ended.

15. The content receiving device according to claim 13, wherein said operating input means accepts the operation of a user who instructs obtaining said additional playing license after the playable period corresponding to said normal playing license has ended.

16. The content receiving device according to claim 13, wherein said operating input means accepts the operation of a user only one time that instructs obtaining said preview playing license as to the same content, in response to requests from said playing means based on said playing control data.

17. The content receiving device according to claim 13, wherein said operating input means accepts the operation of a user that instructs obtaining said progressive download playing license, only during the content download, in response to requests from said playing means based on said playing control data.

18. The content receiving device according to claim 11, wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, approval information indicating whether or not approval will be obtained from the user of the content receiving device at time of obtaining license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data;

said content receiving device further comprising confirming means for conforming approval of obtaining said license by the user, following said approval information.

19. The content receiving device according to claim 18, wherein

in the case that user approval is obtained by said confirming means,

said obtaining means obtains said license;

and

in the case that user approval is not obtained by said confirming means,

said playing means notifies the user that the content cannot be played.

20. A content receiving method of a content receiving device configured to receive content from a content supplying device connected via a network, including the steps of:

inputting user operations;

downloading encrypted content and playing control data necessary for playing said content from said content supplying device, corresponding to said user operations;

when playing said downloaded content, confirming the existence of a license that includes a key for decrypting said encrypted content based on said playing control data, and obtaining said license corresponding to the confirmation results; and

playing said encrypted content using said obtained license;

wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data.

21. A program to cause a computer to execute processing, which program is to control a content receiving device configured to receive content from a content supplying device that is connected via a network, including the steps of:

inputting user operations;

downloading encrypted content and playing control data necessary for playing said content from said content supplying device, corresponding to said user operations;

when playing said downloaded content, confirming the existence of a license that includes a key for decrypting said encrypted content based on said playing control data, and obtaining said license corresponding to the confirmation results; and

playing said encrypted content using said obtained license;

wherein at least one set or more of license information including unique identifying information of license, type information of license, and presenting information to present to the user relating to the license, is described in said playing control data.