System for remotely authenticating access to local software

• US 5,784,609 A
• Filed: 07/07/1995
• Issued: 07/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kurihara, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Barry, Lance Leonard
• Application Number:
  US08/499,452
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• Field of Search: 395/712, 395/609, 395/186, 395/187.01, 395/188.01, 395/490-491, 380/3-4, 380/23, 380/25
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1077 Recurrent authorisation
• 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 20/00115 wherein the record carrier stores a unique medium identifier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00137 involving measures which result in a restriction to contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier to authorised users
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00144 involving a user identifier, e.g. a unique customer ID
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00224 wherein the key is obtained from a remote server
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00253 wherein the key is stored on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0071 involving a purchase action
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0084 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific time or date
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/76 Wired systems
• 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: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/98 Physical distribution of media, e.g. postcards, CDs or DVDs

Abstract

A system for offering a large amount of information such as images and musics safely, accurately, effectively and at low cost is provided. In the system, a CD-ROM 42 is offered from an information offerer to an user. An user ID is transmitted from the user to the information offerer through a communication interface section 36. When the user ID is determined to be an ID of a legitimate user by the information offerer, access authorizing information which authorizes the user to access to and read information in the CD-ROM 42 is transmitted from the information offerer to the user. Thereby, a CD-ROM reader 31 can read the predetermined information from the CD-ROM 42.

Claims

1. An information offering system, comprising:

a center for providing information; and

a user terminal which receives the provided information from said center,

said user terminal comprising;

information storage means for storing chargeable information supplied from said center to said user terminal, said chargeable information including a plurality of various type information items;

first transmitting means for transmitting a request signal for requesting said center to transmit access authorizing information for authorizing access to said chargeable information having been stored in said information storage means and for transmitting a user ID for identifying said user terminal, said first transmitting means transmitting to said center an information ID corresponding to one of said information items for identifying the corresponding chargeable information; and

first control means for reading said chargeable information having been authorized to be read in response to said access authorizing information transmitted from said center,

said center comprising;

means for receiving said request signal and said user ID transmitted from said user terminal;

determining means for determining whether said user ID is valid; and

second transmitting means for transmitting said access authorizing information to said user terminal when said user ID is determined to be valid, said access authorizing information corresponding to each said information ID.

2. The information offering system according to claim 1, wherein said second transmitting means transmits said access authorizing information using a first communication method.

3. The information offering system according to claim 2, wherein said center further comprises third transmitting means for transmitting said chargeable information to a user by using a second communication method.

4. The information offering system according to claim 3, wherein said first communication method uses a communication network and said second communication method uses a broadcasting network, a communication rate of said communication network and broadcasting network being asymmetrical.

5. The information offering system according to claim 4, wherein said second transmitting means uses said broadcasting network to transmit said access authorizing information to a plurality of users, said second transmitting means using said communication network to transmit said access authorizing information individually.

6. The information offering system according to claim 1, wherein said information storage means is a CD-ROM distributed to a user in advance.

7. The information offering system according to claim 1, wherein said user terminal further comprises first access key storage means for storing said access authorizing information, and wherein

said first control means reads said access authorizing information having been stored in said first access key storage means for accessing said chargeable information which corresponds to said information ID.

8. The information offering system according to claim 7, wherein said first control means generates said request signal when no access authorizing information which corresponds to said information ID exists in said first access key storage means.

9. The information offering system according to claim 7, wherein said center further comprises:

second access key storage means for storing said access authorizing information for each said information item in correspondence with each respective information ID; and

second control means for reading from said second access key storage means said access authorizing information which corresponds to each said respective information ID.

10. The information offering system according to claim 7, wherein an effective period is selected for said access authorizing information stored in said first access key storage means, and said first control means inhibits access to said chargeable information when said effective period has expired.

11. The information offering system according to claim 10, wherein said first control means generates said request signal for requesting appropriate access authorizing information to be transmitted to said center when said effective period has expired.

12. The information offering system according to claim 1, wherein said center further comprises:

first accounting information storage means for storing first accounting information for each said information item in correspondence with each said information ID;

second accounting information storage means for storing second accounting information for each user in correspondence with a respective user ID;

accounting information updating means for updating each said second accounting information by reading the corresponding first accounting information when said access authorizing information is transmitted to said user terminal.

13. The information offering system according to claim 1, wherein said chargeable information contains contact information on how to contact an information offerer.

14. The information offering system according to claim 13, wherein said information storage means stores said contact information in correspondence with said chargeable information.

15. The information offering system according to claim 13, wherein said first transmitting means transmits said request signal, information ID and user ID to said information offerer.