Information recording and reproduction apparatus to be controlled by temporal information

• US 5,930,274 A
• Filed: 08/27/1997
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kaniwa, Kouji, Minabe, Kouji, Abe, Hiroya, Arai, Takao, Owashi, Hitoaki, Ono, Hiroaki, Noguchi, Takaharu, Okamoto, Hiroo, Amada, Nobutaka, Nishijima, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Baker, Stephen M.
• Application Number:
  US08/917,962
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 348/10, 348/460, 386/95, 371/57.1
• US Class Current: 714/811
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/087 by sensing recorded signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/1875 adaptations for special effects or editing signal processing or indexing therefor G11B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/4673 by controlling the speed of the tape while the head is rotating
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• 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 20/0084 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific time or date
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1833 by adding special lists or symbols to the coded information G11B20/1806, G11B20/1866 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/885 using a digital intermediate memory

Abstract

An information recording and reproduction apparatus for recording and reproducing the information supplied through the transmission line is capable of protecting the copyright by limiting the reproduction of the recorded information. A main information signal supplied through the transmission line and a deadline signal attached to the main information signal and representing the reproduction deadline of the main information signal are recorded and reproduced by a recording device and a reproduction device respectively. A temporal information signal representing the date and time is acquired. The deadline signal reproduced is compared with the temporal information signal acquired. The reproduction output of the main information signal is cut off in accordance with the comparison signal produced by the comparison. In the case where the temporal information has passed the deadline, the reproduction output of the main information signal is cut off.

Claims

1. An information recording and reproducing apparatus comprising:

information signal recording means for recording a main information signal subject to copyright supplied through a digital information network, as well as at least one of reproduction deadline information attached to said main information signal which permits the reproduction of said main information signal;

information signal reproduction means for reproducing said main information signal and said reproduction deadline information recorded by said information signal recording means;

judgement means for nudging on a basis of said reproduction deadline information reproduced by said information signal reproduction means whether said main information signal can be reproduced;

reproduction output signal cutting-off means for cutting off an output of said main information signal when said judgement means judges that said main information signal cannot be reproduced; and

user information generating means for outputting user information representing that the reproduction deadline has elapsed, when said judgment means judges that said main information signal cannot be reproduced so that said reproduction output signal cutting-off means cuts off the output of the main information signal.

2. An information recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a date.

3. An information recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a date and time.

4. An information recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a reproducible period.

5. An information recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a reproducible period which is set with respect to at least one of date and time said main information signal is transmitted and recorded.

6. An information recording and reproducing apparatus comprising:

an information signal recorder coupled to receive a main information signal subject to a copyright supplied through a digital information network, as well as at least one of reproduction deadline information attached to said main information signal;

a reproduction system coupled to reproduce the main information signal and the reproduction deadline information recorded by the information signal recorder;

a judgement circuit coupled to receive said reproduction deadline information reproduced by said reproduction system and providing a judgment output signal;

a signal cut-off device coupled to receive said judgement output signal, an output of said main information signal being cut-off when said judgment output signal indicates that said main information signal cannot be reproduced; and

a user information generator coupled to receive said judgement output signal as an input and to provide a user information signal as an output, said user information signal representing that a reproduction deadline has elapsed based on said judgment output signal.

7. An information recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a date.

8. An information recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a date and time.

9. An information recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a reproducible period.

10. An information recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a reproducible period which is set with respect to at least one of date and time said main information signal is transmitted and recorded.

11. An information reproducing apparatus comprising:

information signal reproduction means for reproducing a main information signal and reproduction deadline information attached to said main information signal which permits the reproduction of said main information signal from a recording medium on which said main information and said reproduction deadline information are recorded;

judgment means for judging on a basis of said reproduction deadline information reproduced by said information signal reproduction means whether said main information signal can be reproduced;

reproduction output signal cutting-off means for cutting off an output of said main information signal when said judgment means judges that said main information signal cannot be reproduced; and

user information generating means for outputting user information representing that a reproduction deadline has elapsed, when said judgment means judges that said main information signal cannot be reproduced so that said reproduction output signal cutting-off means cuts off the output of the main information signal.

12. An information reproducing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a date.

13. An information reproducing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a date and time.

14. An information reproducing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a reproducible period.

15. An information reproducing apparatus comprising:

a reproduction system coupled to reproduce a main information signal and reproduction deadline information attached to said main information signal which permits the reproduction of said main information signal from a recording medium on which said main information and said reproduction deadline information are recorded;

a judgment circuit coupled to receive said reproduction deadline information reproduced by said reproduction system and providing a judgment output signal;

a signal cut-off device coupled to receive said judgment output signal, an output of said main information signal being cut-off when said judgment output signal indicates that said main information signal cannot be reproduced; and

user information generator coupled to receive said judgment output signal as an input and to provide a user information signal as an output, said user information signal representing that a reproduction deadline has elapsed based on said judgment output signal.

16. An information reproducing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a date.

17. An information reproducing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a date and time.

18. An information reproducing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said reproduction deadline information is set by a reproducible period.