Content protection method and content protection system

• US 6,209,097 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1998
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Device Limited (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Device Limited (Tokyo Electron Limited)
• Inventors: Nakayama, Ryo, Iwamoto, Isamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US09/204,000
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 380/52, 380/56, 713/193, 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• 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 20/00695 said measures preventing that data are read from the recording medium
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91364 the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• 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 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A recording medium in which a purchased image protected by a copyright or the like has been stored and a recording medium in which a user image has been stored is set, the purchased image as encrypted is decrypted and the images stored in both mediums are processed. The ID of a created image, user image data, link information representing encrypted purchased image data or the storage location of the purchased image data, and data specifying an image processing mode and the number of prints, are stored in a recording medium. In a DPE shop or the like, the purchased image data stored in the recording medium is decrypted, and the image processed by the user is reconstructed and printed in accordance with the data stored in the recording medium. A management center may give the allowance of use of the purchased image to the DPE shop, and the management center draws royalties from the accounts of individual DPE shops, sums the royalties and pays them into the accounts of individual proprietors of rights.

Claims

1. A contents processing system comprising:

first medium mounting means for detachably mounting a first recording medium including encrypted contents stored therein;

second medium mounting means for detachably mounting a second recording medium including non-encrypted contents stored therein;

third medium mounting means for detachably mounting a third recording medium;

first selection means for selecting arbitrary contents from the encrypted contents stored in said first recording medium in accordance with an instruction from an operator, and for decrypting the selected encrypted contents to generate first contents;

second selection means for selecting arbitrary second contents from the non-encrypted contents stored in said second recording medium in accordance with an instruction from the operator;

combining means for combining said first contents and said second contents in accordance with an instruction from the operator, and creating combining mode data which represents a combing mode;

recording means for storing, in said third recording medium, said encrypted contents representing said first contents, said second contents and said combining mode data, in response to an instruction from the operator; and

output means for acquiring the encrypted contents stored in said recording medium, said second contents and said combining mode data, decrypting said encrypted contents to generate said first contents, combining said first contents and said second contents on the basis of said combining mode data as acquired, and outputting an image obtained by the combining.

2. The contents processing system according to claim 1, wherein said recording means comprises encrypted contents recording means for storing the encrypted contents representing said first contents and said combining mode data in said second recording medium, in response to an instruction from the operator.

3. A contents processing system comprising:

first medium mounting means for detachably mounting a first recording medium including encrypted contents stored therein;

second medium mounting means for detachably mounting a second recording medium including non-encrypted contents stored therein;

third medium mounting means for detachably mounting a third recording medium;

first selection means for selecting arbitrary contents from the encrypted contents stored in said first recording medium in accordance with an instruction from an operator, and for decrypting the selected encrypted contents to generate first contents;

second selection means for selecting arbitrary second contents from the non-encrypted contents stored in said second recording medium in accordance with an instruction from the operator;

combining means for combining said first contents and said second contents in accordance with an instruction from the operator, and creating combining mode data which represents a combing mode;

recording means for storing instruction data which identifies said first contents, said second contents and said combining mode data in said third recording medium, in response to an instruction from the operator; and

output means for acquiring the instruction data stored in said recording medium, said second contents and said combining mode data, acquiring said first contents designated by said instruction data, combining said first contents and said second contents on the basis of said combining mode data as acquired, and outputting an image obtained by the combining.

4. The contents processing system according to claim 3, wherein said combining means comprises editing means for processing and/or editing at least one of said first and second contents.

5. The contents processing system according to claim 3, wherein said recording means comprises instruction data recording means for storing sad instruction data and said combining mode data in said second recording medium, in response to an instruction from the operator.

6. The contents processing system according to claim 3, wherein:

said instruction data contains address information for specifying a logical location at which said first contents have been stored; and

said output means comprises retrieval means for acquiring said first contents stored at the logical location specified by the address information contained in said instruction data.

7. The contents processing system according to claim 3, wherein said combining means comprises editing means for processing and/or editing at least one of said first and second contents.

8. The contents processing system according to claim 3, wherein said output means includes printing means for printing said image.

9. The contents processing system according to claim 8, wherein:

said combining mode data contains information specifying a number by which said image is to be printed by said printing means; and

said printing means comprises designated number printing means for printing said image by the number designated by said combining mode data.

10. A contents processing system comprising:

medium mounting means for mounting a first recording medium in which contents protected by a predetermined right have been stored, mounting a second recording medium in which contents have been stored, and mounting a third recording medium;

first selection means for selecting arbitrary first contents from the contents stored in said first recording medium;

second selection means for selecting arbitrary second contents from the contents stored in said second recording medium;

combining means for combining the first contents selected by said first selection means and the second contents selected by said second selection means;

display means for displaying data synthesized by said combining means;

printing instruction means for issuing an instruction to print an image synthesized by said combining means; and

recording means for storing, in said third recording medium, instruction data which designates said first contents, said second contents and data which represents a mode of combining said first contents and said second contents, in response to the instruction issued by said printing instruction means; and

wherein when storing data, which specifies details of combined contents, in said third recording medium for the sake of printing by an external printing agency, said first contents themselves, protected by the predetermined right, are not stored in said third recording medium.

11. The contents processing system according to claim 10, wherein said medium mounting means comprises means for detachably mounting at least one of said first, second and third recording mediums.

12. The contents processing system according to claim 10, wherein said contents processing system comprises means for detecting a printing instruction, means for detecting whether an image to be printed includes the contents recorded in said first recording medium, and means for inhibiting printing when it is determined that the image to be printed includes the contents recorded in said first recording medium.

13. A contents processing control device comprising:

first medium mounting means for detachably mounting a first recording medium including non-encrypted contents stored therein;

second medium mounting means for detachably mounting a second recording medium;

decryption means for acquiring encrypted contents representing encrypted first contents, decrypting said encrypted contents, and sending the decrypted first contents to a supplier of said encrypted contents; and

control means for controlling a computer, detachably connected thereto and comprising means for detachably mounting a third recording medium including said encrypted contents stored therein, so as to cause said computer to serve as first selection means for accessing said first recording medium in accordance with an instruction from an operator and for selecting arbitrary second contents from said non-encrypted contents, second selection means for acquiring arbitrary contents from said encrypted contents stored in said third recording medium in accordance with an instruction from the operator and for supplying the acquired encrypted contents to said decryption means as ones representing said first contents, combining means for acquiring said first contents supplied from said decryption means, combining said first contents and said second contents in accordance with an instruction from the operator and creating combining mode data representing a combining mode, and storage means for accessing said second recording medium in response to an instruction from the operator and for storing, in said third recording medium, said encrypted contents representing said first contents, said second contents and said combining mode data.

14. A contents processing method comprising:

a first medium mounting step of detachably mounting a first recording medium including encrypted contents stored therein;

a second medium mounting step of detachably mounting a second recording medium including non-encrypted contents stored therein;

a third medium mounting step of detachably mounting a third recording medium;

a first selection step of selecting arbitrary contents from the encrypted contents stored in said first recording medium in accordance with an instruction from an operator, and decrypting the selected encrypted contents to generate first contents;

a second selection step of selecting arbitrary second contents from the non-encrypted contents stored in said second recording medium in accordance with an instruction from the operator;

a combining step of combining said first contents and said second contents in accordance with an instruction from the operator, and creating combining mode data representing a combining mode; and

a recording step of storing, in said third recording medium, said encrypted contents representing said first contents, said second contents and said combining mode data, in response to an instruction from the operator.

15. A computer readable recording medium containing a program stored therein for causing a computer, which comprises means for detachably mounting a first recording medium including encrypted contents stored therein, means for detachably mounting a second recording medium including non-encrypted contents stored therein, and means for detachably mounting a third recording medium, to serve as:

first selection means for selecting arbitrary contents from the encrypted contents stored in said first recording medium in accordance with an instruction from an operator, and for decrypting the selected encrypted contents to generate first contents;

second selection means for selecting arbitrary second contents from the non-encrypted contents stored in said second recording medium in accordance with an instruction from the operator;

combining means for combining said first contents and said second contents in accordance with an instruction from the operator, and creating combining mode data which represents a combining mode; and

recording means for storing, in said third recording medium, said encrypted contents representing said first contents, said second contents and said combining mode data, in response to an instruction from the operator.

16. A computer readable recording medium containing a program stored therein for causing a computer to serve as:

first selection means for selecting first contents from contents protected by a predetermined right;

second selection means for selecting second contents from arbitrary contents;

combining means for combining the first contents selected by said first selection means and the second contents selected by said second selection means;

display means for displaying data synthesized by said combining means;

printing instruction means for issuing an instruction to print an image synthesized by said combining means; and

recording means for storing, in a recording medium, instruction information which designates said first contents, said second contents and data which represents a mode of combining said first contents and said second contents, for the sake of printing to be performed externally.

17. A computer readable recording medium containing a program stored therein for:

causing a computer to serve as

first selection means for selecting first contents from encrypted contents protected by a predetermined right;

second selection means for selecting second contents from arbitrary contents;

combining means for combining the first contents selected by said first selection means and the second contents selected by said second selection means;

display means for displaying data synthesized by said combining means;

printing instruction means for issuing an instruction to print an image synthesized by said combining means; and

recording means for storing, in a recording medium, instruction information which designates said first contents, said second contents and data which represents a mode of combining said first contents and said second contents, for the sake of printing to be performed externally; and

causing at least one of said first selection means and said combining means to serve as decryption means for decrypting said first contents.