Method of protection of data reproduction, and reproduction apparatus providing protection of data reproduction

• US 6,212,329 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1997
• Issued: 04/03/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: JVC Kenwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Victor Company of Japan Limited (JVC Kenwood Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugahara, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, Y YOUNG
• Application Number:
  US08/940,941
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 386/94, 386/52, 348/403, 348/396, 360/137, 360/27, 360/60, 380/4, 380/5, 380/10, 380/20, 380/23, 380/25, 380/110
• US Class Current: 386/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/1063 Personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/007 Encryption, En-/decode, En-/decipher, En-/decypher, Scramble, (De-)compress
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• 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 20/00094 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00159 Parental control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00188 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised devices recording or reproducing contents to/from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00739 wherein the usage restriction is associated with a specific geographical region
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00768 wherein copy control information is used, e.g. for indicating whether a content may be copied freely, no more, once, or never, by setting CGMS, SCMS, or CCI flags
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/00014 the compressed signal being an audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2545 CDs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3027 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/806 : with processing of the sound signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/87 : Regeneration of colour television signals H04N9/80 takes precedence

Abstract

In a reproduction apparatus, for reproducing an original signal conveyed as main data by a data medium such as a recording disk or broadcasting system, with medium protection data which are specific to the data medium being conveyed together with the main data, the apparatus includes a section for generating apparatus protection data which are specific to the reproduction apparatus, a section for combining the apparatus protection data with the medium protection data to define a protection level, and a section for applying the protection level to restrict reproduction of the original signal, with stepwise variations in restriction occurring in accordance with changes in protection level. The medium protection data may include information for specifying restricted reproduction of portions of the original signal, such as by producing degraded resolution within specified regions of specified frames of a video signal.

Claims

1. A reproduction apparatus providing reproduction protection, for operating on main data which are conveyed by a data medium, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting medium protection data which are specific to said data medium and are conveyed by said data medium;

means for generating apparatus protection data which comprise at least first apparatus protection data and second apparatus protection data,

wherein said first apparatus protection data are specific to a region or a country in which said reproduction apparatus is to be used, and can not be modified by a user of said reproduction apparatus and wherein said second apparatus protection data can be modified by the user to selectively define a plurality of protection levels including at least two levels which are respectively specific to adults and to children;

means for defining a protection level based on said medium protection data and said apparatus protection data in combination; and

means for executing reproduction of said main data in accordance with said protection level,

wherein, in response to a combination of said medium protection data with said first apparatus protection data, said main data are reproduced either in their entirety or not at all, and in response to a combination of said medium protection data and said second apparatus protection data, said main data are reproduced in their entirety, partially, or not at all.

2. A reproduction apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said data medium conveys both said medium protection data and said main data in an identical form.

3. A reproduction protection method for operating on main data which are conveyed by a data medium, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting medium protection data which are specific to said data medium and are also conveyed by said data medium;

generating apparatus protection data which comprise at least first apparatus protection data and second apparatus protection data,

wherein said first apparatus protection data are specific to a region or a country in which said main data are to be reproduced, and can not be modified by a recipient of said reproduced main data, and wherein said second apparatus protection data can be modified by the recipient to selectively define a plurality of protection levels including at least two levels which are respectively specific to adults and to children;

defining a protection level based on said medium protection data and said apparatus protection data in combination; and

executing reproduction of said main data in accordance with said protection level, wherein the combination of said medium protection data and said first apparatus protection data determines whether said main data are reproduced in their entirety or not at all, and the combination of said medium protection data and said second apparatus protection data determines whether said main data are reproduced in their entirety, partially, or not at all.

4. A data medium for transferring main data to a reproduction apparatus for reproduction by said reproduction apparatus, characterized in that:

said data medium also transfers medium protection data which are specific to said data medium,

said reproduction apparatus generates apparatus protection data which comprise at least first apparatus protection data and second apparatus protection data, wherein said first apparatus protection data are specific to a region or country in which said reproduction apparatus is to be used,

said first apparatus protection data can not be modified by a user of said reproduction apparatus;

said second apparatus protection data can be modified by the user to selectively define a plurality of protection levels including at least two levels which are respectively specific to adults and to children, and

said medium protection data and apparatus protection data in combination specify a degree of restriction on said reproduction of the main data by said reproduction apparatus,

wherein the combination of said medium protection data and said first apparatus protection data specifies that said main data are reproduced either in their entirety or not at all, and the combination of said medium protection data and said second apparatus protection data specifies that said main data are reproduced in their entirety, partially, or not at all.

5. A decoding apparatus providing decoding protection, for operating on information which is transferred through a medium and comprises main data which are to be decoded, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting protection data which are transferred through said medium;

means for generating apparatus protection data which comprise at least first apparatus protection data and second apparatus protection data, wherein said first apparatus protection data are specific to a region or a country in which said decoding apparatus is to be used, said first apparatus protection data being fixed and unmodifiable by a user of said decoding apparatus and said second apparatus protection data being modifiable by the user to selectively define a plurality of protection levels including at least two levels which are respectively specific to adults and to children;

means for defining a protection level based on said protection data and on said apparatus protection data, in combination; and

means for executing decoding of said main data in accordance with said protection level, wherein the combination of said protection data and said first apparatus protection data specifies that said main data are decoded either in their entirety or not at all, and the combination of said protection data and said second apparatus protection data specifies that said main data are decoded in their entirety, partially, or not at all.

6. A decoding protection method, for operating on information which is transferred through a medium and comprises main data which are to be decoded, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting protection data which are transferred through said medium;

generating apparatus protection data which comprise at least first apparatus protection data and second apparatus protection data, wherein said first apparatus protection data are specific to a region or a country in which said main data are to be decoded and are unmodifiable by a recipient of said decoded main data and said second apparatus protection data can be modified by the recipient to selectively define a plurality of protection levels including at least two levels which are respectively specific to adults and to children;

defining a protection level based on said protection data and on said apparatus protection data, in combination; and

executing decoding of said main data in accordance with said protection level, wherein the combination of said protection data and said first apparatus protection data specifies that said main data are decoded either in their entirety or not at all, and the combination of said protection data and said second apparatus protection data specifies that said main data are decoded in their entirety, partially, or not at all.