Data control system

• US 6,230,268 B1
• Filed: 07/31/1998
• Issued: 05/08/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Miwa, Kunihiko, Morimoto, Norishige, Shimizu, Shuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Peeso, Thomas R.
• Application Number:
  US09/127,061
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 713/165, 713/164, 713/176, 713/179, 713/180, 713/182, 713/189, 713/200, 713/201
• US Class Current: 713/176
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/0021 Image watermarking
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2201/0064 for copy protection or copy management, e.g. CGMS, copy only once, one-time copy
• 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 20/00898 based on a hash function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/24 Systems for the transmission of television signals using pulse code modulation H04N21/00 takes precedence

Abstract

An object of the Invention is to provide a system and method for effecting a secure data control using an electronic watermarking with a low manufacturing cost. A solution of the objective is a data control system is built which comprises; embedding a control flag indicating to control data using an electronic watermarking technique, preparing a token having information as to how to control the data by using the content of the data, distributing the token appended to the data, detecting the control flag from the distributed data, reading the token appended to the data when the control flag is detected, and controlling the data according to a predefined control rule of the token or the control flag. In addition, a subsequent data control is further suppressed by modifying the token in controlling the data.

Claims

1. A data control system comprising;

means for embedding a control flag indicating to effect data control in distributed data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for preparing a token having information as to how to control the data by using the content of said data,

means for appending said token to said data,

means for distributing said data to which said token is appended,

means for detecting said control flag from the distributed data,

means for reading said token appended to said data when said control flag is detected, and

means for controlling said data according to a predefined control rule of said token or said control flag.

2. A data control system of claim 1 in which said means for controlling further comprises means for modifying, disabling or deleting said token.

3. A data control system of claim 2 in which said control is a control of copying, play-back or receiving.

4. A data copying apparatus comprising;

means for detecting from data a control flag indicating to effect copying control of the data which is embedded using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for reading out said token indicating copying control information of the data from said data when said control flag is detected, and

means for effecting copying control of said data according to a predefined control rule of said token or said control flag.

5. A data play-back apparatus comprising;

means for detecting from data a control flag indicating to effect play-back control of the data which is embedded in the data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for reading said token indicating play-back control information of the data from said data when said control flag is detected, and

means for effecting play-back control of said data according to a predefined control rule of said token or said control flag.

6. A data receiving apparatus comprising;

means for detecting from data a control flag indicating receiving control information of the data which is embedded using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for reading said token indicating receiving control information of the data from said data when said control flag is detected, and

means for effecting receiving control of said data according to a predefined control rule of said token or said control flag.

7. A data control apparatus comprising;

means for detecting from data a control flag indicating to effect control of the data which is embedded in the data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for reading said token indicating how to control the data from said data when said control flag is detected, and

means for effecting control of said data according to a predefined control rule of said token or said control flag.

8. A token preparation apparatus preparing a token for effecting data control comprising;

means for embedding in the data a control flag indicating to effect control of the data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for preparing a token having information as to how to control the data using the content of said data, and

means for appending said token to said data.

9. A data control system comprising;

means for embedding in distributed data a control flag indicating to effect control of the data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for preparing a token having information as to how to control the data using the content of said data,

means for appending said token to said data,

means for distributing said data to which said token is appended,

means for detecting said control flag from the distributed data,

means for reading out said token appended to said data,

means for preparing a token again from said data,

means for comparing the token read out with the token prepared again, and

means for effecting control of said data according to a predefined control rule of said token read out or said control flag using the result of said comparison.

10. A data control system of claim 9 in which said means for effecting control of data further comprises means for deleting or disabling said appended token.

11. A data control system of claim 10 in which said means for preparing a token and said means for preparing a token again further comprises means for preparing a token from the data using a one-way function.

12. A data control system of claims in which said control is a control of copying, play-back or receiving.

13. A data copying apparatus comprising;

means for detecting from data a control flag indicating to effect copying control of the data which is embedded in said data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for reading out said token indicating copying control information of the data from said data when said control flag is detected,

means for preparing a token from said data,

means for comparing the token read out with the token prepared, and

means for effecting control of said data relating to copying according to a predefined control rule of said token read out or said control flag when said comparison matches.

17. A data control system of claim 13 in which said means for effecting control of data further comprises means for deleting or disabling said appended token.

19. A data control system of claim 13 in which said means for preparing a token further comprises means for preparing a token from the data using a one-way function.

38. A data control system of claim 17 in which said means for preparing a token further comprises means for preparing a token from the data using a one-way function.

14. A data play-back apparatus comprising;

means for detecting from data a control flag indicating to effect play-back control of the data which is embedded in said data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for reading out said token indicating play-back control information of the data from said data when said control flag is detected,

means for preparing a token from said data,

means for comparing the token read out with the token prepared, and

means for effecting control of said data relating to play-back according to a predefined control rule of said token read out or said control flag using the result of said comparison.

32. A data control system of claim 14 in which said means for effecting control of data further comprises means for deleting or disabling said appended token.

33. A data control system of claim 14 in which said means for preparing a token further comprises means for preparing a token from the data using a one-way function.

15. A data receiving apparatus comprising;

means for detecting from data a control flag indicating to effect receiving control of the data which is embedded in said data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for reading out said token indicating receiving control information of the data from said data when said control flag is detected,

means for preparing a token from said data,

means for comparing the token read out with the token prepared, and

means for effecting control of said data relating to receiving according to a predefined control rule of said token read out or said control flag when said comparison matches.

34. A data control system of claim 15 in which said means for effecting control of data further comprises means for deleting or disabling said appended token.

35. A data control system of claim 15 in which said means for preparing a token further comprises means for preparing a token from the data using a one-way function.

16. A data control apparatus for controlling data comprising;

means for detecting from data a control flag indicating to effect control of the data which is embedded in said data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for reading out said token indicating how to control the data from said data when said control flag is detected,

means for preparing a token from said data,

means for comparing the token read out with the token prepared, and

means for effecting control of said data according to a predefined control rule of said token read out or said control flag when said comparison matches.

36. A data control system of claim 16 in which said means for effecting control of data further comprises means for deleting or disabling said appended token.

37. A data control system of claim 16 in which said means for preparing a token further comprises means for preparing a token from the data using a one-way function.

18. A token preparation apparatus preparing a token for effecting data control comprising;

means for embedding in the data a control flag indicating to effect control of the data using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for preparing a token having information as to how to control the data using the content of said data, and

means for appending said token to said data.

39. A data control system of claim 18 in which said means for preparing a token further comprises means for preparing a token from the data using a one-way function.

20. A data control method comprising;

a step of embedding a control flag indicating to effect data control in distributed data using an electronic watermarking technique,

a step of preparing a token having information as to how to control the data by using the content of said data,

a step of appending said token to said data,

a step of distributing said data to which said token is appended,

a step of detecting said control flag from the distributed data,

a step of reading out said token appended to said data when said control flag is detected, and

a step of controlling said data according to a predefined control rule of said token or said control flag.

21. A data control method of claim 20 in which said step of controlling said data further comprises a step of modifying, disabling or deleting said token.

22. A data control method of claim 21 in which said control is a control of copying, play-back or receiving.

23. A medium containing a program for effecting control of data, said program comprising;

a function for detecting from data a control flag indicating to effect control of the data which is embedded in said data using an electronic watermarking technique,

a function for reading out said token indicating how to effect control of the data from said data when said control flag is detected, and

a function for effecting control of said data according to a predefined control rule of said token or said control flag.

24. A medium containing a program containing a program for preparing a token for data control, said program comprising;

a function for embedding a control flag indicating to effect data control in the data using an electronic watermarking technique,

a function for preparing a token having information as to how to control the data by using the content of said data, and

a function for appending said token to said data.

25. A token preparation apparatus for effecting copying control of digital content comprising;

means for embedding a control flag indicating to permit copying of the digital content in the digital content using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for preparing a token having information to effect copying control of said digital content from said digital content by using a one-way function, and

means for appending said token to said data.

26. A copying apparatus for a digital content comprising;

means for detecting from a digital content a control flag indicating a permission to copy the digital content which is embedded in said digital content using an electronic watermarking technique,

means for reading out said token appended to said digital content when said control flag is detected,

means for preparing a token from said digital content using a one-way function,

means for comparing the token read out with the token prepared, and

means for copying said digital content when said comparison matches, and

means for deleting said appended token from said digital content or modifying said digital content so that another comparison of the tokens fails.

27. A data control apparatus comprising;

means for detecting from data a control flag embedded in said data by watermarking, said flag indicating that a control of data is to be effected,

means for reading out from said data a token indicating control information of data when said control flag is detected, and

means for controlling said data according to a predefined control rule of said token or said control flag based on input information from the exterior.

29. A data control apparatus of claim 27 in which said control is a copying control, a play back control or a receiving control.

30. A data control apparatus of claim 27 in which said means for controlling said data includes means for destructing said token or means for invalidating said token.

31. A data control apparatus of claim 27 in which said input from the exterior is toll information or user input information.

28. A data control apparatus comprising;

means for receiving a control flag and a token embedded in said data by watermarking, said flag indicating that a control of data is to be effected and said token indicating control information of data, and

means for controlling said data according to a predefined control rule of said token or said control flag based on input information from the exterior.

40. A data control apparatus of claim 28 in which said control is a copying control, a play back control or a receiving control.

41. A data control apparatus of claim 28 in which said means for controlling said data includes means for destructing said token or means for invalidating said token.

42. A data control apparatus of claim 28 in which said input from the exterior is toll information or user input information.