Recording medium and recording or reproduction apparatus that provides protection from unauthorized use of the medium

• US 6,243,796 B1
• Filed: 07/31/1997
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Otsuka, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Do Hyun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Portka, Gary J.
• Application Number:
  US08/904,280
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 711/163, 711/164, 711/111, 711/112, 711/115, 395/186, 395/188.01, 395/726, 380/3, 380/4, 380/25, 360/60, 360/69, 713/200, 713/202, 710/200
• US Class Current: 711/163
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/02 Control of operating function, e.g. switching from recording to reproducing
• 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 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/211 Discs having both read-only and rewritable or recordable areas containing application data; Partial ROM media
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/329 on a disc [VTOC]

Abstract

A recording-medium ID information, which is condition information read from the recording medium loaded into a recording and reproduction apparatus, is compared with the ID information unique to the apparatus. When they have the correct relationship, a recording or reproduction operation is permitted for the recording medium. As another condition information, an ID to be input is additionally specified. When the correct ID is input, a recording or reproduction operation to the recording medium is allowed. Thus, a multiple-level protection function is achieved.

Claims

1. A recording-medium driving system comprising:

a recording-medium driving apparatus;

a recording medium configured for use with said recording-medium driving apparatus; and

a computer program recorded on said recording medium for controlling said recording-medium driving apparatus;

wherein said recording medium driving apparatus includes;

protection-function detecting means for detecting whether said recording medium has a protection function;

comparison means for comparing first identification information recorded in said recording medium with second identification information of said recording-medium driving apparatus when said recording medium has said protection function; and

control means for controlling access to said recording medium via an information signal when said comparison means detects a predetermined relationship between said first identification

wherein said recording medium includes;

a first recording area on which recording protection-function identification information is recorded which indicates whether said protection function for setting a limit of access via said information signal by said recording-medium driving apparatus is provided;

a second recording area on which said first identification information is recorded;

a third recording area on which said computer program is recorded; and

fourth recording area having a storage area on which information is recorded, and

wherein said computer program controls said recording-medium driving apparatus to execute processing including the steps of;

requesting user input of an input identifier;

comparing said input identifier with a recorded identifier, corresponding to said storage area, that is read from said recording medium; and

enabling access to said storage area, for at least one of reading and writing, in accordance with said step of comparing.

2. A recording-medium driving system according to claim 1, wherein:

said fourth recording area has a plurality of storage areas including said storage area;

said step of requesting comprises requesting user input of a plurality of input identifiers including said input identifier;

said step of comparing comprises comparing said plurality of input identifiers with a plurality of recorded identifiers including said recorded identifier that is read from said recording medium, wherein said plurality of recorded identifiers correspond to said plurality of storage areas; and

said step of enabling comprises separately enabling access to each of said plurality of recording areas, for at least one of reading and writing, in accordance with said step of comparing, such that one of said plurality of storage areas is associated with one or more of said plurality of recorded identifiers.