Interactive chargeable communication system with billing system therefor

• US 6,249,532 B1
• Filed: 01/26/1999
• Issued: 06/19/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Microcomputer System Limited
• Inventors: Hosokawa, Kyoichi, Otsubo, Tadasu, Hayakawa, Hiroyuki, Owashi, Hitoaki, Yoshikawa, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): RAO, SEEMA SRINIVAS
• Application Number:
  US09/237,698
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: 370/270, 370/432, 370/485, 370/486, 370/487, 370/522, 370/528, 370/527, 370/496, 370/390, 348/3, 348/7, 348/10, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/42, 714/748, 380/233, 380/241, 380/279, 380/234, 725/1, 725/25, 725/86, 725/87, 725/100, 725/28
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43853 involving multiplex stream decryption arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4425 Monitoring of client processing errors or hardware failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/63345 by transmitting keys key distribution for secret or secure communication H04L9/08; network support of key management H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A billing system for use in a chargeable program broadcasting is capable of reliably billing a subscriber for program reception while preventing unauthorized reception thereof. A receiving terminal includes a primary terminal 100 and a secondary terminal 150. The primary terminal 100 receives a compressed video signal and confirms by an error checker 113 thereof whether there is a transmission error and bills, by a billing device 114 thereof, the receiving subscriber on the basis of an error information and a program information, etc., separated from the video signal by a separation circuit 112. The compressed video data is time-axis multiplexed with a terminal identifying code and a key signal and transmitted to the secondary terminal 150. In the secondary terminal 150, a bill for the subscriber is confirmed by the terminal identifying code and the compressed data is decoded by a decoder circuit 166 thereof.

Claims

1. A data receiver terminal for receiving scrambled data supplied from an information supplier comprising:

a multiplexing circuit for multiplexing said scrambled data and an identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or a user;

a data recording/reproducing apparatus for being able to record and reproduce a multiplexed data output from said multiplexing circuit;

an extracting circuit for extracting said identification code from said multiplexed data reproduced from said data recording/reproducing apparatus;

a comparator for comparing said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code provided by said multiplexed circuit;

a descrambling circuit for descrambling said scrambled data of said multiplexed data reproduced from said data recording/reproducing apparatus; and

,

wherein said descrambling circuit descrambles said scrambled data of said multiplexed data only when the descrambling of said scrambled data is permitted according to a result of a comparison performed by said comparator.

2. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 1, wherein

said scrambled data includes at least one error detecting code, and

said data receiver terminal provides an error check circuit which confirms a correction of said received scrambled data referring to said error detecting code and requests a retransmission of said scrambled data to said information supplier when said error check circuit confirms a transmission error of said received scrambled data.

3. A data receiver terminal claimed in claim 1, wherein

said scrambled data includes at least compressed video data and program information having a different value for each said compressed video data for identifying said compressed video data;

and

said data receiver terminal further provides a program information processing circuit for distinguishing said program information included in said scrambled data and a transmitter for transmitting data to said information supplier, and transmits at least said program information identified by the program information processing circuit and said identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or said user to said information supplier.

4. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 3, wherein said data receiver terminal is billed a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmitted to said supplier.

5. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 3, wherein said data receiver terminal is billed only once a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmitter to said information supplier, when said scrambled data is newly descrambled a plurality of times within a specific period by said descrambling circuit.

6. A data receiver terminal for receiving scrambled data supplied from an information supplier comprising:

a multiplexing circuit for multiplexing said scrambled data and an identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or a user;

an output terminal for outputting a multiplexed data output from said multiplexing circuit;

an input terminal for inputting said multiplexed data;

an extracting circuit for extracting said identification code from said multiplexed data input from said input terminal;

a comparator for comparing said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code provided by said multiplexed circuit;

a descrambling circuit for descrambling said scrambled data of said multiplexed data input from said input terminal; and

wherein said descrambling circuit descrambles said scrambled data of said multiplexed data only when the descrambling of said scrambled data is permitted according to a result of a comparison performed by said comparator.

7. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 6;

wherein

said scrambled data includes at least one error detecting code, and

said data receiver terminal provides an error check circuit which confirms a correction of said received scrambled data referring to said error detecting code and requests a retransmission of said scrambled data to said information supplier when said error check circuit confirms a transmission error of said received scrambled data.

8. The data receiver terminal in claim 6, wherein

said scrambled data includes at least compressed video data and program information having a different value for each said compressed video data for identifying said compressed video data;

and

said data receiver terminal further provides a program information processing circuit for distinguishing said program information included in said scrambled data and a transmitter for transmitting data to said information supplier, and transmits at least said program information identified by the program information processing circuit and said identification code identifying said receiver terminal or said user to said information supplier.

9. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 8, wherein said data receiver terminal is billed a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmitter to said information supplier.

10. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 8, wherein said data receiver terminal is billed only once a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmitter to said information supplier, when said scrambled data is newly descrambled a plurality of times within a specific period by said descrambling circuit.

11. A data receiver terminal for receiving scrambled data supplied from an information supplier comprising:

a multiplexing circuit for multiplexing said scrambled data and an identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or a user;

an input/output terminal for proceeding suitably interchangeably to input a multiplexed data of scrambled data and an identification code, and to output a multiplexed data output from said multiplexing;

an extracting circuit for extracting said identification code from said multiplexed data input from said input/output terminal;

a comparator for comparing said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said input/output terminal;

a comparator for comparing said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code provided by said multiplexing circuit;

a descrambling circuit for descrambling said scrambled data of said multiplexed data input from said input/output terminal; and

,

wherein said descrambling circuit descrambles said scrambled data of said multiplexed data only when the descrambling of said scrambled data is permitted according to a result of a comparison performed by said comparator.

12. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 11, wherein

said scrambled data includes at least one error detecting code, and

said data receiver terminal provides an error check circuit which confirms a correction of said received scrambled data with referring to said error detecting code and requests a retransmission of said scrambled data to said information supplier when said error check circuit confirms a transmission error of said received scrambled data.

13. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 11, wherein

said scrambled data includes at least compressed video data and program information having a different value for each said compressed video data for identifying said compressed video data;

and,

said data receiver terminal further provides a program information processing circuit for distinguishing said program information included in said scrambled data and a transmitter for transmitting data to said supplier, and transmits at least said program information identified by the program information processing circuit and said identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or said user to said information supplier.

14. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 13, where said data receiver terminal is billed only once a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmitter to said information supplier, when said scrambled data is newly descrambled a plurality of times within a specific period by said descrambling circuit.

15. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 13, wherein said data receiver terminal is billed a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmitter to said information supplier.

16. A data receiver terminal for receiving scrambled data supplied from an information supplier comprising:

a first output terminal for outputting said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier;

a second output terminal for outputting an identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or a user;

a first input terminal for inputting said scrambled data;

a second input terminal for inputting said identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or a user;

a comparator for comparing said identification code input from said second input terminal with said identification code output from said output terminal;

a descrambling circuit for descrambling said scrambled data input from said first input terminal; and

wherein said descrambling circuit descrambles said scrambled data input from said first input terminal only when the descrambling of said scrambled data is permitted according to a result of a comparison performed by said comparator.

17. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 16, wherein

said scrambled data includes at least one error detecting code, and said data receiver terminal provides an error check circuit which confirms a correction of said received scrambled data which referring said error detecting code and requests a retransmission of said scrambled data to said information supplier when said error check circuit confirms a transmission error of said received scrambled data.

18. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 16, wherein

said scrambled data includes at least compressed video data and program information having a different value for each said compressed video data for identifying said compressed video data;

and

said data receiver terminal further provides a program information processing circuit for disthinguishing said program information included in said scrambled data and a transmitter for transmitting data to said information supplier, and transmits at least said program information identified by the program information processing circuit and said identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or said user to said information supplier.

19. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 18, wherein said data receiver terminal is billed only once a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said information and said identification code transmitted from said transmitter to said information supplier, when said scrambled data is newly descrambled a plurality of times within a specific period by said descrambling circuit.

20. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 18, wherein said data receiver terminal is billed a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmitter to said information supplier.

21. A data receiver terminal for receiving scrambled data supplied from an information supplier in which scrambled data is supplied from said information supplier and is divided into first data including at least compressed video data and second data including at least a decode key for using the descrambling of said video data, the terminal comprising:

a data request cirquit for transmitting a data request signal to said information supplier;

a decode key memory for storing said second data;

a multiplexing circuit for multiplexing said first data and an identification code for identifying said data receiver terminal or a user;

a data recording/reproducing apparatus for being able to record and reproduce multiplexed data output from said multiplexing circuit;

an extracting circuit for extracting said identification code from said multiplexed data reproduced from said data recording/reproducing apparatus;

a comparator for comparing said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code provided by said multiplexing circuit;

a descrambling circuit for descrambling said compressed video data of said multiplexed data reproduced from said data recording/reproducing apparatus; and

wherein

said first data received from said information supplier responding to said data request signal for requesting said first data is stored in said data recording/reproducing apparatus after being multiplexed with said identification code by said multiplexing circuit, said second data received from said information supplier responding to said data request signal for requesting said second data is stored in said decode key memory, and the descrambling circuit descrambles said compressed video data of said first data included in said multiplexed data output from said data recording/reproducing apparatus using said decode key included in said second data stored in said decode key memory, only when the descrambling of said compressed video data is permitted according to the result of a comparison performed by said comparator.

22. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 21, wherein

said first data further includes program information having different value for each said compressed video data for identifying said compressed video data;

said data receiver terminal further provides a program information processing circuit for distinguishing program information included in said first data;

said data request signal for requesting said first data includes at least said identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or said user; and

said data request signal for requesting said second data includes at least said identification code and said program information distinguished by said program information processing circuit.

23. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 22, wherein:

said data receiver terminal is billed only once a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code included in said data request signal for requesting said second data transmitted from said transmitter to said information supplier, when said scrambled data is newly descrambled a plurality of times within a specific period by said descrambling circuit.

24. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 22, wherein:

said data receiver terminal is billed a receiving charge for receiving said scrambled data supplied from said information supplier on the basis of at least said program information and said identification code included in said data request signal for requesting said second data transmitted to said information supplier from said data request circuit.

25. A data receiver terminal for receiving data supplied from an information supplier comprising:

a multiplexing circuit for multiplexing said data and an identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or a user;

a data recording/reproducing apparatus for being able to record and reproduce a multiplexed data output from said multiplexing circuit;

an extracting circuit for extracting said identification code from said multiplexed data reproduced from said data recording/reproducing apparatus;

a comparator for comparing said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code provided by said multiplexing circuit;

a control circuit for controlling outputting of said data of said multiplexed data reproduced from said data recording/reproducing apparatus;

wherein said control circuit outputs said data only when the reference of said data is permitted according to result of a comparison of said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code multiplexed in said multiplexing circuit performed by said comparator.

26. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 25, wherein

said data includes at least one error detecting code, and said receiver terminal provides an error check circuit which confirms a correction of said supplied data with referring said error detecting code; and

a retransmission of said data is requested to said information supplier when said error check circuit confirms a transmission error of said supplied data in said error detecting code.

27. A data receiver terminal claimed in claim 25, wherein

said data includes at least compressed video dataand program information having a different value for each said compressed video data for identifying said compressed video data;

and

said data receiver terminal further provides a program information processing circuit for distinguishing said program information included in said supplied data and a transmission circuit for transmitting data to said information supplier;

at least said program information identified by the program information processing circuit and said identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or said user are transmitted to said information supplier.

28. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 27, wherein said data receiver terminal is billed a receiving charge for receiving said data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmission circuit to said information supplier.

29. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 27, wherein a charge for receiving said data is billed only once when said data is outputted from said control circuit a plurality of times within a specific period at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmission circuit to said information supplier.

30. A data receiver terminal for receiving data supplied from an information supplier comprising:

a multiplexing circuit for multiplexing said data and an identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or a user;

an output terminal for outputting a multiplexed data output from said multiplexing circuit;

an input terminal for inputting said multiplexed data;

an extracting circuit for extracting said identification code from said multiplexed data input from said input terminal;

a comparator for comparing said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code provided by said multiplexing circuit;

a control circuit for controlling outputting of said data of said multiplexed data input from said input terminal;

wherein said control circuit outputs said data only when the reference of said data is permitted according to result of a comparison of said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code multiplexed in said multiplexing circuit performed by said comparator.

31. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 30, wherein

said data includes at least one error detecting code;

said data receiver terminal provides an error check circuit which confirms a correction of said supplied data with referring said error detecting code; and

a retransmission of said data is requested to said information supplier when said error check circuit confirms a transmission error of said supplied data in said error detecting code.

32. A data receiver terminal claimed in claim 30, wherein

said data includes at least compressed video data and program information having a different value for each said compressed video data for identifying said compressed video data;

said data receiver terminal further provides a program information processing circuit for distinguishing said program information included in said supplied data and a transmission circuit for transmitting data to said information supplier; and

wherein at least said program information identified by the program information processing circuit and said identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or said user are transmitted to said information supplier.

33. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 32, wherein said data receiver terminal is billed a receiving charge for receiving said data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmission circuit to said information supplier.

34. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 32, wherein a charge for receiving said data is billed only once when said data is outputted from said control circuit a plurality of times within a specific period at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmission circuit to said information supplier.

35. A data receiver terminal for receiving data supplied from an information supplier comprising:

a multiplexing circuit for multiplexing said data and an identification code identifying said data receiver terminal or a user;

an input/output terminal for proceeding suitably interchangeably to input multiplexed data of said supplied data and an identification code, and to output a multiplexed data output from said multiplexing circuit;

an extracting circuit for extracting said identification code from said multiplexed data input from said input/output terminal;

a comparator for comparing said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code provided by said multiplexing circuit;

a control circuit for controlling outputting of said data of said multiplexed data input from said input/output terminal;

wherein said control circuit outputs said data only when the reference of said data is permitted according to result of a comparison to said identification code extracted by said extracting circuit with said identification code multiplexed in said multiplexing circuit performed by said comparator.

36. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 35, wherein

said data includes at least one error detecting code;

said data receiver terminal provides an error check circuit which confirms a correction of said supplied data with referring said error detecting code; and

a retransmission of said data is requested to said information supplier when said error check circuit confirms a transmission error of said supplied data in said error detecting code.

37. A data receiver terminal claimed in claim 35, wherein

said data includes at least compressed video data and program information having a different value for each said compressed video data for identifying said compressed video data;

said data receiver terminal further provides a program information processing circuit for distinguishing said program information included in said supplied data and a transmission circuit for transmitting data to said information supplier; and

wherein at least said program information identified by the program information processing circuit and said identification code identifying said data receiver or said user are transmitted to said information supplier.

38. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 37, wherein

said data receiver terminal is billed a receiving charge for receiving said data supplied from said information supplier at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted from said transmission circuit to said information supplier.

39. The data receiver terminal claimed in claim 37, wherein

a charge for receiving said data is billed only once when said data is outputted from said control circuit a plurality of times within a specific period at least on the basis of said program information and said identification code transmitted form said transmission circuit to said information supplier.