Apparatus and method for limiting the reproduction of main information

• US 6,388,831 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2000
• Issued: 05/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: FIPA Frohwitter Intellectual Property AG
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishijima, Hideo, Ono, Hiroaki, Arai, Takao, Okamoto, Hiroo, Nishimura, Keizo, Owashi, Hitoaki, Kaku, Nobuyuki, Amada, Nobutaka, Noguchi, Takaharu, Kano, Kiyoshi, Fujimori, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): SLAVITT, MITCHELL R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Habermehl, James L
• Application Number:
  US09/642,770
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 360/69, 360/27, 360/60, 360/66
• US Class Current: 360/69
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/03 by using counters
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/087 by sensing recorded signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/125 conditioned by the operating function of the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 19/04 Arrangements for preventing, inhibiting, or warning against double recording on the same blank or against other recording or reproducing malfunctions
• 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 20/00166 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier, e.g. music or software
• 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 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00746 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific number
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/0086 using cyclically driven heads providing segmented tracks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91328 the copy protection signal being a copy management signal, e.g. a copy generation management signal [CGMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9201 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention relates to an information providing system. More particularly, this invention relates to an information management apparatus capable of reliable management of distributed information and an information providing system employing the same information management apparatus. The information management apparatus comprises a main information reproducing means for reproducing main information recorded in a given recording medium; and a reproduction management means for managing the main information reproducing means for reproducing the main information. The present invention provides a receiving means provided with a means for recording distributed information and control information limiting the number of main information reproducing cycles on a recording medium, and a main information reproducing means provided with a reproduction disabling means for limiting the reproduction of main information.

Claims

1. An information management apparatus, comprising:

a recording circuit which records main information and control information onto a recording medium;

a reproducing circuit which reproduces said main information and said control information recorded on said recording medium; and

a rewriting circuit which rewrites at least a portion of said main information based on reproduced control information,

wherein said rewriting circuit rewrites said main information which has been reproduced by said reproducing circuit.

2. An information management apparatus, comprising:

a recording circuit which records main information and control information onto a recording medium;

a reproducing circuit which reproduces said main information and said control information recorded on said recording medium; and

an erasing circuit which erases at least a portion of said main information based on reproduced control information,

wherein said erasing circuit erases said main information which has been reproduced by said reproducing circuit while said reproducing circuit is operating.

3. An information management apparatus, comprising:

a recording circuit which records main information and control information onto a recording medium;

a reproducing circuit which reproduces said main information and said control information recorded on said recording medium; and

an erasing circuit which erases at least a portion of said main information based on reproduced control information,

wherein said erasing circuit erases said main information which has been reproduced by said reproducing circuit after said reproducing circuit has operated.

4. An information management method, comprising the steps of:

recording main information and control information onto a recording medium;

reproducing said main information and said control information recorded on said recording medium; and

rewriting at least a portion of said main information based on reproduced control information,

wherein said rewriting step comprises the step of;

rewriting said main information which has been reproduced.

5. An information management method, comprising the steps of:

recording main information and control information onto a recording medium;

reproducing said main information and said control information recorded on said recording medium; and

erasing at least a portion of said main information based on reproduced control information,

wherein said erasing step comprises the step of;

erasing said main information which has been reproduced while said reproducing step is being performed.

6. An information management method, comprising the steps of:

recording main information and control information onto a recording medium;

reproducing said main information and said control information recorded on said recording medium; and

erasing at least a portion of said main information based on reproduced control information,

wherein said erasing step comprises the step of;

erasing said main information which has been reproduced after said reproducing step has been performed.

8. An information management apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control information is rewritten when reproduced.

7. An information management apparatus, comprising:

a recording circuit which records main information and control information onto a recording medium; and

a reproducing circuit which reproduces said main information and said control information recorded on said recording medium,

wherein said control information includes position information representing a reproduction starting position and a reproduction terminating position on said recording medium, and

wherein said control information is rewritten in order that said operation in which said reproducing circuit reproduces at least a portion of said main information indicated by said position information is disabled based on reproduced control information.

9. An information management method, comprising the steps of:

recording main information and control information onto a recording medium;

reproducing said main information and said control information recorded on said recording medium;

wherein said control information includes position information representing a reproduction starting position and a reproduction terminating position on said recording medium; and

rewriting said control information in order that said reproducing at least a portion of said main information indicated by said position information is disabled based on reproduced control information.

10. An information management method according to claim 9, wherein said rewriting step comprises the step of:

rewriting said control information when said control information is reproduced.

11. An information management apparatus, comprising:

a recording circuit which records main information onto a recording medium;

a reproducing circuit which reproduces said main information recorded on said recording medium; and

a disabling circuit which disables said main information recorded on said recording medium, and

wherein said disabling circuit disables said main information which has been reproduced while said reproducing circuit is operating.

12. An information management apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said disabling circuit erases at least a portion of said main information recorded on said recording medium.

13. An information management apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said disabling circuit rewrites at least a portion of said main information recorded on said recording medium.

14. An information management apparatus, comprising:

a recording circuit which records main information onto a recording medium;

a reproducing circuit which reproduces said main information recorded on said recording medium; and

a disabling circuit which disables said main information recorded on said recording medium;

wherein, in the case that said main information recorded on said recording medium is prevented to be reproduced any more, said disabling circuit disables said main information which has been reproduced while said reproducing circuit is operating.