Apparatus and method for protecting the unauthorized duplication of a signal

• US 6,427,047 B1
• Filed: 06/09/1998
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ogino, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Andrew B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHIEU, PO LIN
• Application Number:
  US09/093,348
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/94, 375/130, 375/135, 375/140, 375/146, 375/141, 380/204, 380/205, 380/210
• US Class Current: 386/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91321 the copy protection signal being a copy protection control signal, e.g. a record inhibit signal
• 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 2005/9135 by superimposing the spectrally spread copy protection signal onto the video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

An additional information produced by an additional information signal producing curcuit is spectrum-spread by a spectrum spreading code generated on the basis of the timing of the synchronous signal of digital video signal and is then added to the digital video signal by means of a signal adder. The digital video signal to which the spectrum spread additional information signal is added is then written into a recording medium by a signal writing device. Thereby, the additional information signal can be added to the video signal under the condition that the reproducing quality of the video signal is never deteriorated and alteration and deletion are impossible and moreover the additional information signal can be detected for use as required from the video signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting a signal, comprising:

code generating means for generating a code;

additional information signal producing means for producing a high level narrow band additional information signal;

processing means for processing said high level narrow band additional information signal using said code to produce a low level wide band additional information signal;

first signal superimposing means for superimposing said high level narrow band additional information signal on said signal;

second signal superimposing means for superimposing said low level wide band additional information signal on said signal having said high level narrow band additional information signal superimposed thereon; and

transmitting means for transmitting an output from said second signal superimposing means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said additional information signal from said addition information signal producing means comprises a duplication control signal used for duplication control of said signal.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal comprises a digital video signal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said code is a spectrum spread code having different successive phases depending on said additional information signal.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said code is a spectrum spread code having different successive series depending on said additional information signal.

6. A method for transmitting a signal, comprising the steps of:

generating a code;

producing a high level narrow band additional information signal;

processing said high level narrow band additional information signal using said code to produce a low level wide band additional information signal;

superimposing said high level narrow band additional information signal on said signal;

superimposing said low level wide band additional information signal on said signal having said high level narrow band additional information signal superimposed thereon; and

transmitting an output from said step of superimposing said low level wide ban additional information signal.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein said additional information signal comprises a duplication control signal used for duplication control of said signal.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein said signal is a digital signal.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein said code is a spectrum spread code having different successive phases depending on said additional information signal.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein said code is a spectrum spread code having different successive series depending on said additional information signal.