Recording medium for protecting copyrighted data

• US 6,437,933 B1
• Filed: 02/20/1997
• Issued: 08/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Koichi, Sakamoto, Etsurou
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): WONG, KIN C
• Application Number:
  US08/803,359
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• Field of Search: 360/137, 360/132, 360/69, 360/71, 360/60, 360/15, 369/84, 369/58, 380/3, 380/4, 380/5, 386/94
• US Class Current: 360/69
• 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 20/00094 involving measures which result in a restriction to authorised record carriers
• 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 20/00688 said measures preventing that a usable copy of recorded data can be made on another medium
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0071 involving a purchase action
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00724 wherein a prepaid credit balance is registered on the recording medium
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00746 wherein the usage restriction can be expressed as a specific number
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00753 wherein the usage restriction limits the number of copies that can be made, e.g. CGMS, SCMS, or CCI flags
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00768 wherein copy control information is used, e.g. for indicating whether a content may be copied freely, no more, once, or never, by setting CGMS, SCMS, or CCI flags
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00797 wherein the usage restriction limits the number of times a content can be reproduced, e.g. using playback counters
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00862 wherein the remote server can grant the permission to use a content
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00876 wherein physical copy protection means are attached to the medium, e.g. holograms, sensors, or additional semiconductor circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/1201 on tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/1843 using a cyclic redundancy check [CRC]
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/28 Indicating or preventing prior or unauthorised use, e.g. cassettes with sealing or locking means, write-protect devices for discs write-protect devices for tapes G11B23/042, G11B23/08714; dummy cassettes for locking in the drive G11B33/005
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/107 of operating tapes
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91314 : the copy protection signal being a pulse signal inserted in blanking intervals of the video signal, e.g. pseudo-AGC pulses, pseudo-sync pulses
• 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 2005/91364 : the video signal being scrambled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 : Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 : Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/4135 : external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 : by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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 21/435 : Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43622 : Interfacing an external recording device
• 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 21/835 : Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/91 : Television signal processing therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/913 : for scrambling ; for copy protection

Abstract

Copying, dubbing or reproducing copyrighted digital data can be inhibited or restricted to properly protect a copyright. AV data recorded on a pre-recorded tape is output from a reproducing unit of a first digital VCR with protective information indicating whether the copy of the AV data is inhibited or not. The protective information is input with the A/V data to a second digital VCR. Copy permission information of a blank tape loaded in the second digital VCR is discriminated and the second digital VCR records the AV data supplied from the first digital VCR based on the protective information and the copy permission information.

Claims

1. A record medium, comprising:

a recording section in which data to be reproduced is stored;

a protective information component being stored within said data; and

a recording condition memory having reproduction control information stored therein, said reproduction control information representing preselected conditions under which said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said recording section, and wherein said reproduction control information is determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said recording medium,

whereby it is determined whether or not said data is to be reproduced in accordance with a combination of said protective information component and said reproduction control information.

2. The record medium of claim 1 wherein said preselected conditions include a duration of the reproduction from said record medium of the stored data, or a number of times that said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said record medium.

3. A record method, comprising the steps of:

storing in a recording section data which is to be reproduced;

storing with said data a protective information content; and

permitting said stored data to be reproduced from said recording section in accordance with preselected conditions of reproduction control information stored in a recording condition memory, and wherein said reproduction control information is determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said stored data;

whereby it is determined whether or not said data is to be reproduced in accordance with a combination of said protective information component and said reproduction control information.

4. The record method of claim 3, wherein said preselected conditions include a duration of the reproduction from said record medium of the stored data, or a number of times that said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said recording section.

5. A record apparatus, comprising:

recording section means for storing data which is to be reproduced;

means for storing a protective information content with said data; and

means for permitting said stored data to be reproduced from said recording section in accordance with preselected conditions of reproduction control information stored in a recording condition memory, and wherein said reproduction control information is determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said stored data;

whereby it is determined whether or not said data is to be reproduced in accordance with a combination of said protective information component and said reproduction control information.

6. The record apparatus of claim 5, wherein said preselected conditions include a duration of the reproduction from said record medium of the stored data, or a number of times that said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said recording section.

7. A reproducing method for reproducing data stored on a recording medium, said stored data including at least reproduction control information stored in a recording condition memory portion of said recording medium, said reproduction control information being determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said recording medium, said stored data further comprising a protective information component, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving said reproduction control information from said storage medium; and

permitting said stored data to be reproduced from said recording section in accordance with preselected conditions of said reproduction control information and said protective information component.

8. The reproducing method of claim 7, wherein said preselected conditions include a duration of the reproduction from said recording medium of the stored data, or a number of times that said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said recording medium.

9. A reproducing apparatus for reproducing data stored on a recording medium, said recording medium including at least a reproduction control information, said stored data including at least a protective information component, comprising:

means for retrieving said reproduction control information from said recording medium;

means for retrieving said protective information component from said stored data; and

means for permitting said stored data to be reproduced from said recording section in accordance with preselected conditions of said reproduction control information and said protective information component, and wherein said reproduction control information is determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said recording medium.

10. The reproducing apparatus of claim 9, wherein said preselected conditions include a duration of the reproduction from said record medium of the stored data, or a number of times that said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said recording medium.

11. A reproducing method for reproducing data stored on a recording medium, comprising the steps of:

storing reproduction control information in a recording condition memory of a reproducing apparatus, said reproduction control information being determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said stored data;

storing a protective information component with said stored data; and

permitting said stored data to be reproduced from said recording medium in accordance with preselected conditions of said reproduction control information and said protective information component.

12. The reproducing method of claim 11, wherein said preselected conditions include a duration of the reproduction from said recording medium of the stored data, or a number of times that said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said recording medium.

13. A reproducing apparatus for reproducing data stored on a recording medium, comprising:

means for storing reproduction control information in a recording condition memory of said reproducing apparatus, said reproduction control information being determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said stored data;

means for storing a protective information component with said stored data; and

means for permitting said stored data to be reproduced from said recording medium in accordance with preselected conditions of said reproduction control information and said protective information component.

14. The reproducing apparatus of claim 13, wherein said preselected conditions include a duration of the reproduction from said recording medium of the stored data, or a number of times that said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said recording medium.

15. A recording system, comprising:

recording section means for storing data which is to be reproduced;

means for storing a protective information content with said data; and

means for permitting said stored data to be reproduced from said recording section in accordance with preselected conditions of reproduction control information stored in a recording condition memory, and wherein said reproduction control information is determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said stored data;

whereby it is determined whether or not said data is to be reproduced in accordance with a combination of said protective information component and said reproduction control information.

16. The recording system of claim 15, wherein preselected conditions include a duration of the reproduction from said record medium of the stored data, or a number of times that said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said recording section.

17. A reproducing system, comprising:

means for storing reproduction control information in a recording condition memory of said reproducing apparatus, said reproduction control information being determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said stored data;

means for storing a protective information component with said stored data;

means for retrieving said reproduction control information from said recording medium;

means for retrieving said protective information component from said stored data; and

means for permitting said stored data to be reproduced from said recording section in accordance with preselected conditions of said reproduction control information and said protective information component, and wherein said reproduction control information is determined at least in part based upon a reproduction history of said recording medium.

18. The reproducing apparatus of claim 17, wherein said preselected conditions include a duration of the reproduction from said record medium of the stored data, or a number of times that said stored data is permitted to be reproduced from said recording medium.